Post by Thoithoi O'Cottage on May 21, 2014 16:42:13 GMT 5.5
What does the 10 Chandu Sahu case tell us about India's elections?
The Election Commission of India is not cracking a joke, but we laughed when we heard it reported like a political joke. In the recent parliamentary elections Indian National Congress' Mahasamund constituency candidate Ajit Jogi got the nominations filed of 10 namesakes of BJP's Chandu Lal Sahu. The aim obviously was to spoil BJP votes of ignorant and illiterate voters.
Some headlines read:
The following are the final results of Mahasamund constituency according to the Election Commission of India:
Source: eciresults.nic.in/ConstituencywiseS269.htm?ac=9
Illiteracy, which makes this possible, is the disease of many states in India. While the people of Manipur cannot proudly and luckily be fooled in this way, most of us are still fooled in other ways by our leaders. Despite the BJP Chandu Lal Sahu's success, the number the gullible voters duped are quite substantial.
It is questionable--with so much of the electorate being so easily deceived, how democratic is India's democracy?
The Election Commission of India is not cracking a joke, but we laughed when we heard it reported like a political joke. In the recent parliamentary elections Indian National Congress' Mahasamund constituency candidate Ajit Jogi got the nominations filed of 10 namesakes of BJP's Chandu Lal Sahu. The aim obviously was to spoil BJP votes of ignorant and illiterate voters.
Some headlines read:
* BJP’s Chandu Lal Sahu defeated Ajit Jogi & 7 Chandu Lals
* Why Ajit Jogi cries foul over poll loss to one of 11 Chandu Lal Sahus
* How Congress's Ajit Jogi used 11 namesakes of BJP rival, yet lost seat
The following are the final results of Mahasamund constituency according to the Election Commission of India:
Source: eciresults.nic.in/ConstituencywiseS269.htm?ac=9
Illiteracy, which makes this possible, is the disease of many states in India. While the people of Manipur cannot proudly and luckily be fooled in this way, most of us are still fooled in other ways by our leaders. Despite the BJP Chandu Lal Sahu's success, the number the gullible voters duped are quite substantial.
It is questionable--with so much of the electorate being so easily deceived, how democratic is India's democracy?