The world's largest democracy, India, stands with bated breath for May 16th when the final results of the five-phase, month-long elections to the 15th Lok Sabha, the Indian Parliament, are announced. Ironically,  with the massive digital push during this election, the country's rich and middle class urban voters have been the ones who failed to show up in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

In contrast the rural areas, places where election officials brave wild animals, scorching heat, long treks and militants to set up polling booths, had a turnout of 60%.

A massive digital initiative was launched by 82-year-old Lal Krishna Advani, the prime ministerial candidate comprising blogs, a blogger outreach program, one of the most aggressive online ad campaigns ever seen in India, and an ambitious SMS campaign reaching 250 million of India's 400 million mobile subscribers in hopes of galvanizing a huge chunk of India's 714 million voters.

So, either there's a whole bunch of Indians on camelback receiving SMS' in the Gir forest or the digital campaign was launched in vain.

Spurred by the rise in participation in elections by the poor, women, lower castes and Dalits and tribals, this means that despite the death threats and impending violence, the most vulnerable sections of Indian society are increasingly enthusiastic about voting.

So, even if it's just for election day, the voice of the underprivileged is heard.



*Source: "Votes cast as a 'weapon of the weak'"  -- Asia Times Online and "Ringing in the Vote: Mobile Phones in the 2009 Indian Elections" -- MobileActive.org