Karnataka Assembly elections: Booze won’t do, freebies now made to last

BENGALURU: Shifting focus from individual, short-term temptations  such as liquor and cash, this year, political aspirants are trying to lure voters with long-term, family-oriented items which have a better social image and therefore more attractive.

Political and social analysts, however, say this cannot buy votes and if money is being given to the poor, there is nothing wrong in accepting it. However, till date, there has been no proper study to assess if baits can win votes.

In the clear absence of a wave for a party or a leader, a candidate who pays the most may win this way. Further, there is no choice for a voter as all parties try the same tricks. Money and liquor have been the most popular giveaways every election. But pressure cookers and household articles currently top the list, with exactly one month to go for elections. Cooking stoves, frying pans, jewellery, TV sets and laptops have been added to this new list. In many rural pockets, hit by water crisis, water tankers are also a ‘goodie’.

Despite the presence of 1,156 flying squads and 1,255 static surveillance teams in the state, political leaders and party workers across the three major parties – Congress, BJP and JD(S) – have managed to evade the authorities in handing out such items. All of them circumventing the model code of conduct.

This time around, the Tamil Nadu poll culture of giving pressure cookers and mixers seems to have been adopted in Karnataka with authorities seizing consignments in Mysuru, Hubballi and Belagavi among other districts. According to industry estimates, orders for the manufacture of two lakh pressure cookers were placed before small scale units in Peenya Industrial Area last month and consignments were dispatched before the poll code came into effect.

In North Karnataka, voters are being enticed through clothing and jewellery pieces. A party worker says, “Apart from saris, nose rings of 20-carat gold worth Rs 1,000 as well as churidhar material (cotton and polyster) brought from Ahmedabad and Patiala are being distributed by all the three parties to win over  young women.”

Suicidal trend in democracy

These are cheap antics adopted by candidates and such a trend prevails in one form or the other in India. It even prevails in the US and Europe. Unfortunately, with corruption pervading every sphere of life and the electoral process, cash or gifts for votes is a suicidal trend in a democracy.

Political scientist R L M Patil says, “There is nothing wrong if money is going to the poor in this form. However, if all the candidates are giving equally, either cooker, cash or liquor, voters are not foolish to vote for gifts given. Votes are decided as per caste, religion, benefits and so many other factors. It has been proved time and again that liquor cannot buy votes. One party is not doing it, all parties are. Ultimately, people will vote for a candidate that has been decided upon either individually or collectively.”

On the other hand, political watcher Mohan Ram opines, “All parties are equally indulging in this game. A quarter bottle or Rs 6,000 per vote will not get them votes. This time in Karnataka, in the absence of a ‘wave’ either for Yeddyurappa or Siddaramaiah or Kumaraswamy or the three parties, the goodies may matter depending on the candidate, constituency and the size of the gift. But when there is a clear wave for some leader or party, temptations play no role.”

Saga of seizures

On April 7, two canters from Haryana carrying 10,000 pressure cookers and mixers were seized by authorities at Rangasamudra in T Narasipura taluk. The canters were parked near a convention centre owned by a close aide of a probable Congress candidate.

On March 30, 1,087 pressure cookers worth Rs 28.41 lakh were seized by the police in Hubballi on Gadag Road. According to the police, they were being sent to Koppal in two vehicles without any documents.
On March 31, Belagavi police seized a truck carrying cookers and iron boxes worth Rs 1.56 crore in Sadashivanagar. It was reportedly embossed with pictures of a probable woman candidate from Congress. Local leaders from other parties lodged a complaint with the police saying that she was appeasing voters with such freebies. Later, APMC police booked a case of violation under the Model Code of Conduct rules.

In RR Nagar constituency of Bengaluru, police seized a consignment carrying 90 boxes of cookers, tawas and sarees and two items had pictures of a probable candidate from this area. A few candidates are even known to be distributing laptops to select individuals. In fact, recent seizures indicate a trend catching on in the state.

The Surveillance effort

According to Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar, till April 10, flying squads, static surveillance teams (SSTs) and police authorities have seized cash worth D4.69 crore. While the Excise department has seized 1,04,64,402 litres of IML and other liquor worth D46.75 lakh. If flying squads have registered FIRs in 203 cases, SSTs have registered FIRs in 48 cases of cash and other items seized. Further, the Excise department has booked 412 heinous cases, 629 cases for Breach of License Conditions, 2 NDPS cases and 1,035 cases under Section 15(a) of the Karnataka Excise Act 1965. 163 vehicles have also been seized in the state.