Skip to main content

For Gujarat's 73% voters, religion and caste overshadow candidates' "criminal" background: ADR survey

By Our Representative
In a clear warning on the manner in which Gujarat society is getting increasingly divided along religious and caste lines, a voter behaviour survey ahead of the state assembly polls has revealed that caste or religion is all set to play an important role in polls. Thus, said the survey, in 72.68% of cases, the survey found, caste and religion played a major role in deciding to vote for a criminal candidate.
In a related query, 70% of voters said they would ignore the criminal record of candidates because do “good work”, and a whopping 79.66% of voters said criminal cases against the candidates were "not serious." The report insisted, "Around 73% people vote for candidates facing criminal charges because they were of their own caste or religion."
Releasing the report in Ahmedabad, Maj Gen Anil Verma of the well-known advocacy group Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) said, referring to a previous survey, that "candidates with criminal records have a 50% better chance of winning the polls than others."
Carried out among 500 voters in each district as part of an all-India survey in Spring this year, the survey further showed that only 28.19% of voters said receiving gifts from candidates was illegal, while 60.48% knew that gifts were being distributed, apparently suggesting there was nothing wrong in it. Further, a mere 17.77% of voters they were concerned about spending in elections.
When questioned what did the survey have to say about the atmosphere of fear among certain regions and marginalised communities from criminal candidates, significantly, Verma said, "We did not take the fear factor into account... It did not occur to us."
Asked what did he have to say about the Gujarat government's refusal to arrest murder accused Dinu Bogha Solanki, ex-BJP MP, despite Supreme Court order of October 30, and whether such cases have any impact on the election process, Verma said, "There are clear Supreme Court guidelines in issues apsuch as these. But we refrain from commenting on specific cases."
Pankti Jog of the Gujarat Election Watch, which partners with the ADR in Gujarat, however, suggested that there was real danger that sections of the marginalized communities may be able to vote.
"Our interactions in Saurashtra revealed that voters expressed their apprehension whether their names had remained intact in in the poll list and they would be able to vote. There was also apprehension about whether the new voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) electronic machines were fool proof", she said.
Meanwhile, Jog said, Gujarat's top Election Commission of India official, BB Swain, has rejected the demand to facilitate voting arrangement for the marginalised 6,800 salt pan workers, a denotified tribe, which lives and works in the Little Rann of Kutch for eight months in a year.
"He told us that there are no legal provisions to arrange for buses to take them to vote in their villages, which are between 50 and 100 km away from their place of shelter and work. Nor is it possible to provide mobile voting facility, he added", Jog asserted.
Seeking to highlight voter priorities, the survey suggested that, when asked to identify which developmental issues were important, better employment opportunities receive the highest score of 8.72 on a scale of 10, followed by public transport 7.65, empowerment of women 7.60, security for women 7.41, environmental issues 6.77, better electric supply 6.71, better roads 6.64, drinking water 6.61, and better law and order/ policing 6.61.
In rural areas, on a scale of 10, the issues that received a high rating included price-realization for farm products 8.58, electricity for agriculture 6.69, and irrigation programmes 6.65. On the other hand in urban areas, the issues that received a high rating included traffic congestion 7.64, 6 training for jobs 6.71, and encroachment of public land/lakes etc. 6.70.

Comments

TRENDING

Reducing emission? India among top nations whose coal as energy source going up

By NS Venkataraman*  The State of the Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that the year 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global temperature of 1.4 degree celsius above pre-industrial 1850-1900 base line.

Lockdown 'total failure' of science more than of politics: Open letter on 4th anniversary

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to fellow academicians, scientists and medical practitioners in India, marking the fourth anniversary of India's lockdown (25 March 2024), the Managing Committee* of the Universal Health Organisation (UHO) has insisted on the need to "repair two years of immense damage to science".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor*  Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

Attack on foreign students: Gujarat varsity's reputation, ranking at stake, say academics

Counterview Desk  Expressing anguish over the attack on international students in Gujarat University hostels, a letter claimed to have been signed by 122 current and former academics has asked the Gujarat Vice Chancellor, Dr Neerja Gupta, to provide emotional support to the attacked students and to ensure their physical safety.  

Poor private sector engagement 'impacting' carbon pricing policy in Global South

Counterview Desk  The joint report by Environmental Defense Fund and Observer Research Fund, "Navigating Carbon Pricing: The G20 Experience and Global South Prospects", delves into the complex landscape of carbon pricing, examining its application within the G20 nations and the potential implications for emerging economies in the Global South.  The report claims to provide insights and recommendations for effective carbon pricing strategies in diverse economies.  A note: The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Observer Research Foundation (ORF) have launched the Navigating Carbon Pricing: The G20 Experience and Global South Prospects” report. The report delves into the complex landscape of carbon pricing, examining its application within the G20 nations and the potential implications for emerging economies in the Global South. The report offers a comprehensive analysis of various carbon pricing instruments currently in existence, providing valuable i