Right at the beginning of the hot summer months, people of Madhya Pradesh are troubled by frequent power cuts. So much so that it has become a matter of concern for the Congress government. Chief Minister Kamal Nath, however, has alleged political conspiracy. Why? Because, in the run-up to the Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, had warned voters that if the Congress came to power, people would face frequent outages. With the Lok Sabha elections underway, Nath has been questioning the timing of the power cuts in public and the allegiance of energy department officials in private. MP is a power-surplus state and sells power to many neighbouring states.
Tamil Nadu leaders continue to depend on their departed leaders to woo voters. The state votes to elect its representatives to the Lok Sabha today and from a few days ago voters began receiving voice messages over social media in which former chief minister Jayalalithaa's voice addressed them with her signature "Vanakkam". The message went on to say: "This is ÿour beloved sister Jayalalithaa. For a prosperous Tamil Nadu, to regain the rights of Tamil people, support AIADMK-led alliance, your symbol is two leaves."
The message was followed by an address by some current AIADMK leaders. One might recall a similar WhatsApp message in the voice of Jayalalithaa doing the rounds when she was hospitalised in 2016, addressing the worried partymen. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has also used the voice of its late supremo, M Karunanidhi, in its election advertisements this year, especially on video platforms. His signature address at public functions — "En uyirinum melana anbu udanpirappukale" (my dear brothers and sisters, whom I respect more than my life) — has been used in video advertisements depicting a rising sun removing the darkness.
 "Mamata Banerjee")
