Floating voters, the crucial factor in elections because of the element of unpredictability, are turning into committed ones, observed a key election strategist of the Congress ahead of the elections
Floating voters, the crucial factor in elections because of the element of unpredictability, are turning into committed ones, observed a key election strategist of the Congress ahead of the elections in five states.
The states that are going to the polls next year are, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Goa. Besides, Gujarat could also hold polls in December.
The Congress can’t rely on floating voters, who dislike dynasty, refuse to become a 'vote bank’ of political parties and like to remain with a winning party. But they are not a factor in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where elections are always influenced by caste and religion, he observed.
According to the Congress strategist, the polling percentage has increased because of floating voters: they used to be apathetic in exercising their franchise earlier, but now they are active. They used to change the political arithmetic in urban areas, but in rural areas, traditional vote banks are intact by and large.
Election strategist Prashant Kishor, engaged by the Congress for the UP polls, has not attracted floating voters so far. He is pressing for rebuilding the organisation’s booth committees.
Although the Congress cannot play a caste or religion card openly because it has become the domain of the Samajwadi Party, the BSP and BJP, insiders foresee a change in the pattern of voting by Brahmins and Muslims this time.
“Muslims would vote for a candidate who can defeat the BJP irrespective of parties. Their voting is influenced by emotions. They know they will not get nothing by voting for non BJP candidates — while Brahmins would vote for Brahmins irrespective of the parties and Thakurs too follow the same pattern in UP,” they said. But in the battle for Gujarat, Punjab and Goa, floating voters can’t damage religion (Hindu and Christian) and caste cards. This is because the Patels, Jat Sikhs, dalits, Christians and hardliners would continue to dominate the polls.
If party insiders are to be believed, the BJP wants to make BSP rebel Swami Prasad Maurya as the “Jitan Ram Manjhi” of UP. Mr Manjhi, former Bihar chief minister turned rebel against Mr Nitish Kumar, moved closer to the saffron party and then floated the Hindustani Awam Morcha in the Bihar polls. Mr Maurya too seems to be on the same path.
