Demining Democracy - an Ethnographic Study of Assembly Election Campaign in Kelabadi Labour Camp, a Low-Lying Slum on Outskirts of Dalli Rajhara, Town in Chhattisgarh Known for Mining Activity

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Final Result: Voter turnout in booth numbers 192, 193 and 194 - 77.17%; highest in 192 (79%) and lowest in 193 (75.30%). The overall voting percentage in Chhattisgarh has risen from 71 % in 2008 to 77.64% in 2013.

Chhattisgarh - Dondi lahara

Result Declared

Candidate

Party

Votes

ANILA BHENDIA

Indian National Congress

66026

HORILAL RAWATE

Bharatiya Janata Party

46291

JANAK LAL THAKUR

Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha

19577

ANITA KUMETI

Independent

4435

GHANARAM THAKUR

National People’s Party

3103

YOGESHWAR KUMAR KOSMA

Independent

1860

HUB LAL CHANAP

Independent

1787

BANWARI LAL MARKAM

Independent

1559

GOPAL THAKUR

Bahujan Samaj Party

1483

TUKA RAM KORRAM

Gondvana Gantantra Party

1244

RIKHIRAM CHURENDRA

Samajwadi Party

667

None of the Above

None of the Above

6197

Last Updated at 12:10 PM On 10/12/2013

Chapter 2

How the Campaign Unfolded

[pic 6]

Congress candidate Anila Bhedia (second from left) on a door-to-door campaign

The campaign was extremely low key till about two weeks before voting in Kelabadi. It started with candidates of Congress and BJP opening offices near Shankar Guha Niyogi Chowk about a month before the D-Day. The BJP office blared parodies based on popular numbers from Hindi films Jodha Akbar and Bhag Milkha Bhag etc. In first week, it wore a deserted look with no party activists ever gathering there. The Congress office played no songs in first ten days but always had women and men huddled together, strategizing on canvassing.

This is how the campaign built up in the run up to the voting day:

There are no posters, banners, buntings, pamphlets or even slogan writing till the end of October in Kelabadi. Only places which indicate electioneering are offices of candidates and political parties in Dalli rajhara. The processions and rallies to seek support are limited to the main city and the market area.

In the first week of November BJP candidate Rawte takes out a rally through the main market and pitches saffron flag on almost every shop which figures in the old and the new markets of Dalli rajhara. The BJP campaign is loud, aggressive and in-your-face kind. The party slogans are scathing on corruption, crony capitalism and failure of the UPA Government. Raman Singh and Narendra Modi are the face of the BJP campaign.

Congress holds an election meeting near its office in the first week of November. Addressed by Union Minister Charan Das Mahant and Kumari Selja, the meeting is attended only by a handful of Congress workers.

All candidates flock to first Madhai fair (post-harvest fair like Baishakhi) organized in a village near Dondi. They seek blessings of local goddess there.

On November 7, the BJP flags are visible in the market adjoining Kelabadi. There is also speculation that former BJP President Nitin Gadkari would lead a contact programme in Dalli. But it turns out to be false.

The Congress flags reach the place a day later. The party campaign is extremely low key with the focus being on making the voters aware about hand symbol. The faces of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh warn the voters to choose development over ‘conspiratorial’ nature of the BJP.

On November 9, Chief Minister Raman Singh addresses a rally in Dondi. The rally, organized on a large ground in the sub division, fails to attract big crowds. Singh makes the mistake of naming BJP candidate from the stage. This means the cost of organizing the rally will add to Rawte’s election expenditure. BJP vehicles which ferry party workers to the rally ground support 3D bills reflecting faces of Singh and Modi.

On November 10, the BJP candidate walks through the market on Konde Road in Kelabadi. While Rawte’s followers distribute pamphlets to the voters, he touches feet of elderly and greets others with folded hands. He makes it a point to visit every temple on the way. Drum beaters lead his campaign contingent. The common refrain is ‘Kamal Chhap ko vote dein’ (vote for lotus).

Rawte’s procession has people wearing saffron caps and lotus badges on their kurtas and sarees. It is led by a jeep adorned with glaze posters and belting out parody of popular Hindi song ‘hawan karenge’ from Bhag Milkha Bhag. A thin man with tousled hair is trying to match steps with the beat. Though the lyrics are not very gettable, they are clearly aimed at singing paeans in praise of BJP Chief Minister Raman Singh.

The song is interspersed with Hindi couplets panning alleged corruption of Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra. “Kaale dhan se khila hai chehra. Damaad jo thahre Raabert Wadhera (yes this is how the voice pronounces the name –there is glow on Vadra’s face due to black money. He is the son-in-law)”,