The Conservative Party wants to remind South Asian voters that Stephen Harper has “offered a hand of friendship to everyone.”
That’s one takeaway from a new Harper-themed Desi-style music video being used to appeal to a targeted subset of the Conservative voter base in lead up to election day.
Titled “Harper Sarkaar, Fir Ek Baar,” the video released Thursday pools years of footage and stills taken from the Conservative leader’s photo-ops with South Asian communities across the country. Also included are clips from his official trip to India nearly three years ago.
A short introduction flips through selected news clippings that mention Harper’s participation in a Vaisakhi celebration, super visa approvals, and various economic highlights. A female and male voiceover both say, “Thank you, Stephen Harper,” before the video transitions into the Hindi song.
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar also makes a cameo.
Watch the full video:
One set of lyrics claim Harper helped increase trade worldwide — a line which glosses over the fact that Canada is currently carrying a trade deficit.
The music video was shared by Conservative candidate Naval Bajaj. The local entrepreneur and 7-Eleven business consultant is vying to win Brampton East, an key Ontario riding with a strong South Asian population.
On Friday, the video was shared by national defence and multiculturalism minister Jason Kenney on Facebook.
“By far the best musical jingle of this campaign, #Desi-style,” he wrote.
It’s not clear if the party, a candidate, or third-party group produced the musical ad.
The music video comes days before the Liberal Party is set to host the “biggest campaign rally in decades” in Brampton on Sunday.
Conservative candidate, Maxime Bernier, released his own jingle in September urging listeners to vote for him, reminding those in his Beauce riding that he’s “a guy like us.”
Rough translation of the Hindi lyrics below:
We all want a conservative government
We all want a conservative government
Stephen Harper, Stephen Harper
One more time
He increased trade worldwide
He made the economy strong
He increased trade worldwide
He made the economy strong
Again and again, he cut taxes
He created more than one million jobs
We all want a conservative government
We all want a conservative government
Stephen Harper, Stephen Harper
One more time
He brought hundreds of thousands of immigrants to Canada
He showed youth the way to success
He brought hundreds of thousands of immigrants to Canada
He showed youth the way to success
He celebrated happiness with us
He strengthened our relationship with India
We all want a conservative government
We all want a conservative government
Stephen Harper, Stephen Harper
One more time
He offered a hand of friendship to everyone
He gave respect to our elders
He brought prosperity everywhere
That’s why the colour blue is everywhere
We all want a conservative government
We all want a conservative government
Stephen Harper, Stephen Harper
One more time
Female narrator:
Let’s come together and make Canada strong
And let’s re-elect Stephen Harper
Bring in a Conservative government
With files from Sadiya Ansari, Maham Abedi, and Arti Patel
Also on HuffPost:
