doing the Right thing.
I still do not have a voter’s card. I might get one made since I am told it is useful as identity proof. Plus I like cards with my picture on them.
The recent elections passed without me exercising my shiny new right to adult franchise. I am not proud. Even if I had voted though, what was to be proud of? Show me which party or candidate in my constituency was worthy of approval. To select the lesser of the evils seemed like an evil thing itself. Asking me to judge which shit looks prettier is unreasonable.
The 49-0 campaign ended in disaster. Big chunk of voters did not know of the procedure and others who knew were met with clueless election officers.
To make your disapproval felt, you had to ask for and fill a separate form so that you may lawfully show all the candidates your middle finger. It makes no difference to the outcome though. What is the blasted use of this? It’s like hating cricket, still going to the game and closing your eyes or sticking out your tongue as a sign of protest. The cricketers will still have the last laugh. And they will laugh loudest at you.
In hindsight, maybe the election officers are not uninformed at all. They know all the rules in the book. Imagine what a tough job it must be, supervising those many folks through the day. Adding to that, you tell them to fish out special papers for a mere 20-30 people and clear their doubts, wait while they write out details, fold the forms when they are done and safeguard them. When, in fact, their no-vote will have as much utility as my pet amoeba. It is little wonder then why the smartypants officers fake ignorance. Bless them.
This rant is only a figment of my stunted thought process. You must not subscribe to it. To those who are still reading, my decision is that I will wait on the world to change. Let 49-0 become a part of the secret ballot. Let it become a button on the damned machine and be counted so that thug-like candidates are not allowed to contest in further elections. Allow me a right that will help stem the damage.
Then I will gladly make a trip to the polling booths, and not as a spectator.
a trip to the circus
Mumbai, May 16
Ruparel College could easily have been mistaken for the venue of an IPL match on Saturday morning as an excited crowd waited with bated breath for any news on the election results.
When cable TV blacked out for an hour 10.30 am onwards, political enthusiasts in the Mumbai South Central Constituency had teemed onto the streets in front of the College, Counting Centre No. 2. “I grew restless and decided to come down here to get first hand information,” stated a Dharavi resident. Motorists too stopped by to enquire about the progress of their candidates. More than thirty policemen stood guard near the centre, occasionally indulging in election gossip.
As the results after each round of count was declared, Congress candidate Eknath Gaikwad steadily left his competitors behind with a consistently growing margin. His initial lead of 3000 votes progressed to a 30,000 lead by the sixth round. Consequently a group of MNS party workers and counting agents gathered, visibly miffed about the outcome. “We have all voted for our party. How can our numbers be so few?” they questioned in Marathi.
Even before the final outcome had been declared, word about Gaikwad’s victory spread. Congress counting agents, during the afternoon tea break, said with their thumbs up, “Sampla. Aale Gaikwad saheb. (It’s over. Gaikwad has won.)” At 1.30, the victor arrived to a colourful welcome by supporters sporting red tilaks and gulaal. Hugs and greetings followed, as did chants of ‘Eknath Gaikwad aage badho, hum tumhare saath hain’.
While Gaikwad left shortly in his Qualis, the cops barred supporters from following him further as the official result was yet to be announced. This did not wipe the smiles off their faces though, as they cheerfully shot up victory signs and posed for the shutterbugs.
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