Why I didnt vote during the state elections

The recent elections that were held in my home state were an absolute pain. More so for me because I have lost my faith in the institution of elections in this country and am irritated with the psuedo-activism thats doing the rounds. I hate people coming to tell me to vote, telling me of responsibilities I am aware of and trying to make me feel guilty about the plight of the nation and even worse creating the illusion that I can actually absolve myself of my duties merely by voting. Poverty is rampant, social divides grow and regionalism seems to be the order of the day for modern Indian politics. The Great Indian Middle Class is now in its activist mode.It has decided that it has been ignored by politicians and has been ignorant of politics for too long. The power is gradually shifting to the poor who vote on the basis of money and empty promises that they hope will be fulfilled. As per some reports more than 51%of India's population languishes in poverty which is something politicians love. A poor man is an optimal vote bank. If lucre and promises fail to attract, force is always an alternative. The middle class has witnessed a great change in its fortunes and as a result its value in the political arena has reduced. In the early 90's the middle class was above the poor but by not too much. The middle class and the poor often received raw deals from the policy makers and fought their battles together.The middle class identified somewhat with the poor and often they had the same issues to fight for. The middle class provided the vocal protest for itself as well as for the poor. After the increase in the prosperity of the middle class things have changed. The middle class no longer considers itself too far below the rich and is now trying to achieve the very status it at one time considered the root of evil in society. The middle class grew richer and richer and gradually forgot entirely about its protests. Water and food which was an issue wasnt one any more for the middle class while it is still one for the poor.Gradually the middle class moved on to other issues while the numbers of the poor continued to grow. It still grows at an alarming rate and is extremely threatening.
Politicians have realized that this is where their real vote bank lies. Think about it. If an MP gets 1 crore as his fund he may have to spend less to keep a thousand poor people happy while he might have to spend three times as much to keep 100 middle class people somewhat satisfied. As a result it is seen that there are more gains that arise from spending less for the poor than spending more on the middle class and still not being sure of their votes. The poor are easier to satisfy. Its sort of like giving a small kid a small sweet and he will be happy for a long time and remember you for it while buy a teenager a truck of chocolates and he will continue to gripe. Give a poor man basic shelter, or maybe a small job and he will treat you as God while give all possible things to the middle class and they still demand. So a politician saves a lions share of his fund and also keeps a significant portion of his vote bank. The middle class now realises that it is being ignored and doesnt like it.So suddenly we are in activist mode. We now want to prove to the political fraternity that we still weild the power we think we do. So we suddenly go into overdrive about our voting responsibilities and other nonsense. The middle class just wants its old say in the state of affairs again and is trying hard to get to where it was while holding on to the new lifestyle it has adapted to. I believe I will vote when the next election comes if I feel any of the candidates deserve my support. If not I wont bother, anyway my vote is pretty much of academic significance.