The race to crown the 'fattest dog of Delhi'

An unusual election has gripped India's capital, drawing thousands of voters and enthusiastic campaigners to crown Delhi's "chonkiest" dog.

The knockout competition began after Fat Dogs of Delhi, an Instagram page dedicated to the city's more generously proportioned canines, invited people to nominate their favourite neighbourhood dogs.

But what started as a joke quickly turned competitive, with supporters creating campaign posters, endorsement videos and memes to drum up votes for their favourites.

The contest has attracted thousands of votes and tens of thousands of new followers on Instagram as it approaches its grand finale on Wednesday after several rounds of intense online voting.

Many of the contestants do not have a single owner. Instead, they are neighbourhood fixtures, living on the city's streets and cared for by networks of residents, shopkeepers and workers who feed them, give them names and keep an eye on their health.

Two of the dogs taking part died while the tournament was under way, prompting tributes from people who had been following and voting for them.

The person behind the page, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC the idea came after seeing people on X run similar knockout contests.

"Why not do it as a fun little thing for people to bond over?" she said.

The first 64 nominations were accepted - and the names were almost as colourful as the candidates themselves.

There is Dahi Bhalli, named after a popular north Indian street food of soft savoury donut soaked in yoghurt and tamarind sauce. Mahakutteshwar is a play on names associated with deities and temples, incorporating the Hindi word kutta, or dog. Others include Googoo, Rambabu and the formidably named Kutta Singh - literally, "Dog Singh".

Voting began on 24 September.

In the first round, the 64 contestants were divided into 32 groups and voters had to choose one from each. The 32 who won progressed to the next step and the losers were knocked out.

Similar elimination rounds were held and on Tuesday only eight remained in the final race for the crown.

Since the contest began, supporters have been picking sides, producing their own campaign material, from elaborate posters to reels and memes, and approaching friends and strangers for votes. And the enthusiasm has spread well beyond Delhi, with supporters as far away as Kerala and Kolkata picking favourites and campaigning on their behalf.

The scale of the response has caught the organiser off guard.

"I did not expect it to blow up to this extent for sure," she told the BBC, adding that her account has gained thousands of followers. "I love the sense of community that we have right now."

But the competition has also faced criticism from some social media users, who have questioned whether it risks celebrating obesity in dogs.

Being overweight can contribute to a range of health problems in dogs and can shorten their lives. Some critics have also raised concerns that celebrating the animals for their size could normalise overfeeding.

Meanwhile, the finalists continue to generate excitement, with a line-up as quirky as the competition itself.

Googoo is a 46kg (101lb) mixed-breed who is staying at an animal-care centre in Delhi where, somewhat ironically, he is trying to lose weight.

His meals are being regulated and he undergoes regular medical checks. The teenager who entered Googoo in the competition told The Indian Express newspaper that he first spotted him in a local park in 2021, when the dog was less than half his current size.

Googoo's supporters have since produced posters and social media campaigns urging people to vote for him, with some declaring him the "GOAT" - or greatest of all time.

The organisers now hope the contest's unexpected popularity can be channelled into helping stray animals. She said the page had begun highlighting animal-welfare groups and individuals seeking donations.

The light-hearted contest comes at a time when the presence and management of community dogs is the subject of a much more serious debate in the capital.

Delhi's stray dog population is estimated at one million, with suburban Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram also seeing a population rise, municipal sources say.

In many neighbourhoods, they are treated almost as community pets, fed by residents and cared for, while in others they are a source of fear, particularly because of dog bites, aggressive packs and the risk of rabies.

Last year, India's top court ordered strays in Delhi and its suburbs to be moved to animal shelters amid concerns over rising "menace of dog bites leading to rabies" - sparking outrage among animal-lovers and activists.

The order was later modified to allow sterilised and vaccinated dogs to be returned to their localities.

Many of those campaigning for the dogs say the contest has put the focus on the more affectionate side of Delhi's relationship with the animals.

For the final, the organisers plan to set up ballot boxes at three locations across Delhi, staffed by volunteers, allowing people to vote for their favourite dog in person as well as online.

After weeks of campaigning and thousands of votes, Delhi will then have its winner - who will officially be its "chonkiest" dog.