AN INSTANCE OF MODEL ELECTION CONDUCT

Here is a story that is a reason to hope again. Sridhar is youth who hails from a hamlet named after “Sampige” in Turuvekere taluk of Tumkur district.

Sridhar has been a BJP activist for many years. In the recently concluded Gram Panchayat elections, his villagers asked him to contest and to represent them. He profusely rejected the offer. Villagers persuaded him to agree, as he has always worked for others’ success and it was his obvious turn to contest and emerge victorious.

Still Sridhar resisted. You know the reason? He was a man principally opposed to lavish spending.. and he does not own that much too. His villagers did not leave at that. They knew, here was a man who can make difference for them. They mentioned him that he need not spend a single paise, rather they will contribute for his elections and make him win. They wanted him to lead them. Reluctantly he agreed.

One fine day before elections, he was made to sit in the court yard of a temple in the in that hamlet. People thronged to the place and poured money before him. It was Rs.52500/- collected in a span of an hour. Yes, fifty two thousand and five hundred only .

Sridhar looked equanimous. He handed over the whole sum to an important person of the village. Now Sridhar’s job was just to visit the houses and seek votes and he did just that.

When the results came out, it was a thumping win all the way. He secured 880 out of 1020 votes polled. Margin of victory was more than 600 and the catch, it was just above Rs.7000/- that was spent for the election.

Now the village has decided to spend the remaining the whole of remaining Rs.45000/- to the village Jatra festival.

Is it not an instance of a model conduct? Is it not the thing hoped to be emulated everywhere?
Such methods surely can become antidotes to the present day electoral corruption.