It is often hard to be singled out singing out of key …. Or playing out of step like Lisa in the Simpsons. I find myself similarly swimming against the tide these elections.
While the overall mood is that you should “vote for change”, unfortunately I do not see an Obamaesque politician to look up to.
The price of a vote in my beloved state has been put at Rs 500, which is good, since that is all we will get for a while to come anyway! I read a post from someone who actually asked his suitors to value his vote at Rs 5000. Good on you mate! See his post below
http://election.rediff.com/report/2009/may/13/votersvoice-ask-for-rs-five-thousand-a-vote.htm
Now these are national elections, which means that national issues take precedence over local ones. A conscientious voter would therefore weigh national issues and concerns while voting. What are the national issues from a TN perspective that we should think about?
1) The plight of the Tamils in SL, with a keen eye on NOT supporting the LTTE
2) Issues of development. Holistic ones, not freebies that do not help anybody
3) The Sethusamudram project
4) The attempts by people to enforce their thoughts on morality on everybody
5) And many more …..
I would be very happy if someone could point me to a coalition in TN which actually is made up of parties that all stand on the same side of these issues. The local coalitions are based more on power politics as opposed to issues. Take issues No. 1. Avowed opponents of LTTE are now suddenly singing a totally different tune and have allied with parties that are brazen in their vocal opinions on the subject. Whatever happened to issue or principle based politics?
So here I stand …. disillusioned and not even concerned whether
the BJP led NDA or Congress led UPA comes to power.When political expediency demands it, the BJP is not so communal and the Congress is not that secular anyway ! You may take this as a
compliment or a curse, but it doesn’t really matter who comes to power. I think
it is just that India
Does anyone really think that a third front made up of parties with perennial short sightedness and aided by the amazingly medieval minded Left give us that? I see a situation where if the Congress or BJP do not get atleast 140 seats each, we may either have a third front government (made of the present front and “allies” of the NDA / UPA) or a similar dispensation supported by one of the national parties. I don’t really want to think too far ahead about that, for it is giving me a headache already.
The SP actually has already announced that they will support
ANY party in the centre that will dismiss (constitutionally elected by
universal franchise) the government of Mayawati! This is the incredulity of the
Indian system and we haven’t seen the last of it I am afraid.
So we have absolutely NO clue who will support whom post poll …. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the left doing the Salsa with the BJP (maybe I AM getting a bit ahead of myself here !), but the point is that I have absolutely NO CLUE in whose kitty my vote is going to end up in ! I am sorry, but in that situation, I would rather not cast it at all.
So, while I doff my hat at all my friends who voted, I must
apologize for having skipped it this time. Come next elections, I am sure we
will have a clearer idea of who we will be voting for in the national level. I
am guessing it will be a direct Modi Vs Rahul battle and I am already watching
how these two future leaders of India
Hopefully next time I will be able to cast it with confidence.
Jai Hind !
It isn't often that being proven wrong is so satisfying ! I am so glad my fears were unfounded and we actually have a clear verdict. Personally, the most satisfying things this election for me was the Left getting decimated (about time !!)
Posted by: vinod | May 16, 2009 at 05:57 AM