‘No morals, no rules’ define 2024 ballot battle

Curtains on the poll theatre would be pulled down on June 1 when the polling for the last phase for 57 seats across eight states and union territories will be held and the television channels and social media would start airing exit polls, leaving the viewers wondering which exit poll is accurate and which is fake. The figures would be interpretative.

The stock market that collapsed after the fifth poll started becoming bullish after the sixth phase. Some expressed their anger over the transfer of funds by the RBI to the government. Two days later, the RBI announced it was transferring Rs 2,10,874 crore as surplus to the government for the accounting year 2023-2024. But the timing of transfer acquired political importance despite the fact that this is an annual exercise formalised following the recommendation of the Jalan Committee in 2019.

The high decibel political rhetoric that was witnessed during the six phases of the elections so far drowned the facts and political fiction gained importance. These elections have proved that politics is purely a power game and this game has no morals, no rules. This is one exercise where ultimately what matters is coming to power. In this game, friends become foes and vice versa. It does not matter even if the opponents’ names get destroyed in the process.

‘Ab Ki baar 400 paar’ is just not possible. The reason: BJP will suffer quantum loss in Maharashtra, Bihar,, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. It will lose at least 50 seats in the north and the gain in south cannot compensate this loss. That it will be difficult for BJP to get more than 225 seats is the calculation of those who are not happy with the saffron party, but at the same time they do not explain why INDI bloc should come to power. “If Modi comes to power, it will be dictatorship,” they argue. But can democracy be saved and freedom restored to all as per Constitution by the bloc INDI? They have no answer.

Modi has destroyed all institutions, He is now jittery, and that is why he is talking anything he likes. It does not behoove a Prime Minister to speak about Mangalsutra, Muslims, etc., his baiters say. But does it behoove ‘Shehzada’ and his alliance partners to talk about religion-based reservations? Does it behoove them to attack Santana Dharma? Does attacking a women member of Parliament in the house of a Chief Minister, without anyone having the spine to condemn it, enhance the stature of any of the leaders of Bloc INDI including Rahul Gandhi? Should not this crowd of INDI bloc explain how they would take the country forward? What is their alternative economic policy? Well, just as they do not know who the PM face is in case they come to power, they are not clear what should be the economic policy. The opposition did not even put up an absolute united show and there were no joint campaigns. This being the case how can the voters believe them? In Andhra Pradesh, one had seen that the NDA alliance had been in speaking in one voice, held joint public meetings and road shows and the cadre of all the three partners worked in unison during the campaign and explained what they would do if voted to power and this had sent a clear message to the voters and increased the confidence levels of the opposition that they are closer to power while the ruling party turned jittery.

Whoever comes to power, the first reform they need to take up is to reduce the cost of elections which are said to be the costliest in the world. PM spoke of taking big decisions if voted to power again. But there was no indication of electoral reforms. The opposition also is silent. Very unfortunate scenario!