Shillong, Apr 3: Voters’ priorities in the state have largely been neglected by the government in power.

This was revealed in the Meghalaya Survey Report 2018 (a brief analysis of voters’ priorities and performance of the government on governance issues in Meghalaya) by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The survey was conducted between October and December of last year, prior to the general elections to the Lok Sabha 2019.

The three main objectives of this survey were to identify voters’ priorities on specific governance issues, voters’ ratings of the government’s performance on those issues, and factors affecting voting behaviour.

The survey covered 1,000 respondents across two parliamentary constituencies – Shillong and Tura – in Meghalaya.

The report points to the fact that voters’ priorities in the state have been neglected by the government in power. This is quite clear from the fact that the government has performed poorly and underwhelmingly on all top ten governance issues as rated by the voters.

It said the fact that the electorate has no role once the politician has been elected, allows the priority of the elected candidates to be determined by the political parties. It is then hoped that the electorate takes care to elect a better politician to represent them.

The report shows that agriculture subsidy for seeds/fertilisers (37.93%), availability of water for agriculture (36.13%), and higher price realization for farm products (35.22%) are the top three voters’ priorities in overall Meghalaya.

The performance of the government on rural voters’ priorities of agriculture subsidy for

seeds/fertilisers (1.40 on a scale of 5), availability of water for agriculture (1.15), and higher price realization for farm products (1.18) was rated as “below average”.

“In addition, the government has performed poorly in providing Electricity for Agriculture

(1.20) and better law and order/policing (1.94) in rural Meghalaya,” it said.

For the urban voters in the state, the top most priorities were better roads (46%), school education (46%), and subsidised food/ration (45%).

However, the performance of the government on urban voters’ priorities of better roads (1.80 on a scale of 5), school education (1.71), and subsidised food/ration (1.4) was rated as below average.

In addition, the government has performed poorly in providing drinking water (1.5) and

school education (1.71) in urban Meghalaya.

With regards to the voting behaviour in the state, the Meghalaya Survey Report 2018 revealed that highest percentage of voters said that the candidate’s party was the most significant reason (Important: 60% and Very Important: 34%) for voting for a candidate in an election.

This was followed by the candidate himself/herself (Important: 52% and Very Important: 37%) and the CM candidate (Important: 56% and Very Important: 19%).

For 16% voters, distribution of cash, liquor, gifts etc. was an important (6%) and very important (10%) factor in voting for a particular candidate in an election.

While deciding which candidate to vote for in an election, 83% Meghalaya voters stated that their own opinion mattered the most, followed by voters for whom opinion of their Spouse

(10%) and Family Members (6%) mattered the most.

A large number of voters (53%) knew that distribution of cash, gifts etc. is illegal.

50% voters said that they were aware of instances where such inducements were offered to the voters in return for their votes.

100% voters felt that candidates with criminal background should not be in Parliament or State Assembly.

Merely 14% voters knew that they could get information on criminal records of the candidates.

In relation to voting candidates with criminal antecedents, 38% voters felt that people vote for such candidates because the Candidate otherwise does good work.

In the opinion of 37% voters, people vote for criminal candidates because they feel that the cases against such candidates are not of serious nature.

Other significant factors in voting for criminal candidates were that the candidate has spent generously in elections (37%), voters were unaware about the criminal record of the candidate (36%) and that candidate is powerful (35%).

Caste and religious considerations were are also key factors for 33% voters in choosing candidates with criminal records