- The Indian democratic form of governance is based on the premise of the people, for the people, and by the people. It’s the people who are the real stakeholders entrusted with the responsibilities of choosing elected representatives to not only ensure we are administered ably by providing clean governance but also improve the living standards by establishing policies intended to make our lives safe, secure, and peaceful. The primacy accorded to the political class cutting across party affiliations/philosophies/ideologies has altered how the leaders discharge their responsibilities with an air of authority presently. The paraphernalia surrounding the power associated with the government aspects has rendered our political class a different class altogether.
PC: GreeksforGreeks
- The moot point to ponder is how to assess the political class irrespective of party affiliations when voted to govern us. Indians are aware of how the political class has completely transformed the narrative over the years since the Independence. Agreed, people mirror the performance of the political class during elections by voting in or voting out depending on how they view the administration and the performance records. However, the machinations prevalent in the Indian political context duly backed by the Constitutional provisions to remain relevant is a fascinating story in itself. Trust our politicians to circumvent the popular mandate of the people by inventing newer ways to stay in power if there are no clear blessings. That’s some talent indeed!
PC: NEA Votes
- Apart from the people’s mandate during the elections, how to review the performance of mantris when even companies are junking classic appraisal systems is the question being asked now. Needless to mention, the money power so widely accepted to play a significant role in the political class is a critical factor that cannot be simply ignored. It’s an open secret and an unsaid rule that only the moneybags can be trusted to choose the political field to test endeavour with ordinary people ruled out to even make an impact. As you are aware, the amount of money spent during any election including the panchayat level is humongous, to say the least. Of course, the Election Commission of India imposes the money to be spent per candidate during elections. Who follows?
PC: LinkedIn
Nonetheless what happens on the ground is beyond anyone’s imagination since money is spent like water to impress upon the electorate to vote for the candidates. So much so that even the electorate in certain pockets will only vote if cash disbursal happens as the D-Day nears. Yes, some very ingenious ways have been unearthed by our truly enterprising political leaders to capture those crucial votes. Little wonder, news about cash and in-kind inducements bandied about during the election times is par for the course move. Ideally speaking, people’s verdict is the real performance assessment for the political leaders and the party they represent. We can’t simply place the leaders in the corporate ways of assessing performance, you see.
