TNINS

Dr. Samrendra Pathak

Senior journalist.

New Delhi, April 11, 2024. The first phase of general elections in the country will be completed on April 19 with voting on 102 seats. That is, only a week is left for campaigning for this phase, but no issue has been raised yet. It has been found that there is no election noise. Most of the cities and villages are deserted and the voters are silent.

This is the situation in those areas where votes will be cast in the first phase. The surprising thing is that even in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha, which are famous for intense campaigning, noise and great hustle and bustle, as soon as the election bugle sounds, the campaign of this phase is breathless. Somewhere in these areas, BJP's holding and campaign Vehicles will be available but campaigners from other parties will rarely be found.

The condition of the voters of these areas is almost such that they are not even aware of the elections being held on a particular date. However, the local administration is motivating them to cast their votes. Recently, the Prime Minister in Western Uttar Pradesh tried to create excitement by holding rallies and meetings at some places in Meerut, Ghaziabad and Bihar, but voters remain silent.

Veteran Prof.B.N. Mishra says that this is the first general election that has not yet become a major issue of the election. He also said that this means that the voters have decided to remain silent this time and give a major decision. The silence indicates whether the ruling National Democratic Alliance will cross 400 or get stuck at 40.

Yogesh Kumar, ex-professor of physics at Delhi University, says that the cities and villages in the areas where elections are to be held in the first phase are far away from the election environment. It is as if nothing is happening. He said that in his five hundred kilometers, during his journey he observed an atmosphere of silence.

Prof. Kumar while talking about the elections during his childhood days  said that the campaigning was like a festival. We children used to get the election symbol of Congress, a bull and a lamp of Jan Sangh, and we used to put it on both sides of our shirts and go out on the streets to campaign in.

Eighty year old Prof.R.N. Singh says that this situation is not good. He said that we have never seen a silent election in his life. Perhaps this is the first election. People are not able to participate openly. People are scared. There is a feeling of despair among them. This is a direct sign of a big change.