If its every citizen's duty to participate in the decision making that happens every five years, then count me in. I cast my vote today despite knowing the fact that its not gonna make any difference. All i needed was a mark in my finger to prove that i have done my duty as a citizen. I must mention that I was lucky to have my name in the polling register cuz there were few people who fought a losing battle with the authorities as their names were not in the list. Eventually they exited the way they entered cursing both the authorities and the politicians. Too bad that the EVM does not have an option for a blank vote. If it had, i guess half of all the votes would've been a blank vote. The other half, of course, would've been casted to any politician whose bribe amount per vote rate scaled up. My facebook status for the day was this
"Do I have to vote for the prosperity of the already opulent politicians or for the attractive inducements they've promised?? Cuz I don't see an option to vote for the good of our country!!"
As soon as i updated my facebook status, one of my friends commented on it asking me to cast my vote under 49-O. 49-O is a rule which states that a valid voter need not vote if he doesn't want to. Text of the Rule 49-O from wiki
"49-O. Elector deciding not to vote.-If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark."
He believed that if the majority of the vote is a blank vote, which is 49-O, then the contending parties will be disqualified and the state will be under the Governor's rule for six months. And after six months, election will again be announced but with new candidates. I made him understand that whatever he believed was just hoax. He suggested me to vote under 49-O but little did he know about the fact that the EVM does not have an option for people to cast vote under section 49-O and to do so, the individual must inform the presiding officer about his/her disinclination to vote.
The election period is the time when the rivalry between the ruling party and the opposition party reveals more truth about all politicians. During the election campaign, all that is needed for a politician is a mike, henchmen to extol him and some liquor to start a verbal attack on other politicians. Me thinks that a special drug is formed when liquor and enthusiastic praises mix so well that would make any politician high enough to blast about anyone. For instance 'Karuppu MGR' Vijayakanth can be taken as an example. I assume that most of them would've known about how Vijayakanth campaigns as it was "flash news" on Sun TV and Kalaignar TV. Check out how Vijayakanth blabbers, how Vijayakanth loses cool and thrashes his own candidate and an angry Vijayakanth.
If Vijayakanth has a serious drinking problem Vadivelu, Sarathkumar, Kushboo, Singamuthu and others have different problems. Everyone seems to have taken election campaigning as an opportunity to blast their competitor in their respective fields. Its also fun to watch their cheap way of fighting live on television. Thanks to the media.
The video clip that was recently telecasted on Kalaignar TV as a video campaign that shows two women impersonating Jayalalitha and Sasikala was the height of cheapness. The clip shows the two maliciously planning to take over the throne and cease all "good deeds" and systems that Kalaignar established followed by clips of Kalaignar arrested, Murasalimaaran laid down after being "attacked" by cops, Shankaracharya arrested etc. The video indirectly conveys a very clear message- "I beg you. Please vote for me."
This is one of the DMK election songs!
It is everyone's duty to vote. If compulsory voting system are brought to effect in which everyone has to vote else they are subjected to punitive measures, I don't think it would make any difference as people would come to vote in mere fear of paying fine or being imprisoned and would not vote for the betterment of the country. Gone are the days when people know nothing about anything. But since we have a very powerful weapon called "Internet" everything is literally in our fingertips. Just a few minutes with the keyboard and everything is right in front of you in your computer screen. Just a few taps on my keyboard and i was able to find these useful sites
About 49-O.
The conduct of election rules.
Everything about our very own politicians.
(and lots of YouTube videos of course!)
I referred Internet as a weapon because it is very useful, but equally harmful. Just imagine that you create a page in facebook that contains "your views" about a politician and one of his staunch followers get to see that and finds you? The chances are very less but do you want to take a chance on that?
People really hope that one day everything will change. But according to me that day never comes. Politicians' blatant fight to take over the throne pretty obviously shows that its not out of their interest to make the country better but to become rich. Rich by swindling lakhs of crores. I think that makes a person more than the word "rich" actually means. Today i cast my vote to yet another craving dog that wants power and money. I cant reveal my vote as it violates the secrecy of the ballot. ;-)
Another five years for another stupid black mark on my index finger...
"Do I have to vote for the prosperity of the already opulent politicians or for the attractive inducements they've promised?? Cuz I don't see an option to vote for the good of our country!!"
As soon as i updated my facebook status, one of my friends commented on it asking me to cast my vote under 49-O. 49-O is a rule which states that a valid voter need not vote if he doesn't want to. Text of the Rule 49-O from wiki
"49-O. Elector deciding not to vote.-If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark."
He believed that if the majority of the vote is a blank vote, which is 49-O, then the contending parties will be disqualified and the state will be under the Governor's rule for six months. And after six months, election will again be announced but with new candidates. I made him understand that whatever he believed was just hoax. He suggested me to vote under 49-O but little did he know about the fact that the EVM does not have an option for people to cast vote under section 49-O and to do so, the individual must inform the presiding officer about his/her disinclination to vote.
The election period is the time when the rivalry between the ruling party and the opposition party reveals more truth about all politicians. During the election campaign, all that is needed for a politician is a mike, henchmen to extol him and some liquor to start a verbal attack on other politicians. Me thinks that a special drug is formed when liquor and enthusiastic praises mix so well that would make any politician high enough to blast about anyone. For instance 'Karuppu MGR' Vijayakanth can be taken as an example. I assume that most of them would've known about how Vijayakanth campaigns as it was "flash news" on Sun TV and Kalaignar TV. Check out how Vijayakanth blabbers, how Vijayakanth loses cool and thrashes his own candidate and an angry Vijayakanth.
If Vijayakanth has a serious drinking problem Vadivelu, Sarathkumar, Kushboo, Singamuthu and others have different problems. Everyone seems to have taken election campaigning as an opportunity to blast their competitor in their respective fields. Its also fun to watch their cheap way of fighting live on television. Thanks to the media.
The video clip that was recently telecasted on Kalaignar TV as a video campaign that shows two women impersonating Jayalalitha and Sasikala was the height of cheapness. The clip shows the two maliciously planning to take over the throne and cease all "good deeds" and systems that Kalaignar established followed by clips of Kalaignar arrested, Murasalimaaran laid down after being "attacked" by cops, Shankaracharya arrested etc. The video indirectly conveys a very clear message- "I beg you. Please vote for me."
This is one of the DMK election songs!
It is everyone's duty to vote. If compulsory voting system are brought to effect in which everyone has to vote else they are subjected to punitive measures, I don't think it would make any difference as people would come to vote in mere fear of paying fine or being imprisoned and would not vote for the betterment of the country. Gone are the days when people know nothing about anything. But since we have a very powerful weapon called "Internet" everything is literally in our fingertips. Just a few minutes with the keyboard and everything is right in front of you in your computer screen. Just a few taps on my keyboard and i was able to find these useful sites
About 49-O.
The conduct of election rules.
Everything about our very own politicians.
(and lots of YouTube videos of course!)
I referred Internet as a weapon because it is very useful, but equally harmful. Just imagine that you create a page in facebook that contains "your views" about a politician and one of his staunch followers get to see that and finds you? The chances are very less but do you want to take a chance on that?
People really hope that one day everything will change. But according to me that day never comes. Politicians' blatant fight to take over the throne pretty obviously shows that its not out of their interest to make the country better but to become rich. Rich by swindling lakhs of crores. I think that makes a person more than the word "rich" actually means. Today i cast my vote to yet another craving dog that wants power and money. I cant reveal my vote as it violates the secrecy of the ballot. ;-)
Another five years for another stupid black mark on my index finger...
