Although suggestions against holding elections during peak summer were heard from different quarters, Goans in general showed the fortitude to brave the scorching heat to come out in large numbers to cast their precious votes and post an impressive percentage of voter turnout on May 7.
As much as the keen tussle on the cards, it is some of the unique features of this election that will remain with the electorate till the D-Day on June 4 when the counting of votes will take place.
For, after that it will all be about the winners, with the losers gradually fading away into oblivion citing a thousand reasons for their ‘unexpected’ defeat at the hustings.
The consideration shown by the state election commission to help the voters beat the heat by providing air coolers, besides lemon water, juice and cold beverages at every polling booth was indeed appreciable.
Of course, there was displeasure at many centres as voters complained about the unavailability of such services there. Call it a clear case of mismanagement if you may, but these glitches could be overlooked considering that as an initiative that was attempted for the first time, such hiccups are bound to happen.
The ‘pink booths’, where female officials handled everything from assisting people to vote to providing refreshments and other facilities, were seen as novel efforts made to make voting a pleasant experience for all.
The ‘selfie points’ and the green eco-friendly polling booths further exemplified the innovative intent of the ECI which in turn served to attract more voters.
The ‘innovations’ to attract voters scaled a new high with a polling booth in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker constituency decorated like a ‘mandap’ displaying traditional marriage rituals.
It is rightly said that India’s commitment to democratic process is exemplified by the lengths it goes to ensure every citizen can exercise their right to vote.
From high-altitude Himalayan villages to dense forests inhabited by indigenous tribes, the polling booths established in some of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the country are a testament to the nation’s dedication to inclusivity in its electoral process.
To attain inclusive participation, it was interesting to learn that a special ‘rainbow model’ polling station was set up exclusively for third-gender voters in Pakhanjur in Chhattisgarh.
Such novelties across the country set the precedent to a trend in the country where wasting one’s vote by staying back at home or going on holidays or on pilgrimages would tantamount to an irreverence hard to condone.
Youngsters in the 18-19 years age group as first-time voters were the cynosure of all eyes. Thrilled about exercising their franchise for the first time in their lives, one could sense the bubbling spirit in them as they got ready to fulfil their responsibility and contribute towards the formation of next government.
While the natural exuberance of the ‘novices’ needs to be appreciated, the sight of the aged and the infirm resolutely making their way to the polling booths to cast their votes is by far an impressive sight that ought to signify the importance attached to voting in this country.
Some of the more enterprising were seen motivating the public to vote. In Bengaluru for instance, there were reports of long queues outside many restaurants after they offered coffee and other food items free of cost or at discounted rates to customers who had cast their vote.
But do Indians really need such ‘incentives’ to vote!
Centenarians in wheelchairs lining up at polling stations; some elderly persons reaching the polling venue with the assistance of others; some being carried to their respective booths to exercise their choice; such scenes typified the election mood in every state without exception.
Instances where three generations of a family queued up to cast their votes in their designated booth would make any Indian proud of the electoral system of the country that gives every citizen a fair chance to elect his representative.
India, as we all know, is a land of euphoria. Every event is celebrated here with great gusto especially the elections.
Besides, with India’s general elections having been hailed as the world’s largest democratic voting exercise, there cannot be any doubt over the excitement factor generated which can only be described as being contagious.
This time around the general elections in the country have been witnessing the type of voter turnout which necessarily means that the electorate has something to prove.
As compared to the situation a decade back where, barring Kerala and West Bengal, political awareness among people in the country was at its lowest, today, the political knowledge required to vote responsibly and the basis for choosing the right candidate seems to be gaining more relevance.
In a democracy, the will of the people is supreme!
This then portends to be an election which has been characterised by a distinct shift where, in the current climate, people have learnt to analyse the variable persuasiveness of political rhetoric and are no more carried away by promises that only serve to work illusionary magic for them.
If one is to consider voting as a futile exercise (as I have heard many say) and stay away from voting, you lose all the rights to criticise the dispensation that comes to power. It is as simple as that!
The good voter turnout is an indication of the keen tussle between the traditional rivals. It is however the matter of ‘losing relevance’ that weighs heavily in every contestant’s mind.
While the incumbent BJP government is eying a hat-trick of wins with a certain amount of assurance which prompts it to ‘proclaim’ over 400 seats for its alliance in the Lok Sabha, the Opposition is hell-bent on breaking the saffron stranglehold by picking out a number of ‘inconsistencies’ in its decade-long rule.
This brings us to a matter of significance here. With so many players in the field, a clash of political ideologies is always on the cards.
According to an article by Nicholas Hass and Rajeshwari Majumdar in Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on December 2023:
“Ahead of the 2024 elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has cornered the market on cultural issues, developing an ideology with an outsized impact on how Indians will vote.”
The BJP is wooing the voting public with clearly visible demonstrations of development. Like Kashi Vishwanath, Ayodhya is going to become the second model of cultural economy in the country.
It is however the initiatives taken by the Election Commission that equally complement the enthusiasm shown by voters to come out in large numbers and cast their votes.
According to reports, it has taken India’s Election Commission months of preparation and the mobilisation of some 15 million election officers and security staff to pull off the mammoth exercise in democracy.
For the press and media though, the elections have turned out to be the most engrossing one in years.
As the largest-ever election in history, surpassing the previous election, and lasting 44 days – second only to the 1951-52 one – the general elections are being held from 19 April to June 1 this year in seven phases.
Even though it is well known that the media can impact people’s perception in many ways, the media influence on public opinion regarding the poll prospects of various parties during these elections will be negligible.
Nevertheless, even before the elections were announced, the Fourth Estate has been gauging the current political situation by understanding the pulse of the public.
Focussing on the speeches of star campaigners from different corners of the country, over-analysing voter turnout and the ‘trends’ in voting patterns in successive phases of voting, deliberations on primetime and discussing the chances of various contenders in the fray on the strength of social media speculations, the media will have a field day all through this period.
Finally though, it is the results that matter!
(Pachu Menon is a senior columnist based in Goa.)