A Suitable Candidate

Tomorrow Bangalore goes to the polls. I have been wondering who should I vote for.
On one hand is the BJP veteran Ananth Kumar. Giving him stiff competition are Krishna Byregowda of INC and Capt Gopinath (Independent). I consider only these three as worth mentioning.
While discussing with my friends a few days ago about who would they vote for, I came across a strange quandry. My good friend said that he supported Capt. Gopinath, but would not vote for him since he is not likely to win, and hence his vote might go waste.
The logic of shifting loyalties with the candidate who is likely to win - in this case it is Ananth Kumar - did not make sense to me.
What does the vote stand for?
It symbolizes the strength of support a candidate has.
So whether she wins or not should not be of the only consequence. Even if she loses, the number of votes she loses by signifies a lot!
If a candidate like Capt Gopinath, who elicits immense respect, admiration and trust in the common man's heart, loses, the number of votes he garnered will draw the line between hope and despair. If he loses by a narrow margin, there will still be hope for the next elections. People will have faith in the fact that good candidates, who aren't from established parties or are not true-blue politicians, can also win.
I hope people aren't swayed by cynicism and make the right choice tomorrow.