Oh no I’m not referring to the festive weekend just gone but I mean the far bigger spectacle that encapsulates us once every few years reminding us that we live in a democracy and we supposedly have a say in it! The Elections!
Maharashtra was one of the states that held its elections for the State Legislative Assembly which in turn would mean determining the party that would rule the state for the next five years.
There were new and vibrant elements this time around. Funds were spent in crores as opposed to lakhs! Media and other PR (Public Relation) channels were very creatively used. Advertising took to new dimensions as each candidate extended his/ her reach by entering the voter’s life through television, radio, mobile phones, hoardings, brochures and lastly by physically entering the homes!
Meanwhile some things remained the same…none of the parties seemed sincere enough to care for the voters’ interest and city’s development! Opponent bashing took up most of their energy. This time around they even had an available issue to embark upon which was the security measures for the city post 26/11 but so busy were they in pursuing their own goals and agenda that they could not even hold and emphasize the details around it.
While at one corner two cousins fought amongst themselves for the vote of the Marathi manoos, there were others severing their decade old relations with their parties and walking across party lines in order to get a ticket to contest the elections.
Finally nothing unexpected has happened. The same government will continue and the same people will oppose it for the next five years. I believe this has nothing to do with competence or lack of it but it’s simply people’s loss of all hope in trusting anybody and simply going with the flow. It’s like surrendering between devil and deep sea knowing fully that neither is going to be any different so might as well play along.
The biggest attention seeking draw is Raj T. establishing his presence and that one can largely attribute to his brilliance in oratory and tapping on nerves that have already been throbbing and will continue to do so for a while. One thing is for sure though- amidst the crowd of petty thieves vying for your attention with wry smiles and corny eyes, it is this roaring bandit that seems glorious and magnetic!!
It can thus be said safely that one party one because the other was a disaster and the one that lost was imply because the former won. Someone else benefited…the voters as usual lost….now that the tamasha is over…life will go on and on and on…
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