‘Naaniruvude nimagaagi, nadirivudu namagaagi...”, the popular song from the 1975 Rajkumar starrer Mayura has been revived by the Janata Dal(Secular) in the state. The line, which translates to “I am here for you, the land is here for us..." has been used by the party to mark the arrival of HD Kumaraswamy at its rallies.

The hit song is one of over 200 popular Kannada songs that the party is using to woo voters. The songs, which go as far back as the 1960s to latest Kannada hits, have been reworked to highlight the work done by the JD(S).

"We have released about 200 songs till now and the tunes are being used to catch people's attention while the lyrics of the songs have been reworked to send the party's message," said K Sadananda, a spokesperson for the party.

The songs are not just being blared in rallies but also sent out directly to voters through WhatsApp. The party is using WhatsApp groups it has created at booth levels to send the songs directly to voters.

The JD(S), unlike the Congress and BJP in the state, does not have a Twitter or Facebook account. The Congress and BJP are active users of Twitter and Facebook and have been consistently trading barbs over the two social media platforms.  

But the JD(S) believes that it can connect with rural voters directly by reaching out to them on WhatsApp.

"We have created groups at booth level in many areas of the state and these songs are being sent directly to voters that way. This way, even women who are engaged in household work can understand the party's message and can come out and vote," added Sadananda.

The party undertook the production of the song and is now banking on the nostalgia created by the popular tunes to strike a chord with voters.