E-Paper
‘Voting is no big deal’
Names missing from electoral rolls, an extended weekend and the heat weren't the only reasons for the poor turnout in Mumbai. Many Mumbaikars chose not to vote. They were just plain cynical and disillusioned or chose to enjoy their weekend away from the city's hustle-bustle.
Names missing from electoral rolls, an extended weekend and the heat weren't the only reasons for the poor turnout in Mumbai. Many Mumbaikars chose not to vote. They were just plain cynical and disillusioned or chose to enjoy their weekend away from the city's hustle-bustle.
Andrea D'souza preferred to go on a holiday with her family. "Work has been so hectic I haven't been able to get any leave to take my children out on a vacation. I'd rather enjoy the long weekend with my family," said the 38-year-old sales manager. D'souza thinks not voting is "no big deal". "Most of the votes anyway come from the slums and the middle class never gets a fair deal."
Mumbai registered an average voter turnout of 44.15 per cent, three per cent less than what the count in 2004 polls.
Not just South Mumbai - traditionally accused of being politically apathetic - most of the five other constituencies including Mumbai South Central, Mumbai North Central and the eastern suburbs polled in small numbers.
B. Venkatesh Kumar, political analyst blamed the voter turn out on poor mobilization by political parties. "Citizen groups have done their bit. But, political parties are not mobilizing or encouraging voters," he said. "Constituencies like Mumbai North West, which did well had seen more political mobilization and more keenly contested fights."
After 26/11, expectations were high. More so after the extensive campaigns by citizens groups to urge people to vote. But it now seems like more than half of the city failed to channelise the anger it had shown after the terror attacks towards making their votes count. Some voters cited the apathy of politicians towards the electorate as a reason for the lack of interest in the electoral process.
Twenty-year-old mass media student Pralhad Tipnis said he does not like the concept of a representative democracy. "I vote but then it ends up in a coalition government which involves a lot of compromise," said Tipnis. "So I don't think it's a big deal that I didn't vote."
"People are frustrated with the current traditional political parties and that is one of the main reasons for the low turnout," said Surendra Shrivastava, convenor of citizens' group Lok Satta's Maharashtra chapter. "Politics has become bitter, divisive and shortsighted."
Ruchita Tambe, a 27-year-old receptionist had a similar view: "All politicians forget the public and its needs once they come to power. They only remember us when they need votes," she said. "Especially, Dalits like us are totally ignored."
"I am not surprised. Mumbai is a commercial city of the professional and working middle classes, politics here has to be more difficult than say Satara (a rural constituency). Political class is disconnected with the electorate here,'' said Kumar Ketkar, editor of Marathi daily Lok Satta.
