IT startup offers way for transparency in elections

In an attempt to tap in on the 24x7 online connectedness of many citizens, a Bangalore-based company has taken steps to encourage voting based on ‘peer perceptions’ of candidates.

The company, Voterite Software Private Limited, has integrated prominent social networking websites and is trying to generate steam for an ‘informed’ voting campaign before the 2014 parliamentary elections.

The brainchild of a 34-year-old Bangalorean, Vikram Nalagampalli — a Columbia University alumnus who returned home 14 months ago after having worked in the United States — the concept was developed following what Nalagampalli described as being a brush with the “apathetic Indian bureaucracy.” 

When a change of address for a fixed-line telephone connection took as many as 45 days, Nalagampalli found himself facing the sardonic message of “welcome back to India,” from friends and relatives. 

Concerned by the apathy of educated voters when it comes fixing the system, Nalagampalli told Deccan Herald that he had pooled his own resources to create Voterite. 

“Having conducted a survey through interactions with social-networking experts and through advertisements on Facebook, we realised that the online forum for informed voting can swing between 5,000 to 10,000 undecided voters, across 220 urban and semi-urban Parliamentary constituencies across the country for the Lok Sabha 2014 elections,” Nalagampalli said.

Wealth of information

As Nalagampalli explained, Voterite, is more than just a site where potential voters can review political candidates. Registered users of the website have access to the political history of every candidate and their agenda in every constituency. 

“The site allows you to open an online discussion forum to debate whether a candidate is worthy of a vote or not,” he added. 

The Voterite website also allows users to pledge votes for a candidate or even register to participate in campaigning for a candidate. The website also allows users to post links to a 60 to 120 second video of a candidate contesting elections, with accompanying commentary on why he or she should be elected. 

“All these activities can then be shared by you on four prominent social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Google+.

At the current time, Voterite claims a membership of 600 people, who are in turn, connected to 3.2 lakh voters across the country by way of their online peer circles.Nalagampalli added that his company is in touch with the major political parties, to gain access to the profiles of their future candidates.

The website will be put through the paces during the Delhi Assembly elections. Political activists such as Aseem Trivedi have been roped in to spread the word. As many as 18 candidates contesting the elections have posted videos on the website.