Every election in India has had a story to tell and at the heart of every story is the average Indian voter; an enigma to many. The story of the just concluded Assembly elections to the four states—West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu & Kerala—and the UT of Puducherry is no different.
As the countdown has started, results will be declared on May 4; political parties are trying their best to fathom what happened inside the mind space of these voters. But they remain as elusive and enigmatic as ever despite a bevy of exit polls streaming out from different corners.
The only twist in the tale this time, for the Indian voter, was the fact that this election was more of a question of proving one’s existential identity than a democratic exercise. Due to the "purification of electoral rolls" —officially known as special intensive revision (SIR) — casting vote was more of a necessity than a question of political choice.
As millions were ousted from the voter’s list, this election also became an exercise to prove one’s 'Indianness'. And the 'Indian voter' has done his or her best if the polling percentages are anything to go by.
Every state which went into elections has recorded its highest polling percentage in an Assembly election—93 % in West Bengal, 86% in Assam, 85 % in Tamil Nadu and 78.27% in Kerala. Puducherry also had a historic turnout of 89.87%.
The ‘Indian voter’ holds the key to the story and only she/he knows how the story will be played out for the major political players.
While both the BJP and the INC are contesting in all the four states, the latter is not a force to reckon with except in Assam and Kerala. The eastward and southward push of BJP is being watched keenly as they will have a huge ramification in the polls to come.
How the increase in the voters’ turnout and the deletion of voters will affect the fortunes of political parties is yet to be understood fully and in that way, the story of the election could well be a game changer for the elections to come.
The ‘women angle’
Another fascinating facet of this election is the 'women voter', whose numbers have outnumbered the male counterparts in all four states that have gone to voting. For example, women recorded a voter turnout of 85.76%, compared to 83.57% for men in Tamil Nadu.
The other states have similar stories to tell about the women’s participation. In West Bengal, women’s turnout reached 92%—considered extraordinary even for West Bengal, a political space where women are heard and seen more than any other state in the country.
Is the 'she voter' different from the 'he voter' in the larger Indian context? It, indeed, is. Politics in India has always been a male dominated space. (It still is, to a large extent). Women have casted their votes ever since the first general elections but they were never counted as individuals with free will as most often their political choices used to mirror the choices of the men in their families. But not anymore.
Women, at least a large section, no longer align automatically with the political loyalties of their male counterparts. They are making choices according to their lived life experiences. In other words, casting the vote, for them, is not a family obligation but an act of self expression.
And this increasing presence of the 'she voter' has been dutifully noticed by all the political fronts in all the four states. Schemes and policies tailor made to attract women voters were announced by all the political parties in all these states. How far the woman voter has got hooked to these promises, only time will tell.
Casting a vote , especially for the ‘Indian voter,’ has never been just about choosing a candidate over the other. For many, it would be the only phase in their life where they feel valued socially and politically. Hence, it is an act of agency , a way of asserting one’s right to shape the future of the nation, along with shaping one’s own destiny.
Voting has always been a deeply empowering act and the 'Indian voter' with all his/her might have done exactly that this time too. The 'Indian voter', however, still remains as an enigma. At least, till the ballot boxes are opened tomorrow.