Karnataka Elections 2023: Can ECI Incentives Draw Voters to Polling Booths?

KSTDC's Mayura hotels plans to give 50 per cent discount to voters of Karnataka polls.

After the Election Commission raised concerns about voter apathy in Karnataka, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has taken a lot of interesting initiatives to increase voter participation in the state assembly elections. From implementing voter awareness programmes through street plays, bike rides, and walkathons to having electoral literacy clubs on Swiggy, the outreach programmes have caught the eyes of the people of Karnataka, The Hindu reported.

Karnataka’s Mandya district will also bar entry to tourist places for eligible voters who have not cast their votes, The News Minute reported.

However, in a unique announcement to urge citizens to come out and vote, the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) announced that the state-run Mayura Hotels in Karnataka will offer a 50 percent discount for those who vote on 10 May.

While the initiative has turned heads in terms of its innovative approach to motivating people to vote, can they draw voters to the polling booths? Does this mean the government entities are going too far in incentivising the public to exercise their basic democratic right to vote?

Voting Should Be By Choice

Speaking to The Quint, Narayana A who teaches policy and governance at Azim Premji University said that a citizen has a right to vote, which they can exercise to choose their leader.

"It is sad that the election commission has to go out of its way to make people come out to vote even after nearly 70 years of electoral democracy. This is a bad commentary on our civic education and our enthusiasm for democracy as a nation."

Narayana A, Professor, Azim Premji University

Incentives Can Encourage Voters

An analyst speaking on condition of anonymity said, "Incentivising the public to vote by offering 50 percent discounts in government run hotels could mislead a common voter into believing that the state-run hotels are under the ruling party."

Narayana said, "The Mayura Hotels are owned by the state government, and the money comes in from the corporation.Once the elections are announced, the election commission takes over state affairs. Hence, any initiative taken to encourage people to vote cannot be affiliated with ruling parties and has to be seen as one taken by the election commission."

Commenting on the 50 percent discount for stays in Mayura hotels for people who voted and whether it could be considered an incentive for the public to vote, political analyst Sandeep Sastri said, "As long as the incentive to vote does not influence a voter to choose any one particular party, I don’t see anything wrong with it. The election commission offers discounts in state-run hotels only to encourage people to vote and not to any one specific political party. It essentially means that whether or not a person has voted for the ruling party, the voter can avail of a discount at the Mayura Hotels. Karnataka people are aware of their rights and have political clarity to choose their leader. I suggest that if there is an incentive, might as well take it and do the duty of choosing a leader for yourself."