When the Election Commission decided to do away with the detailed revision of voters list following the fresh delimitation of constituencies, many in Karnataka, as well as in the country applauded their diligence in holding elections. Despite this decision flying in the face of the Chief Election Commissioner N.Gopalaswami's own assessment of the revision taking atleast six months, everyone rushed to approve the short cut method adopted and giving up the detailed procedure.

When Congress and even some concerned citizens expressed apprehension that this short cut method may deprive many voters of the right to vote, it was pooh poohed as an excuse to delay the elections, and deprive the BJP of the "sympathy factor". BJP cried hoarse over the "delaying tactics" and even built up a successful campaign to go in for early elections. The pressure tactics worked, as the Election Commission which until then was talking of taking anywhere between four to six months to complete the process, found a 1970s post-delimitation precedent to fast forward the process.

The result of such haste was very much visible in the first phase of polling on Saturday, when lakhs of voters found their names missing, despite having the EPIC, the voters' identity cards. An Election Commission official has now sheepishly admitted that this would not have happened, if the detailed procedure had been adopted. Large scale missing of names in the voters' list, especially in Bangalore city, coupled with total apathy of the voters, has brought down the voting percentage to a pathetic 44 percent.

This was apprehended even when the fast track process was adopted.Even then some officials had pointed out that adopting this process may work in rural and semi urban constituencies, as the delimitation process did not involve major shifts. However in cities, it was going to be difficult to complete the process, and was likely to result in large scale goof ups. And that is exactly what seems to have happened.

Ironically, the BJP which was in the forefront of "hold elections early" campaign has become the victim of this fast track process adopted. It is common poll wisdom that whenever the percentage of polling is high in urban areas, it benefits the BJP, as the urban middle class and upper middle class voters tend to go with the saffron party. With just 44 percent polling in the city, which now boasts of 28 constituencies, the lament of the BJP insiders was audible. "We have straightaway lost four seats", one such observer close to the BJP declared soon after the poll percentage was out.

Whatever might be the final outcome and the effects of this low poll percentage, the fact is that lakhs of voters have been deprived of their right to vote, and surely this tale will continue in the coming phases too.
Now coming to the stringent measures adopted by the Election Commission to curb campaign methods, as most political parties feared, it has been one of the reasons for the   low turn out.

The fear psychosis created among the political parties and candidates and workers, also hardly helped in bringing the voters to the booths, especially in the urban areas. No wonder two of the districts where the lowest percentage of polling has been recorded has been in Bangalore (44) followed by Mysore (52).

Meanwhile, has all these curbs and stringent measures, ensured a level playing field? Has it been able to curb money power? Going by some of the horror stories about the free use of money power, it certainly has not.  Worse is the level of corruption which even the urban middle class has started indulging in. An experienced party worker of a major national party is disgusted by the way in which even the middle class people, openly demand money.
"One of our workers from the area identifies the homes which may be sympathetic to our party, and approaches them and confirms it. Next visit he will go and silently slip in Rs.5, 000 in an envelope, and hardly any of these people refuse it". The neighbours come to know of it and then openly solicit for money, going out of their way to assure that they will also vote for the party, he adds.

While this is the middle class story, the lower income groups are lured by all parties with cash and coupons, for liquor and other goodies. Stories abound about these goodies, being from fans and fridges to clothes and even all paid holidays. Party workers and local leaders have upped their price and lakhs of rupees are being demanded and given, to keep them happy, with the assurance extracted that they will bring in the voters.

One former BJP Minister meanwhile has perfected the art of luring the minority voters in his area, to go on an all paid holiday till the day of the polling is over. He is also said to have confiscated their EPIC and return it when they return, a day after polling. The ploy is simple--- knowing fully well that they won't vote for him, he is happy that they don't vote for his rival too.

The Election Commission has been pretty helpless in monitoring or even curbing these innovative methods of luring voters. What so far has been an open celebration of democracy with all its kinks has now turned out to be a camouflaged exercise with some more kinks being added.

As one moves on to the second phase, especially in cash rich districts like Bellary, where the mining lobbies are playing havoc, more such stories will inevitably be heard.