It is now crystal clear that Congress finds itself in the driving seat after a lapse of nearly a decade spanning over three elections and the chances are that it may form the government on its own without the crutches.
This can be discernible from the increase in the poll turn out on Sunday. From the tentative figures available pending the final figure, available only when the counting of votes is taken up, the poll percentage is put over 70%, which is 5% more than what was recorded in the previous poll held in 2008.
In the 4.36 crore electorate, one percentage point means an additional 43 lakh voters and if the increase is five percentage points, it means an additional more than 20 lakh voters have exercised the franchise, which is quite substantial indeed.
In election parlance, a higher turnout of voters is always regarded as a vote for change. And this is evident among the throughout the length and breadth of the state, with a few exception. The poll turn out ranges from a low 58.8% in Yadgir, to as high as 77.95% of Bangalore rural. Gulbarga and Yadgir, continue to record less than 60%, while nine districts have recorded poll percentage ranging from 60-70%. The rest have recorded a turn out of over 70%.
The districts of Bidar, Gulbarga, Yadgir, and Raichur in the northeastern region of the state are known for the perpetually low polling even amidst the height of waves all these years. But this time, barring Bidar, all have registered increase in the turn out. The surprising factor has been the downward trend noticed in Dakshina Kannada district where the polling percentage has gone down from 75% to 73.92
The percentage turn out in the districts is as follows (with the percentage of 2008 election given in the brackets: Belgaum 72.19 (70.01), Bagalkot 69.88 (65.56) Bangalore Urban 52.83 (47.19), Bangalore Rural 77.95 (78.37), Bellary 70.84 (60.45), Bidar 54.98 (57.81), Bijapur 61.86 (59.74), Chamarajnagar 74.92 (73.85), Chickballapur 75.84 (77.85), Chikmagalur 72.89 (71.44), Chitradurga 74.93 (67.85), Dakshina Kannada 73.92 (75), Davangere 74.91 (71.11), Dharwad 68.76 (64.44), Gadag 69.70 (65.47), Gulbarga 59.83 (55.78), Hassan 76.88 (75.87), Haveri 76.88 (71.70), Kodagu 68.95 (65.34), KOlar 73.92 (73.44), Koppal 69.93 (62.47), Mandya 74.91 (73.76), Mysore 67.12 (70.92), Raichur 62.92 (53.99) , Ramanagar 74.96 (75.35), Shimoga 73.84 (64.79), Tumkur 74.88 (68.06), Udupi 76.96 (75.86), Uttar Kannada 68.93 (68.79), Yadgir 58.8 (57.05).
The districts which have a poll percentage less than the 2008 are as follow: Bangalore Rural 77.95 (78.37), Bidar 54.98 (57.81), Chickballapur 75.84 (77).
The poll out once again highlights the fact that ill fed, half starving voters in the rural areas have prove to be the better participants in the democratic process than their urban counterparts. The lackadaisical approach of the urban voters can be highlighted by the fact that the state capital city of Bangalore continues to be an area where the turn out continues to be disappointing. The city, where the elites are prone to engage themselves in animated discussion about the democracy has recorded the lowest polling in the state. It stands at 52.83 %m which means that nearly half of the electorate in Bangalore agglomeration accounting for ten percent of the 224 member strong assembly has let the things go by default. They have not come forward to exercise franchise, despite all the concerted efforts made, and awareness campaign conducted goading them to cast the votes. The only saving grace has been that there has been a 5% increase in the polling than 2008. The situation is symptomatic of the popular adage – “You can take the horse to a pond but can you make it drink”
The prognosis of the increased turnout indicates a good tiding for Congress, which has been experiencing a drought of votes of sorts, for the past all the three elections in a row, where the party could not literally get a single vote extra between the 1999-2008 period. It appears to be benefiting not only from the erosion of BJP’s vote base but from the first time voters too. The Congress is tipped to get the benefit of increase in the poll turn out for two factors, firstly it is a party which largest vote base, and secondly it is the only Non BJP party, which out shadows others in terms of capability and experience.
But the good tiding that Congress would have remained hidden throughout, with no indication available as to thinking of the electorate confronted as it was a maze of problems thrown up as a consequences of the BJP rule in Karnataka, namely the art of governance, rampant corruption, development agenda pursued by the party government despite the frequent change of leadership in general and the crucial role that one mentor turned tormentor of the BJP namely Yeddyurappa will play in deciding the political future of the party.
The voters as a class continued to maintain a poker face, keeping their feelings very close to the heart, baffling those who were eager to pick up any portends of their thinking. This has come out only in the surprise increase in the turn out, which has indicated what is in their mind and one may have to wait for the counting of votes to determine what shape it has taken.
From the exit poll surveys done by different agencies, and giving due allowance for the margin of error inherent in such surveys, it is clear, the Karnataka voters were more bothered about the quality of governance than any other issues, and it is because of this that the voters came out in larger numbers than before to cast their votes, the turnout this time, is being perhaps the highest that the state has ever witnessed in the elections so far. To this extent happily the number of absentee voters has come down. The moral of the story is clear. If the people want a change, they must come out and cast their votes. And no change can come with any passive participation. And to this extent the campaign launched by the Election Commission towards the increased participation in the poll, has succeeded.
While one could laud the efforts of the Election to ensuring a clean and free election, by curbing the use of money and by encouraging the participation, the manner in which this was sought to be achieved has left a bitter taste in the mouth.
The election is a quinquennial people’s festival in a democratic setup. And the people certainly are entitled to celebrate its through due pomp pageantry. As a result of the curbs placed by the Election Commission, the festival atmosphere was sadly missing with streets sporting a deserted outlook for most of the time of polling. The streets were free from the fluttering of the banners and posters and other materials, as a result of which one sadly missed the present aroma of electioneering and the hustle and bustle of the preparations made. One could understand the anxiety of the Election Commission to curb the malpractices. But should it be implemented in such mechanical and bureaucratic way, that it robbed the festive atmosphere of the polls?”
(Posted on May 6, 2013 @ 1.40pm)
(Author is a Senior Journalist and Columnist. Mobile: +91 94480 74872 Email : madan.mm@gmail.com)
