The political campaigns and speeches before an election are sometimes referred to as thehustings.
[mainly British]
With only days to go before elections in Pakistan, candidates are battling it outat the hustings.
hustings in British English
(ˈhʌstɪŋz)
noun(functioning as plural or singular)
1. British
(before 1872) the platform on which candidates were nominated for Parliament and from which they addressed the electors
2.
the proceedings at a parliamentary election
3.
political campaigning
Word origin
C11: from Old Norse hūsthing, from hūshouse + thing assembly
hustings in American English
(ˈhʌstɪŋz)
plural noun
1. Obsolete
a.
a deliberative assembly
b.
a court held in various English cities and still occasionally in London
c.
the platform in London Guildhall where such a court was formerly held
d.
the temporary platform where candidates for Parliament formerly stood for nomination and spoke
2.
the proceedings at an election
3.
any place where political campaign speeches are made
4.
the route followed by a campaigner for political office
Word origin
ME husting < OE < ON hūsthing, lit., house council < hūs, a house + thing, assembly (see thing1): orig., a lord's household assembly as distinct from a general assembly
Examples of 'hustings' in a sentence
hustings
The recent London mayoral election saw a dramatic return to the popularity of the old hustings with packed meetings.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Was it a press conference, he wondered, or a leadership hustings?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
They will get another chance before nominations close next week when all six hopefuls address a Labour hustings meeting on Monday.