Having said that, however, the cynicism among urban voters about the electoral/political process often appears to be a mask to legitimise their disinterest about and apathy towards politics. While it is fashionable to express one’s unequivocal faith in democracy, politics is too messy for the middle classes to dirty their hands with.

It must also be conceded that political parties, across the spectrum, have also failed to offer the ticket to individuals who can inspire middle class voters to turn up at the polling booth in larger numbers. With the sharp rise in the number of seats in Bangalore this time, the mainstream political parties were struggling to find suitable candidates for many seats. ‘Winnability’ assumed a whole new meaning with real estate dons and individuals with dubious track records who brought in the money bags, managing to clinch the party nominations. Beyond doubt, parties need to share a part of the blame for not being able to either capture the imagination or represent the aspirations of the urban middle class voters.

The writer is a political analyst based in Bangalore