Mathematical Modes of Thinking and Lok Sabha 2024 Elections

We have the challenge to open our thinking to mathematical modes of thought. Mathematics emphasizes the formal side of our life and universe. Perhaps, we need the mathematical modes of thinking in politics, particularly , at the time of this Lok Sabha elections. The importance of the mathematical mode of thinking is visible in the way people are demanding the disclosure of the numbers of votes pooled by the voters in any given pooling station. This number is given in form 17c is sought to be made available to the people immediately after the end of the polling on each day of election.

This demand reveals that the people are contesting the ideal form, which is an utopia that admits uncritically that elections in our country are held freely and fairly by the Election Commission of India. This means ordinary people have begun to speak against the numbers of the ECI. People have begun to contest the percentages disclosed by the ECI. On one hand the percentage shows a remarkable unexplained growth when given after eleven long days, and on the other hand, same percentage remains orphaned without giving us the figure ( total number of voters/ votes) that came to vote on that particular pooling day. Thus, the question is : the projected 60% or 70% is of what figure?

One can thus, introduce inflated figure and still justify and match the 60% that is disclosed. Thus, disclosure of the only percentage of voting without the total number from which it is derieved opens possibilities of manipulations that may later add votes to benefit a particular contestant of a particular party. This is why people and the journalists in the social media are right in questioning the idea of only revealing the percentage of voters. One is puzzled that even the supreme court appears to be far from the mathematical modes of thinking that is animating the people of our country.

People seem to have discovered the spell of maya that seems to be employed to keep them from finding the truth. The way influencers like Prashant Kishore and other psephologists are projecting numbers are suspected make them appear to be indulging into ambush marketing. Ambush marketing is a technique that used by rivals in the market to create artificial shortage of the product that is doing well. Thus, the rival buys off entire product of the rival and destroys it and its packing excellaries. Take the case of cold drinks packaged into glass bottles . Those who indulge into ambush marketing buy all the cold drinks in the market and destroy the glass bottles leading the consumers to think that that particular company is not doing well. The ambush marketing techniques used by the influencers in these elections seem to seduce us to think that the opposition alliance is not doing well. The numbers of the opposition , therefore will not take them across the winning line. But the people appear to have found out. The way the interview of Prashant Kishore taken by Karan Thapar has become viral seems to manifest that people are rejecting the numbers projected by Prashant Kishore and other influencers.

This is why we have to agree that democracy being a game of numbers, mathematical thinking is good for our society. The manner in which people appear to think against the numbers that seem to support the establishment, it won’t be wrong to think that they seem to be responding to what they sense as a fraud happening in the name of democratic elections. Thus, the fact that the people have their gaze on numbers, it may not be that easy to rob the mandate of the people. While the gaze of the people is sharp and critical , the gaze of the ECI does not seem to appear disinterested which is the condition for free and fair elections.

Dynamic repetitions and patterns are very important for the mathematical modes of thinking. The regularity with which the ECI appears to show a Nelson’s eye to the excesses, hate speeches and fear mongering of the ruling Party , it is not difficult to find which side the ECI seem to be backing. This is why it appears that people of India it seem to come to suspect the outcome of the ongoing election. I try to say this with some responsibility after engaging several people as well as following nation-wide news especially broadcasted in the social media. Everyone I have engaged is haunted by a fear of some manipulation. Perhaps, there may be some others who think differently from the way I came to discern my engagement with some people. Ultimately, it is the numbers that will do all the taking.

The fact that people are already speaking against the numbers that are floating around them, it appears that people are doing politics in Heideggerian sense. Martin Heidegger thinks politics is speaking against numbers. The art of speaking is in the sense of Aristotle who thought that only citizen can own language (and not slaves). The fact that people of our country have begun to speak against the numbers, it appears that they have come to own mathematical modes of thinking and speaking. The mathematical modes of thinking are good for business, science and technology. They are also good for politics and democracy.

The fact that people of our country have embraced mathematical modes of thinking, it appears that something different is happening this time. People’s numbers appear to be totally different from those that are floated by the ruling BJP and its agents. People numbers is perhaps is the new regularity that is emerging in our society. The people’s numbers are steadily forming a pattern that seem to have the power to send the ruling party packing. It is the power of mathematical modes of thinking that lead us to fear that the might and power of the BJP is being used to disrupt the regularity that people of India are collectively producing. Several journalists have said that it is the people of India are for the first time fighting their own battle against the ruling BJP. They seem to be certainly producing a synergistic energy that can derail the ruling BJP. In this context, we can still agree that it is the acumen of mathematical modes of thinking that make us fear a sabotage by the incumbent.

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