Mumbai:
For today's politicians, election campaigns are not just about Ambassador cars, they are also about style; and style means SUVs like the Landcruisers, the Baleros and the Safaris.
And in the process, our men in white are now driving up the sales of these big cars.
The bulk of them use Scorpios, Endeavours, and the Safaris. But for the classy politician, it's the Honda CR-Vs, the Mitsubishi Outlanders and the Chevrolet Captiva's.
"Everyone sees their comfort, those who travel by cars during campaigning," said former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
Come elections every five years and the sale of such cars shoot up.
Mahindra and Mahindra, the nation's biggest sports-utility vehicle maker, registered 17 per cent growth in February 2009 over the same month in 2008.
March was their best-ever in a single month period at over 25 per cent. Sales of SUV's from Tata motors jumped up 43 per cent in March over February.
All this at a time when globally, the auto market is in the red.
"There has been more pick up in our mix because of elections and demand from political parties for campaigning," said Pawan Goenka, president, Automotive M and M.
Visit any party office and you will see the SUV's lined up. It is a necessity, say many, to weather the tough cross-country travels for the Great Indian Election Tamasha.