Dr S Saraswathi
The theatre of the ballot war has three fronts – all active simultaneously. It is a 3-D show.
The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate has taken ‘three vows’ – to work to fulfil the mandate that people give to him, never to do anything for himself, and not to do anything with a bad intention. Surely, most humble obedience to the will of the people!
The Prime Minister, releasing the Congress manifesto said the present approach of the Government is the soundest possible and best suited for Indian conditions and that there will be no major change in it. Certainly, a bold assertion that its performance during its tenure was good and repeatable by the Government that has come under severe attack from multiple quarters!
Aam Admi Party chief, after a brutal attack in a road show in the heart of the capital, visited the houses of two of his attackers and greeted them with flowers and hugged them as a friend. A magnanimous display of love for all with malice towards none!
These three incidents are typical models of the three faces of election campaigns – promises, performance, and perceptions, respectively.
Campaigning by all political parties is full of personal touch with “aam admi” in theatrical style – traveling like commonest of common people, visiting the worst jhuggi-jhonpri (shanties) localities, fondling children of “little gods” and so on. This is not new in Indian politics from the days of “chacha” Nehru. As a benefit of experience in election after election from panchayat bodies to Parliament, the art is getting refined.
On-going General election is being fought on more than one battle ground. Perceptions are created, promises are made, and performances are claimed. The first relates to the present, the second to the future, and the third to the past. The three “P”s together are meant to connect the actors to a long time-frame. Indian democracy has come of age. It is contributing many lessons on working parliamentary democracy in a federal set up. In essence, adding practical tips to theoretical knowledge!
Voters may be gullible. But, it is not easy for the contestants to identify the winning or winnable “astra” which may change from time to time. It is context-related. Therefore, they liberally employ all the tools to create rosy images, to offer wonderful opportunities, and to magnify their achievements and abilities.
The manifestos of various parties and speeches of principal party leaders abound in promises for various sectors. The Congress, that has been in power as the UPA I and UPA II for 10 years, has in its coffer unfulfilled promises, but has no hesitation to make further commitments. It has promised among other things to grant the right to health and increase healthcare expenditure from the present 1.2 % of the GDP to 3 %. It will create 10 crore jobs with a backlog of several crore jobs promised in 2009. It has promised to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill, which it could not do in two consecutive terms. This too, when it is not in a position to reject the support of the Samajwadi Party, foremost opponent of the bill. It will launch programmes to improve child sex- ratio – an abominable social condition – that does not need a poll promise but only determined legal and executive action.
Indeed, the last session of the 15th Lok Sabha seems to have been kept for last minute hasty legislations that could win votes. But, often political calculations go wrong because of unforeseen appearance of problems. The creation of Telangana, for instance, is part of this electoral game. Its political consequences in terms of advantages and disadvantages to different parties are still unpredictable and will unfold fully only in the election.
Ordinance route was explored where legislation could not be passed as in the case of reservation in the private sector. This is now included as a poll promise by the Congress to create national consensus on affirmative action to SCs and STs in the private sector.
BJP’s promises to bring in fiscal autonomy of States, prohibition of FDI in retail trade, integrated public transport project including roadways, railways, and waterways, revival of anti-terror mechanism, universalization of secondary education, if fulfilled, will usher in big policy changes. BJP’s manifesto promises to put an end to the decade-old “governance deficit” and “policy paralysis”, and to usher in an era of “growth and development”. “Minimum Government, maximum governance” is the new mantra of this party repeatedly emphasized by Modi. Development and good governance constitute the focus of this party’s poll promises pushing aside secularism-communalism as a non-issue.
Promises made in speeches and in written manifestos are not enough to win votes. Their veracity has to be corroborated by public perceptions. Consciously or unconsciously, every actor in the electoral field is engaged in image creation of oneself, and image destruction of opponents. The game is played with free exchange of insults and defamatory comments, offensive remarks, intrusion into personal matters, open lies, and so on.
One derogatory “chaiwala” (tea vendor) comment has proved to be sufficient for extensive interpretation on hundreds of platforms. Citizen politics is growing day by day and every word uttered by anyone speaking on a political forum is bound to go through extensive screening and in-depth examination to discover its overt and covert meaning. Intentions are attributed where there may be none.
For, perceptions do matter in politics. Political pundits, practicing politicians, paid party workers, and unpaid volunteers are engaged in creating and destroying perceptions in this election season. To a great extent, election contests centre over positive and negative perceptions to such an extent that even ideologies, policies, and promises are clothed and delivered with due attention to the image they may project. On the other side, equal attention is given to destroy the opponents’ public image.
Thus, the war of perceptions dominates promises for the future and claims of achievements.
Indeed, the entire election campaign is in a way all about political perceptions. Visual, audio, and print media are fully exploited which give rise to new forms of electoral misconduct.
In the war of creating perceptions, denigrating the image of opponents at times becomes more important and even more potent weapon than portraying a rosy image of oneself. Public attention can be quickly drawn by highlighting other people’s faults than by bragging one’s own virtues. Negative propaganda attracts the attention of the common man. Electioneering in the present three-headed fight is more in the form of negativism than positivism.
It is, therefore, in the nature of the politics of perceptions to degenerate into a war of mutual mud slinging. It does not care much about decency and decorum. Hate speeches have become common. This has compelled the Election Commission to issue fresh directions to field officials to take immediate action against politicians who vitiate the atmosphere during campaigning.
On the whole, it is a battle to acquire space in people’s minds. Past performance, in the light of inflation, price rise, unemployment, lack of security, and low ranking social indicators, put previous ruling coalitions at a disadvantage. Promises have lost sense and credibility.
Therefore, perceptions are important in the current 3-D election battle. The task before the voters is really challenging.- INFA