Punjab: Elections In The Air

It is a crying shame that the one year I am offered a chance to be more than just an indifferent urban voter, or a curious onlooker at best, the Election Commission decides to step in. Divested of its customary adrenalin pulsating temper (high-energy buzz, high-decibel rallies, high-spirited meetings and high-horsepower cavalcades), thanks to the strictly enforced code of conduct on expenses, the elections were a rather tame affair for those looking in. A Herculean task for contestants, nevertheless! As part of a ladies’ posse called upon by a friend to assist with door-to-door canvassing in possibly one of the most backward constituencies of Punjab, I witnessed the planning, organizing, strategizing and marketing that goes into wooing an…
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