Actor-politician Vijay has sparked fresh buzz among supporters with an unusual campaign appeal ahead of the election. Speaking at the release of his election manifesto in Chennai, he asked women to draw the party’s ‘whistle’ symbol as a kolam at their home entrances.
Vijay said the election was only a week away and framed the request as a sign of support from “mothers, elder sisters and younger sisters.” The remark drew loud applause, whistles and cheers from the crowd.
The call comes amid earlier criticism that Vijay was trying to compensate for not doing extensive on-ground campaigning across towns. He had previously told supporters that “every one of you is a Vijay” and that he is present in every home—comments that had attracted mixed reactions.
After the latest appeal, supporters say many youngsters and children have been urging family members to put the whistle symbol as a kolam. Some young women who were not familiar with kolam-making are reportedly sketching the whistle with chalk first and then turning it into a kolam.
Elders in some households, according to supporters, have welcomed the trend, saying that if it encourages today’s children to learn kolam, it is a good thing.
