- The elections in India never fail to garner the interest and attention of the discerning lot keen to follow the eventual outcome in the end. The paraphernalia associated with the elections in India has a different flavour, vibrancy, and excitement that cannot be matched elsewhere. The moniker the Dance of Democracy appropriately sits on the various levels of elections culminating in the biggest of them all, the Parliamentary elections. As you are aware, the country will be witnessing the mother of all elections, the Lok Sabha polls, during the year 2024. In the interim, all eyes will be on the ensuing assembly elections to some of the most crucial states. People in the know would agree the results in these assembly elections would be crucial for the Lok Sabha outcome as well.
PC: Dan Agbese
- The media and the poll pundits are bound to dub every ensuing state assembly election from now on as the semi-final before the Lok Sabha polls. We know how the media gleefully goes about sensationalizing any matter of interest by creating a storm in the teacup. Of course, people will fall for the way things get portrayed incessantly by the media in driving home the point. You see, TRPs do matter for survival. For the uninitiated, some of the major states like Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhatisgarh will hold assembly elections in 2023. Huge stakes for the two important protagonists in the political firmament viz. the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress. Not to forget a few of the aspiring political parties as well.
- You must be aware that no less than the Prime Minister himself mentioned how freebie culture is detrimental to the overall health of the country’s economy as well as organic growth not so long back. He was evidently referring to the election manifestos of various political parties emphasizing the freebies being bandied about to lure prospective voters. We know how free electricity, water, gadgets, and sops of various permutations and combinations are liberally thrown around without nary worrying about the economic consequences. Moreover, none of the major political parties wilfully make an effort to stay away from enticing the voters, including the BJP. It’s another matter altogether that many such promises always remain on paper for want of resources.
PC:
- Ideally speaking, development and performances alone should be the parameter for the electorate to choose their elected representatives, and in turn, the party to govern. However, we do not live in an ideal world anymore as the political parties have gamed the freebie culture with such consummate ease over the years that people fail to stay immune from enticements thrown around. As election day nears, trust the political parties to go all out in unabashedly announcing freebies in a show of oneupmanship. Notably, it has worked in the past and will work in the future too. The saner voices emanating from the ground questioning the commitment, development agenda, and future road map for growth will be lost. Be prepared for the humdrum.
