Election 2009, party politics and lack of debates

The next couple of months are going to be different and hectic for the whole nation. The itinerary of elections is both a time of expectations and anxiety. Political parties are working harder day in and day out to woo the voters. They know too well that voters cannot be fooled so easily. In such a scenario parties should be focusing on issues that are troubling India as a nation rather than picking on each other.

But that is not to be. Sonia Gandhi kickstarted her campaign in Karnataka from what the party describes as the ‘lucky’ place, Dhavangere on March 24. As expected, she attacked the BJP and the newly formed Third Front. There may be a lot of truth in what she said; but her loyal voters are all aware as to what sort of a party BJP is or is not. Perhaps greater good would have been done if she had spoken on issues; what her party’s agenda for the nation is etc. But precious time and money were lost in, what I would call, as vitriolic rhetoric.

The BJP on the other hand does not seem to have any clarity with regard to their election campaign. Their one point agenda seems to be to attack the UPA government headed, according to them, by a weak Prime Minister. In his speech in Mathura on March 25, L. K. Advani was, as always, at his rhetorical best in attacking the UPA. “Decisions are made at 10 Janpath and not at 7 Race Course Road,” he said. But what is his alternative? What sort of ‘goverance’ is he assuring the electorate? The five years of NDA regime was not witness to great governance and progress. In fact, economy was in bad shape with only 5 per cent growth rate. Today’s economy slowdown has been a global phenomenon and hence voters will not believe the BJP if they were to say that the UPA has made a mess of the country’s economy. (Just as the issue on terrorism failed to break ice with Delhi and Rajasthan voters during the assembly elections last year.)

So where is the agenda? Where are discussions and debates on serious issues? Media are a party to this development as they too do not seem to initiate debates on leadership and governance and many other issues of relevance. They, especially the news channels, seem to be more interested in getting leaders from various parties together in the studio just to have verbal duels with each other. This development is a direct fall out of the new concept of news dissemination today. It is no more news, but infortainment. Even as you are watching ‘news’ you should also be entertained. Otherwise you may not watch the channel the next time and as a result the channel in question may lose the great TRP. So, all reportage is packaged with background music and special effects. Every story looks like a detective thriller.

Thus the viewers are condemned to put up with the same old faces day and night. The singhvis, the Ravishankar Prasads, the Janyanthi Natarajans, the Zaudekars, the Rajas and their ilk are in great demand to ‘entertain’ you. In the bargain, however, the common man is all at sea finding difficult to decide as to which party he/she must vote. Cheap party politics of mud-slinging has hijacked the whole election campaigning at the cost of serious debates on issues. Unless media wakes up to give a direction to the campaigning, this election too will be fought on petty personal agendas than serious issues.