On Sunday night, large parts of the R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency in Chennai resembled scenes of a temple festival. Festoons, women clad in silk sarees and adorned with jewellery, men sporting the traditional dhotis and shirts, speakers blaring both religious and party songs, the beat of drums, dancers performing on specially erected stages — one could be forgiven for mistaking this place for a film set.
A day later, the scene could not have been any starker.
With the Election Commission countermanding the by-election to the constituency on charges of widespread bribery of voters, the constituency returned to its old self within a matter of hours.
Buzz missing
No longer were the roads bustling with traffic and politicians were nowhere to be seen, with most polling booths remaining shut. Functionaries of political parties from across the State who had descended on R.K. Nagar for campaigning had left after news broke that the election had been rescinded.
In the searing afternoon heat, a group of residents was having a chat outdoors, fuming at the political parties for the ‘fiasco’.
To them, the prevailing situation was a disgrace — one that they didn’t bring upon themselves.
Susheela (name changed) said, “Of course. Now the whole State [Tamil Nadu] will laugh at us. This was the [former] Chief Minister’s constituency, and now people are selling their votes.”
When asked if they would vote if election were to be held, the overwhelming response of the residents was that they would.
“Of course we will. That is our duty. But look at what has happened. Everyone [politicians] just vanished overnight. This is what will happen even after we vote,” they said.
