Dhamsa-Madol unveiled as election mascots in Purulia

Palash carries a dhamsa, while Shimul holds a madol. The two are twin brothers. From Tuesday, Dhamsa has taken to the streets, accompanied by the rhythm of the madol, as the duo campaign together to encourage voters across this Junglemahal to visit polling booths without fear.

Their slogan is: “Dhamsa Madaler chande, vote din anande” (Vote happily to the rhythm of the dhamsa and madol).

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Incidentally, Dhamsa and Madol have been chosen as the new election mascots by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the Assembly polls in Purulia district.

The announcement was made on Monday evening at the conference hall of the Purulia District Administrative Building. The district magistrate and District Election Officer (DEO), Sudhir Kontham, formally unveiled the mascots for the West Bengal Assembly elections.

He said: “Palash flowers are an integral part of Purulia’s culture and highlight the district’s tourism in Junglemahal. In spring, the presence of palash and shimul enhances Purulia’s natural beauty. As this is the voting season, we have created this mascot featuring Palash and Shimul alongside the traditional musical instruments dhamsa and madol, reflecting the region’s cultural heritage. Palash and Shimul will take to the streets to promote voting so that people can go to polling booths without fear.”

This will be the first time that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will display colour photographs of candidates. Previously, only black-and-white images were used. The Election Commission of India has introduced this change to help voters identify candidates more easily.

Each year, Purulia’s election mascot draws attention across the state. In earlier elections, ‘Voteshwar’ captured the public imagination. The district’s mascots have also received recognition, including the ‘Palashmani’ award. Although the unveiling of this year’s mascot was delayed due to SIR, its message, style and voter appeal have already resonated with the people of Junglemahal.

According to district administration sources, the twin mascots will continue campaigning to promote free and fearless voting. They will appear in various formats ~ rallies, tableaux and cut-outs.

Their attire reflects the cultural heritage of Purulia. The twins wear green, blue and black striped dhotis in a traditional tribal style, along with yellow gamchas tied around their heads. These elements highlight the cultural identity of the region, where a significant section of the population belongs to the Kurmi community.

The district has a total of 12,645 polling personnel. There are 2,529 polling stations, including 279 auxiliary booths. At present, 1,120 polling stations have been identified as critical or vulnerable, though this figure may change before polling day.

The final number of booths will depend on the deployment of central forces on polling day. An all-party meeting was held prior to the mascot’s inauguration, where the district administration briefed stakeholders on the model code of conduct (MCC), nominations and election campaigning.