BackMuted pre-election frenzy or voter apathy?
Porbandar is bereft of the pre-election frenzy or political tamasha witnessed elsewhere in the countryThere are no flags of political parties tied on top of electric poles; walls in the city have been spared of political graffiti
PremiumPORBANDAR : In less than a fortnight from now, people in Porbandar district will be eligible to cast their votes when Gujarat’s 26 constituencies go to vote on 23 April.
Still, Porbandar is bereft of the pre-election frenzy or political tamasha witnessed elsewhere in the country. There are no flags of political parties tied on top of electric poles; walls in the city have been spared of political graffiti; larger-than-life billboards of politicians are absent; streets are peaceful with no loudspeakers blaring out political promises.
Even the customary political rallies are missing.
For now, the office of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the odd island, sporting some hoardings. The Congress office is still to put up posters of its leaders.
Is this behaviour in deference to Lord Ram? The city has more posters reminding people of the birth anniversary of the Hindu god on 14 April.
This decorum could change as voting day nears.
Still, four reasons explain the muted election campaign in the district (and possibly in the state).
First, it appears that political parties are taking a cue from their counterparts globally, and are moving their ad dollars from traditional media, such as print and billboards, to the web. Media agency Magna estimates that half of all global advertising dollars will be spent online by 2020, up from 44% in 2018.
More political advertising is happening on social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp as Indians spend more time on their cell phones. Understandably, Whatsapp users continue to complain of being spammed.
“Not an hour goes by when I don’t receive a picture of a gathering or a political message on my WhatsApp," says Surekha Shah, a 59-year-old gynaecologist in the city.
However, a related second reason is that Gujarat has traditionally seen fewer over-the-top political advertisements, according to a senior government official. “Hoardings and posters are fewer in Gujarat than elsewhere in the country. We enforce the model code of conduct on this better," says M.A. Pandya, the district collector and administrative head of Porbandar district.
Finally, there is an apathy among voters towards elections. In the 2014 general elections, only 52.6% of the people of the Porbandar district turned up to vote. This was the lowest among Gujarat’s 26 Lok Sabha constituencies which saw an average 63.6% voting.
“All the candidates who contest elections are here to make money. And this is why people don’t want to vote," says Bharat Modi, president of the Porbandar Machimar Boat Association.
Still, the district administration is doing everything to make sure that people turn up to vote. “We have been doing everything to raise awareness, especially among first-time voters to come forward and vote. This includes door-to-door campaigns, seminars in colleges, ITIs and polytechnic colleges, and appeals to prominent personalities to ask people to cast their vote," says Pandya.
“Our goal is to at least increase the voter turnout by 10% (compared to 2014). But a lot also depends on the summer," Pandya adds.
Varun Sood's dispatches will be published in Mint and on livemint.com as he tries to connect with New India on the eve of the general elections.
Get latest election news and live updates on Elections 2019 here.
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