Tech savvy polls put e-gen in vote mood

For young netizens, it’s all about adding an ‘e’ before everything. After e-commerce, e-matrimony and e-governance, now it’s time to welcome the latest addition to the ‘e’ list, e-elections. Though Pune missed it in 1999, the forthcoming elections in 2004 are all set to paint the city electronic, with 5000-odd electronic voting machines, digi-cams for security, e-campaigning and instant e-results.No wonder the youngsters are bubbling with enthusiasm to vote, a rare phenomenon as far as Indian elections are concerned.
BJP leader Sandeep Khardekar explains the strategy for the elections, "As parties want to minimise expenditure this year, we are focusing mainly on e-tools, which are cheap, easy and used by a majority of voters," he elaborates, "Using a simple SMS or sending a detailed e-mail to all constituents are excellent ways of communicating."
A senior Congress leader agrees, saying, "Though we haven’t decided about the strategy, SMS, phone calls, messages on the e-scrolls of city channels and e-mails will surely be used extensively this time."
In addition to the political e-ways, there is tremendous curiosity among youngsters regarding eballot machines.
"Pune will get the latest machinery, coming from Delhi as per the orders of the Election Commission," says district election officer Milind Pathak, "We are already receiving queries from citizens and I believe that these machines will be one of the reasons to attract the voters to the poll booths."
Pharmacy student Tanmayee Kulkarni, 19, made it a point to put her name on the voters’ list. "For the first time, this sounds like ‘our’ election," she says, "These elections finally seem relevant to our issues like development in info-tech and maintaining international standards." Tanmayee is also enthused by the epropaganda.
"Various sites of political parties seem to be sizzling. It’s easy to check out and get more info about the agenda of the party now," says she.
Rahul Mullik, who had his 25th birthday this year, is voting for the first time. "I hope there won’t be any hassles or breakdowns in the electronic machines because of me," he smiles. Rahul supports a party ideology and has already started SMSing his friends about it. "I don’t have to tell them ‘vote for Mr X". I just say, I’m voting for this one, how about you?"
Madhura Ranade has seen the Swiss elections during her one year stay in Zurich. "I want to see whether we have the same kind of machines here," she says, "Secondly, I found a lot of young folks voting there. I want to vote and prove that we are responsible citizens of India." Sheetal Sane thinks, the parties that use new technology are open to new ideas too. "If a party thinks of the youth and wants to understand them, I think it’s a positive sign. If they send us emails and offer to answers all my questions per email, I would respond."
Shivaji Yadav, who works with a mobile company, says, "Sending a personalised SMS is almost like visiting a person and talking. As no politicians have used it till yet, it will be a novelty, attracting the young blood."
Despite the enthusiasm, some youngsters like Rohit Padhye remain sceptical. "No matter how many machines they use, facts don’t change.
The politicians will remain as conniving as earlier," he quips, "I still haven’t found any suitable candidate, so I plan to go to the booth just to check out the machines."