Shreyas H S
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore
Mangalore, Apr 19: With a sharp surge of 8.47 percent in voter turnout, the state has recorded one of the best ever polling percentages compared to previous years. Therefore, the trend has clearly signaled the increased enthusiasm seeding to some strong factors working with the electorate across the state.
The state went to polls in the fifth phase and has witnessed thumping progress in the electorate turnout recording 67.28 percent on Thursday April 17. The last LS elections saw only 58.81 percent voter turnout. This time the district managed to see an increase of over two percent, recording 77.18 percent as against 74 percent in the previous election.
DK Lok Sabha candidates Poojary and Kateel sitting together (File picture)
The maladministration, non-performance, policy paralysis, and corruption of the administration sparked a vociferous campaign by the prime opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This trend, which was coupled with the highest ever PR exercises in the political history of India by the Modi-led BJP could be one of the key factors in the increase in voting percentage. Nascent voters in the electorate were inspired due to the social media electioneering, which has an equal stake in the success.
The anti-incumbency wave too seems to be taking its toll with more voters thronging the booths to vote for change and for new hope. Lest you forget, efforts of the Election Commission and NGOs across the state cajoled the educated segment of the electorate to mark their presence in the formation of a better government.
Experts opine that the various tactics of the prime parties in the electioneering, meticulous strategies and counter strategies, has sparked much debate among the people. The Congress, has confined its strategy to carrying out an anti-Modi campaign leading the opposition to sharpen counter attacks over the poor performance of the UPA during its two tenures.
Despite the elite intellectuals’ sharp criticism of Modi, his personality has sold well in the election market, alongwith his substantial measures of convincing the country at large. The thronging crowds at his rallies stands testimony to the fact that he has completely capitalized on the failure of the Congres. The alternate hope, AAP, can also pat its back for the surge in percentage.
“People of the state and across the nation are disappointed after witnessing the saga of skewed administration haunted with a number of allegations leveled against the Congress lead UPA-II,” said Dr P N Udayachandra, writer and registrar, SDM College, Ujire.
According to Dr Udayachandra, this election has seen a good number of new voters stepping out to vote. However, he said that it may be pretty difficult to draw a conclusive opinion on the factors that forced them to vote. “The contemporary election scenario among the youth might have weakened the voting pattern on the standards of caste and religion,” he said.
Dr Udayachandra was apprehensive of the age of voters. He observed that the young voters will not be categorized by the political parties as a strong vote bank.
“The emergence of AAP was also a factor which cannot be ignored as it had extended spirited hope to the people who were yearning for an alternate party. The political awareness alongwith the new style of strategies imparted to the electorate, paid off during the process of elections. The people would have vented their desperation against the BJP and Congress by voting for AAP. Educated voters might have shown solidarity to the party though the party’s agenda deals with the ‘common man’,” he opined.
B Janardhan Poojary, veteran leader and LS candidate of Congress from DK, has a different tale to tell. He says, “It is widespread education that helped the people know their rights in a democracy and pushed up the percentage across the state.” He lauded the trend and said that the beauty of democracy was finally visible in the elections. However, typical of a Congressman, he went on to talk about the beneficiaries of the vote bump contending that the Congress has a good stake in the state.
Compelling him to speak on the reasons for the escalation, he denied the presence of any Modi wave being instrumental to the surge; instead saying there was a strong anti-BJP wave in the state. Adoring the results of last assembly elections, he expressed that people came in good numbers to vote against the BJP to give a mandate for the Congress in the state. He said that this was one of the reasons for the increase in the polling percentage.
“The Modi wave was a mere hype by the RSS as it has no role to play in the elections but this will prove detrimental to the BJP. The major reasons for the shoot up were the awareness programmes unfolded by the Election Commission with the help of several NGOs. Apart from this, people are educated and are able to understand the value of elections in the system of democracy,” explained Poojary.
“The revision of the voting list has its own impact on the number of voters. There was a technical reason behind the increase,” opined Jitendra Kundeshwar, senior correspondent and columnist of ‘Kannada Prabha’. “The other dimensions as far as the state is concerned, is that there is a strong anti-incumbency factor at the national level that has percolated even to the state. If there was no anti-Congress wave, numbers would have remained stagnant compared to the last LS elections,” he said, and also added that people with rage came out in good numbers to decimate the weak government.
Delineating the prime factors for the approximate two percent jump in the district, he said, “The Modi wave along with the sympathy wave for LS candidate Poojary triggered a minor increase.” However, he was unsure of which party has a better chance at winning.
CPI (M) candidate Yadav Shetty surprisingly had an uncolored opinion that said, “Pro-Modi and anti-Modi were the strong reasons. Some people came to make Modi victorious and some to topple his dream of becoming the Prime Minister.” Adding to this, he said, “AAP enjoys its stake in good number of polling.”
“I, being a youngster, voted to see the change which the entire country is waiting for,” said journalism student Harsha. According to him, the pro-Modi wave has led people to turnout in whopping numbers on poll day. He also took a dig at the Congress lead UPA-II for betraying the hope of countrymen who had given them the mandate in the last Parliamentary elections.
“People want a new powerful force to lead the country towards progress. This mindset has facilitated the people to exercise their franchise this time in larger numbers compared to other elections,” he said, summing it up.
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