India ranks high worldwide in the successful conduct of free and fair elections. This does not mean it has been an easy task – there have been shortcomings, which have needed to be addressed. The Election Commission has led the fight by remaining neutral and implementing timely reforms. There have been Chief Election Commissioners who have fully utilised the constitutional powers vested in the EC to enforce a healthy voting culture.
The people, too, have responded by putting their trust in the system and exercising their franchise with considerable maturity. Unlike the developed nations, it is the poor here that have participated with greater vigour. That they continue to do so means they feel that, overall, elections do serve the purpose of providing accountable governance.
It is a matter of concern, however, that communal, regional, caste and other considerations seem to play a major role in determining people’s choices. Or, at least, that is how political parties behave when campaigning, preparing manifestos, selecting candidates and raising issues. Does this reflect the grassroots reality or is it an approach emerging from an inability to understand economic and social concerns? Do voters get taken in by deceitful propaganda? Does the quality of politician match the requirements of an India that has an increasing role in world affairs? Does an anti-incumbent mood within the electorate take into account the quality of the offered alternative?
Consider the manner in which parties are positioning themselves the coming assembly elections in five important states. Caste has come to the forefront in full force with the OBC ‘census’ bait being dangled by the opposition. How relevant is this to present day India? Yet, even politicians who should know better, indeed those who have paid a heavy price for playing this kind of politics in the past, are all eager to open the Pandora’s box, regardless of the consequences. Even the tough competitive politics of this country does not seem to have thrown up a new breed of politicians and the same old, oft rejected, are being thrown up as options – be it Lalu Yadav, Kamal Nath, Digvijay Singh, etc. Is there a monopolistic hold over resources and power in the parties that denies more contemporary leaders to emerge? Can the present lot, even with their unity efforts, be able to take on the challenge? Should not the next wave of reforms by the EC more effectively address the issue of inner-party democracy? Or, will India remain trapped in the politics of the past century? Voters, on their part, could hasten the process by consigning outdated politics to the dustbin.
