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Showing posts from January, 2026

The Price of a Vote: Inside India’s Disturbing Cash-for-Votes Culture

  A Shocking Saturday Revelation It was an ordinary Saturday evening with friends when the conversation took a troubling turn. One friend mentioned his worker from the Borivali-Dahisar slum wouldn't be coming to work the next day. The reason? "Congress rally hai," he explained. When pressed further, the worker confessed he didn't support the party but would attend anyway—Congress was offering ₹1000 per person plus two bottles of alcohol. This wasn't an isolated incident. In my own area, we've heard similar stories where Congress representatives visit homes offering ₹5000 per vote—half paid upfront, half after "Bhai," a local leader in Malad West, wins the election. And win he did. The Systematic Erosion of Democratic Values What I witnessed through these trusted accounts reveals how deeply transactional politics has penetrated India's democratic fabric. Political parties aren't just campaigning anymore—they're conducting outright commerci...