- Not for nothing, the Indian democratic system is mentioned as by the people, for the people, and of the people. Such is the beauty of the Indian electoral process that the real power of governance is vested in them. Thus, the elected representatives are always considered as the chosen ones to further the cause of the people who chose them in the first place vis-à-vis socio-economic welfare measures aimed at bettering lives. The Indian Constitution is framed on this premise alone wresting the real power with the people whose ultimate writ runs large. Indeed, the people have asserted time and again by upholding this phenomenon overturning predictions from the electoral pundits. The political parties must realise sooner that the people cannot be taken for granted.
PC: Chatham House
- We saw this happening in the Lok Sabha elections and now in the recently concluded state assembly elections to Haryana and the UT of J&K. Yes, these results show how people can keep parties guessing till the end. If Haryana’s results upended expectations, in J&K, a clear majority, coupled with strong participation of Independents with fundamentalist sympathies, showed the appeal and power of electoral democracy. Haryana’s voter laid waste all poll punditry. Voters in J&K kept parties guessing till the end. The two results also speak to the infinite complexities of social groups – their cohesions and cleavages. The dissecting of the results is in order. It is bound to reveal some interesting facets about how people eventually think and vote.
- The single message from Haryana – BJP 48, Congress 37 – is that a rich state is loudly saying – Haryana is more than just Being Jat. BJP, which won the non-Jat vote in 2014 and 2019, made Nayab Singh Saini CM to consolidate this non-Jat vote, both OBC and Muslim (pasmanda). It nurtured anti-Jat Punjabi Hindus. Saini delivered, helping BJP counter both anti-incumbency and infights. Congress suffered from the Jat Complex of Hooda & Co. The state unit entirely subsumed under the Hooda hood, other community voices within were disregarded, including Dalit leader Selja’s, the tussle, and factions also capturing a generational rift. This was as much an anti-incumbency vote against Hooda engendering bickering & rebellion.
PC: The Hindu
- Yes, Congress sank under the weight of that hubris. For all the speculative intrigue ahead of J&K’s much-awaited election, J&K – NC 42, BJP 29, Cong 6 – spoke in unison, no hung verdict. Voters elected stability, and installed NC – the party they’ve long considered establishment – to speak for them in a legislature where much of the controls lie with the LG. It can be safely conjectured here as Kashmiris make the most of their dramatically changed circumstances, that there is a sense of rootedness in electing NC. The valley results speak loud and clear. It’s a definite setback for the Congress, especially Kharge and Gandhis, failing to manage factions. The BJP has received a boost in Haryana despite the odds. Voters can’t wait to make political parties dance again.
