Building India - Elections and Voting

Let us have a look at the following perspective:

1. A Lok Sabha constituency has about 15 lakh voters.
2. On an average, about 50% people vote, i.e. 7.5 lakh.
3. Winner usually gets 1/3^rd of the votes, i.e., 2.5 lakh votes.
4. The 1^st runner up usually loses by up to 50,000 votes.
5. Most people in the middle class (including you and me) don’t vote.
6. Actually, we do not count for the politicians! Has anyone from any political party approached you yet?
7. Basically, the politicians know that we do not vote, hence we do not count.
8. People in the economically and/or academically poor segment vote, and hence are counted by the politicians!
9. Who can make a bigger contribution in making India a better place? The guys who usually vote or us? Obviously us, because we have the experience and ability.
10. If only 3.5% of the people who don’t vote decide to vote for the 1^st runners up, he/she would emerge as the winner! This is the power we have.
11. If 1/3^rd of the people who do not vote decide to vote, they can choose anyone they want as the MP!
12. But we don’t vote because we think that our single vote won’t matter! But, if we join together, it does matter.
13. The 2^nd reason we don’t vote is because there is no one good enough to be selected. But the point is that they are being selected anyway.
14. When the choice is between devil and the deep sea, choose the one who is less evil. If we can get this person to win, then he/she knows we have the power, and will listen to us. Next time, we can negotiate with this party for better results and performance and less corruption. Gradually, the system can get cleaned.
15. This may be somewhat slow, but it would work. All you have to do is to cast your vote tomorrow.

Actually, you can do a little more, with only some effort. Please read the following:

In a T20 match, if we have to make 15 runs in the last over, it is not easy, but good teams know that they can do it. So imagine that you are on the crease in the last over, and a six, a couple of fours combined with a single would take you home, as a winner.

Here is how we can bat in this last over :)

1. The Single: Make sure that you cast your vote tomorrow.
2. The first Four: Call at least 20 of your family members and make sure that they cast their vote.
3. The second Four: Call 10 of your friends and neighbours, and make sure they cast their vote - each family will have 3 voters on an average, this means 30 people cast their votes.
4. With the above, you have got 51 people to cast their vote.
5. The Sixer: Inspire 5 people to do the above – this means another 255 people will cast their votes.

Tell people not to worry about the bouncers (like hot weather) or the wide deliveries (we are going for a movie), etc.

If 5000 people do the above between now and tomorrow evening, 12.75 lakh people will cast votes tomorrow, majority of who may not have cast their votes otherwise! This can make a big difference to who the winner is. Generally, the difference between the winner and 1^st runners-up is not more than 50,000 votes.

So, let us all get ready, only one more over left, this is the time to give our best.

Let’s vote for change.