Bengaluru has an unusual election on its hands. There are no politicians, no manifestos and certainly no heated television debates. Instead, the candidates have four legs, wagging tails and rather generous waistlines. The city is voting to crown its fattest dog, and the contest is now down to its final two contenders.
Called Fat Dogs of BLR, the competition began on October 1 with 64 dogs vying for the title of Bengaluru's chonkiest canine. After several knockout rounds and plenty of online campaigning, only two remain in the race for the crown.
The tournament follows the format of a knockout competition, with supporters voting for their favourite dogs as the field gradually narrows. Campaign posters, enthusiastic supporters and appeals for votes have added an election-like flavour to the contest, although the candidates themselves are unlikely to be aware of their newfound popularity.
Bengaluru is not the first Indian city to witness this unusual canine competition.
Earlier, Delhi hosted its own viral Fat Dogs of Delhi contest, featuring 64 dogs from across the National Capital Region. The tournament turned neighbourhood dogs into social media celebrities, with residents campaigning for their favourites through Instagram.
Among Delhi's contestants were Googoo, a 46-kg mixed-breed dog from Saket who was undergoing a weight-loss regimen, and Rambabu, also known as Chonky, from Yusuf Sarai. Other contenders included Moti from Sarojini Nagar, Mahakutteshwar from Noida and Kutta Singh from Rohini.
The Delhi contest drew inspiration from Alaska's annual Fat Bear Week, which celebrates brown bears preparing for winter by building up their fat reserves. The Indian versions have given the idea a distinctly urban twist, replacing bears with familiar neighbourhood dogs and wildlife photography with social media campaigning.
The Bengaluru edition has brought together Charlie's Animal Rescue Centre (C.A.R.E.), an animal welfare organisation, Fave, a UPI payments app, and Emergent, an AI-powered software creation platform that was used to build the competition's website.
The organisers describe the initiative as a community-driven effort to bring people together through their affection for dogs.
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