Whom To Vote?
By M Shamsur Rabb Khan
02 May, 2009
Countercurrents.org
As I have made my mind to certainly vote for the first this, the biggest question is: whom should I vote for? I have no political affiliation, no personal liking for any leader of any party that I find eligible to have my precious vote, nor any single political party with pragmatic and clear ideology for development. But I have to vote though casting vote is not an easy business though it may see like that. Voter, they say, is the king. Isn’t it a hollow slogan? What if I don’t vote? Ever drop, again they say, counts. Isn’t it every single drop is as weak as the proverbial bamboo that is alone, not in group? Voters are all single bamboos whom leaders don’t like to be a united force.
Even in Indian democracy where plethora of political parties exist, I have limited choices, as I, like about 714 million voters in this country, have no role in deciding who would contest from which constituency, or contest at all. So, I, like millions again, will not have any role in deciding which party, or the coalition of parties will form the government. Since candidates never approached voters through media before filing their nomination papers, not even a small number of them, their candidature seem imposed upon the voters. Hence choiceless voters like me will have to vote for the person whom I hardly have any interaction with except their deeds and misdeeds that I could know via newspapers and TV channels, or from sundry gossips. Likewise, it is highly likely that the next Prime Minister will be imposed on the citizens in case a political coalition of any sort take shape after much horse trading, even if the voters don’t like him.
Till date, for example, I found no candidate worthy of being elected from the constituency I live in, but with sheer unwillingness, I have to accept him as my representative in the Parliament. Till date, I abstained from voting because I did not find a single candidate whom I can say with pride: “look this man is diehard honest, hard working and sincere enough to take care of people’s welfare”. But this would perhaps remain a life long, distant dream.
What then should I think while going to cast my vote this time? Should I vote out of vengeance, favouring one candidate whom I dislike the least over the others whom I dislike the most in order of demerit? Or should I vote for a candidate who is less corrupt than others who are more? Or should I vote for a candidate who belongs to my caste or creed even if he or she is less competent than those from other castes and creeds who are more qualified? Or should I look to the political party, not the candidate, when I press the EVM button on 7 May? Or should I go for independent candidate if I don’t like any political party worth running this country? But what effect will these less than a dozen ‘Independents’ exert on the coalition building for the next government even if they are good candidates? Will they withstand the din and pandemonium created by more than hundred MPs of a political party in Parliament?
I am a helpless voter though, they say, voters are the ultimate sovereign. I feel I am a slave to the existing political parties. Since I have to keep democracy alive I will vote or I have to vote to a person or party against the rebellious voice of my conscience. I know whether I go left or go right or remain in between I would feel very bad after casting my vote. As I find no political party is fighting this election to uphold the constitutional values, or highlighting the real time issues that are necessary for development, there is a need to teach them a lesson. But how? In the decayed political system, I, like millions of other voters, am one vote that legitimizes the incompetent candidate to walk down the corridor of power. Isn’t it a tragedy that I am going to select a ruler whom I don’t like at all? But I have no option. Then there is no negative voting system whereby voters might have rejected the candidates whom they would think incompetent to rule this country.
During election times, promises are aplenty. They were before as they are in 2009. And they will be in 2014 as well. But I, like other voters, will have no celebrations of people’s power since I am nowhere in the making of the government. But what then am I for? As a voter, I have been fooled or betrayed many a times via the politics of allegation and counter allegation by different political parties that only create confusion and chaos. I am stuck between two monsters – Scylla (leaders indulged in self-praise) and Charybdis (leaders indulged in other’s criticism). I find no clarity on the political front as every party blames the other for all the ills the country is facing today, or every leader does severe post mortem of his species in other party in order to win my vote. Then there are sycophants and minions, who in the times of good earning, make me believe that the candidate is a good one, or has changed from what he or she was last time if candidate is an old face. But I have rarely seen deers becoming non-vegetarians or tigers vegetarians.
Hi-tech era has changed the style of asking and advertising for votes, but it has failed to change asking leaders, and the Internet is being exploited to lure young voters, as emotional and controversial issues are raised to fetch votes from the mature voters. Rather than pure service or people’s welfare, politics has become absolute enterprise in which leaders are busy minting money, with heart and soul in it since returns are as quick and big as anyone could think gaining it via winning a lottery, or a few millions out of Kaun Banega Crorepati realty show. Though, I, again like other voters, have become intelligent to gauge the deceptive moves of leaders, I have been fooled time and again by them due to their farsightedness and advancement in thinking to outpace and outwit me. Leaders have one great quality: they walk two steps ahead of voters. Which is why they rule us.
