By Antony Cony, Karkala/Qatar
May 11: The date for the Karnataka assembly election due to be held on May 12, was declared on March 27. The official campaign lasts at least two weeks from drawing up of the list of nominated candidates, and officially ends 48 hours before polling closes.
However, my question is, does a voter really need two weeks to get convinced regarding whom to vote? Answer is 'No', because usually every citizen's vote is predetermined as per party’s ideology that he follows. This holds good everywhere whether in cities or villages. Villages do not lag much behind due to active mass media, digital world and conference campaigning.
Just one week's campaigning can also provide candidates and political parties with sufficient opportunities to convey their messages and election manifestos to voters. However, if more than one week is provided it can take ugly turn, running high and dry without electorate spirit and is counter-productive too. With the limited version, election campaign can also play an important role among the electorates.
Our election practice is such that if more than one week campaign is sanctioned, more manipulation of the voters happen and finally their precious votes are bartered for ‘saris’, ‘alcohol’, ‘food grains’, ‘pressure cooker’ etc. It is unfortunate that certain voters exchange their votes for the commodities they receive from their masters. This is a grave point of concern. Therefore, in future elections, campaign time should be curtailed to maximum one week instead of two. If more time is given then issues such as bogus promises, playing foolery, in-fights, black mailing, character assignation which does not even spare any honest public servant, lawsuits, tongue twisting, arm twisting, political twisting/bashing, ugly personal attacks, criminal intimidation, false accusations, take away the real purpose of voting.
Therefore, election campaign should be completed within one week to save crores of money and put an end to the election malpractices.
During election, crores of money is spent for election rallies, while people never hear the same amount being spent for development in the real sense. Is it not a national waste? Answer is ‘Yes’, because there is simple logic behind it. As I said above, almost all voters are sure of their choice as per the party ideology they follow. These are the die-hard voters whose decision can never be altered by any amount of rallies conducted by any of the parties concerned. Then what is the purpose of hosting several rallies attended by their national leaders and ministers?
Campaigning is an expensive endeavour. Travelling across the country, advertisements and other necessities of campaigning are expensive. During campaigning, usually no one speaks about "something relevant" to the people like price control, job creation etc, instead, one only accuses the other. There is a negative approach, personal attacks and other party concerned rebuts them almost immediately. All this has become a cheap entertainment at the cost tax payers' money. What good will come from such vulgar rallies? Therefore, if election campaigning is sanctioned for one week, a lot of time and energy could be saved to uphold the dignity of national franchise. Is it right for our PM or CM sparing too much time for election campaign, which is for self-interest? It may help the party but will it help the nation?
During the election, we usually come across certain terminologies used by the politicians and media, called 'swing voters' or 'undecided voters'. This is nothing but mockery of the voters. There is nothing called like 'swing voters' or 'undecided voters'; on the contrary the die-hard politicians among the political parties gamble to buy the voters by certain inducement, that is promise of ministerial berths or other ways to try to swing their voters till the very last moment. Most political parties are engaged in an unseemly scramble for power with intention to amass illegitimate wealth rather than execute good governance.
In the past, the Indian electorate found solace in the election reformer of 10th Chief Election Commissioner of India, T N Seshan whose name was synonymous with transparency and efficiency. Nobody would dare to violate the law. Poll changes introduced by him would often pit the political class and their media cronies. His major achievements were implementation of the law in election process; strict implementation election code of conduct, limit on candidates' expenditure in his/her election, elimination of malpractices like bribing or intimidating voters, distribution of liquor during elections, use of official machinery for campaigning, appealing to voters' based on religion, caste or communal feelings, use of places of worship for campaigns. I look forward to a day where a person of T N Seshan's calibre would take charge of the Election Commission of India, which is the need of the hour.
Every citizen of each nation would agree with the propositions that election campaigns of more than one week would be too expensive, hinder social harmony, impede voters free will, encourage communal riots, dent socio-ethos, divide the socio-fabric, devour the time and energy of officials on the taxpayers' payroll, and that they have become more obnoxious and a hinderance to good governance.
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