Battle lines are drawn again. Coalitions are formed; power savvy parties have joined hands; comments and campaign are getting personal, All of sudden every political Netas are visiting their constituencies, which they have forgotten in past 5 years.
No, this is not the preface of any Story or Novel This is the common scene that we do see in each and every General Election that happened over a period of past 47 years since Independence in India.
General Elections 2004, are not very different than the earlier ones, as democratic INDIAVotes back to elect /send their representatives to the 14th Parliament. Not really sure that their elected representative will do the justice their caste vote.
We are towards the end of month long election process that started with the dissolution of the 13th Parliament. Parliament that, people of Indian will remember for many things. First ever historic & one of its kind, attack on Parliament has happened during the Parliament session, First ever Non Congress led and more importantly coalition led government has successfully completed 5 years term in this very 13th parliament.
Every time the general elections are announced, we do hear few common words like 'secularism?, ?opportunism?, and last but definitely not least ?Dynasty - Gandhi Parivar?. Every individual in the political circle wants to express his opinion about these things that matters, when it comes to grabbing power at the Center. But this time we heard something new that never came up in earlier election era. Words like, ?FEEL GOOD?, ?INDIA SHINING? etc.
Well nothing bad with it, after all Marketing is the mantra to make any product successful. At times you have to market the abilities, skills and your work, to make other aware of what you have done and what you have not!
Every individual or rather middle class man was feeling good and was under the impression that INDIA is really shining. But then, someone whose is staying in rural India was not feeling the same, for obvious reasons that we all know.
NDA led government was very right in highlighting the work it has done over a period of past five years, but as someone has pointed rightly, it will not enough though, for NDA to secure the clear majority. At least that?s what it seems from the exit polls that we have seen so far. What really went wrong then? Is the work that has been done was not enough, or its not been propagated in right fashion?
I sincerely think, that apart from India shining or feeling good. If it would have development, stable government & running the 13 party coalition government successfully had been the election issues, then may be the story could be different than what it would have been so far? May be ??
This election will be historical one, as for the first time; Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used across the India. This is one of and biggest ever exercise that has been carry forward during the General Elections 2004.
The real issue that came initially and evaporated with time was the foreign origin. Although the idea seems to be logical one, but then that is all has to be decided by the people of India and not an individual. Sonia Gandhi seems to be stubborn Congress leader, I guess it will take some time and off course the experience to wider her acceptability as the unanimous leader of the Congress led coalition. It still shows that Gandhi Dynasty still holds the nerve to the Indian Politics. Few Good men (?) parted their ways due this very key issue and one can see them hands in hands in this election. Nothing new, as I said these are the common scenes during Indian Elections.
The voter is sending out a wake-up call to every political party. Yes, the voter wants stability and an able leader.
Most believe that the NDA will still form the government, and Atal
Behari Vajpayee will come back as prime minister for a remarkable fourth time, but clearly the NDA will not match Virender Sehwag?s record breaking triple century.
BSE has reacted sharply to what we have seen a largest plummet of over 250 points in a single day in a past 3-4 years, that too merely on a speculation. So it seems like even Corporate India has given the signals that who they want to be in Power!! It doesn?t point to one single party or coalition, but it points towardsstability, economic reforms and all that will come with Strong Center and not with the unstable coalition.
BSP seems to be key for the success to be in part of next government. Don?t mistaken me it is not the Bahujan Samaj Party or Mayawati I mean here. But what I meant was Bijli, Sadak & Paani. If the rural India gets these basic and necessary three things, then political parties don?t have market themselves or country as SHINING / FEELing GOOD, It will automatically come within it.
Ironically, its not as if the demanding Indian voter is expecting a dramatic change in life. But then when we see and talk a lot and project India as Developed but Not the Developing Nationby 2020, then these key things holds the base for that. So far what we have seen as mere 50% turnout for polling that has been conducted in three phases.
It shows that rest of 50% voters are really not interested in electing their representative to parliament or they don?t have any trust or faith in this process. I was watching election related programme on one of the popular TV channel and they were interviewing a rural man. The answer he has given to ?Whom he would vote for?? tell the true story of the expectation of Indian Voter. I quote ?Dekhiye saab, hamare MP toh television pe aate hain, lekin hamare yahan kuch nahin hua!?.
We all know that there are few regional strong and popular (among the masses) players, who are keeping an eye on the topmost post of the democratic this whole process. These few players and we all very well know at whom exactly I am finger pointing, should be kept away from that supreme post which at times honored by Late Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shashtri and currently AB Vajpayee.
Having said that, we are a democratic nation and every individual has a right to exercise his vote and elect his representative, but then whether each & every elected representative is really capable of holding the crucial post like PM? Bottom line is, people like these, should not be allowed to overrule the mandate the people of India, just because they have strong regional presence (?) and somehow they have got bargaining power to vote people to power.
The story is taking different turn or picture is becoming a bit shaky after every exit polls result that came out during 3 election phases that we have experienced. The final countdown will begin on 13th May when the real picture will get unfold. The 13th figure seems to be repeating every time. 13 party led coalition government, 13 days of power in 1999, 13th Parliament & counting will begin on 13th. The 13th figure seems to be lucky for Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a bachelor an leadership icon and formidable face that NDA led coalition has put before the 100 Crore strong India population, to vote them back to power.
Lets see how long it holds out to be lucky though and who really SHINES or FEELS GOOD. I know one person an Indian Soldier,who is really Feeling good , because of the peace prevailing on the INDIA-PAKISTAN border.
