BJP president Rajnath Singh poses with Wangla dancers while campaigning for Mendipathar candidate J.K. Pam in East Garo Hills on Friday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Shillong, Feb. 22: Call it the music of politics or the politics of music, but when Amit Paul sings, Meghalaya is bound to sit up and listen.

This is precisely the reason why the Congress is hoping that the SMS and telephone votes the state had cast for the Indian Idol 3 finalist last year will translate into electoral votes on March 3.

Amit, the brand ambassador of the state, will perform in two Congress election meetings at Jowai in the Jaintia Hills and Tura in the West Garo Hills tomorrow. The other “star performer” who will spice up the rallies after Amit’s performances is none other than Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The AICC general secretary in charge of Meghalaya, Margaret Alva, today confirmed that Amit would sing in both the district headquarters.

This is the first time that a political party is trying to use the Amit magic to woo voters. And why not? Since his amazing run in the Indian Idol 3 contest, the singer with the deep baritone has attracted people by the thousands wherever he has performed.

Although the Hynniewtrep National liberation Council (HNLC) has called a 12-hour bandh from 6 am tomorrow in the Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Ri Bhoi districts, the Congress believes people will defy it just to hear Amit sing and Sonia speak.

“Videos of the Amit and Sonia rallies will be aired on local television channels to gain maximum possible mileage,” a senior Congress leader said.

The Congress has also not forgotten to remind the people that the D.D. Lapang government had accorded the brand ambassador status to Amit.

Amit was not available for comments about his first political show but his aide said it was just another show for the singing sensation and did not mean that he was associated with any political party.

Amit’s universal appeal is another of his plus points. He had managed to unite the Khasis and the non-Khasis during the Indian Idol show. “It is precisely for his acceptability among all sections of voters that we have roped him in,” a Congress leader said.

The singer will reach out to two different tribes when he performs tomorrow — the Garos in Tura and the Jaintias in Jowai.

A source in the event management group which is handling Amit’s show said he will sing some of the hit numbers that had endeared him to the people like Nasha ye pyar ka nasha hai, Pehla nasha, Bulla ki Jana and some numbers in local dialects.

This is the first time that Sonia will campaign in Jowai, a stronghold of the United Democratic Party (UDP).

The rally in Tura assumes significance in the context of former Lok Sabha Speaker and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader P.A. Sangma projecting himself as the chief ministerial candidate contesting from the seat.

Security has been beefed up in both the places in view of the public rallies to be addressed by Sonia and the HNLC bandh.

The banned outfit said it had called the bandh in protest against Sonia’s visit. HNLC publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said in a statement that the Congress-led governments in Delhi and Shillong were not interested in parleys with it.

“The Congress is also responsible for forcibly annexing Khasi land to India through the Instrument of Accession, thereby depriving the freedom and existence of the Ri U Hynniewtrep (Khasi land),” he added.