Poll, an exercise to test their political wisdom

Independents had more serious reasons to contest elections

When macro issues like supremacy of the ruling party and the ‘Alagiri factor’ were dominating the poll scene in Madurai, for the new entrants, including contestants and voters, the 16 Lok Sabha election proved to be an experience of a kind.

For the first-time voters, it was a big opportunity to test their political wisdom. For some of those who contested as Independents, it was not just an urge to see their faces splashed across flex boards.

They had more serious reasons, rather than competing in an election for the record.

Bharathi Kannamma, the only transgender candidate in the State, wanted to prove that they could not remain on the fringes anymore. For the Madurai voter, there was an array of 31 candidates to choose from on the election platter. For most of GenX, which did not have any serious political leaning, it was a very difficult choice.

However, “there was visible enthusiasm to go out and exercise one’s franchise this year among youngsters and adults alike. The frenzy had built up over time and the excitement ahead of the results was palpable,” said S. Lily, a student of Pandian Saraswathi Yadav Engineering College. Many voters like her had their own expectations on who should win from this historic city. “Since there were many first-time voters, we expected a new candidate or party to come to the limelight and emerge as victorious,” she said.

Her classmate, A.N. Divya, however, differed, as she had (rightly) expected an established party to win. “In Madurai, where politics has always been in the forefront, I expected one of the popular parties to win,” she said, with a reference to the win of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate.

Among the Independent candidates, only four secured more than 1,000 votes. It was, however, not only about the votes but also the experience of contesting and bringing up a host of issues, ranging from transgender rights to rising prices of essentials and suitable work opportunities in the district, to the fore.

“We wanted to create awareness of the rise in prices of garments. This issue has gone unnoticed by politicians and the public,” said R.P. Chandrabose, an Independent candidate.

Despite an electorate of more than 14 lakh, the turnout was only 68.88 per cent in the Madurai Parliamentary constituency. Speaking about the poor turnout, J. Manikandeswaran, an Independent candidate, felt that more youngsters should have voted.

“Many were missing from the polling booths on the day of polls. As a representative of students in the constituency, I think more youth should make their voice heard,” he said.

“Many youngsters are engaged in various social causes in the temple city and they should bring that energy and drive to politics,” he concluded.