Monika Mundu

She is neither a candidate nor is she campaigning for one. Yet, Monika Mundu has been super busy in the run-up to the civic polls.

For this Ranchi-based singer of regional languages, who has recorded over 1,500 songs that are available on cassettes and CDs, has been approached by several candidates!

They want her to pen songs that will pep up their campaign and boost their chances with voters.

“We have come up with some original songs, parodies of popular film songs and also set tune to some lyrics composed for the purpose,” Monika, who works with her composer-arranger husband Tej Mundu, told The Telegraph.

Apne ward ko narak se jannat banana ke liye…(For transforming our ward from hell to heaven), is one of many such numbers she has recorded for a candidate. But more catchy and ambitious are the parodies of old Hindi hits.

Most of Monica’s compositions can now be heard from campaign vehicles, primarily autorickshaws that are fitted with CD players and loudspeakers and covered on three sides with hoardings of candidate’s photographs and slogans.

Hence, at ward 44 the tune that has caught everyone’s fancy is Nishan bijli-khamba hai (The symbol is lamp-post).

Why not? After all it’s quite like Lata Mangeshkar’s, Ajeeb dastan hai ye.. from the film, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai.

Similarly, no resident failed to catch on to the whiffs of Asha Bhonshle’s Bhula nehi dena ji hula nehi dena from the film, Baradari, when confronted with Bhula nehi dena ji bhula nehi dena / Sunita Pandey ko daga nehi dena. (Forget not, don’t ditch Sunita Pandey).

“The candidate of ward 44 approached me and I composed these two parodies for her,” said a smiling Monika, who is in her early 40s and is adept at 11 languages, including Santhali, Mundari, Kurukh and Ho, besides Nagpuri, and Bhojpuri.

Bengali is her mother-tongue.

Another of her recent hits is Aail ba isbar chunao, chune ke bate (Elections have arrived, it’s time to choose), a campaign song in Bhojpuri she composed for Rambha Devi who is contesting from ward 12.

Monika has also penned a few numbers in Nagpuri — like Bhaire, bahanre sab se kahal (appeal to you brothers and sisters) — not only for candidates contesting in Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) areas but also for those trying their luck elsewhere.

He hamar dada ho, vote dewa re / churi chhap re is one such song she prepared for Pradeep Kumar Singh Munda who is contesting for the chairman’s post in Bundu with bangle as poll symbol.

But Monika has her rivals. Blaring out of Antu Tirkey’s campaign vehicles was a Bengali song. Begun chhap mone rekhe vote dewa chai (Must remember and vote for the brinjal symbol) was an unmistakable lift from Tomar Dekha Nai, a song by popular Bengal band, Bhoomi.

The prospective RMC was moving around a Bengali-dominated locality and hence his choice of song.

Good thinking Mr Tirkey!