These voters aren't blind, but can't see reason

That is the typical Indian rural electorate for you, at a time when the world is looking up to India as the largest democracy and an emerging super power.

When Deccan Herald spoke to some of the women lined up to vote at Bevinahalli, Kakkabevinahalli, Joladarashi, Chellagurki and other villages, they said that they were just bothered about exercising their ‘franchise’ in favour of a candidate that their family members suggested, by pressing a particular button.

The fact that none in the fray is from their village is an excuse for these women not to make an effort to know about them. Bevinahalli and Kakkabevinahalli villages belong to the Sanganakallu Zilla Panchayat and Asundi Taluk Panchayat constituency.

Another explanation why the voters don’t want to know about those in the race to be their representatives in the local bodies was given by one of the women who had lined up to vote.

She said, “What guarantee does one have that a candidate from our own village, about whom we know, will work towards the development of the constituency.” Basamma, Shekhamma and Doddabasamma of Joladarashi village said that their village came under Roopangudi constituency and that they didn’t know who were all contesting.

“Every voter has been given Rs 300 by a particular candidate. On Friday evening, every family got one kg chicken,” they said.  Some of the other women said that they only knew that those in the fray were women. “Each family has got a chicken, each voter Rs 200 and flowers were distributed to the womenfolk,” they said.

In some other places of the constituency, voters identified those in the fray as relatives of the male leaders, but didn’t know the names of the women candidates.