Elections are not won by cadres. Just as fans are not the
reason behind a film becoming a blockbuster. Let me give you an example. Take
the much hyped and supposedly very successful drive by the BJP to enlist
members through a ‘Missed Call’ campaign. The drive has apparently succeeded in
enlisting 1 Crore new members for the party. Supposing the numbers spouted are
indeed correct, what does it mean? In a country of 1.26 Billion people,
assuming 50% of them are voters and further assuming an average of 66% polling
which was the number, a record number, achieved during the 2014 General
Elections it converts to less than 2.5% in actual votes! (For those who came in
late, the present Govt of India was voted in with the largest majority in terms
of seats in recent times on the back of 31% Votes share!) Similarly if the fans
were the reason behind the success of a film what explains flops of even
superstar films? A political party’s success at the hustings and a popular
star’s success at box office is a result of what would be described as preference
of unaffiliated voters or moviegoers.
So what use Cadres/Fans? Can we discount them? Yes, at our
own peril. Cadres are important, very important. They are what is described as
‘party machinery’ or ‘foot soldiers’. People who cover the proverbial last mile
to connect with the voters. Propagate the party’s achievements and enthuse the
unaffiliated millions to remain connected with the party. Or take to the very
same unaffiliated voters the wrongdoing of the ruling party and campaign to
persuade the voter to switch sides. During non-election times, the cadres
assist the party in keeping the voters sufficiently involved and enthused for
the future appointment with the EVMs. Fans similarly bring in what in film
trade parlance is called the ‘initial’. The box office takings over the initial
weekend which often decides the trajectory if not the fate of the film. And
during the periods when there is no release of the star’s film, they keep the
star ‘alive’ in various forums to keep the enthusiasm going. (If you are a Star
who has political ambitions, these fans act as the initial launch pads. Ask
MGR, Jayalalitha, Vijaykanth and other ‘stars’ that are dime a dozen in the
electoral landscape of the ancient land of Tamilnadu. Andhra/Telengana finishes
a close runner up. Welcome!)
During my decade+ long stay in Kolkata, witness to multiple elections,
never have I been more aware of the importance the cadres bring to the table
for a political party, more so during the election season. From campaigning to
organising ‘record attendance’ during the rallies, to being booth agents, to
arrange transport of the voters to the polling booth and more. The nuts and
bolts of fighting elections. The last mile. The real Election Managers. To give
you an easier example to understand their importance, imagine you own a great
TV channel whose programming is best in the world but none of the cable
operators carry it to the viewers’ TV set! Or a great product but no sales team
to reach it to the customers. Cadres are the cable operators and the sales team.
The most important conduits that connects you to your consumers.
Bengalis reading this would instantly connect with the
services the cadres provide, especially given the frequent, almost routine
complaints of ‘rigging or booth capturing’ one hears about elections in West Bengal.
If you think, booth capturing is all about cadres just walking into the polling
stations and stamping every ballot on the symbol of their own party while the
hapless voters stares agape, all I can say is, Bollywood has spoiled you!
‘Rigging’ or ‘Booth Capturing’ let me assure you is a science. And it goes
beyond its Bollywood portrayal of it.
 |
| Maha Michil! A day in a cadre's life! |
Winning elections start with the very start which is by
providing good governance. Since this is something alien to most governments in
India, it then becomes imperative to ‘manage’ the elections. Enter the foot
soldiers. First of all an ‘environment’ is created and this exercise starts
long before the elections are announced. Supporters of the opposition parties
are sought to be won over by allurements or threats. Failing which many must disappear.
The writ must run!
The polling day starts with booth jamming. The supporters
are told to arrive the earliest to the polling station, cast vote first and
‘reserve’ places in the queue for the other supporters. If the polling station
is in a locality which your experience says doesn’t support your party, the
early birds go through the process slowly, slowly, slooowly so that the
supporters of the other party can’t reach the polling officer within the
stipulated hours of voting or far lesser than expected do.
 |
| Lal Salaam! |
Once inside the polling station, the agents resort to
objections. In booths which are hostile to your party, every voters antecedents
are questioned, random objections raised, documents asked to be checked and
rechecked so that the time consumed per voter increases and many if not most
voters tired of the queue decide to either postpone their voting to a later
hour or simply drop the idea in exchange of the blockbuster on TV! (The
objections used to start with accusations of impersonation which has since been
hit for a mighty six by the Election Commission. An EPIC win for the voter and
the EC!)
 |
| EPIC WIN! |
Another genius invention of managing the booth is the
effective use of Peto. For those who
came in late Peto is a crude but low intensity bomb which is hurled near or
outside the polling booths to scare away the voters from the polling
booth/queue. Since Petos are manufactured in the unorganized sector, its impact
varies from a Diwali Phataka to that
of a fully loaded suicide bomber. Insiders know that peto once it is dropped in
the close vicinity of a polling booth, leaves behind a loud ‘boom’ and hopefully
nothing else which of course scares away the bhodrolok and bhodromohilas
from the queue and gets them scooting so that the opposition has that many
fewer votes.
 |
| Peto! |
I have also heard of the doors of the houses of the
‘sympathisers’ of the opposition are often locked from outside thereby either
delaying or denying them completely the chance to vote against you! While I
have been a witness to the modus oparandi behind booth management techniques
mentioned above, I must confess I have never been locked in on polling day.
Given that I am no longer a voter in West Bengal, chances of my experiencing
the same has diminished by a big Dindigul!
Once the dust settles over the hustings, the results are
declared, victory rallies are held, it is business as usual for the cadres
belonging to the victorious party. The cadres of the losing candidate meanwhile
drop everything and start exploring the possibilities of joining the victorious
party!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS: Not that I condone the violence but I found it quiet
ridiculous to see the Baamponthi
playing victims to TMC’s ‘terror tactics’ in the ongoing West Bengal Polls. TMC
like a good student is after all following the well laid practices of the Left
over the 34 years of their rule in Bengal!
Glossary:
Bhodralok/Bhadramohila : Gentlemen/Ladies
Dindigul : City in Tamilnadu famous for manufacture of
Locks!
Baamponthi : Leftists
