Maha tribals outshine Mumbai stars on Voters Day

Not belying expectations, tribals and villagers in far-flung hamlets in Maharashtra 'out-voted' cool Mumbaikars, business and glamour world personalities in the fourth and final phase of voting for 17 Lok Sabha constituencies on Monday.

While thousands of tribals patiently standing in serpentine queues, especially in Nandurbar, Dhule and Palghar, they remained virtually cut-off from the electronic media, the limelight was on around 200 big names from the business, sports and glamour world.

The rural folk exercised their votes without any fanfare despite the blistering heat, but Mumbai's big personalities were virtually mobbed - as they stepped out of their cool homes into pre-chilled vehicles, cast their votes mostly without queuing up, walking out exhibiting the indelible marked finger, smiling and 'byting' out homilies before daintily departing in their deluxe cars.

Prominent people of the city are concerned by the low turnout trends in the country's economic powerhouse and even certain other urban centres and attribute it to several factors.

For instance, by 3 p.m., Maharashtra barely notched an average polling of around 40 per cent.

The handsome voting in the tribal-rural belts was rudely pulled down by the pathetic turnout of around 30 per cent in Mumbai and urban centres.

"I think the urban voters have largely taken it for granted that their single vote may not make any difference as governance doesn't improve, irrespective of which party or candidates may come to power," said former Chief Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi.

A leading Mumbai businessman Pratap S Bohra attributes the "irritatingly low turnout" in Mumbai and urban centres due to the "self-centric and selfish nature" of the wealthy folk who refuse to think of the nation or democracy.

A dejected social campaigner Tushar A Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi rued that the electoral response of Mumbaikars "is true to form" though another three-four hours voting time was left.

Interestingly, social media is full of appeals, jingles, messages, even the Income Tax Department came out with a new song "Harr Vote Zaroori Hai" to lure the voters, but everything seemed to have fallen on deaf ears in urban areas.