With the elections now behind us, I find myself reflecting on the whirlwind of experiences gathered over the past 25 days of dedicated door-to-door campaigning, culminating in my role as a polling agent for the BJP, stationed for 12 hours at the booth. It’s important to note that my observations are not intended to assign blame or point fingers, but rather to share insights gleaned from my personal journey.

Throughout this period, I’ve encountered a myriad of situations and interactions, each offering valuable lessons and opportunities for improvement. Some of my observations stem from attempts to replicate successful strategies, while others represent spontaneous reflections and ideas aimed at enhancing the efficacy of BJP’s efforts in Tamil Nadu.

As I reflect on our campaign efforts, I’m reminded of the importance of adaptability and continuous learning. While some practices may already be in place, there is always room for refinement and innovation. Ultimately, my aim is to contribute to the collective effort to ensure the BJP’s preparedness and success in future elections.

Let’s seize upon these insights and work towards a stronger, more effective BJP presence in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.

The Role Of Booth Agents

There’s been an ongoing debate between the BJP and the opposing DMK/ADMK factions regarding the significance of booth agents. While the traditional Dravidian ideology parties emphasize the pivotal role of booth agents as their strongest foot soldiers, the BJP counters by pointing out the historical successes of leaders like MGR who didn’t rely on booth agents. Both sides present valid perspectives; while traditional parties view booth agents as essential, the BJP argues that their role, though beneficial, may not be indispensable. Let’s delve deeper into this discussion.

How Significant Is It? 

The role of a booth agent extends far beyond merely ticking off names on election day. It’s not a seasonal job; rather, it’s an integral part of the groundwork, serving as a vital link between the candidate/party and the general public. A booth agent’s role should be highly esteemed within any party, reflecting the effectiveness of the groundwork and the party’s standing within the community.

For the BJP, there’s a noticeable shortage of booth agents across the state, though the situation is gradually improving with each election. Unfortunately, the job is often perceived as thankless and limited to election season.

In contrast, the two Dravidian parties have a robust network of seasoned booth agents, bolstered by additional support for independent candidates. This strategic advantage gives them greater influence and control in case of disputes.

In my own booth, while the DMK and ADMK had 6-8 representatives each, the BJP had only one, with an additional reliever. Furthermore, the practice of party representatives visiting periodically to tally the polled votes and gender split every two hours was noticeably absent for the BJP, at least in my polling station, which comprised eight booths.

Having regular updates on polling progress enables parties to mobilize their members, ensuring loyalist voters cast their ballots without fail. Additionally, it provides insight into voter sentiment, with higher turnout often indicating increased anti-incumbency. This knowledge drives parties to focus on achieving 100% polling among their cadres and supporters, a key strategy for success.

Unfortunately, the BJP lacked in both these aspects due to having only one person per booth without any means to monitor progress. This limited their ability to mobilize supporters during polling hours effectively. In contrast, opposition party booth agents possess detailed knowledge of voters by street, a depth of information the BJP acknowledges they lack. It was striking to see how quickly the DMK booth agent could identify voters based on their serial numbers.

Furthermore, there is a clear need for improvement in data capture processes for the BJP. The lack of training or standardized templates made the task challenging. Election kits provided the night before polling lacked instructions, leaving booth agents without clear guidance on their responsibilities. Simply ticking off names was not sufficient, highlighting the need for a uniform template and clearer instructions to streamline the process.

Preventing Bogus Voting

After my experience as a booth agent, I pondered why allegations of fake/bogus voting are often leveled against parties like the DMK or ADMK, but not the BJP in Tamil Nadu or in states where the BJP is not in power. This led me to understand the crucial role of the booth agent, as I initially mentioned. If properly trained and connected with voters at the grassroots level, a booth worker would know most voters by face, name, and address, making it nearly impossible for fraudulent votes to be cast. Seasoned players like the DMK and ADMK leverage this advantage, armed with information about voters who may be absent or relocated, ensuring strategic prowess even in cases of fake voting.

In contrast, it’s doubtful that the BJP possesses such detailed information, as many perceive the booth agent’s role as merely a job during election time.

Establish Voter Connect

Booth agents actively engage in community events, from celebrations like marriages and birthdays to unfortunate incidents like thefts or natural disasters. This familiarity builds trust with voters, making them more receptive to door-to-door campaigning during elections. In some areas, voters prioritize the helpfulness of the booth agent over government welfare schemes or freebies. This aspect presents a significant gap for the BJP.

This realization underscores the importance of viewing booth agents as vital warriors for any party, especially a ruling party, whether at the central or state level. They serve as the frontline representatives, connecting voters with welfare schemes and government initiatives, and embodying the party’s commitment to its constituents.

What The BJP Can Do

In the lead up to 2026, it is crucial for the BJP to start preparing the ground not today but day before yesterday. The party should create a dedicated 3 lakh booth agents (considering 68,000 booths and 4 for each booth) who will act as BJP’s soldiers on the ground. They need to have their votes made available at the designated booths itself. These warriors must report to the polling station in-charge or Sakthi Kendra head with reports prepared frequently vetted by District President for genuineness before sending to the State level supervisor. It is best left to the leadership on how to recruit, train and keep the booth agents engaged. But ahead of the polling day, the following 3 things become absolutely crucial.

a) Voter list verification: As soon as the voter list is made available, both agents need to invariably visit all houses without missing
even one house to ensure no voter name is left. They need to mark the “Door Locked” or “House changed” or “Out of station” cases and do another visit after few days or try call over the phone number if available to be sure they reside there. Once the voter list verification done, report should be submitted on how many votes are present and how many need to be added or have been left out.

b) Campaign material distribution: Once the verification is done, then comes the campaign material distribution, this happens by
default, here again ensure to cover all houses in the designated booths and report back in a template.

c)Booth slip distribution: Third visit would be with the booth slips for each house.

During the election day the 4 members designated for the booth should be on rotations, which means party should get 1-2 members in addition to the main booth agent, for assisting him (these 1-2 need not be an expert and can perform only the data entry job kind). Invariably rotate the booth agent every 2 hours, this 2 hour the other 3 agents should be receiving inputs about the voters turn out of the booth, basis which they should roam the booth locations and get people to vote provide them transport support etc. The 4 members should ensure at least 90% of their sure votes polled within the time.

NKR Iyer is a techie and a political analyst.

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