Creates record in bribing voters with cash and gifts
tHE PIONEER, BhuBANESWAR :11 DECEMBER 2011 BASANT RATH | NABARANGPUR
The role of big money factors in every calculation and discussion about the likely outcome of elections. With the Umarkote by-election results out, the BJP and the Congress have taken to the usual chores of blaming the ruling BJD for 'abuse' of official machinery and rampant use of money and muscle power. Both parties are certainly not feeling comfortable at the prospects of the panchayat polls, just months away.Despite all the tall claims made about issues dominating the Umarkote Assembly segment electoral scene, the fact remains that Vitamin M (Money and Muscle power) played a crucial role in electioneering and was the key factor behind the electoral outcome.
But the art of buying votes with cash and gifts was fine-tuned in the Umarkote by-election. Not only was the distribution of cash widespread but ingenious were the ways of reaching it to the voters. One of the local voters said wondering that the unbelievable scale of money distribution by the parties in the last three days before the voting day is now the theme of local folklores.
In many cases, the recipients were asked by party hagglers to swear by their children or god and promise that they would vote for their party. According to a leader of the ruling party, not many people are so heartless to swear by their children or god and vote otherwise. The tribal population comes first in such electoral math. "Tribals are more reliable. They never lie and remain loyal. If they take money, they will vote for you," the leader said.
Most of the voters pray might each year such type of elections comes so that their financial condition could improve, said a voter of Anchala village under Raighar block.
The remote and inaccessible area voters were surprised after receiving cash and kind from the parties as never before. The Yubak Sanghs, clubs, SHGs and the rural and urban voters who had more than five votes got TV sets, dish TVs, generators, emergency lights, mobile phone hand sets, cooking utensils, mike sets, carpets and musical instruments, including cash.
The outsized voter turnout in the Maoist-infested Raighar areas bordering Chhattisgarh raised eyebrows as no one ever believed it to happen.
Interestingly, not admitting of the cracks in the party, the BJP leaders blamed their failure on the EVMs and demanded probe into the alleged manipulation.
The ruling BJD won, the Congress finished a poor third and the BJP made significant gains percentage-wise despite coming out number two.
Local Congress MP Pradeep Majhi alleged the BJD Government had misused official machinery to influence voters in Umerkote and Raighar. "Money and liquor had a free flow and even senior district administration officials, including police officers, were acting like BJD agents. Sarpanches, ASHAs, SHGs, teachers, SSAs and Anganwadi workers were pressurised and threatened to secure votes for the ruling party." Majhi said his party had lodged various complaints on violation of the Model Code of Conduct by the BJD with the Election Commission "but no action was initiated".
Though during the Umarkote by-poll panic gripped the area after Maoists pasted posters in several places asking people not to exercise their franchise in the election and also warning the ruling party leaders against entry into the Raighar area to canvas for their candidate, holding out threat of dire consequences, BJD candidate Subash Gond faced the challenge with the Election Commission providing adequate security to all three candidates to ward off any eventuality.
BJP candidate Dharmu Gond blamed the ruling party and said that owing to the Maoist threat his party leaders avoided going out to the interior pockets of Raighar block. The host of MLAs and MPs drafted by the BJD to campaign for their party candidate, Subas Gand, tried their best to avoid night halts at Raighar, one of the areas in the district worst-affected by the Maoist menace. By down, they returned to Umerkote, about 30 km from Raighar.
Till November 21 the BJD leaders were not able to campaign effectively in seven gram panchayats in the Raighar block. Even they were reluctant to visit the areas bordering Chhattisgarh. But none could decipher how could they so suddenly shed all fears and canvassed in those 'prohibited' areas in full swing after November 22.
Now while analysing the sequences, people wonder if the pre-nomination posters were actually pasted by the Maoists or they were the handiwork of some political party, employed as an electoral strategy to frighten and keep the rivals away.
Though there was rampant violation of the Code of Conduct by the Ministers and the MLAs, the administration allegedly preferred to turn a blind eye. More than 300 four-wheelers were pressed into service during the election campaign by party leaders. But will the Election Commission inquire into the violations?
