The BJP’s Ganesha Gambit

Pune’s Ganeshotsav has become an enormous civic and political stage, and the ruling party has proved adept at occupying it. Pune: The city’s Ganeshotsav is entering its final phase, but the festival has already demonstrated something beyond its extraordinary crowds and familiar spectacle: the extent to which it has become a political stage. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has left a particularly visible imprint on the festivities, using an event that reaches deep into the city’s...

min read

Pune’s Ganeshotsav has become an enormous civic and political stage, and the ruling party has proved adept at occupying it. Pune: The city’s Ganeshotsav is entering its final phase, but the festival has already demonstrated something beyond its extraordinary crowds and familiar spectacle: the extent to which it has become a political stage. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has left a particularly visible imprint on the festivities, using an event that reaches deep into the city’s neighbourhoods as an opportunity for public outreach. The political appropriation of the festival has not, however, been without a counter-current. Demands were raised for curbs on noise pollution, loudspeakers and the volume of dhol-tasha performances. The argument was not against Ganeshotsav itself, but for moderation - notably, a complete ban on DJ music and limits on the number of dhol and tasha instruments used by performing troupes. Familiar Troubles The festival’s reality has been rather different. Major roads have been occupied by mandaps. Processions celebrating the arrival of Lord Ganesha have unfolded amid punishing noise. DJ music, while subject to restrictions, has continued. Traffic congestion has become a familiar feature of the festival, with the movement of political leaders adding another layer to the city’s already strained roads. The Peth areas have remained crowded deep into the night. The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple has drawn enormous crowds for darshan from the opening day. From the old city to housing societies and neighbourhood mandals, Ganeshotsav touches virtually every part of Pune. For a political party seeking a direct connection with citizens, few occasions offer such a ready-made network of people, institutions and local influencers. The BJP enters this festival with an unusually formidable organisational base. It has two MPs, seven MLAs and more than 100 corporators in Pune. Murlidhar Mohol, one of the city’s MPs, is a Union Minister of State. Chandrakant Patil is a Cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government, while Madhuri Misal is a Minister of State. The party’s presence also extends into the festival’s organisational architecture. Its influence is visible across numerous mandals, large and small. BJP MLA Hemant Rasane is General Secretary of the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust. Kunal Tilak, a member of Lokmanya Tilak’s family, is a BJP corporator. The political and cultural histories of Pune therefore intersect in ways that are difficult to ignore. The BJP’s senior leadership has also made the most of the occasion. National President Nitin Nabin visited Pune to seek Lord Ganesha’s blessings, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the city before and during the festival. Such visits are about more than religious observance. In a festival watched by millions and embedded in the city’s social life, political visibility comes almost automatically. There is also talk in Pune that the BJP provided substantial financial support to Dhol-Lezim troupes and their organisers, with claims that some major mandals received financial backing as well. These claims would require independent verification, but the perception itself points to the depth of the political contest around Ganeshotsav. BJP workers, according to local observers, have also sought to make their presence more conspicuous than that of festivities organised by housing societies. Useful Expedient The festival arrives at a politically useful moment for the BJP. The party has faced disquiet on several fronts. Young people have been agitated over the paper-leak controversy. Broader public dissatisfaction has been voiced over inflation and unemployment, while government policies relating to ethanol and charges associated with UPI transactions have also generated criticism. While a political party can defend a policy in a press conference and advertise its achievements, during Ganeshotsav, its workers can be physically present in neighbourhoods, among processions, mandals, cultural groups and devotees. Politics thus becomes less about argument and more about visibility. That is the BJP’s advantage in Pune. Ganeshotsav, after all, is not simply a sequence of religious rituals. It is an elaborate civic network involving local organisers, volunteers, cultural groups, businesses, residents and political representatives. Whoever has influence over that network acquires a powerful channel of communication with the city. The BJP appears to understand this particularly well. Its strength in Pune’s electoral politics has been reinforced by a presence that extends beyond elections and into the institutions and social spaces that organise public life. The irony is that the very scale of the festival that makes it politically attractive also magnifies the civic costs. The political value of Ganeshotsav and the civic burden it creates are therefore two sides of the same phenomenon. For Pune, the larger question is not whether politics has entered Ganeshotsav. It has done so for decades. The more consequential question is whether the festival’s extraordinary social capital will remain primarily a vehicle for political outreach or whether the same influence can be used to reconcile celebration with the ordinary civic needs of the city. For the moment, the BJP seems to have understood the first proposition better than most.

Lessons from Sweden: Is 'ONOE' the Future for India?

Madhukar Mazire

Dec 21, 2024

3 min read

Updated: Dec 23, 2024

Sweden holds combined municipal, county, and parliamentary elections every four years. Voters can choose to vote for a party, candidate, or both. Early voting is available nationwide for those unable to vote at their designated polling station. Non-Swedish residents living in Sweden for over three years can vote in municipal and county elections. Elections are held on the second Sunday of September, with the next one on September 13, 2026, from 08:00 to 20:00. Early voting starts 18 days prior, on August 24. To gain representation, parties must secure at least 4% of the national vote or 12% in a single constituency.

To vote, you must be at least 18 by Election Day (September 13, 2026), a Swedish citizen, and have been registered in Sweden. Non-Swedish citizens can vote in municipal and county elections if they’ve lived in Sweden for at least three years. Swedish citizens abroad can vote in parliamentary and European elections but must renew their registration every 10 years.

Voting options include voting at an embassy or consulate with a valid ID (such as a Swedish passport or ID card). If you don't have one, someone else can certify your identity. Alternatively, you can vote by mail by requesting postal voting materials from Swedish authorities or embassies. Votes must be sent no earlier than 45 days before Election Day and received by the day before the election, which also confirms your voter registration.

Thirty days before the election, a voter list is created, and each voter receives a ballot card with polling station details. Voters must bring this card or a valid ID to vote. If the card is lost, a duplicate can be obtained from the municipality, county board, or early voting locations.

Early Voting

Early voting is available nationwide 18 days before the election. Some municipalities may require you to bring your own ballot papers. To vote early, bring your ballot card and a valid ID; someone can certify your identity if needed. If you change your mind, you can vote again on Election Day, with the new vote overriding the earlier one.

Where can I vote in the 2026 election?

As a voter, you're assigned to a specific election district based on your National Account Address. On Election Day, you vote at the designated polling station for your district. Your voting card, sent by mail, shows your district and polling station details. Overseas Swedish voters need a special voting card to identify their polling station, as this information is not included on the foreign voting card.

How to Vote: Party or Candidate?

To vote, you can choose a party or a specific candidate. For a party, you can select a pre-printed ballot with the party's name, leave the candidate's box unticked on a ballot with both names, or write the party's name on a blank ballot. To vote for a candidate, tick their name if the party has multiple candidates, or write the candidate's name on a blank ballot if the party has none. If using a blank ballot, include the party's name as well.

Elections to the Riksdag

In Riksdag elections, you can only vote for candidates listed on the ballot papers for your parliamentary election. Some parties have nationwide ballots marked "The whole country," which can be used regardless of your constituency.

Elections to the Municipal and County Councils

For municipal and county council elections, use ballot papers specific to your municipality and county. While constituencies exist, you can vote for candidates from any constituency within your municipality or county. However, if you choose a candidate from another municipality or county, your vote will only count as a vote for the party in your area.

The Voting Process

At the polling station, ballots for all parties with at least 1% of votes from the last two elections will be available, along with blank ballots for missing parties. Envelopes are colour-coded: yellow for Riksdag, white for municipal council, and blue for county council elections. Behind the privacy screen, place one ballot per election in the corresponding envelope, marking a candidate’s name or writing in the party and candidate for blank ballots. Submit your sealed envelopes at the polling station.

What Happens to Your Ballot?

After presenting your voting card or ID, your vote is recorded, and envelopes are placed in secure boxes. Preliminary counts of Riksdag votes are conducted first, followed by municipal and county elections, with counts made public for transparency. On Wednesday, the electoral committee reviews any uncounted votes, and the county administrative board performs the final count, including late and postal votes.

Sweden’s combined elections offer an organised voting process with early voting, absentee ballots, and registration updates. This system could serve as a model for India’s "One Nation, One Election" initiative, potentially reducing logistical challenges, improving voter turnout, and maximising resources through streamlined elections.

(The author is an IT-professional. Views personal.)

The BJP’s Ganesha Gambit

Lessons from Sweden: Is 'ONOE' the Future for India?

Recent Posts

Comments