Elections in India are no less than a festival, given the amount of preparation, colour, noise and zest involved. The election commission’s (EC) policing this time, however, has dampened the election spirit in Madhya Pradesh.

With just about a week to go for the elections, one does not get to see party flags, hoardings and posters – big or small – adorning the streets of the capital city, Bhopal, barring the occasional few you may bump into in the city’s central areas. Unlike the rising temperature in news studios, election fever in the city is only catching up now.

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For Samardha, which is otherwise a very quiet village situated on the outskirts of Bhopal, elections, weddings and Diwali are the only occasions when the village comes to life – a little. And the decision of political parties to remain cautious and take it slow this time has left the villagers disappointed.

“Pichle baar ka karra tha chunaav prachaar. Dekhne mein mazaa aata thha. Iss baar toh kuch zyaada hi thanda hao (Campaigning activity was very exciting in the 2008 assembly elections. It was fun to watch. This time there is hardly any excitement),” said a 19-year-old girl in Samardha village where campaign activity began only on Tuesday (Nov 12, for the polls slated for Nov 25). The girl, who did not wish to be named, explained that there was a lot of “shor-gul” (noise) almost a month before the election day in 2008.

“Blaring loudspeakers, fast-moving cars and jeeps and volunteers and local leaders of different parties visiting houses for campaigning went on through day and till late night. Most of us stopped going to schools and colleges some 10-15 days before the polls just to be able to witness the campaigning,” she said.
But there’s there downside, too, as she explained: “All that campaigning was a lot of fun to watch but by the time the elections neared we got so sick that the elders and rich men (of the village) parked their tractors and cars to prevent entry of campaign vehicles in the village. Par iss baar toh apan intezaar hi karte hao (This time we are all just waiting for the campaigning to begin).”

Nandkishore Tiwari, the priest at the Hanuman temple in the village, said, “This time the spirit is quite low. In the last assembly elections, the excitement was much more as we neared the election day.”

“Looks like party leaders don’t have enough money for campaigning this time!” chuckled another housewife.

While the men and the younger lot in Samadha are aware of the polls, the women, majority of whom are housewives or work in the fields, were absolutely clueless till the BJP vehicle moved in and around Samardha on November 12 announcing the polling date and urging all voters to vote for the party. The BJP, which is eyeing a third straight term, was the first to arrive and begin campaigning in the village and the nearby colonies which fall in Samardha polling booth.

“We had no idea that the polls are just round the corner. It was only after we saw the BJP vehicle moving in the village that we got to know,” said Nirabdi Bai, speaking on behalf of all four women in her household.

Nirabdi Bai, who is in her sixties, admitted that while the most amount of “raunak” (glitz and hubbub) can be seen only during the panchayat polls, the “utsaah” (excitement), which was no less in the last assembly elections, is near-absent this time. “We neither watch TV nor go out much, and we don’t even speak to many outsiders,” she said. “Campaigning is the only way we get to know about elections, and now that I know, like the others I would also go to vote.”

The BJP started its election campaign by putting up party flags and stickers at homes of the residents, obviously only after seeking written permission, as mandated by the EC. In addition, a mini-truck bearing the BJP banner and a blaring loudspeaker announcing the polling dates and urging voters to vote for the kamal (lotus, the party’s symbol), through songs, moved around the area in late afternoon.

Young BJP moved around, climbing rooftops to put up party flags and pasting glossy stickers bearing pictures of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Rameshwar Sharma, the party’s candidate for Huzur constituency.

Asked why campaigning has been subdued so far, one BJP worker replied, “The filing and withdrawal of nominations took place so late that we could start only after that. Also, we have the election commission’s strict code of conduct to follow; otherwise things might go wrong.”

While the BJP has clearly bagged the first mover’s advantage in the area, as people can now be heard talking about the elections, particularly about the "mukhyamantri-ji ke achche kaam (the CM’s good work)", the other parties and independent candidates will soon follow. Samardha and its adjoining localities have remained cut out from the election noise for too long but not any more, the residents said. “Ab asli mazaa aayega chunaav ka! (Now the elections will be fun!),” exclaimed Nirabdi Bai.