India's ruling Congress party says it has acquired the rights to use the Oscar-winning theme song from the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" in its election campaign.
The name of the catchy tune "Jai Ho" can be translated as "Victory," and it won the Academy Award for best song last month.
Congress party officials say they will play the tune at campaign rallies and other events around the country before parliamentary elections scheduled between mid-April and mid-May.
The race is expected to be a showdown between the Congress party and its main rival, the Hindu nationalist BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party).
BJP officials have mocked the Congress party's choice of a theme song, saying it will "ensure their defeat" because "Jai Ho" will remind Indians that millions of people still live in slums as a result of the party's policies.
The film "Slumdog Millionaire" is a rags-to-riches love story set and filmed largely in the slums of Mumbai. It won eight Academy Awards, and its uplifting theme song has become extremely popular in India despite initial controversy over the movie's portrayal of the country's slums.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters
