Me and my vote are not for sale

BREADS has facilitated the campaign “me and my vote are not for sale”, a great movement to spread the awareness on the importance of clean elections and to exhibit the power of individual voter over money and influence. The campaign was carried out in 10 districts (Bangalore, Bellary, Bidar, Chitradurga, Davangere, Gulbarga, Mysore, Raichur, Ramanagara and Yadgiri) which covered 18 taluks and 102 villages in Karnataka state under the CREAM project (Child Rights Education and Action Movement).

The campaign was well received in the villages and taluks rightly understanding the aim behind the campaign.  The leaders and members of Child Rights Clubs (CRC) and the students from the tuition centers led the way in spreading the movement; they shined as a light house in the villages showing the secure path.  The community leaders, SDMC members (School Development and Monitoring Committee), parents, teachers, youth, SHG (Self-Help Group) members ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers also joined in the campaign going around the villages shouting the slogans, door to door awareness, rallies, public gathering, distributing posters and pamphlets, posting the stickers on walls and doors raising the massive awareness. The campaign was an eye opener in the villages and a sign to cast the vote according to the worthiness of the candidate.

The campaign was a right move to tell the people about their franchising power. In villages the elders themselves came forward to spread the awareness to more and more villages and taluks. The campaign brought out the ill effects of selling their votes to political parties in exchange of monetary benefits. It helped the people to be more accountable and responsible in selecting the candidates and supporting political parties.