With an eye on Assembly elections, NCP goes pink for bright prospects

Mumbai, July 19 (IANS) After its debacle in the General Elections, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to go "pink" hoping that it will brighten Assembly poll prospects and facilitate the party's much-needed makeover.

Adopting the pink colour is a part of the NCP’s Assembly poll strategy with a resolve to play an important role in the Mahayuti’s victory and thereafter retain power in Maharashtra.

On the advice of DesignBoxed Innovations Pvt Ltd, a creative political digital campaign management company hired by the party recently, the pink colour will be prominently used at all events, on backdrops and banners, for print and media advertisements and also on the social media handles of the party.

Design Box was earlier associated with the Congress party in Karnataka and Rajasthan. Although there is no formal advisory yet released, the party has informally suggested to all its ministers, legislators, MPs, district, tehsil and village units to adopt pink colour instead of the present blue and white combination.

This is not all, the party's National President and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has started wearing pink and maroon jackets during government and party meetings as per the media company’s advice.

Ajit Pawar revealed that he has already got 18 such jackets for daily wear. Very soon ministers, legislators, MPs and other office-bearers are also likely to follow Ajit Pawar and start wearing pink or maroon-coloured jackets.

Party spokesman and youth wing president Suraj Chavan said, "Pink is the colour of love and affection. It is also the party's attempt to increase its outreach with girls and women for whom Deputy CM and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar has announced a slew of sops in the recently announced budget.

"Besides, the party hopes to further increase its connect with a cross-section of voters by going pink to propagate love and social harmony.’’

NCP kicked off its Assembly poll campaign by visiting the Siddhivinayak temple last week on the advice of a media company.

During that visit too, Ajit Pawar wore a maroon jacket and further, he travelled with party legislators in an air-conditioned bus wearing a maroon jacket up to the Vidhan Bhavan on July 12 to cast his vote in the biennial state council election.

At the party’s Jansanman rally at Baramati, NCP used pink on the backdrop, posters, banners and on its X handle. Besides, state unit chief Sunil Tatkare used a pink background on his X handle to announce his press conference held on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a senior minister and a district unit chief decided to defy the party's move saying that they will not go pink.

"I am now old and a veteran and will continue to appear in my regular attire. Besides, in my personal office, too, I will not use pink nor will I go by the media agency’s advice while uploading my posts on X or photos on Facebook and other social media accounts,’’ he said.

He declined to adhere to the media company’s advice to visit Siddhivinayak temple or travel in a bus with co-ministers and legislators.

"Visiting Siddhivinayak temple is a personal matter. What the party needs now is to project and follow the thoughts of social reformers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. Besides, Maharashtra does not need Oxford and Harvard but wants a debate on Forward and Backward," he noted.