How should we vote in Lok Sabha election 2009? A crazy thought

When I went to vote for the Delhi State Assembly elections in 2008, I had a crazy thought while I was waiting in line to vote. On each door of the various rooms at the polling booth, there was a list of candidates contesting the elections. I think the list had at least 10 names on it. The thought that came to mind was that why don’t I vote for anyone of these unknown candidates who were contesting as independents or who represented unknown political parties? I was fed up with what I and most of us were doing – electing Congress and BJP alternately. Congress and BJP also know this and are reconciled to the fact that whether they show results or not, they will keep switching power amongst themselves every 4 or 8 years.

At that time, I didn’t have enough time to think about this idea so I took the traditional route. However, the more I think about it, more and more the idea sounds interesting, logical and something that could change our political system. Let us look at the merits and demerits of this idea. The idea has the following merits:

(a) If we are able to elect some non-trational people, it will give a shock to the present political establishment. Such an act will announce the arrival of competition. Hopefully, some of them will change for the better.

(b) Some of the non-traditional people we elect would be honest and work for the good of the country and its citizens. They will try to do things differently.

(c) I have a feeling that quite a few of the people who contest elections with no hope of winning areactually honest and idealistic. My reason for this is simple. Why would anyone contest an election which he knows he is going to lose? I think the reason behind such an act is that the person in question is fed up like you and me with the present group of politicians. In fact, isn’t this the very reason that I have decided to contest elections knowing fully well that the probability of my winning the elections are remote.

(d) Even if we remove one traditional politician, I think we would be taking a step forward because we are eliminating one source of corruption and politics-criminal nexus.

(e) Also, even if the non-traditional politician whom we vote for does not win, I think there will still be a positive effect on our political system. The votes that he/she will get will get reduced from the total number of votes that the traditional politicians get. Their percent share of votes will decline. I am hoping that the decline both in absolute numbers of votes and as a percentage of the total will give a message to the traditional politicians that they need to mend their ways.

Well, we see a lot of merits but what about the demerits of voting for the non-traditional politician. The only disadvantage I see of pursuing this strategy is that it could end up in no party getting a clear majority and the formation of a weak coalition government at the centre. But this is already happening. For the last so many years we have had a coalition government at the centre and in most of the states. I feel that it can’t get worse than what it is today. Recently, CPI wanted to toplle the government and withdrew support. However, Samajwadi Party moved in and saved the Congress led government at the centre.

I think all of us should seriously start thinking about this issue and see if we can implement it in the fast approaching Lok Sabha election 2009 itself. Lets elect as amany as we can non-traditional Members of Parliament (MPs) in 2009 elections. I have more or less decided to vote for the non-traditional politician or person on the ballot paper. I am not going to vote for any current politician or known political party including BJP and Congress. I think we need to give a shock treatment to the current power hungry politicians.

If you like the idea, please forward this blog link to your friends, relatives and colleagues.

Avinash Narula