In rural Chhattisgarh, ‘khao, piyo sabka, vote do man ka’

KORBA, CHHATTISGARH: If party workers in the rural parts of north Chhattisgarh are hoping to garner support by plying villagers with cash and booze 24-48 hours ahead of voting, things might not play to script. In village after village, the chant is: "Khao Pio Sabka, Vote Do Man Ka" (Accept everyone's booze and food, vote at your own will).

Hundreds of villagers TOI spoke to in Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and Korba LS constituencies said political workers invite them to 'bhandaras' (feasts) through panchayats. And, a wise Mahesh Sahu of Ganiyari in Bilaspur said: "Khane-peene me koi burai nahin hai. Vote to hum apne man se denge (No harm in wining and dining, but we vote as per our wish)." Mahesh isn't the only one. Many at Jali, Jinjara, Beeja, Belmundi, Samdeel, Daija and other villages raised the same "khao piyo sabka..." slogan — especially youngsters.

Even the older folk who not long ago voted candidates who invited them to feasts, may not go the same way, largely because of EC's awareness campaigns. Jinjara school dropout Bhanu,27, said: "If we don't attend the bhandara, we upset the panchayat. So, we go to eat, but vote the candidate we want to." There's no harm eating or drinking at the expense of parties, other say. They earn a lot.

"Wo paanch saal kamate hain. Ek do din khila denge to kya hoga. (For five years, they make money. What's the harm if they feed us)", Suresh Mahto of Jali village on the Bilaspur-Korba Highway said.

Officially, no political worker talks of the bhandaras, but aren't terribly happy when told what the villagers say. Across constituencies, villagers said they expect more from BJP this time. They believe the party is flush with funds. That's why it spends so much on advertisements, posters and publicity. "BJP wale to zyada kharcha karenge, Congress kangal lagti hai (BJP will spend more, Congress looks bankrupt)," says Pawan Sharma, a farmer of Ahiwara in Durg.

Seven Chhattisgarh constituencies vote on April 24. They include Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Raigarh, Sarguja and Janjgir-Champa. Campaigning closes on Tuesday. Going by what the villagers say, the 'bhandara' invites are expected after that. Under instructions from state EC offi cials, police and paramilitary have stepped up checks to detect movement of cash and liquor bottles.