Political consultants gear up for poll season with strategic campaigns

Before the onset of the poll season, political consultants are busy strategising party campaigns and manifestos. Archis Mohan gives insights into their plans

The upcoming poll season is set to host a series of high-stakes electoral battles, with a particularly compelling contest anticipated in Andhra Pradesh. Here, two election strategists — a mentor and his former protégé — will plan the fight for the state’s 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats. This contest will highlight the increasing importance of political consultants, not just for election readiness, but also for their role in gathering grassroots feedback for manifesto creation and the shaping and rollout of welfare schemes.
 

This Andhra Pradesh scrimmage is intriguing for another reason. The challenger, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP),