Those who write the slogans on the walls (may God have mercy on them]) and on the posters and whose words are repeated through loudspeakers during campaigning season are the unsung micro-Haiku poet/heroof modern India.

A sampling:
2009 elections:
Congress: Jai ho! (from the movie of the season)
BJP: ‘Strong Leader, Decisive Government’, huh?

2004:
BJP: India Shining
Congress: Aam Aadmi (Common person)

The discerning reader will notice how dull and unimaginative the slogans have become now. No doubt these slogans were devised by committees of highly overpaid, out of touch ad people.

Indira Gandhi rode back to power on the basis of a slogan: ‘Indira hatao, desh bachao’ (remove Indira, save country)

By and large, the typical Indian slogan is a variation on these.

.......ko lana hai, Desh ko bachana hai [we must bring...back and save the country]
Gali, Gali mein shor hai, ....chor hai [everyone knows, ....is a thief]

A look at slogans that helped create political power:

1. Around the Emergency period when Indira Gandhi played Hitler:

‘Singhasan khali karo ki janta aati hai’ [empty the throne, the people are coming] - from a poem by Dinkar

‘Jinda kaum panch saal intezar nahin karti’ [People who are awake do not wait for five years]

2. Rise of the BJP

During the Ram Janmabhoomi movement of th late eighties and early nineties:

‘Bachacha bachacha Ram ka, Janmabhoomi ke kaam ka’ (every child belongs to Ram, belongs to his birth place),

‘Kalyan Singh kalyan karo, mandir ka nirman karo’ (Kalyan Singh do good, build temple)

3. Rise of the BSP
During founder Kanshi Ram's time, the slogan used to be more in-your-face:

‘Tilak, taraju aur Talwar, inko maro jutey chaar’ (Tilak, weighing scale and sword, bash these with shoes four times).

When Mayawati took over, she made it more inclusive and is now reaping the benefits:

‘Haathi nahi Ganesh hai – Brahma Vishnu Mahesh hai’ (Not an elephant but Ganesh – it’s Brahma Vishnu Mahesh).

She took on Mulayam's government with, ‘Chardh gundan ki chati par, muhar lagega hathi par’ (climb on the chest of gundas, put your stamp on elephant).

Remember, in the beginning, was a word.

Read more about slogans here