Mushtaq Haq Sikander
Parliamentary Elections are round the corner.All the political parties have geared up to join the election bandwagon. The elections campaigns are in full bloom with political parties trying to woo the voters with money and muscle power. The election manifestos of the political parties have been issued too but like the past they promise much but in reality it is quite difficult to experience the implementation of policies and promises in the aftermath of elections. The breach of trust with of the voters continues after each election. These breaches have made some voters cautious but majority of the masses are political unaware and ill educated. They get swayed over by the political demagogues and their utopian ideas; hence no election can bring any permanent or decisive change in the political milieu of the country.
The present elections are quite different from the previous ones because there are many new faces who have joined the electoral fray. The newly launched Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is one such example that sustains hope of optimism for many. Despite the fact that they couldn’t get more than thirty percent votes in the Delhi elections, but the moral stance taken by Arvind Kejriwal and others is providing a ray of hope for others. Also a number of prominent activists, journalists, academics and others have joined the AAP that has boosted their image. Hence the results will declare whether the political culture of India and voting behavior of Indian masses has changed so that they can vote for change. The results will also depict whether the masses still believe and uphold the flag of change or they are so tied with the old traditional political parties that they can’t think beyond the traditional stalwart parties of BJP and Congress.
Also the tussle is ferocious between Rahul Gandhi and Narender Modi. It is a battle of ideologies, policies and charisma. Modi seems to have got all these traits while Rahul Gandhi despite having age and energy on his side still lacks the charisma that Modi is enjoying. The previous policies of Congress viz a viz minorities particularly the Muslims over a decade will also have an impact on the voting pattern of masses. Despite the provocative communal polarization, it seems difficult for the Muslim masses to vote for Congress.
The elections results will throw out many new surprises. Let us keep our fingers crossed about the results.