The sale of household consumer goods has picked up in the town. No. There is no sudden interest nor purchasing power among the customers. Rather, the penchant of candidates contesting the urban local body polls has resulted in increased sales of consumer items.

A television set, refridgerator, VCR, mixer, dvd, washing machine, emergency light--you, the voter, name it, you get it instantly. All you have to do is state your preference.

A coupon from one of the prestigious shops in town materialises, you go there, take your pick and return home, without paying anything, of course! Thats not all.

If a voter promises his vote to a particular candidate, he is bound to be provided with a few necessary household items in the blink of an eye.

Nowadays, the ‘intelligent’ voter only has to ask those candidates who come next, what their gifts would be. 
This trend began when the ruling BJP distributed cookers. Once the Congress got wind of this, it began raining mixers, television sets, washing machine, hot box, dvds and other items.

The JD (S) soon joined in, distributing emergency lights to all and sundry. If rumours are to be believed, very soon gold coins will be distributed ! It is clear that the rivalry between the three parties has spilt over to this issue also.

Then there have been instances of a voter benefiting in other ways too. When a voter in a ward from where an influential person is contesting, fell severely sick, the Congress candidate gave him Rs 15,000 to get admitted into a Bangalore hospital.

Upon coming to know about this, the BJP candidate paid up the expenses of the voter’s entire stay in the hospital.

The voter, who has now returned healthy would have had to pay not less than Rs 50,000 otherwise.

While the government has put no limit on election spending, the candidates are aware that they may be caught while distributing these items.

So, to circumvent the problem, they have entered into clandestine agreements with shops, which issue coupons to purchase necessary items.

This round of elections has proved that a candidate need not print pamphlets, nor undertake vigourous campaigning. Providing voters with what is needed will definitely bring in the votes, seems to be the candidates’ calculations.

However, in spite of all these exercises, the mystery remains as to voter preference. The voter, while receiving the goods is tight-lipped when it comes to his preference for a councillor.