All those years community-bonding and side-campaigning were taken up much after the actual on-ground work before elections, but this time it seems the pre-poll mood in the city is slightly different.

Candidates have kicked off the unofficial campaigning process by approaching and meeting members of several communities – Gujarati, North Indian, Christian and Muslim – even as the rallies and door-to-door visits are scheduled to start next week. With the political parties yet to officially announce their agendas and poll manifestos, the on-ground campaigning process has taken a back seat. What appears to be more important now is securing the votes of community driven areas, and candidates have been at it for the past two weeks.