This is a musing about state of affairs of elections and politicians. The election to State assembly of New Delhi will take place on 4th of December, 2013. Being a parliamentary form of government we shall be electing the members of Delhi legislature, who will form the Govt. While it is certain from the attitude of Ruling Party that they are tired of being in Government for ten years and now have no intention to be further troubled. This is reflected by two things:
1. No gesture of remedial steps taken in respect of any of the grievances made in past one year and when I am saying remedial, I only mean gesture because remedy can not be expected from such corrupt and inefficient government.
2. They do not have any election slogan. While opposition parties are shouting corruption and inflation, the ruling party does say something but it does not register as it is a mumbling of few meaningless words or slogan like ‘great existentialism’.
But there is another angle. Now the main opposition party of Delhi which is also in power in Government in Municipal Corporation, should be successful? That is the problem and the problem has two forks:
1. There is an Aam Aadmi Party (Common Man’s Party), which is fighting with election slogan of sweeping the corruption out of corridor of powers. It has new faces. Most candidates are new to public life and in India that is an advantage as new also mean not yet discovered to be corrupt.
2. What is the advantage for ‘AAP’ is disadvantage for BJP. First it is in power in MCD and the municipal councilors are same run of the mill businessmen-turned-politicians who neither have any grass root support nor are long-term commitment to work for party. They were picked of variety of reasons except for integrity or efficiency or being long time grass root worker. The candidates for Assembly are also picked up like that.
While it is sure that in this State election and also in General Election 2014 the ruling Congress party is headed not for defeat but a rout in all constituencies which have educated voters and are urban. But the ‘other constituencies’ will be deciding factor.
The Delhi election if lost by BJP, would be an eye opener for BJP for imitating the Congress Style of method of thrusting candidates from the top who after election, out of sheer arrogance, stop walking on pavement what to say of being in touch with people. It should remember that Congress is a hereditary, dynastic family organization and it’s imitation would end its own identity.
It is an irony that the BJP which started as a party ‘with a difference’, is now facing AAP, who now claims to be the party with ‘real’ difference.
It is however a different matter that the allies chosen by AAP are strange bedfellows for anyone seeking to remedy the corruption. AAP must remember that Cleopatra was known for her beauty and not for her temperance. Radicals know no moderation nor can be taught so.
So much for today.
More about elections may follow.