Stop dishing out false promises; Delhi voter is intelligent

Big turnout in rallies does not indicate voter’s choice; they weigh their option before giving their valuable vote

jasleen

Jasleen Kaur | February 6, 2015


#Delhi polls   #Delhi elections   #aam aadmi party   #bharatiya janata party  


What does the big turnout in the election rallies reflect? For parties it may be show of support. But for voters it is certainly not.

The campaigning for the Delhi assembly elections scheduled for February 7 is over. But the poll fever is still high. And what can be a better place to judge that than the metro, the pride of modern Delhi.

On Friday morning I boarded the general coach of the metro. A group of five men were discussing Delhi elections, political parties and speculating on the results as others listened with interest.

Each had their party preference and for different reasons. They seemed to have weighed available options and settled for one, in a knowledgeable conclusion.

Many political leaders have been boasting about how their parties have an edge as they have had crowds at election rallies and road shows. But for people like Akash working with an MNC in Noida, the ground facts matter and not number of people.

He said, “Kiski rally me kitni bheedh aa rahi hai, isse hame fark nahi padta. Kaun se naukri pesha log rally me jaate hai. Ye sab kiraye ki bheedh hoti hai.” Political parties think that high density of rallies show support of people, but that’s actually not the case, he said.

Akash said he had voted for Narendra Modi as the prime minister in the Lok Sabha elections and still admires him. However, Modi’s talks in rallies now do not make any sense. “He thinks we are fool. We do not know the reality? How the petrol prices have come down? How can he take the credit for that? Voters are not illiterate.” For Akash issues are entirely different in the state assembly elections and they cannot be confused with issues of national interest.

Two men, in their later 40s working with the central government, favoured Congress over other parties. They said Shiela Dikshit’s work in the national capital is visible all around and it cannot be debated. Disagreeing with the prime minister’s claim that no development had taken place in Delhi, one of them said, “certainly a lot more can be done. But one cannot deny the development that has happened. We have metro, good DTC buses and flyovers. You think about Delhi without all this. And also the level of pollution has decreased.”

While opinion polls give clear mandate to different parties, they cannot be complacent about their victory.

Rohit, who works with the same company as Akash, is a BJP supporter. But he is disappointed with its chief ministerial candidate. Referring to a video clip being circulated on WhatsApp, a combo of various TV interviews given by Kiran Bedi, Rohit says, “We have heard stories about her being a strong police officer, but she is unable to reply to any of the question.” He, though, was apprehensive about Arvind Kejriwal led AAP as well.

One strong supporter of AAP said that even if it wins and forms the government, it would not be an easy ride for Kejriwal due to high expectations and BJP government at the centre.

Whatever is the outcome on February 10, the political parties should remember that a common man in Delhi is well-informed, educated and has access to various social media, and thinks before voting.

Comments

 

Other News

Millets to make comeback in army ration after half a century

As the UN has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the Indian Army has steered introduction of millets flour in the rations of soldiers. This landmark decision will ensure troops are supplied with native and traditional grains after over half a century, when these were discontinued in favour

Central Bank Digital Currency has game-changing potential

When discussing digital currency, you might think of one or two well-known varieties. There is the digital representation of currency that you access with mobile and online banking services. This currency is the liability of a commercial bank. There is also cryptocurrency, a digital medium of exchange issu

An Insider’s Account of the Zail Singh Years: The Endgame

The Indian President: An Insider’s Account of the Zail Singh Years By K.C. Singh HarperCollins, 312 pages, Rs.699  

‘My Father Was a Simple Man’: Remembering Gen. Rawat

Bipin: The Man Behind the Uniform By Rachna Bisht Rawat Penguin, 207 pages, Rs 599 On the morning of 8 December 202

A Mind and Heart without Corners

In Love, At Ease: Everyday Spirituality with Pramukh Swami By Yogi Trivedi Penguin Random House, 360 pages, Rs 499 Spirituali

Mumbai air quality dips, BMC swings into action

Taking note of Mumbai’s rising air pollution and deteriorating air quality in the recent months, the BMC has attributed rising dust levels to different large-scale development and construction works combined with changes in the wind speed conditions. It has constituted a seven-member committee, which

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook    Twitter    Google Plus    Linkedin    Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter