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Among the several steps the EC had taken to make Bihar polls free and fair was the decision to review all booths that recorded more than 65 ...

February 28, 2005 12:00 AM IST

4 min read

Among the several steps the EC had taken to make Bihar polls free and fair was the decision to review all booths that recorded more than 65 per cent of polling in the third phase. In the first and second, all booths that had 70 and 68 per cent polling respectively were examined for possible malpractices. While this step, introduced for the first time, did not stop malpractices completely, it did restrain blatant booth capturing. Even the booth capturers had to fine-tune their strategy. 8216;8216;We will touch 65 per cent by 5 in the evening,8217;8217; a 8216;booth manager8217; was heard assuring his bosses in Raghopur, the constituency of CM Rabri Devi. At least the maximum possible capturing was 65 per cent, unlike the earlier 100 per cent days.

8216;Booking booths8217;

Booth management is a much-used word in Bihar8217;s political lexicon and it means many things8212;it is about getting all your votes polled and stopping your opponents from voting. In other words, intimidating the opponents has now found a civilised term in 8216;booth management8217;. Booth managers take control of the booth premises and let only a few supporters of the opposition vote; the rest are all theirs and one or two persons keep on pressing the EVM machine till it reaches, yes, 65 per cent. Since almost all political parties practise this in their strongholds, normally there is no complaint. Clashes occur when two parties or caste groups claim control over a particular booth.

Pain in the joint

Bihar is no small topic for international journalists and a host of them came visiting India8217;s 8216;8216;dark hole8217;8217;. Among them was a journalist who had written about 8216;8216;an unmistakable smell of marijuana8217;8217; when he visited Laloo Prasad Yadav some months ago. He visited Laloo again this time. Not recognising him, Laloo complained to him that foreign journalists don8217;t understand things and hence malign him, referring to the marijuana story. When the journalist identified himself as the author of that article, Laloo was nice. 8216;8216;It is okay, maybe I was misinformed, I did not see it myself,8217;8217; he said.

Thieves8217; honour

Duping politicians is not everyone8217;s task, but Bihar politicians have been taken for a ride by many in these free-for-all elections. Self-styled 8216;Muslim leaders8217; were the most visible creed, extracting favours from the RJD and LJP in return for their support. 8216;8216;We are working for him but not voting for him,8217;8217; said a campaigner for Ranjit Don, kingpin of the CAT scam. Many youths enjoyed his hospitality, which perhaps comes only during elections. 8216;8216;Some people have taken money from more than one camp; some have taken money from one and helped another. This is dishonest corruption,8217;8217; says a politician.

Global Bihar

Observers of the Election Commission are usually officers from other states deputed to keep a watch on the conduct of elections. While some officials take their job very seriously, some see it as a picnic to Bihar. They stay in hotels, ordering the best food and wine at state expense. In some instances, they come up with strange requests to district officials8212;for instance, an ISD telephone line. Why do they need to make international calls to ensure free polls in Bihar is a mystery, but district officials who cannot afford adverse EC observers usually oblige.

Compiled by VARGHESE K GEORGE

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