Campaign Troubles: Flowers cause infection to rivals Vanga Geetha, Pawan Kalyan; docs caution against garlands

Amaravati: Rivals in Pithapuram Assembly constituency – YSRCP’s Vanga Geetha and Jana Sena’s Pawan Kalyan – suffered a heat stroke and infection due to the flowers showered on them during public campaigning.

A few days later, Pithapuram YSRCP MLA candidate Vanga Geetha fell sick with a high fever due to a heat stroke. When the NewsMeter team interacted with Geetha at her residence where she is receiving medical assistance, we were told that she got an infection owing to the flowers being thrown on her face.

On the other hand, her opposition, Pawan Kalyan, is affected by recurrent influenza and is suffering from fever at regular intervals.

In a release on Saturday, the Jana Sena Party asked the public to avoid crane gaja mala (huge garlands) for Pawan Kalyan. The party asked the cadres and fans to avoid throwing flowers directly on his face. According to the party sources, throwing flowers directly at his face exacerbates the infection.

Flowers – the biggest challenge for the leaders

Ahead of the Andhra Pradesh elections on May 13, all party leaders from the YSRCP, TDP, JSP and Congress campaign all day, facing issues such as the scorching heat.

The leaders’ most significant challenge is the vast garlands gifted by their fans when they enter the constituency during campaigning. As they take up rallies across the streets, the public is seen throwing flowers, especially marigolds, at the leaders.

Especially during door-to-door campaigning at the constituencies, the candidates are forced to wear garlands offered by the cadres.

"Vanga Geetha also suffered infection due to flowers thrown on her face during election campaign. Due to heat wave, she had dehydration. She recovered now," Geetha's son-in-law Suresh told NewsMeter.

What do the doctors say?

According to the doctors, with the prevailing heatwave in the state, flower petals directly thrown on the face can irritate the skin and cause fungal infections.

“As medical professionals, we must stress the importance of maintaining hygienic practices, even in ceremonial gestures. Putting garlands on political leaders may seem innocuous, but it can expose them to various pathogens, leading to potential infections,” said Dr Sanjay Patel, infectious disease specialist at Apollo Healthcare.

Risk for bacterial infections

According to Dr Meena Sharma, public health physician, Yashoda Hospitals, “Garlanding political leaders may be a tradition, but it poses risks of bacterial and fungal infections. It’s crucial to raise awareness about these health hazards and encourage safer alternatives to show respect and appreciation.”

Inputs from Anoushka Caoline Willams.