From separate ballot boxes for each candidate to EVMs, this nonagenarian has seen it all

KOZHIKODE: How many of you know that there were separate ballot boxes for each candidate in the first Lok Sabha polls held in the state in 1952?Nonagenarian K P Ramachandran, who has voted and campaigned in every election held in the country since Independence, has seen all the transformations in the country’s election process -- from the days of one ballot box per candidate to a single ballot box for all contestants and then ballotless EVMs of today.“Elections were a totally different affair then. There were separate ballot boxes for each candidate which were arranged in a line in a restricted area inside the polling booth. The boxes had the symbol of the party/ candidate pasted on them and the voter had to collect a ballot slip from the polling official and drop it in the box of his choice,” Ramachandran, 90, a retired school headmaster hailing from Vembalathupadam near Ottappalam in Palakkad, recounted.“Party workers used to campaign in the names of ‘Kala Petti’ (bullocks was the symbol of the Congress) and ‘Arival Petti’ (Corn and sickle symbol of the Communist party),” he added.The same method was followed in the legislative assembly elections to Madras assembly and also in the first assembly elections held after the Kerala state formation in 1957.“We were in the Ponnani parliament constituency which was a dual member constituency and there were eight ballot boxes for the eight candidates in the fray. K Kelappan of the Kissan Masdoor Praja Party and V Eacharan of the Congress were the winners,” he added.The low literacy rate of around 18% in the country is ascribed to the one of the reasons behind the use of separate boxes in the first elections.Let alone casting his vote in all the elections, Ramachandran has also campaigned actively in all the elections India has seen -- be it for panchayats, assembly or parliament and continues to do so.“I have been active in politics since 1948 and have voted and campaigned in every election so far. Even today morning I took part in a convention of LDF candidate M B Rajesh,” said Ramachandran who has been a district level office-bearer of the Congress till the Emergency. He later joined the Janata party and had been a supporter of LDF ever since.“The elections then did not have the kind of fanfare or money spending that we have now. Another interesting factor was that while people from well off families were not so enthusiastic to line up before the polling booths to vote, while those from the marginalised sections including workers were very enthusiastic in exercising their franchise,” he said.He said that campaigns were held using hand-held megaphones as electricity or batteries were not absent in most parts, adding that he was looking forward to voting using the new VVPAT machines in the upcoming polls.