Making Votes Count

In their better moments, political parties accept it is sadak-bijli-paani that finally matters with voters but the electoral discourse is still giving short shrift to governance track records. Rather, non-issues are what parties seem to be vying to put on the table, and thereby deflect searching queries that could hold their performances to account. The latest survey by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) — the NGO working to raise voter awareness about elections, issues and parties — ought to put things into perspective. Conducted in October-December last year, the study lists priorities on voters’ minds, like employment, healthcare, drinking water, roads and transport, farm loans and remunerative crop prices, better law and order. Tellingly, defence and terrorism, so indispensable for nationalistic rhetoric, is ranked near the bottom of the survey involving 2.7 lakh respondents. However, over 41% respondents said distribution of liquor, cash and freebies can swing elections, while nearly 36% were willing to vote for candidates with criminal records ‘if they had done good work in the past’. So voters need to introspect, or they will once again end up being saddled with representatives they deserve.