Uttarakhand Elections 2024: Candidates Utilize Folk Music to Connect with Voters

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand, the candidates vying for the Tehri Garhwal parliamentary seat and the Pauri parliamentary seat have embarked on a musical journey, using folk songs to resonate with the voters. The trend of adapting folk music, poetry, satire, and shero-shayari for political campaigns has gained momentum in recent years.

The internet media platforms of Facebook, Instagram, and X are witnessing uploads of reels that are making rounds, showcasing the supporters’ creative editing skills. These reels amplify the election mood through the catchy beats of the song.

The release of the song ‘Main Pahadon Ki Raibari Tu Dilli Raunwali’ in December 2023 has sparked a musical phenomenon in the mountainous regions. This Garhwali song penned by Desh Deepak Nautiyal, a resident of Bhatiyara in the Uttarkashi district, is making its way to all corners of the state.

Authored by a professional engineer, Desh Deepak Nautiyal, currently engaged in mobile chip design in Cambridge, England, the song is a unique blend of nostalgia for the mountains and political fervor. Singers Saurabh Maithani and Anjali Khare lent their voices to the song, which has garnered 46 lakh views on YouTube to date.

The lyricism of the song, ‘Main Pahadon Ki Raibari Tu Dilli Raunwali,’ captures the essence of mountain life and resonates with the sentiments of the hill dwellers. The reel makers have used old pictures depicting wedding ceremonies, traditional dances in the mountains, and drinking water from natural sources to amplify the nostalgia and sense of belonging among the viewers.

The song has paved the way for numerous reels, and a Part 2 release is already in the pipeline. The adaptation of the song through reels has caught on as an effective mode of reaching out to voters during the election campaign.