Democracy triumphs, a great leveller

Democracytriumphed in the most telling fashion in the just-concluded general elections. That will of the people has scant respect for personalities has been reiterated as it did when Indira Gandhi called for elections in 1977. That democracy is a great leveller should have a sobering effect on the BJP, which put up a lackluster performance, despite a forceful electioneering, which employed communalism most brazenly and audaciously, especially by Prime Minister Modi, who captained the campaigning.

Dr. George Jacob,Kochi

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Attractiveand competitive BJP (Modi) and Congress guarantees that included freebies and financial incentives given in the recently concluded general elections have failed to get them even seats required for halfway mark; because, people voted for growth and development of the country and for resolution of regional issues. The influence of religion and caste in voting have not reduced in this election, too, as candidates from general category who contested in the minority and caste stronghold regions faced defeat. Mudslinging of opponents by leaders, even at the Prime Minister & Home Minister levels, in the electioneering, reached its peak reducing the prestige of their respective positions.

Dr O Prasada Rao, Hyderabad

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Therehave been many unfortunate instances of political instability in our country in the past. To ensure our votes are not being wasted, we must implement a mandatory law to prevent pre-election alliances from breaking up and forming corrupt, post-election alliances with other parties. The practice of attracting members from smaller parties to form a majority must end. Where is our right to vote in this? All of this must end. Parties should give a letter of trust to the Election Commission before the election, declaring their alliances and adhering to them on strict principles and no breaking of promises. The tendency to switch alliances after the election must be curbed.

Anandambal CK Maniam, Mumbai

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Ifthe verdict is to be described with brevity, it is the assertion of people’s power and will. Implicit in the verdict is the clear and unambiguous message that no political party or political leader will be allowed to overwhelm or overawe the citizenry. The herald of coalition politics coincides with the return of “normal politics” after ten years. The verdict has knocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi off the perch, stripped him of the aura of invincibility and punctured his exaggerated sense of his own importance. The changed political situation has made him a shadow of his former self. The best thing about the ‘fractured’ verdict that ‘remade the political map’ is that secular MPs outnumber communal MPs in the new Parliament and that the BJP, well short of half way mark in the Lok Sabha, cannot change the Constitution, imperil our multiparty democracy, substitute true patriotism with virulent nationalism, supplant secularism with Hindutva and persecute religious minorities.

G David Milton, Maruthancode, TN

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Anover confident Modi & Co learnt a bitter lesson in electoral politics and has to re-examine its political strategies for future elections. NDA had not only INDI alliance to fight against, but also had to contend with several countries and organisations inimical to Narendra Modi. That is why it was a close call and NDA scraped through to achieve that magic figure. The INDI Alliance was saved the ignomy of a virtual defeat because of the good show of its partners - SP in UP and TMC in WB. It could have been a much better show had there been good coordination among all the partners and a PM candidate projected before the polling began. All said and done, Modi needs to tread the path more carefully and should not take the voter for granted.

Govardhana Myneedu, Vijayawada