Where are honest intelligent people to vote for

Shobha De has written an article in Times of India titled “Where are the leaders worth voting for?” yesterday. I think she has got it wrong? The correct title should have been “Where are honest intelligent candidates worth voting for?” How do we know who is a leader and who is not? Is it written on a person’s forehead? How does a voter know who is a leader? Through his speeches and rhetoric. I don’t think so. I think what we need is honest intelligent people who are interested in managing a government rather than a business. We need honest intelligent people who can act as professional managers in a government setting. Lets think of the running the government in the same way as running a company.

The other related question she has asked is “Where are the leaders? Why should we vote?” What she should be saying is that more and more vorters will not make a difference if we keep electing the same group of people again and again. As I have mentioned on my website, why do we need more people to vote if we are going to make either Congress or BJP win? What difference does this make to our lives as it will keep becoming from bad to worse.

As mentioned in her article, I think what one of the debators said is true, “Why criticize the system? We need to become part of the solution.” This does not mean that just voting is becoming part of the system but what is means is that honest intelligent people should contest elections and that is why I am thinking of doing so. Imagine the possibilities if we can replace all the current MLAs or MPs with new honest intelligent people. In such a situation, do you think we can reduce corruption? Do you think we can start making the government work for the citizen of this country instead of the elite? Do you think we can fill potholes of Delhi roads? I think we can but we have to do one thing, that is, contest elections.

Avinash Narula