IT WAS election time. One district, which was daily hitting the headlines was Gorakhpur. Reason -- the unique poll bonanzas for voters. And they were not mere announcements.
Candidates were busy distributing sarees. To add some dignity to this mindless distribution, they had even given their unwarranted acts some legitimacy -- rakhi gift to sisters.
Another candidate had dumped electric poles in the constituency to prove his sincerity in getting power in the area while the liquor baron in the fray had selected liquor pouches for distribution to please the men folk. All this went on and on despite the strict code of conduct enforced by the Election Commission.
It is another matter that majority of the candidates who showered poll gifts eventually lost their deposits. But apparently the chief ministers of the state have not learnt from the Gorakhpur experiences.
In an action-replay of Gorakhpur, albeit in a more sophisticated manner, BJP Chief Minister Rajnath Singh held panchayats of teachers, farmers, students, gram pradhans, dalits and traders prior to the 2002 assembly elections. Held on the sprawling lawns of the CM’s official bungalow at Kalidas Marg, these panchayats often lasted 10 to 12 hours as Rajnath patiently heard their problems before promising them the moon. To prove the chief minister’s resolve, the officers had the data on their fingertips, funds released and what not.
Obviously, all panchayats ended with ‘zindabad’ slogans, while a contented Rajnath Singh retired for the daydreaming of their support in the elections, which were not far off.
{{/usCountry}}Obviously, all panchayats ended with ‘zindabad’ slogans, while a contented Rajnath Singh retired for the daydreaming of their support in the elections, which were not far off.
{{/usCountry}}What happened? While he calculated 200 seats to form the government, the Bhartiya Janata Party ended with below 100 in a house of 403. The party could not even adorn the role of an effective opposition in the House.
Sadly again the present Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has also quietly slipped into Rajnath Singh’s shoes. The only difference being that while Rajnath Singh collected people at his official bungalow to announce pre-poll bonanzas, Mulayam is criss-crossing the state to spread his one-line message, “We can deliver provided you return us to power”. And he has no other option, as his government’s report card is poor. All his decisions smack of politics today, “The government will double the unemployment allowance if returned to power” or “The government will give five sarees instead of two if brought back to power”.
His promises to the minorities on the appointment of 5,000 Urdu teachers or distribution of largesse to the victims of the Emergency days raises just one question -- why now?
Two sarees for every poor woman is not a new concept. Other states did it first, UP is doing it now though Mulayam Singh Yadav has been talking about it in his public meetings for past several years. Isn’t it unfortunate that the government remembers welfare schemes also closer to elections? Agreed power projects may take years to start, but disbursements like that of unemployment allowance and sarees don’t involve years-long homework. Only the intent has to be clear.
In fact, Mulayam seems to be picking up the wrong threads. Remember the ‘India Shining’ propaganda of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government during Lok Sabha polls. People, especially the middle class, had rejected the slogan in one stroke. Today Mulayam is busy selling his ‘Uttam Pradesh’ slogan. How can people in the state accept ‘UP Shining’ when they themselves are living in complete darkness? It appears that successive governments, miserably failing in their long-term plans of alleviating poverty, raising literacy standards, checking inflation and maintaining law and order are now taking to short-cut routes, like distribution of sarees or unemployment allowance. Otherwise also, had Indira Gandhi implemented the ‘Garibi Hatao’ slogan sincerely people would not have died of starvation in ‘modern’ India.
Undoubtedly voters are not only getting conscious of their rights but are in an assertive mood too. Only they have to come out of their caste and community shells.
And now the time has come to use the potent Right to Information law to elect the right leaders. Yes, there is time to assess the performance of your public representatives -- how have they spent the crores of rupees given to them as MLA fund. Has it gone in buying personal property in the form of school, shop, community hall and laptops or in improving the living conditions of their voters?
In fact for the first time the voters can have access to such valuable information, based on which they can use their veto power. And they have the time too. Going by Mulayam’s words, elections would be held on time, which means sometime in early 2007. If the so-called intellectuals get down to business today, they would contribute in giving a government that would ask votes on their governance and not on doles.