The News Media Has Forgotten What Elections Are For

As 5 Assembly Seats Go to Polls, Newspapers Ignore Public Interest

June 19, 2025

On June 19, voters in five Assembly constituencies across Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal are casting their ballots to choose new representatives for seats that have fallen vacant. But reading the newspapers, that purpose is barely visible. As usual, most headlines have reduced the exercise to a contest between two alliances – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA and the Congress party-led INDIA bloc.

The headlines are shouting at us that the bypolls are a “key test for NDA and INDIA bloc,” that there’s “prestige at stake” for “key players.” What’s missing from the narrative are the responsibilities of a state legislator.

These statements reduce the elections to a mere showdown between political entities, neglecting the nuances that make this democratic process vital to the lives of ordinary citizens. The discussion is centred around political strategies, how outcomes may influence alliances and whether one party’s victory might bolster their future prospects in state or national elections.

Regardless of party affiliation or personal ideology, the primary job of an MLA is to make laws on matters in the State List, such as public health, education, agriculture, local transport and police. They are responsible for examining and passing the state budget, reviewing government policies and spending, and raising issues that affect their constituency. They are also expected to hold the government accountable through questions, motions and committee work. In their constituencies, legislators are meant to identify public needs, recommend development works and serve as a link between the government and the people.

What is absent in this discourse is also the voice of the voter.

The bypolls are being held in Ludhiana (West) in Punjab, Kaliganj in West Bengal, Kadi and Visavadar in Gujarat, and Nilambur in Kerala. Each of these constituencies has faced specific challenges in recent years.

In Ludhiana (West), concerns around unemployment, drug abuse and lack of basic civic infrastructure have remained persistent, despite promises made during earlier campaigns. Kaliganj in West Bengal has seen growing frustration over rural job schemes, delays in welfare benefits and local political clashes that have disrupted public services.

In Kadi, a fast-urbanising region in Gujarat, voters have been raising questions about water scarcity, unauthorised construction and the uneven quality of public healthcare. Visavadar, largely agrarian, has witnessed anger over crop failures, pricing issues and farmer distress.

Nilambur in Kerala has dealt with repeated floods, inadequate rehabilitation and gaps in forest management policies that directly affect tribal and marginal communities.

Journalists must answer basic questions for the voters. What did the last MLA promise? What did they deliver? What are the pending issues in this constituency? What do the new candidates plan to do? Have they held any public office before? What are their views on health, education and jobs?

However, the media coverage has focused on whether a victory would strengthen Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s hold in West Bengal, or if Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), can secure a much-needed foothold in Kerala. The voters and their aspirations for better governance are submerged under layers of speculation about party dynamics.

Media coverage has created a disconnect between the electorate and the election process. The average citizen does not have to care about the election strategies of the BJP or the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat, or to help CPI(M) recover lost ground in Kerala. They vote because they care deeply about issues that directly affect their lives.

Imagine a hospital hiring a new surgeon. Instead of reviewing the candidates’ medical experience, their success rates, or how patients feel under their care, the discussion revolves around which hospital faction will gain more influence if a particular doctor is selected. The conversation skips over who is actually good at saving lives. That’s what election coverage has come to resemble. Media reports focus on which party gains ground or loses face, while ignoring whether the candidates can actually govern well or improve public services. The real questions – about competence, integrity and delivery – are left unasked.

Candidates routinely escape the scrutiny that should be an integral part of election coverage.

The news media must remember the purpose of elections and reclaim its role in helping voters make informed choices. Anything less is a disservice to democracy itself.

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