Bribing slum dwellers!

I would like to applaud The Daily Star's excellent coverage of the recent city corporation elections. Events like those in Khulna where the various candidates addressed voters from a shared stage gave me hope that city politics might be different. Today I am disappointed that rampant breach of electoral rules is taking place and that the candidates are not ashamed that it happened. Particularly dismaying were election “expenses” that include bribing slum dwellers and telling them what symbol to vote for. The candidates are admitting failure to earn these voters' support based on merit which insults the slum dwellers by turning them into votes to buy, instead of people with real concerns. If winning candidates would implement policies to better these voters' lives when they are in office then perhaps the people would choose to support them rather than need to be “bought and taught”.