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Revision as of 10:50, 20 September 2006 by Ikonoblast (talk | contribs) (rv , to previous version by hkelkar let ELC see that first)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A Votebank is a loyal bloc of voters from a single community, who consistently back a certain candidate or political formation in democratic elections. Such behaviour is often the result of an expectation of real or imagined benefits from the political formations, often at the cost of other communities.
Votebank politics is the practice of creating and maintaining votebanks through divisive policies. As this brand of politics encourages voters to vote on the basis of narrow communal considerations, often against their better judgement, it is considered inimical to democracy.
The term was coined in India, where the practice of votebank politics is rampant. Since then, it has gained currency in other Asian countries with a significant English-speaking population.
Origins in India
The term was initially used to describe Muslims in India who tended to vote together, extended for other groups in 1980s who exhibited similar voting patterns. In Indian context, there are many Vote Banks; for example, Muslim, Yadav, Dalit, OBC, Brahmin, and others. The phenomenon has been observed outside India as well, in countries such as Kuwait and Malaysia where Muslims and women are considered votebanls.
Political parties try to retain and expand votebanks with promises of favourable policies. It is assumed that the BJP commands Hindu votebanks, while Lalu Prasad Yadav commands Muslim and Yadav votebanks. Similarly, Indian National Congress as well has its own votebank, called Minority votbank , which comprises Muslims, Christians and tribes. The Akali Dal in Punjab and the Muslim League in Kerala espouse the cause of the Sikhs and Muslims interests at the provincial level.
Language is an important component of votebanks in India. Various political parties have cultivated linguistic votebanks. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu, as well as the Assam Gon Parishad in Assam, all flaunt their linguistic votebanks.
Every political party develop their own votebank by focusing on tthe needs of a group. The left-wing parties, such as the Communist Party of India have a committed cadre who have successfully kept themselves away from votebank politics.
References
1.Vote Bank Politics by Syed Ali Mujtaba
2.Congress looks for a Vote Bank
3.Tussle for Hindu Vote Bank in Tamil Nadu
4.Vote Bank Politics in Malaysia
5.Vote Bank Politics in Kuwait