Voter Sagacity

Much has been said about the sagacity of the Indian voters. No doubt they could make stalwarts like Indira Gandhi, Vajpayee, Advani, etc. bite dust. But were these only flash in pan or calculated wise voting?

How come really worthies like Arun Shorie, Pranab Mukherjee and Man Mohan Singh cannot dare face the electorate and are to seek back door entry? Why hard-working no-nonsense Jai Ram Ramesh has to resort to Rajya Sabha entry that too from a State to which he does not really belong?

Can a Desmukh or a Chagla or a KL Rao win popular vote assuming a party will nominate them or as independents?

When most of the country was blowing Janata wind in 1977, Andhra voted 41 seats out of 42 for Congress. Were AP voters not sagacious?

Even though some not strictly political but educated, young, idealistic persons like Jyotiraditya, Jindal, Sachin Pilot, etc do contest and win it is not due to their personal worth but because they represent entrenched dynasties of their fiefdoms.

Or is it the Political parties at fault? Can't they break the shackles of religion, region, caste and family to give the voters a chance to elect upright, hard-working and knowledgeable people? What good do the electors expect from the widow of a politician who had no public exposure whatsoever hitherto, compounded by the fact that she may be an illiterate?

So we can safely conclude that neither the individual nor the political party nor the wise Indian voter can really buck the trend and ensure that best available is the winner.

If it is so, what is the trend?

We have certain constituencies treated as pocket boroughs. Rae Barelli and Amethi for example. Is it only a coincidence that these were never reserved. Anyway, do the voters there make a conscious choice? Are not the voters there taken for granted? Do they feel so?

On a bigger scale, in Tamil Nadu one elects either a DMK or an AiADMK to power, there can be no third choice. Where is voter sagacity?

About one third of our honorable law makers are reported to have criminal cases against them. But they have been duly elected by voters.

Has here been any instance of political parties not putting up candidates against men of proven integrity and ability like Kriplani, HV Kamath, NG Gorey, VB Raju, etc who bring prestige, wisdom and quality to our parliamentary democracy?

Are we to assume

that voter sagacity is a myth.

that political parties are only interested in power and the numbers that bring it and hence nominate the most winnable and available person irrespective of his antecedents or abilities.

that since huge amounts of money are required to contest elections, despite the expenditure ceiling, families that control money also control political parties and nominatins

that a individual hover worthy he/she may be has no scope in this jostling.

wither Democracy.

…ponder