JOIN USHeights of indifference
Managers of political parties as well as candidates have settled for the time-tested method of campaign, the door-to-door campaign. Nothing can surpass personal interaction with voters in developing a rapport. But the candidates do not get easy access to reach out to voters in apartment complexes. Residents’ associations of the complexes do not entertain entry of party workers citing security concerns.
Natasha Golfview Apartments in Domlur ward (112) comprises nearly 300 flats. BJP candidate Geeta Srinivas Reddy, although born and brought up in the locality, has not been able to reach to the voters in the complex.
“It is difficult to reach the voters there. I am trying to get in touch with the voters through the residents’ welfare association”, she said while interacting with Deccan Herald on Saturday.
Janakiram, husband of Congress candidate Rajalakshmi said Cambridge Layout had been included in Domlur ward after delimitation. He is not familiar with residents of the apartment complexes in the layout. “So far I have not been able to reach the residents of Ranka Apartments in the layout. I have to get in touch with the residents’ association”, he said.
Scores of apartment complexes have come up in the locality in the last one decade. Residents in these complexes form a major chunk of the total voters count of over 27,000 in the ward. In Jogupalya (89), as many as 2,000 of 26,000 voters live in flats.
“Two thousand is a big number in corporation elections. The only way out is to approach residents’ association for organising meetings with residents inside the complex”, Gautham Kumar, BJP candidate of Jogupalya remarked. He had one such meeting in Gopalan Apartments on Saturday.
Need is the mother of invention. Candidates are discovering alternative modes of reaching out. The best way, says Janakiram, is telephone calls. He had collected numbers of residents from the association and would be calling them personally for requesting them to vote his wife contesting from Domlur.
The general feeling is that residents of apartment complexes do not show interest in BBMP elections as they have low expectations from the local urban body. A candidate, who wished to remain unnamed said residents in apartment complexes have made alternative arrangements for water supply at times of crisis and have parks for children within their premises.
“A majority of them do not vote. This time polling is on Sunday. They may prefer to stay indoors and enjoy the holiday”, he says ruefully.