The incredible Indian elections
The incredible Indian elections which saw 814 million registered voters from a 1.2 billion population being the largest democratic exercise ever to choose a government and a leader. The 2014 elections of India have been a hotbed of controversies, collaborations, corruption and at times conniving candidates for the past six months. Yet Narendra Modi has been predicted to be the winner in the exit polls released by Indian media organisations on Monday the 12th of May evening which saw the final round of last 42 seats of a total of 543 that are showing the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) well ahead in terms of predicted seat wins, and the governing Congress trailing badly.
Like a messiah, Modi has worked hard conducted rallies, at times 4 in a day flying in his helicopter from one place to another, one state to another, and has proved to the record turnout as someone who has been able to convince them for a change, a change that he said that is needed after the horrible rule of Congress for over 65 years.
The hysteria kicked by various candidates including Modi was able to bring out record voters with the state of Bengal recording 81 % voters turnout who came to vote.
May 16 will judge the history of India as the remnants of the Raj in the form of Congress are finally culled as claimed in many of Modi’s speeches which carried religious fervour and a fever of the highest order ever kicked up in Indian history of elections. Issues such as energy prices, fuel, water and the corruption scandals have disenchanted the voters of every sect, section, state, caste and religion. Although the speeches have become rather a volley of accusations and counter accusations instead of speaking about common voter concerns yet everyone got caught in the frenzy as many TV viewers switched off from watching popular TV serials and moved to real life dramas of elections with candidates as actors made TV viewing more interesting.
This is the first time that the Indian elections have also captured the interest in the Indians living abroad. Overseas Friends of BJP Australia was formed with state chapters in Australia and it conducted its own regular meetings supporting Modi with a campaign which was termed: Mission Modi 272+. But as the elections that were carried out in nine phases progressed starting from April 7, 2014 and ending on May 12, 2014, Modi asked for ”˜300 Kamal ke Phool’ meaning that he wants total and absolute majority of atleast 300 seats if not more. Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party challenged both Modi and Rahul Gandhi, by standing himself against Modi in the seat of Varanasi and claiming AAP to beat Rahul in Amethi. But very early on the supporters and voters called him ”˜Bhagoda’ or a ”˜Run away’ because AAP with him as the chief minster of Delhi resigned where it had joined with Congress to form a government and ran only for a mere 49 days. AAP let down many of its supporters and volunteers and gave the opportunity for other parties to accuse that he is not fit enough to rule. If Modi had successful Gujarat to show as a record, Arvind’s record of 49-Day rule was a dismal show and a nail in his yet to be announced coffin. Though Arvind is the only one who charged and informed the disgruntled people of India of the gross corrupt practices carried out by both the Congress as well as the BJP which has many a corrupt members and that was the reason that Modi’s speeches never carried any slogans of anticorruption message. He rather felt and seemed like a religious leader influencing the voters like a ”˜Katha Vachak’ as the hypnotised public went in hordes to attend his rallies, road shows and meetings. And convinced he enough that now India will see a change that is seen in the state of Gujarat where Modi is the chief minister. Gujarat has seen a transformation and progress that its residents vouch for and so do the visitors who visit the state yet Modi has been a target that he was being supported by Adanis and Ambanis during the campaign.
May 16 is the judgment day for India when finally a new political equation will emerge and till then many of us wait with a curiosity which is more than even the Australian elections as OFBJP Australia has organised a ”˜Vijay Divas ”“ Winners’ Day Event’ : from 5 pm on Friday night at Club Burwood, 97 Burwood Road; in Brisbane at Sherwood Road Public School, 464 Oxley Rd Sherwood; Adelaide: 1183, Lower North East Road, Adelaide SA 5089.
There have been discussions, clashes at times between staunch BJP supporters and Aam Aadmi Party Australia supporters who have also created a group and a blog and have been passionate and patriotic enough to support a revolution called Aam Aadmi Party led by Kejriwal. The reason they do it is because they say, “We all believe in being the change that we want to see around us.” The AAP Australia was formed last year on October 26.
Whether BJP or AAP or Congress or the alliances in the form of UPA or NDA the future of India is yet to be seen in the near future and not the party that wins on May 16 ”“ because as NRIs we want to see India free of corruption, free of poverty, more balanced and confident player in the world undaunted by the ever expanding and interfering motives of some of its neighbours from the north and the west.
TIDU asked on May 13 some of the keen supporters of various political inclinations what they think ”˜who will win?’ and the reasons they have supported them:
Vikram Sharma of Voice of India, Monika Geetmala: “I think BJP will get 250 or 260 seats. Bottom line is that it will not need Jaya Lalitha, Mamta Bannerjee or Nitish Kumar or even Mulayam Yadav’s support. They are surely winning as now many small parties are lining up behind them and BJP may even be able to muster more than 300 seats. And our Prime Minister will be Narendra Modi I am definite.”
Dr Yadu Singh, Cardiologist, “I am Expecting BJP & NDA to form the government an dalso expecting close to 272+ seats if not more. Narendra Modi as PM will be good for India because of the era of tainted governance and corruption has to go. UPA II was just not good for India. Mr Kejriwal (AAP) was working on behalf of Congress to derail the change envisaged by Modi and he will not get more than five seats in the whole of India. In fact he will lose in Varanasi badly. Last I want to say is that India needs to move away from the caste, religion and region based politics which I am sure Modi will deliver.”
Manbir Kohli, Community Forum, Monika Geetmala, “NDA ki government hi aayegi. I feel Modi will be the PM. It is still muddy at the moment. I think Modi will bring in a lot of economic change but all the other promises such as ”˜removal of article 370’, ”˜uniform civil court’ may not be achieved and being an OBC himself Modi may not get rid of the reservations.”
Aishveryaa Nidhi, of Abhinay Australia, who has recently returned from India, says, “Mere hisaab se Modi hi aayega. What I saw in India was a ”˜Modi ki lehar’. And people who have rejected Congress those seats are going to Kejriwal’s AAP party. Watching all those TV channels one could clearly see that media has supported Modi a lot. He has done good work in Gujarat so now how he transforms India is yet to be seen. Under Congress or under Rahul all Amethi got was ”˜kambal and ghadiyan’ that too at election time but if you see the place then it is still devoid of roads, proper electricity and water.”
Santram Bajaj of Australian Hindi Indian Association (AHIA), “Exit polls have already declared Modi as the winner. So what can I say except that he is most likely in. My friends from Delhi, UP, Haryana and Punjab all have said over the phone that the ”˜hawa’ is in favour of Modi. I must say that he has proved to be quite courageous not only against other parties such as Mumta’s but also people inside the BJP. He has fought them all. He has enormous stamina and has outwon younger people like Rahul and Arvind by miles. In Punjab where Jaitley was in trouble due to Akali Dal’s collusion with drug dealers and the people of Punjab totally disenchanted with Akalis while the votes of Congress going to AAP, still Jaitley because of Modi may win his seat. Right now I am watching TV and only one poll out of six that I see has predicted seats less than 272 for BJP but rest of them including CNN and Nielson polls have predicted Modi and NDA more than 272 seats and comfortably in the front with one poll predicting more than 300 seats for NDA.”
Sums up Mr Bajaj, “Already since Modi’s predicted win India’s stock market has surged and for NRI investors and others India now seems to be a good investment.”
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