Reports of booth capturing, snatching of ballot papers and other irregularities have been received from UP and Bihar during Friday’s MLC elections.
Electronic voting machines were not issued in this election. Voters, mostly graduates and teachers, had to stamp the ballot paper and stuff it inside the ballot box.
Those who have been demanding nationwide elections through ballot papers, must have seen visuals of how booths were captured and ballots looted yesterday. However, this was on a scale much lower compared to the dark days of the 80s and the 90s.
I covered several elections in UP and Bihar as a reporter. I was witness to scenes of 10 to 12 gunmen coming in vehicles, firing in the air to scare away the voters. The polling staff and lathi-carrying policemen used to hide in other rooms.
Gunmen used to snatch away ballots, merrily stamp them and stuff those ballots inside boxes. Polling used to be over within an hour. Voters waiting outside were told that polling is over.
There were no TV cameras at that time, nor did people have mobile phone cameras to record these acts. Hence, it was very difficult to collect “evidence”.
Occasionally, some newspaper camerapersons used to take pictures, and when newspapers published them, there used to be a big hullabaloo. Repolling was held in such booths.
For the generation who have only seen the age of EVMs, they can hardly imagine how gangsters used to loot votes in those dark days.
Such acts of booth capturing led to the rise of gangsters, mafia and hooligans in Indian politics. Later, gangsters themselves fought elections.
Thirty years ago, when EVMs were introduced in elections, the influence of ‘vote mafia’ gradually waned.
Today, those who are demanding the return of ballot papers, must realise they will be taking the country back to that dangerous era which still gives goosebumps.
Has ‘Vote Chori' slogan lost its momentum?
Those demanding return to ballot age, cancellation of SIR and resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar were out on the streets on Friday.
Their numbers were few and most of them belonged to Left organisations. Public participation in these marches was low.
Those trying to launch a movement on the issue of ‘vote chori’, are no more attracting crowds.
There could be two main reasons: One, addition or deletion of names in voters’ list is no more an emotional issue; it is an issue only for political parties who have to fight elections. Two, Election Commission has changed its stance after the controversy flared up; it has now become easy for voters to get their names added.
In several places, electoral officials are themselves contacting those whose names have been deleted. Discrepancies that were found in the functioning of EC have been, more or less, removed.
For those who have got the right to vote and elect governments, there does not appear much substance in “vote chori” slogan anymore. The slogan is fast losing its momentum.
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