Hollow guarantees order of the day
It is time to enjoy the election season. It is so because at least during this period some churning of thoughts on issues like electoral bonds, bribery, rigging, buying votes, benefits of electronic voting machines, manipulation of EVMs by ruling party, using probe agencies like ED, CBI etc for harassing the political opponents, funny memes, reels, fake news on social media, attempts to lure the minorities, make all kinds of promises whether they can be implemented or not, accusing and abusing the rival party leaders, large scale ‘Aya Ram Gaya Ram,’ dramas all in the name of protecting the democracy.
The new trend this time is Guarantees. Modi started this trend saying ‘Modi ki Gaurantee.’ The Congress too is vying in announcing gurantees. It started with five guarantees during Madhya Pradesh elections and extended to Karnataka Assembly and Telangana Assembly elections and now it has increased the number to 10 guarantees. Well no one is bothered whether they can be implemented or not or whether the guarantees will come with ‘several conditions apply’ once it comes to power.
The Congress party says it will go to eight crore people door to door with its guarantee card. Good but that never happens. No party really goes from door to door explaining what they have done and what they propose to do. The campaign only adds to adding more glossy papers in the form of pamphlets to the garbage bins. No party whether it be the BJP, the Congress or any of the parties in the so called bloc INDIA have come saying what if they fail to implement the guarantees they are promising? Do people have to wait for next five years to punish them?
Why don’t these so called saviors of democracy say that they will bring amendments to the constitution and add the clause of recall if the people feel that their MP or MLA had not been able to deliver what he has promised.
But why did not Congress party think of doing it during its six decade long rule even after the dark days of emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi? Why did not the Janata Government that succeeded Congress fail in doing so? Why is that suddenly EVMs have become villain according to the opposition parties while they were tamper proof during their regime?
Not just that they also are not willing to talk about right to recall. No party really wants to empower the people. It is so because that is the lust for power they have, If you have leaders like Kejriwal who does not want to step down even after his arrest though legally he cannot sign on any policy document, he cannot hold cabinet meetings to take any decisions why will the so called saviors of democracy agree to incorporate the clause of recall.
Politicians in India do not take up ownership. The leaders say they alone had done everything which no one else could even dream of. But no one speaks whether what he had done was in right direction or not and what more need to be done. So far Modi is the only leader who had at least admitted that what his government had done was just a trailer and that lot more needs to be done.
The opposition alliance which failed to connect with people during last five years and who failed to come up with new narrative is still harping on issues which have not hit the bull’s eye.
It is high time the political parties answer these questions first. Till then nothing will change and poll season will continue to be season for people to enjoy the musings and repent for next five years and with no guarantee that they would become wiser.