Well we are welcoming another long weekend after the Pateti and Dussehra weeks. But this time, its slightly different. The 13th of October is election day and not just another festival. It is indeed a festival of democracy but I won't be wrong in assuming that very few people perceive it that way. The general public mood regarding elections was evident in the recent Lok Sabha elections where the voter turnout from a cosmopolitan city like Mumbai was a pathetic 43%. So I have decided that I won't waste anymore time in trying to inspire the disinterested souls to come out and vote. This is meant purely for those who are eagerly waiting to exercise their franchise and elect the candidate and government of their choice.
The marked difference in these elections compared to the 2004 elections is the rise of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena or the MNS. Etched out of its parent party Shiv Sena (SS), the MNS is a by-product of the sibling rivalry between cousins Uddhav Thackeray (Exec. President, SS) and Raj Thackeray (President, MNS). Helped by Raj's powerful oratory laced with sarcasm and satire, the MNS is a one-man army aiming to carve an independent identity for itself.
But this is not what bothers me. Simply put, I am totally confused whom to vote for. I am not someone who would vote for an individual. Its his party and its people policies that matter. In that regard, we have a ready reckoner of the incumbent Congress-NCP government's performance in the last 10 yrs that it has ruled Maharashtra. In my opinion, Maharashtra has seen little or no governance in the last decade. We have no idea who is in-charge. The state has seen 4 chief ministers in 10 years. The Union Agriculture Minister hails from Maharashtra but farmer suicides are the order of the day. Terrorists attacks, more prominently 26/11, have raised serious questions about the state of internal security. The snail-paced development in areas like infrastructure, education, e-governance and police reforms has cast a shadow on the very commitment of this government towards its people. The situation worsens when ambitious ministers are seen washing dirty linen in public. As a result internal squabbles for one-upmanship completely overshadows the business of governance. Yes there have been no major communal out-breaks but that alone can't be a reason to vote this government back to power. The proof of the pudding has to be in the eating.
The Shiv Sena-BJP saffron alliance have struggled to come to power since the last 2 elections. Their urban support base kept eroding due to their street-style politics. The sons-of-the-soil issue further alienated them from non-Maharashtrians who have been living here for a long time. Declaring unilateral bandhs, burning buses, causing immense damage to the social fabric of the city is what defined the Shiv Sena of the 1990s. Their long absence from power has not given us a chance to assess their renewed sense of commitment, if any. But it has to be noted that this alliance was keen to show its mettle in its 4 yrs in government. The completion of the Mumbai-Pune Express Highway, around 50 fly-overs all over the city's clogged arterial roads, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link are accomplishments that have largely proved beneficial to the city's populace. Quite a few ministers were known to be tough administrators and the alliance usually sheds its communal image (on which they seek votes) once they are voted in power. Yes we may have to make do with Chhatrapatization of old and new city landmarks but atleast it will be a welcome change from stumbling across everything that sounds even remotely Gandhi. For your information , the Bandra-Worli Sea Link is officially called 'Rajiv Gandhi Setu'.
Last but not the least, the newly-formed MNS is already a force to reckon with. The party fought the Lok Sabha elections just as a warm-up to the October Assembly election and to check its popularity among youth. But it surprised itself by coveting a major chunk of the urban votes thus seriously under-cutting Shiv Sena's might. Its candidates even came second in some important constituencies. The party has certainly appealed to the first-time voters as well as women and the elderly. It has successfully managed to raise issues of day-to-day concern. It has lambasted both the government and the opposition for failing to take up the cause of the Marathi manoos as well as in tackling civic issues. However, the party cadres resorted to violence and thrashing of North Indian students and workers who have a constitutional right to earn their livelihood anywhere in the country. Their blatant disregard towards law and order and inciting regionalist passion among Maharashtrians acts as a serious threat to civil society. That may still appeal to the psychopants or misdirected youths but it surely holds no good to the Maharashtra of the 21st century. But there is no denying that the party shows promise. Its leaders seem approachable. They are young and raring to go. They have the gumption to take on the spineless government in its own backyard. If they get enough numbers to dictate terms to a future government, they will surely use that opportunity to get things cracking. Never mind the sleepless nights for the government in power.
Again FYI, the other parties in the fray are Republican Daavi Lokshahi Samiti, Bahujan Samaj Party and Independents ofcourse. But then they barely stand a chance so why bother. I probably wrote this blog to clear my own notions about these parties. You may agree or disagree with them but I will be glad you will atleast develop an independent opinion. The scenario is interesting yet so confounding. The opinion polls have already forecast a hung Assembly. But thats not our headache. Our sole responsibility is to make intelligent decisions and cast our precious vote seeking change. Personally, its been a hell of a task to arrive at a decision and I may not necessarily select the lesser of the three evils, but select I will. Elections are the heartbeats of democracy and certainly a chance for change but when successive governments fail to deliver irrespective of their stated ideology, they do become an exercise in futility. The choice is yours. What is important is that you make one...
The marked difference in these elections compared to the 2004 elections is the rise of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena or the MNS. Etched out of its parent party Shiv Sena (SS), the MNS is a by-product of the sibling rivalry between cousins Uddhav Thackeray (Exec. President, SS) and Raj Thackeray (President, MNS). Helped by Raj's powerful oratory laced with sarcasm and satire, the MNS is a one-man army aiming to carve an independent identity for itself.
But this is not what bothers me. Simply put, I am totally confused whom to vote for. I am not someone who would vote for an individual. Its his party and its people policies that matter. In that regard, we have a ready reckoner of the incumbent Congress-NCP government's performance in the last 10 yrs that it has ruled Maharashtra. In my opinion, Maharashtra has seen little or no governance in the last decade. We have no idea who is in-charge. The state has seen 4 chief ministers in 10 years. The Union Agriculture Minister hails from Maharashtra but farmer suicides are the order of the day. Terrorists attacks, more prominently 26/11, have raised serious questions about the state of internal security. The snail-paced development in areas like infrastructure, education, e-governance and police reforms has cast a shadow on the very commitment of this government towards its people. The situation worsens when ambitious ministers are seen washing dirty linen in public. As a result internal squabbles for one-upmanship completely overshadows the business of governance. Yes there have been no major communal out-breaks but that alone can't be a reason to vote this government back to power. The proof of the pudding has to be in the eating.
The Shiv Sena-BJP saffron alliance have struggled to come to power since the last 2 elections. Their urban support base kept eroding due to their street-style politics. The sons-of-the-soil issue further alienated them from non-Maharashtrians who have been living here for a long time. Declaring unilateral bandhs, burning buses, causing immense damage to the social fabric of the city is what defined the Shiv Sena of the 1990s. Their long absence from power has not given us a chance to assess their renewed sense of commitment, if any. But it has to be noted that this alliance was keen to show its mettle in its 4 yrs in government. The completion of the Mumbai-Pune Express Highway, around 50 fly-overs all over the city's clogged arterial roads, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link are accomplishments that have largely proved beneficial to the city's populace. Quite a few ministers were known to be tough administrators and the alliance usually sheds its communal image (on which they seek votes) once they are voted in power. Yes we may have to make do with Chhatrapatization of old and new city landmarks but atleast it will be a welcome change from stumbling across everything that sounds even remotely Gandhi. For your information , the Bandra-Worli Sea Link is officially called 'Rajiv Gandhi Setu'.
Last but not the least, the newly-formed MNS is already a force to reckon with. The party fought the Lok Sabha elections just as a warm-up to the October Assembly election and to check its popularity among youth. But it surprised itself by coveting a major chunk of the urban votes thus seriously under-cutting Shiv Sena's might. Its candidates even came second in some important constituencies. The party has certainly appealed to the first-time voters as well as women and the elderly. It has successfully managed to raise issues of day-to-day concern. It has lambasted both the government and the opposition for failing to take up the cause of the Marathi manoos as well as in tackling civic issues. However, the party cadres resorted to violence and thrashing of North Indian students and workers who have a constitutional right to earn their livelihood anywhere in the country. Their blatant disregard towards law and order and inciting regionalist passion among Maharashtrians acts as a serious threat to civil society. That may still appeal to the psychopants or misdirected youths but it surely holds no good to the Maharashtra of the 21st century. But there is no denying that the party shows promise. Its leaders seem approachable. They are young and raring to go. They have the gumption to take on the spineless government in its own backyard. If they get enough numbers to dictate terms to a future government, they will surely use that opportunity to get things cracking. Never mind the sleepless nights for the government in power.
Again FYI, the other parties in the fray are Republican Daavi Lokshahi Samiti, Bahujan Samaj Party and Independents ofcourse. But then they barely stand a chance so why bother. I probably wrote this blog to clear my own notions about these parties. You may agree or disagree with them but I will be glad you will atleast develop an independent opinion. The scenario is interesting yet so confounding. The opinion polls have already forecast a hung Assembly. But thats not our headache. Our sole responsibility is to make intelligent decisions and cast our precious vote seeking change. Personally, its been a hell of a task to arrive at a decision and I may not necessarily select the lesser of the three evils, but select I will. Elections are the heartbeats of democracy and certainly a chance for change but when successive governments fail to deliver irrespective of their stated ideology, they do become an exercise in futility. The choice is yours. What is important is that you make one...
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