Does criticizing PM for not voting make you a “true politician”?

PM of India, Worlds largest democracy is expected to lead by example. According to Election Commission of India

India is the largest democracy in the world. The right to vote and more importantly the exercise of franchise by the eligible citizens is at the heart of every democracy. We, the people, through his exercise of our right to vote have the ultimate power to shape the destiny of country by electing our representatives who run the Government and take decisions for the growth, development and benefit of all the citizens.

It is shameful and sad that PM Manmohan Singh failed to exercise his franchise setting a bad precedent. This is not the first time that the prime minister skipped voting in Assam. Singh’s absence in the polling station had first come under media-glare during the polling for the state Assembly elections in 2006, just two years after he had taken over as the prime minister.

Media Watch is amused by congress explanation that PM Manmohan Singh did not vote because he was busy serving country. For busy people like PM Manmohan Singh, we have postal ballots to cast vote under Clause 20 (4) of The Representation of The People Act. This clause has a postal provision for special category people like the President and PM, as in case of officials on poll-duty or security personnel.

According to K Balaji, the returning officer of Kamrup (Metro) district said no application was received from  Dr Manmohan Singh seeking postal ballots

“There was no request from the PM within the stipulated time, so there’s no question of his exercising postal ballot,”

Considering the fact that PM Manmohan Singh has not been elected to LokSabha, It is interesting to note how Manmohan Singh ended up reprsenting Assam! Manmohan Singh has been representing Assam in the Upper House since October 1991. Former chief minister Hiteswar Saikia made him his ‘tenant’ and had him registered as a voter overnight to facilitate his nomination. Dr Manmohan Singh  has been dutifully paying a nominal rent to Saikia’s widow Hemoprova Saikia for a duplex at Nandan Nagar in Guwahati’s Sarumataria area. Not an Ideal example to quote to younger generation!!

Now back to our original point. All these facts were known to most of people who follow politics closely. But PM not casting vote largely went unnoticed thanks to underreporting my Media! Also, it seems to protect PM from the embarrassment rumors were floated that he voted using postal option

It took BJP Leader and Gujarat CM to bring focus back to this important issue.

And Media Watch is pained the way NDTV is trying to portray this as another political stunt! On the front page they have picture of Narendra Modi with a caption “Spoken like a true politician”. Does NDTV mean to say anyone who raises such issues make them a politician?

Also on the video page, the caption reads

Never a man to miss a political opportunity, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has taken a dig at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for not voting in the Assam election.

This is one issue which Media should have takenup forcefully. Media Watch believes that Indian media failed in that front. After failing their own duty, the best the could have done is to support people who are making this an issue but it seems Media is trying to trivialize even that. SHAME!