Only 8 days left for elections, yet there is no political heat in the atmosphere

Gopalganj, 28 October . Now only 8 days are left for voting in Bihar Assembly elections, but the electoral excitement has not yet reached its peak in the six assembly constituencies of the district. The candidates are busy in public relations with all their might, rallies and meetings are going on, but the voters are still silent. This silence has increased the anxiety of the candidates. Every candidate is assuming that the votes of his caste, community and region are going to his account, whereas the ground reality is something else. Every party and candidate is busy in solving caste equations. Someone is counting the Brahmin, Bhumihar, Rajput or Baniya voters and someone is calculating the Kurmi, Koeri, Dalit or Noniya voters.

He raised the question that no one has the time to tell how many jobs have been created in the district, how many industries are open or closed. Social media is also dominated by caste contractors. Everyone is trying to connect their community through Facebook and WhatsApp, but the common voter is no longer paying attention to these claims. The voters of the district are currently in silent mode. Neither are they openly speaking in favor of any candidate, nor against them. The youth are talking about paying attention to issues like roads, employment and education. Voters say that leaders forget promises after elections, so they will vote thoughtfully.

The elders say that they want development, not false assurances. Not caste. From the streets of the villages to the markets, the round of election discussions is definitely going on, but the voters are not opening their minds to anyone. Because of this, the candidates are also under the illusion that the public is in their favor. This time the voters are neither showing electoral enthusiasm nor making any kind of demand from the candidates. Usually, during elections, people are seen discussing on the streets and taking part in processions, but this time such an atmosphere is not visible. The candidates and their supporters are making every effort to woo the voters, but the public listens silently and does not say anything.

Local political analysts believe that the silence of voters could also be a sign of some major upheaval. People say that they had expressed their problems to the MPs and MLAs earlier also, but the results remained the same. In such a situation, instead of relying on promises, they are now following the policy of voting silently. Now teams of youth are also dominating the election campaign. Several teams of about 50 to 100 youth are active in the district, who travel with the candidates in public relations campaigns. These youth are being given wages of Rs 500 per day and food and snacks. A young man told that it is better to earn some money during elections rather than sitting at home. That is, elections have now become not only a political festival but also a means of temporary employment.

Political experts say that this time’s elections in Gopalganj hinge on the silence of the voters. There is no clear wave visible for any party or candidate. This situation is a challenge for the candidates, because they are not able to understand where the public’s inclination actually is. On November 6, 18 lakh 12 thousand 383 voters will exercise their franchise in the district, which includes 9 lakh 60 thousand 892 men, 8 lakh 51 thousand 433 women and 58 third gender voters. Only on the day of voting will it be decided in whose favor this silent revolution of the voters goes. Will this silence bring relief or crushing defeat for the claimants to power.

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/ Akhilanand Mishra