New Delhi (Sputnik): It may sound a bit unusual for an Indian political party to use the Chinese language in its campaign, but Trinamool Congress (TMC), which is the governing party of West Bengal state in eastern India, will do exactly that. The party will conduct a part of its campaign in Chinese in areas dominated by Indians of Chinese origin.
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The South Kolkata Constituency in the Indian metropolis Kolkata, which was the erstwhile capital of India during British rule before the imperial forces moved their capital to Delhi, has a portion of its population that are of Chinese origin.
Election graffiti reading "Vote for Trinamool Congress" has appeared on dozens of walls in Kolkata near the famed Chinatown area.
At Kolkata's little China Town, TMC workers have put out wall graffiti in the Chinese language to woo voters. India Today's @iindrojit tells us more in his #ReporterDiary
— India Today (@IndiaToday) April 2, 2019
More videos: https://t.co/FAHzdk9TO8 pic.twitter.com/V8g3tfujGw
TMC candidate Mala Roy, a five-time councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has taken the "Chinese" plunge to attract Chinese Indians in her constituency.
TMC poll graffiti on wall in Calcutta
— Chowkidar Dr Sunanda Bal🇮🇳 (@Drsunandambal) April 3, 2019
In Chinese /
language /Script (Mandarin??) pic.twitter.com/A75DoHhqeU
This is the first time that a political party has planned to campaign in Chinese on Indian soil, the report adds.
TMC walling by Chinese language in china town kolkata AITC respect all culture #TMCS @MamataOfficial @abhishekaitc @ColDiptangshu @derekobrienmp @KOLLEO @suparnomoitra @Aagan86 @ArcDec @TMC_Supporters @amitavasomu @prabirbally @anish_aitc @nusratchirps @soumendasaitc @KOLLEO pic.twitter.com/4ONbzxKUeY
— debdatta ghosh (@debdattatwit) April 3, 2019
"If our candidate has time, we would also organise a street corner meeting, where our message will be delivered in the Chinese language. There are about 2,000 voters of Chinese origin in this part of Kolkata", said Faiz Ahmed Khan, a TMC leader to the Hindustan Times.
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The Chinese population, which was earlier engaged in the tannery industry after the collapse of the sugar factories, has now branched out into the footwear industry, dentistry, laundries, piggeries, and eateries.
