A 63-day-long election season – March 5 to May 16, nine days of voting between them – could exhaust even the most hardcore political animal. I asked people on Twitter if anyone actually liked the fact that the general elections were dragging on for so long. I was not prepared for the answers. Here, according to my Twitter respondents, are the groups and organisations that are thriving on the extended election season.
1) The bureaucracy: Rohit Negi couldn't be more right when he replies that the babudom is loving the long elections because the Election Commission's model code of conduct effectively puts them in charge of government. That babus get to rule is also partially the explanation for why Indian elections are organised so smoothly: they love being bosses of politicians for a brief while.
2) The media: A Twitter user named Mr Ramakrishnan said, "Media of course!" Not many journalists would agree, considering that a long-drawn out elections gives them more fatigue than it does the reader or viewer who can choose to ignore the media noise. The media would love to move on to the next story about government formation and so on – except that, yes, election time usually bring more television rating points. A long drawn-out election means that the media is in a better position in terms of resources, air time and column space to cover places other than Uttar Pradesh and the big metros. Nothing would please the media more than the impending big fight in Varanasi and Amethi.
3) The advertising industry: "The people who sell ads for a living," said novelist Amitabha Bagchi, explaining, "Think of all the black money turning white." That is true, except that this time the Congress is so sure of losing the election that it is being stingy with its advertising budget. The Bharatiya Janata Party is compensating for that with overkill, while the Aam Aadmi Party is whining about not having enough funds. What's different this time is a substantial amount of election ad money shifting from traditional to social media.
4) Those who haven't yet voted: "You Dilliwallahs just bored because you now have to wait for the rest of the country to vote," said historian Mario da Penha. He has a point, no doubt. The election excitement continues till voting day, even if the election festivities have been curbed by tough spending rules enforced by the Election Commission. The jibe about Delhi is a bit unfair perhaps: we voted for assembly elections just a few months ago, voted now for the Lok Sabha and within a few weeks are likely to vote for the Delhi assembly again. Think of the people in the north-east who voted in the first phase and have to wait till the middle of May to know the result.
5) The Indian Premier League: "Look where they are playing now because of this problem," said journalist Bhuvan Bagga sarcastically. Part of the seventh edition of the Indian league cricket is being held in the United Arab Emirates, in cities like Sharjah, which has a reputation for being a hub for bookies who fix matches. The long Indian elections are thus a boon for the IPL, a tournament that seems to love controversy and dirty money.
Arun Singh had a good suggestion: "In future, elections may spread over full five years! Let elections for next Lok Sabha start in phases just after 16 May!" Indeed, if we can have cricket all the time why not have general elections all the time?
In an article in the Indian Express, senior journalist Jawaid Laiq rues that in every election, the Election Commission increases the voting period, a time when it gets to boss around. He argues that the Election Commission could easily organise the elections within a week or two, as it did from 1962 to 1989. But its increasing activism in reforming the election process means it wants to provide as much security to the polling exercise as possible, and bring to the election period unprecedented scrutiny. One could have a case to be more charitable to the Election Commission's intentions but a tournament should last only as long as it's fun to watch.
1) The bureaucracy: Rohit Negi couldn't be more right when he replies that the babudom is loving the long elections because the Election Commission's model code of conduct effectively puts them in charge of government. That babus get to rule is also partially the explanation for why Indian elections are organised so smoothly: they love being bosses of politicians for a brief while.
2) The media: A Twitter user named Mr Ramakrishnan said, "Media of course!" Not many journalists would agree, considering that a long-drawn out elections gives them more fatigue than it does the reader or viewer who can choose to ignore the media noise. The media would love to move on to the next story about government formation and so on – except that, yes, election time usually bring more television rating points. A long drawn-out election means that the media is in a better position in terms of resources, air time and column space to cover places other than Uttar Pradesh and the big metros. Nothing would please the media more than the impending big fight in Varanasi and Amethi.
3) The advertising industry: "The people who sell ads for a living," said novelist Amitabha Bagchi, explaining, "Think of all the black money turning white." That is true, except that this time the Congress is so sure of losing the election that it is being stingy with its advertising budget. The Bharatiya Janata Party is compensating for that with overkill, while the Aam Aadmi Party is whining about not having enough funds. What's different this time is a substantial amount of election ad money shifting from traditional to social media.
4) Those who haven't yet voted: "You Dilliwallahs just bored because you now have to wait for the rest of the country to vote," said historian Mario da Penha. He has a point, no doubt. The election excitement continues till voting day, even if the election festivities have been curbed by tough spending rules enforced by the Election Commission. The jibe about Delhi is a bit unfair perhaps: we voted for assembly elections just a few months ago, voted now for the Lok Sabha and within a few weeks are likely to vote for the Delhi assembly again. Think of the people in the north-east who voted in the first phase and have to wait till the middle of May to know the result.
5) The Indian Premier League: "Look where they are playing now because of this problem," said journalist Bhuvan Bagga sarcastically. Part of the seventh edition of the Indian league cricket is being held in the United Arab Emirates, in cities like Sharjah, which has a reputation for being a hub for bookies who fix matches. The long Indian elections are thus a boon for the IPL, a tournament that seems to love controversy and dirty money.
Arun Singh had a good suggestion: "In future, elections may spread over full five years! Let elections for next Lok Sabha start in phases just after 16 May!" Indeed, if we can have cricket all the time why not have general elections all the time?
In an article in the Indian Express, senior journalist Jawaid Laiq rues that in every election, the Election Commission increases the voting period, a time when it gets to boss around. He argues that the Election Commission could easily organise the elections within a week or two, as it did from 1962 to 1989. But its increasing activism in reforming the election process means it wants to provide as much security to the polling exercise as possible, and bring to the election period unprecedented scrutiny. One could have a case to be more charitable to the Election Commission's intentions but a tournament should last only as long as it's fun to watch.
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