Omkar Dattatray
It is piquant in our electoral politics that there is competition and one upmanship between the BJP and the grand old party congress so far as the guarantee of Modi and promise of the congress is concerned .All this is done to woo and lure prospective voters in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections of 2024.The real masters of democracy -the voters should not take these guarantees and promises seriously as these disappears in most cases once the grand tamasha -the elections are over and those who are promised and guaranteed green pastures stand deceived and only made to vote .Thus the voters should make a proper choice and vote for those candidates who will deliver after the elections .The politicians promise and some even guarantee moon but in actual world failed to provide even a straw .Sadly there is no dearth of the politicians in our country who speak truth and on this basis appeal voters .There is a majority of politicians and the dearth of the statesmen like the yester years who fulfill their promises and election manifestoes .In fact there is great need for clean politics in Indian democracy so that the voters can choose right candidates in the elections .But alas! We are facing deterioration in morality in politics and there is value crisis and cultural perversion not only in the present day materialistic world ,however there is moral turpitude in the political life and the politicians indulge in dirty politics and thus give bad name to the pure avocation called politics .It is very disturbing that Modi as well as the Rahul Baba of congress guarantee and promise respectively unrealistic things which have no correlation with the practical world and thus land the innocent and gullible voters in trouble as all most all guarantees and promises fall like a house of cards once the elections are over and the promises remain only pure promises without any sign of fulfillment .The political leaders of various parties and those in power tour different states of the country which are going to vote in near future and they extend olive branch of guarantees and promises .In Madhya Pradesh rally ,PM Modi assures people of Modi guarantee.PM Narendra Modi assured people of MP that all promises made by BJP to them will be fulfilled after the party retains power in the state .He said the centre’s free ration scheme ,covering 80 crore poor people ,will continue for five more years. ”All promises made to you will be fulfilled .This is my guarantee .”PM Modi said ,addressing an election rally at Barwani in MP .Slamming the congress ,Modi said that party can even promise to bulid a ‘castle of gold’ for coming to power .Speaking about the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda on November 15,Modi said, ”It is a matter of pride for the BJP government that we had the opportunity to declare this as the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas .”The PM said India’s tribal ‘s have enriched the country’s culture .He referred to the contribution of tribal warriors and freedom fighters in India’s freedom struggle .As per Modi ,congress had neglected the tribal community and BJP has given them respect .Modi also mentioned about his visit to the boarder to celebrate Diwali with soldiers amid the hustle and bustle of electioneering .He blamed congress leaders for pushing the state into ”dark well” ,adding BJP has pulled MP out of darkness .Ahead of the Madhya Pradesh elections ,slated to be held in November ,the Kamal Nath -led congress released the party’s manifesto .The manifesto made a slew of poll promises including Rs 25 lakh health insurance cover to all people in MP ,old pension scheme ,caste census ,Nari Samman Nidhi of Rs 1500 per month to women .The 106 page manifesto by the opposition congress made 59 poll promises ,with assurances for all sections of the society ,including farmers ,women and the government employees.MP will have an Indian Premier League(IPL) team of the state said Kamal Nath.He also announced waiver of farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh .The state congress president said ,MP is the state of farmers .Congress government will buy paddy at Rs 2500 per quintal and wheat at Rs 2600 per quintal .Under the Indira Girb Yojana,100 units of electricity will be provided free and subsequent 200 units of electricity will be provided at half rate .Modi retorted ,without naming anyone ,that a congress leader who is mahagyani (over intelligent ) and murkho ka sardar (leader of idiots ) is roaming around saying that Indians have Made in china mobile phones in their hands .The PM said mobile phones worth more than RS 3.5 Lakh crore are being manufactured in India and phones worth around Rs one lakh crore are being exported too .In all the five states namely MP ,Rajasthan ,Terengganu ,Mizoram and Chhattisgarh ,the various political parties are announcing poll freebies to woo voters .It is very unfortunate that the political parties without any exception go on announcing sops and providing lollipops to the voters and are announcing poll freebies without considering its adverse effects upon the health of the economy and the poll freebies are making economy shallow and hallow. The political parties are promising freebies to the electorate and thus denting the economy as they are promising freebies not out of their pockets but from the taxpayers money .Therefore political parties should recognize the reality and desists from indulging in poll freebies for the good of the economy and the country .The sanity should prevail upon the leaders of the various political parties so that they abstain from announcing popular schemes and poll freebies to the people for the good of the economy. It is very disturbing that the political parties indulge in competitive politics so far as announcing poll freebies is concerned and this is not in the interest of the country .The political leaders of different political parties should think prudently and no resort to poll freebies and populist promises which have adverse bearing upon the economy of the country .The politicians should rise above petty political considerations and as far as possible avoid promising poll freebies which are against the interests of the country in the long run .Therefore without wasting time ,the leaders of various political parties should learn positive politics and not to announce poll freebies which is not in the interest of the economy and the country .Let the people make a right choice of candidates in the ensuing polls to five state assemblies so that right candidates are elected who will rule in the interest of the states.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist).
