By Brij Bhardwaj
Polling in 2014 will be unique and trend setter in many ways. Trends indicate that it will be a record as far as percentrage of voters who are exercising their right is concerned. It will also be the most expensive campaign in history of India with national parties spending huge amounts with BJP alone spending nearly ten thousand crores on publicity. No other party will be able to match them as they have set new standards in terms of publicity with big splash on front pages of all newspapers, spots on T.V and Radio.
The huge screens on venue of rallies, big backdrops on stage and professionalism shown in organising public rallies has never been seen before. The use of planes and helicopters to transport top leaders has made big fortunes for charter companies in India. Such large scale use of air transport has never been seen before. The smaller players in the field, however, had to depend on road shows. The election machinery has seized a record amount of cash, and liquor being carried to woo the voters, but everyone knows that it has only made the candidates more careful in use of muscle power and money power to woo the electorate.
The poll in 2014 will also be remembered as one where major political parties have crossed all limits of decency and code of conduct to polarise the voters on basis of religion and regional loyalties. Even top leaders are guilty of using foul language and making speeches to rouse religious passions and divide people. Many of them have been served notices by the Election Commission of India and some have been reprimanded and in extreme cases arrested. But this has not prevented them friom going ahead and flouting all norms of good conduct and decency in electioneering.
Some State Govenments are also guilty of using State machinery to influence the voters and Election Commission had to issue strong warning to bring them on line and shift officials found guiulty of violating the directions of the Election Commission. It is a tribute to Indian electorate and Election Commission that despite such brazen attempts a record number of voters are exercising their right to elect members of their choice.
The toughest challenge is faced by authorities in Naxal affected States like Chatisgarh, Bihar and Jarkhand. It will also be the longest poll which started in April and results will be announced on May 16 when counting will take place. It is taken for granted that there will be change of Government as NDA is expected to emerge as a ruling party and UPA will ooccupy the opposition benches.
What is not clear as yet if NDA will win a majority on its own or will need the support of regional parties to get a majority, There is also a change as BJP which in the past had a tradition of collective leadership is building a personality cult around Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi The voters are being asked to vote for a Government led by Modi and not a Government led BJP. Many senior leaders including former presidents of the party have been marginalised. It includes L.K Advani and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi who were denied constituencies of their choice while a senior leader Jaswant Singh was denied party ticket and is contesting as an independent.
Some are suggesting that in the new set up senior leaders like L.K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi , Yashwant Sinha and others will be sidelined while a new team will emerge which will include favourites of Modi like Arun Jetley and Amit Shah. It will mark a change of generation so that a new agenda away from what was being projected by old guard based on Swadeshi is dumped and doors opened for foreign investment and a big role by private sector.
Mr Modi who has become the darling of Indian corporate world and foreign investors by building a Gujarat model of development based on concessions to industrialists to attract industry is expected to adopt same policy at Center. He will,however, face a tough challenge as it would be difficult to cut huge burden of subsidies or find resources for investment in infrastructure to revive the economy and achieve higher rate of growth. [IFS]