The Bihar assembly election challenge

In an era gone by — pre-covid-19 — elections were synonymous with crowds. Parties were concerned about how to get their message out through direct contact with voters, using a range of campaign techniques, especially rallies. They were focused on ensuring that party candidates could establish a personal connect with voters. But in this new era — post-covid-19 — elections are becoming synonymous with digital connectivity. Parties are primarily concerned about whether they have the digital tools to communicate their campaign message, and whether voters are digitally equipped to access these messages.

This change in the nature of political communication is most starkly being felt in Bihar, the first state that will hold assembly polls in this year of the pandemic. As a story in this newspaper on Monday pointed out, Bihar’s teledensity (the number of telephone connections per 100 people), at the end of 2019, was 59, while it was 89 nationally. In terms of internet penetration, Bihar had 32 internet subscribers per 100 people, while, nationally, there were 54 subscribers per 100 people. 61% women and 36% men in Bihar also have no access to mass media.

All of this means that both parties and citizens will face challenges. It will not be easy for political formations, across the divide, to reach out to voters — especially those who belong to marginalised groups and live in remote areas. It will also not be easy for citizens to make informed decisions about their candidates and parties. Elections are necessary in a democracy, but ensuring access is as necessary for enabling citizens to make choices. Strike a balance between safety and rights.