Can they vote?

By shifting the Indian Premier League to South Africa, guess who could miss voting on election's D-Day? India's very own cricketers and their team heads, people who could have inspired others to vote

The Indian Premier League (IPL) might turn out to be a battle not just between bat and ball, but the ballot too.

Even as the T-20 carnival replete with its players, fat cat owners, sponsors, franchisees, cheerleaders, actors, celebrities and performers rolls into South Africa for the second edition of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) backed league, the nation will have just started going to the polls. The five-phase elections begin on April 16, while the IPL-II kicks off in SA on April 18.

"Eligible Indian citizens will have to remain physically present at polling booths on the day of election to exercise their franchise," says Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami from New Delhi, adding, "Proxy voting can be allowed only to those who are on election duty on that particular day, soldiers guarding India's front and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officials."

A livid Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association, claims that he has sent a letter by courier to the Election Commission in New Delhi, stating: 'These are double standards by actors and politicians. So the big question here is that during elections, BCCI should be encouraging Indians to come out and vote. Instead now, they will encourage Indians to go and watch IPL in South Africa."

A Mumbai Indians spokesperson says, "I think the players can go to the Indian consulate of the country they are in and put their votes. At least that is what I think they can do. I will check and let you know." According to former cricket captain and manager Ajit Wadekar, "A special arrangement can be made in South Africa where the players and BCCI / IPL officials cast their votes in front of the ambassador / embassy office, stamp them, seal them and send them to the Election Commissioner in India. I am not 100 per cent sure, but similar arrangements I think exist in the UK or USA. Or, then, let the IPL be played in India."

Yet, Navin Chawla, now Election Commissioner, who is scheduled to take over as Chief Election Commissioner (during IPL matches and polls in the country) from April 21, with N Gopalswami, the present CEC retiring at the age of 65 on April, 20, 2009, says, "The players cannot vote if they are out of the country. Voting in the presence of ambassadors or in the foreign embassy office by Indian players will not be allowed."

Anshuman Gaekwad, former India player and coach, asks, "What difference is it going to make if 200 or 1,000 votes are not cast on Election Day? People also sit at home and don't vote when they are here."

Commentator Harsha Bhogle has a measured response. He says, "This is a small, but very high-profile group of people who will be in South Africa during the elections over here. I wish there was some way in which they could vote from there and more importantly, be 'seen' to be voting."

Bishen Singh Bedi, former India captain brushes the question aside, saying, "This is between the players and the IPL organisors, why should we break our heads about them voting or not?" Former player Balwinder Sandhu has a new spin on the issue. "First of all, are our politicians worthy of getting votes? It is not the players' fault or the organisers' fault also if the IPL is to be played outside India. What happens if someone here falls sick on Election Day? Elections have to be there and at the same time, the game should also continue. It (cricket) is a cricketer's bread and butter u2014 election is bread and butter for the politicians."

Former India player Karsan Ghavri asks, "I wonder why the BCCI, IPL and International Cricket Council (ICC) did not think of this issue." Meanwhile, Manoj Prabhakar, former India all-rounder who also fought an election and has been tainted in the match-fixing scam, says, "This is a good observation. The players won't be able to vote. But ask the cricketers about how many of them have ever voted? I have also not voted in the past. I only voted on the day when I was fighting the elections."

That statement might make Prabhakar win cricket's most Mr Candid award, but there is more to come.

Prabhakar adds, "It is give and take. If politicians do not want cricketers, the players also do not want politicians. Sharad Pawar should have given a thought to this." Prabhakar stood on a New Delhi seat on the ticket of the Congress splinter group, led by Arjun Singh. He lost badly in 1998.

The equally outspoken Jaywant Lele, former BCCI secretary, says, "Players playing IPL not being able to vote in the election is a million dollar observation. The Indian Premier League, as the name suggests, should have been played in India. If the government was unable to provide security, the 1,000 and odd policemen could have been hired from some other country."

Prabhakar and Lele's plain speak is in contrast to Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan, who did not respond to SMS messages seeking comment on the issue. Kapil Dev, part of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), sent the question for a mighty six saying, "This is not a cricketing issue and I don't want to say anything on this. It is better you ask Sachin Tendulkar whether he would go to vote."

IPL officials themselves prefer to play down the issue. Niranjan Shah (former BCCI secretary and now vice chairman, IPL), says, "Yes. The players are not on national duty and hence will not be able to vote. About 500 votes will be missed, but I don't think it will affect the results of the elections. I am also likely to be in South Africa during this period and will not be able to vote."

IPL chief Lalit Modi did not answer messages seeking comment on the issue.

An irked cricket follower and sociologist asked, "Why were the celebrities making such a song and dance about voting when they themselves may be out of the country? Why don't they make a commitment about letting players from their teams go and vote even on match days if they are so keen about the elections?"

With some team owners silent on the issue and even celebs shying away from answering, the bat-bowl-n-poll problem seems to have caught many hopping like an unreadable Shane Warne googly.

Why bother, ask former cricketers

"What difference is it going to make if 200 or 1,000 votes are not cast on Election Day? People also sit at home and don't vote when they are here."
Anshuman Gaekwad, former India cricketer/coach

"First of all, are our politicians worthy of getting votes? It is not the players' fault or the organisers' fault if the IPL is to be played outside India."
Balwinder Sandhu, former India player

"But ask the cricketers about how many of them have ever voted? I have also not voted in the past. I only voted on the day when I was fighting the elections."
Manoj Prabhakar, former India cricketer

Date with democracy
The Election Commission announced the dates for the 15th Lok Sabha elections, which will be held in five phases, from April 16 to May 13, 2009. The voting dates are April 16, April 22, April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 13, while counting will be held on May 16. Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami said that though voting will take place on six days, it will be counted as a five-phase election as voting in Manipur will take place on April 22, due to a local holiday on April 23.

Date with cricket
The Indian Premier League (IPL) II matches will begin on April 18. There are a total of 59 matches spread across eight cities in SA, with the final scheduled for May 24 in Johannesburg.

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