Will T20s bowl out politics?

Would cricket bowl out politics or would politicians be able to hold their ground against a T-20 match on TV?

Possibility of the gala cricket carnival, Indian Premier League (IPL), coinciding with the general elections is giving sleepless nights to the politicians - the key performers in this “great dance of democracy” — especially to those entrusted with the task of managing the electioneering.

The IPL season starts from April 10 and is likely to end on May 18 with final contest between the two top ranking teams. The general elections too are likely to be held during the same period as the new parliament has to be constituted before May 17th. During this time, politicians would also worry about winning the battle for better TRPs.

The leaders are worried as IPL matches may lure away audiences from the election meetings and TV debates leaving a demoralising few to watch their show. Another major concern for them is the likelihood of polling dates coinciding with the IPL matches, for, the government won’t be able to provide security personnel required for a 20-20 match.

“At least 4000 security personnel are required for a T20 match in a metro like Delhi”, said a senior BCCI official.

Cricket officials may be worried about the security but they have no concerns about the attendance during a match. Politicians on the other hand, don’t have qualms about the security aspect but they dread a marked drop in the turnout on the polling day, if a crucial IPL match is played out that day.

With most IPL matches organised in the afternoon, the politicians apprehend sparse attendance in their public meetings which can be organised only in the evenings in the hot summer months. The parties also fear poor visibility of the live TV debates organised by news channels during prime time since they too would have to vie for viewership with IPL matches.