Elections in India — Part 1

Dipankar Khasnabish
Sep 4, 2018 · 4 min read

10 Things I learned about Elections when I worked with my friend when he contested the Karnataka assembly poll:

1. The election is no different from business, where a candidate is like a product of service. So a candidate has to be sold based on pedigree, image, party, potential, and clarity.

Just like in case of business, all voters need to be convinced individually (as inside the voting booth, the vote may go any which way). So the biggest task of a candidate is to reach every voter, both physically and mentally.

2. Money is needed to be elected — a lot of it. We can just calculate it from the number of voters, and cost of “voter acquisition” (not very different from “customer acquisition”) and arrive at a ballpark figure.

For winning an MLA election, it will be at least INR 10 crores, and for MP election around INR 50 crores. This is the money to be spent over five years, with a bulk of it three months before the election date.

3. The current electoral system caps the spend at the ludicrous level, we may call it a legacy of our socialist outlook. But figures like in 28 Lakhs which one is capped to spend in assembly elections between the filing of nominations and two days before the voting is probably not even 5% of what needs to be spent during that period of fighting changes.

4. Given the fund needed, and the existing impractical, socialistic system of funding and fund restrictions, illegal funds being used for the process is inevitable. The funding thus is given mostly in kind. For example, the banners will be printed and the billboards will be made available for free, and once elected by favor will be paid back by ignoring violations, or protecting from interferences — or both. So the whole concept of the politics and politicians has a structural foundation, and it will be good if we come in terms with this and work towards a solution.

5. Majority of the voters, who are less privileged and mostly fighting for their daily existence of school fee, medical emergencies, grocery bill, water & electricity does not care much of the parties and candidates except few weeks before the voting day. However when the campaign hits them, what matters is familiarity and/ or faith on the candidate — whether he/ she can get the job done when needed.

And one of the biggest fallacies is that votes are obtained just by force or money. Yes, they are important, but only one part (as there are enough candidates who have tonnes of both, but we always have a winner, and the margin is more often than not significant.

6. People like me who spend much of our time fighting for our beliefs matter precious little. Only around 20% of the affluent votes, out of which around 30% decides objectively, so our influence is 30% of 20% of 5% or not even 05% of overall votes. We are nonchalant about elections as we have zero dependence on government (except possibly paying taxes). The rest depends on largesse by the elected and elected to ensure that votes are aligned with a sense of confidence that the candidate can deliver.

7. So what makes on elected? Primarily the confidence that he/ she is the one who can “handle” a situation for anyone who comes for help. So visibility, ability, connections, power, team, commitment matters. And it is helped by the party to which one belongs, but the core is the electorate confidence.

8. Does money/ material passed on the day before elections? Yes in many cases. And it only builds on the image of being capable of not just fund being able, but also having a team, capacity and guts to flout the norms.

9. The Elections Commission is significantly understaffed, under-provided, and vulnerable. There is hardly any training provided to them for the job, and all expect things will work out. Also, they need to come back to their day jobs, and since upright having no upside, they mostly do what best can be done by them. So whatever implementation of model code of conduct is done, it is restricted to the independents and smaller parties.

10. The middle class is mostly irrelevant in the electoral process — as it doesn’t vote, can’t bring big money (which for traditional parties at least, unless not in crores, is not worth the effort), and can’t influence people. We are mostly a noise, which the political class lives with in amusement.

Lastly, politics is by far the most complex job available — and money and muscle power is only a part of it. It needs tremendous guts, emotional intelligence, leadership, relationships — the list is long. And most politicians, especially ones in the leadership positions, and one of the smartest we will ever meet in our life.

And yes.

My understanding of the election process has completely changed. It is sort of déjà vu. Maybe it will be good for others too to get a similar exposure so that we can make more real contributions with more appropriate channelization of our passion.