With poll bugle sounded, expect more frenzy
While election campaigning had begun weeks before, the announcement of lok Sabha poll dates by the Election Commission of India on Wednesday adds a sense of urgency to the efforts of political parties to put their message across to the electorate. The first phase of polling will begin on April 7 and the last votes will be cast on May 12. What we can expect now is a renewed and frenzied attempt by the parties and their leaders to strike pre-poll alliances, finalise their candidates accordingly, and hit the ground running. There is no more time to lose. Every political party will be eyeing not just its traditional vote-bank but also the new voters, a substantial 10 crore in number, according to the poll panel. Poll pundits agree that the first-time voters hold the key, which is why parties are going overboard to woo them. Here, the Bharatiya Janata Party holds an edge, if one were to go by the recent findings of various opinion surveys. The party's prime ministerial candidate, Mr Narendra Modi, appears to be a firm favourite, as most young and first-time voters are said to be inclined to his brand of assertive governance and, therefore, to the BJP. However, the Congress is also hoping to garner the support of young voters on the strength of the party’s projection of Mr Rahul Gandhi as its youth mascot. Not to be left behind, regional parties too been active in their attempts to win over the first-time voters. It can be said with some certainty that the young electorate, whether in rural India or in urban segments, will be less inclined to be influenced by old-time voting considerations such as caste and religion, or even long-held loyalties to a particular party regardless of the candidate the party fields. These voters are looking to parties that not just promise but also have a track record in the politics of development. It is, therefore, not surprising that very few parties are pandering — at least blatantly — to parochial sensibilities.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the BJP has managed to establish the agenda of developmental politics as an electoral discourse. Mr Modi, much to the dismay of his detractors who see him as a communally polarising figure, has studiously refrained from raising sectarian issues to attract votes. In meeting after public meeting, he has spoken of inclusive development, of restoring the dignity of the country in the international community, of cleaning up the economy, of calling a halt to corruption in high places, of revamping the country's defence policy. These are matters that strike a chord with not just the old-time voters who are disgusted with the politics of appeasement because they have seen its adverse fall-outs over the decades, but also the young voters that just do not connect with discredited tactics. Also, the first-time voters are sure to be turned off by personalised and often insulting comments that certain politicians have been regularly directing at their opponents. The fear that such remarks will increase as campaigning hots up is real.
With the election dates out, the time has come for political parties to firm up their commitments — from being generalised to specific. For instances, while most parties have identified the problems relating to the economy that need a resolution, they have to now offer solutions. While these cannot be too specific or elaborate at this stage, the solutions must at least offer a roadmap which will help the voters take an informed decision on their course of action. Finally, the 2014 lok Sabha election is an opportunity for the people to discard the discredited and endorse the performers. The right choice can reverse the mess the country is in today; a wrong button pressed will spell disaster.