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THESE days every newspaper and TV channel carries detailed reports on the recently concluded election. You must have come across a host of political terms, some familiar, others less so. Today we discuss some of the phrases connected with not only elections but also politics in general. Go to the polls: vote in an election. The people of Punjab and Haryana went to the polls on May 10. General election: an election in which people elect representatives to the lower house of the Parliament. The rallies and campaigning that precede the general election are a colourful affair. Stand/run for an election: contest an election. The president of the students’ union of our university has decided to stand for the Lok Sabha election this year. Sitting member: an MLA or MP who holds the seat for a particular constituency. As the sitting MLA for the past 10 years, he wields a lot of influence in the state. Back-benchers: MPs or MLAs who are not ministers. They are so-called because they sit on the back benches in the Parliament or the Assembly, furthest from the Speaker’s chair. The Speaker had a difficult time making himself heard over the din that the back-benchers were making. Front-benchers: the important members who hold office. A TV camera caught most of the front-benchers napping during the prime minister’s speech. Exit poll: a process of asking people how they have voted as they leave the polling booths in order to discover the likely result of the election. Exit polls predict a thin majority for the NDA in this election. Hung parliament: a parliament in which no party has a clear majority. In the event of a hung parliament, we may have a coalition government. Polling booth: an enclosed space that ensures privacy when voting in a election. Only one person is allowed inside a polling booth at a time. Ballot paper: a piece of paper on which you mark your vote. In the recently held election, electronic voting machines were used instead of the conventional ballot papers. Ballot-rigging: getting the election result you want by illegal means. The police is deployed at polling booths to prevent ballot-rigging. Horse-trading: hard and shrewd bargaining, especially in politics. When none of the parties win a clear majority to form a government, a lot of horse-trading is expected. Party line: policies adopted by a political party. He was shown the door by the party chief for refusing to toe the party line. Party politics: politics that relate to political parties rather than to the issues of governance. Most political commentators blame party politics for the dismal condition of the country. Exercise Read the newspapers carefully over the next few days and make a list of other political or election-related phrases you come across. Look up a good dictionary of political terms to see what they mean. (Reference: Cambridge
International Dictionary of English) |
