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Lok Sabha Elections 2014

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Hello old friend,

The elections just went by in your city and the turnout didn’t climb up by much this time either and you have shown solidarity to our cause by taking a stand. Please don’t feel guilty for not voting, no matter how much the media and activists says so. You have taken a stand and you have chosen to support us and there is no way we are going to let you down, individually. Collectively, we aren’t responsible for our actions and hence, you will have to watch out for yourself.

The mess of democracy to elect clean candidates and those who actually work takes out all the fun and lechery from the political process and it is only because of people like you that it still survives. You had the chance to vote but you didn’t. You felt lazy at the right time and you made sure to make the most of your holiday rather than sweating it out in queues to vote for a candidate that won’t care about making money as much as we do.

You also had your name in electoral rolls as well as your Voter’s ID card, but not going to vote is a definite sign of belief in our cause and furthering our agenda to loot money out of the country and make sure that no reason survives in the long run. Your love for watching movies and TV shows is not hidden from anybody and your apathy towards the political systems has just made it easier for us to get through without much intervention. Fourth season of Game of Thrones is underway and the government expects you to vote? Blasphemous, isn’t it?

I hope you are enjoying your shows as much as we are enjoying partying off the taxpayer’s money. I hope you continue to ignore reports of scams and scandals in the newspaper which the media makes up, because if the country is meant to survive, it will. How much change can a vote bring, anyway? I thank you for staying out of the mess and lending your voice to civil disobedience.

Perhaps you don’t like any candidate and you believe all are thieves and debauchers. Hence you didn’t go, which is a perfectly good reason because voting NOTA is wasting your time, energy and money.

It has been too much work for me getting this letter typed from one of my literate sycophants and I must get back to some harassments and kidnapping to feel better. I hope you will stand in the cause of anarchy in the future as well. Thank you for not giving the right candidates a chance and we made sure people voted for us on your blank vote which was going to go waste, anyway. You can thank us later since we have a little less time to pay heed to your words and wishes.

Thanking you from the bottom of the alcohol bottle I am sending along,

Your good old corrupt politician

 

Image courtesy: educationalservice.net

Mayank Jain
Trainee Editor at Youth Ki Awaaz. Tweets @mayank1029 ! Believer in the power of happiness, internet and great food. Loves to read, write and disucss. A lot more than just boring atoms.

Lok Sabha Elections 2014 are here. The voting  scheduled to take place in nine phases throughout the country from April 7th,2014 to May 12th, 2014 has already started. The first phase constituting of 6 of the 543 seats being contested for, saw a voter turnout of a whooping 79.5%. The graph has of course risen and is  a healthy sign for the Mandate 2014.

A mega turn out like this could mean resentment in minds and desire for change in hearts of people. Only as the process unfolds further we shall know, whether this trend continues in the phases to come and if it leads to sustenance of current throne holders or formation of anti incumbent government. However, another aspect to attribute this turnout could be the increasing glamour quotient of election contenders  and an upsurge in technology driven promotion.

As glamour embraces politics!

Indian politics is no longer what it used to be decades ago. Nor is the image of Indian ‘neta’ same any longer. The white kurta dhoti guy with specs resting on his nose and hands resting on his round belly, wearing a Nehru jacket and a Gandhi topi atop his head ceases to exist in real and is only to be found in works of fiction.  Indian leaders today are dynamic,brand conscious,completely informed, well dressed and nowhere less as the demarcating line between politics and glamour industry is gradually disappearing.

Bollywood celebrities like Dharmendra Deol, Hema Malini and Late Sunil Dutt have been into politics for decades.  This year too,  numerous Bollywood celebrities are looking for a decent second innings in politics. Kirron Kher (BJP Chandigarh), MNS candidate Mahesh Manjrekar, Samaajwadi Party’s Kamaal Rashid Khan, BJP’s Smriti Z. Irani (from Amethi) and Paresh Rawal (from East Ahemdabad) are some of such names who’ve been a part of the glitzy industry and now wish to serve the people. In addition Congress is also fielding veteran actors such as Ravi Kishan, Aparijata Mohanty and Nagma as contenders from their party.

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Also, 2014 elections witnessed an inflow of young and fresh blood into the system with numerous ticket receivers being representatives of the youth of the nation. Gul Panag (AAP Chandigarh), Babul Supriyo( BJP West Bengal),  TMC’s actor Indraneil Sengupta,  AAP’s Jaaved Jaaferi and Rashtriya Aam Party’s Rakhi Sawant are few famous people to name. The list isn’t just limited to Bollywood  but also famous sports personalities like former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif, famous footballer Baichung Bhutia and magician P.C. Sorcar Jr. are also contesting Lok Sabha 2014 polls.

As the glamour quotient of politicians is rising,  India is eventually having leaders with better personalities and perspectives. Also, the celebrities have their own fan base, which helps them  to garner support in this new arena. The goodwill of celebrities comes handy for the party too, and as people have seen them and heard of them, the celebrities eventually have an advantage over their fellow contenders who are relatively unknown. In the elections of 2014 too, some celebrity seats like Amethi shall be interesting to keep an eye on.

In Social Media’s Ambit

The Lok Sabha Elections 2014 are the first ones to come after internet, smart phones and social networking sites like Facebook & Twitter have become household names and their updates have become the topic of dinner table discussions. No matter any other industry has or has not, but politicians have very well exhausted this unique methodology to reach out to the people at relative ease and cost efficiency. All major politicians and parties have launched their Facebook pages and Twitter handles that keep the party supporters and public updated on movements and activities of their leaders.

Arvind Kejriwal, who is being considered the pioneer of this new trend, has used it smartly enough, that within few years of its formation and function, the party tops the Twitter followers list, leaving behind the traditional twin parties – INC & BJP.

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 AAP tops the list in popularity ratings based on Twitter followers of the three major parties in India.         

This can be attributed to Kejriwal’s spontaneity with updates and posts, leaders’ humorous twitter conversations and patience of accepting sportingly even the negative most regards and gestures with utmost grace. He was also seen engaging in a conversation with the attacker, an auto driver Lali who allegedly slapped him in his rally. The video footage have been posted online, pictures uploaded on Facebook, indeed the best way of social media marketing.

Arvind Kejriwal tweeted a parody song made to mock his frequent staging of Dharnas, refering to it as an ‘interesting song’ on February 16th, 2014.

Numerous social media websites like Facebook & Twitter have been carrying out surveys and online opinion polls to provide insights into what voters feel.  Facebook has been showcasing leading parties and candidates status at a glance, while Twitter is running ‘#ElectionTracker2014‘. Another social media platform, Social Samosa, is carrying out another election tracking mechanism that shows politician popularity in terms of positive/negative mentions on Twitter/ Web for voters to judge

Another interesting trend observed in terms of unofficial online promotion, has been of the ‘Norinder Mudi’ memes, that combines random lines with the jingle ab ki baar, Modi sarkar. The idea has gone viral, and off late, similar memes on Arvind Kejriwal have also begun to circulate in social networking circles.

Image Courtesy: Facebook Page 'Norinder Mudi'

 

Not only has social media eased the way of reaching the masses, it has also led to some tiffs, jibes and cold wars among competitors. The recent Kirron Kher – Gul Panag face off on micro blogging website – Twitter has been an example of the same.

Thus in all, the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, have been different in all terms, from participation to promotion. The trend till date is encouraging, and it is hoped to continue, for Democracy is a religion, elections are the festivals, wherein everyone is supposed to celebrate and participate. Don’t merely exist, make your say count, make a difference, for there is ample information available,  in news dailies and on TV, on radios and with experienced people, and now even at  a distance of a few clicks.

Make an informed well thought upon call. I am a first timer like you, but trust me, that ink mark on my finger, I think it’ll all feel good. Happy Elections!

It’s the election time again, and the fruit of utopian promises has again found itself on the long braches of the autumn stricken tree. Yes, the ‘promises made, never fulfilled’ barb is back into the mainstream debates of several news channels but wait! Here is a party that claims that it has fulfilled that many promises in just 49 days, a feat which they claim, no other party has achieved so far in the history of India’s independence.

By now, you must have got a hint of the political party I’m talking about. Yes, I am in fact talking about the Aam Admi Party which has promised us some revolutionary ideas and reforms in their manifesto for the election year 2014-15. One such idea which has come under serious consideration is the set up of an East Delhi Campus for the University of Delhi. Shocked? Yes! We might soon have another campus of DU, on the lines of the north and the south campus, if the AAP candidate from East Delhi comes to power.

A poll promise gone too far? Not quite so, according to sources in the party. But here comes the tricky part, where will the resources come from, for this proposed plan? Land is a major issue which is already in a sorry state in the congested area of East Delhi. Imagine a cluster of colleges at a place where people still don’t have a place to live. Well, let’s not be pessimistic, as the AAP members say! The land will be sourced. But what if AAP does not come to power in the centre? Where, then, will the money come from?

These are some serious questions which have us wondering that the whole plan might merely be a vote-catching trick.

Not only AAP, another national party is trying to woo the youth of Delhi through some promises mentioned in their procrastinated manifesto. I am, of course, referring to the Modi Janata Party! Oh wait! Did I just say Modi Janta Party? My apologies, but the Modi hangover (and his ‘abki baar Modi sarkaar’ phrase)has seriously taken over me and most of the ‘janta’ of this country. The Bhartiya Janata Party has promised the scrapping of the much controversial ‘Four Year Undergraduate Programme’. Definitely, that’s a treat for those who still feel (and hope) that the FYUP can be scrapped. But the reality is, not only is it a difficult process to eradicate a whole study programme, it would also mean that the there would be uncertainty with regard to the batch of students already enrolled under it. Once again this has us doubting the possibility of the party going through with the move.

Coming to the old party of India, the Congress party, the leaders of which, have already indirectly declared a defeat so let’s not waste time discussing their vague promises.

As far as we, the students of DU, know, promises are something which political parties always make, and they have the right to do so. What we have is the right to find the one who is eligible to run the country. Speaking of which, I hope, we all intend to cast in our votes for the person we think is the most deserving. For those who think there aren’t any deserving candidates? Well, there’s always the option of NOTA!

Image courtesy: thehindu.com and theindianexpress.com

With the Lok Sabha polls just around the corner, Young Indians rganization, a part of the Confederation of Indian Industries, organised an interactive session on “The Power of Vote” at Lady Shri Ram College on 4th April. The session was organized to get students engaged in a meaningful discourse with the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi; Vijay Dev. He addressed the students on various issues about the electoral process. Yashodhara Bajoria, Char Young Indians (Delhi Chapter) was also present at the session.

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In his keynote address, Mr. Dev spoke about the various issues that the Election Commission has to face to ensure a good voter turnout. He also discussed many women oriented issues that prevented women to vote in many areas. The IAS Officer also talked about the importance of informed and ethical voting. “The youth has to make it clear to the political parties that their votes are not for sale”, he said. He urged the students, which comprised many first time voters, to exercise their basic democratic right. “There has to be momentum, a wave of voters that exercise their right. This responsibility lies with the youth”, he said.

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The address was followed by a question and answer session where the students posed various questions to the speaker. One of the most important questions that were raised was about the problems that outstation students faced as they could not exercise their voting right in another state. There were questions regarding the option of NOTA as well. “Most of the first year students are first time voters and they need to be informed about the electoral process. We require answers to many questions about voting that keep arising in our minds. This interaction with the Chief Electoral Officer is important as we are not just the youth but also women who own half the sky of democracy”, said Sabika Abbas, the President of the  Student’s Union,LSR.

In her vote of thanks to the Officer, Dr. Meenakshi Gopinath thanked Mr. Dev for taking out time to visit LSR, despite his busy schedule, to address the queries of young voters.

 

Azra Qaisar
[email protected]

Image credits: Sahiba Chawdhary

st March 2014 and the badge holders of this newly formed committee have been assigned their duties for the Lok Sabha elections campaigning. Ankit Dedha, the National Secretary of NSUI said “Parliamentary seats like Meerut, Bareilly and Agra have been selected with established universities and election campaigns and awareness meetings are held in these selected cities, wherein Congress’s manifesto is being read out and students are explained the benefits associated to them, mentioned in the manifesto” Chattra YUVA Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), the students’ wing of AAP has also been effective in gathering support for its parent party. Avinash, member of CYSS, said, “We have been part of the road shows that have been conducted by AAP under Kejriwal’s leadership. The members of CYSS have been active in appealing people, especially students by creating awareness programs and distributing pamphlets, in support of various candidates of AAP.”  ]]>