Election democracy has challenges

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been riding high since his one-man show in Ayodhya when he was the center of attention for the Ram Temple’s inaugural ceremony. Following his experimentation with deep-sea diving and praying on a mat spread out on the ocean floor, some wag informed his devoted supporters that he was about to go into space, accompanied by four Indian astronauts. Of these, four were Wing Commanders in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and three were Group Captains.

I informed one of these credulous and ardent supporters that our dear PM was not prepared for space travel and was only traveling to their IAF training facility to support them in their mission. Of course, the guy did not believe me. Modi would be able to go into space with or without the equipment astronauts use if he could descend to the bottom of the ocean in his prayer attire and survive with only an oxygen mask. Flippers are used by deep-sea divers, but Modi had gone barefoot to the seafloor, much as at prayer time.

And for what specific purpose would Modi have been in prayer? For a win in the Lok Sabha elections? Every analyst believes he will serve a third term. It would have been unnecessary for him to dive under the water at Dwarka since he would have won anyway. He could have hoped for a clean sweep rather than just a victory in order to dispel the doubts of those who questioned India’s claim to be the “mother of democracy.”

How would such a democracy be structured? Similar to China’s or North Korea’s, which take pride in having a single, all-powerful dictator and party? Then, discipline would be applied with effectiveness. India would rise to become the third most powerful nation in the world, along with having the third biggest GDP. We would be much beyond the “Argumentative Indian” era. It would be the commencement of the “conforming Indian” era. All it would take to move us to our proper position in the world would be one or two commands.

In the event that all opposition leaders are unwilling to switch before the elections, a tried-and-true tactic is to persuade the resentful or just avaricious to switch allegiances. In the Himachal Assembly elections of 2022, the BJP secured a mere 25 seats, a far cry from the Congress’s 40 seats. In the last Rajya Sabha election, the BJP nominee needed seven votes from the Congress party to win. The party managed to attract six MLAs, hence, a tiebreaker was required. Following the draw of lots, Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi was pronounced the loser.

The BJP’s “hunger” for victory in every election, no matter how little, has turned into the standard. This situation threatens to render elections obsolete, and the opposition parties are unable to address it. In an instant, the majority members of the Assembly become the minority. The “mother of democracy” doesn’t seem to be being imitated by any other democracy that is now in existence, much less trying! Give thanks to whatever the gods are for that! Because the concept of democracy will have to be altered if it spreads around the globe.

The shocking thing is that voters in our nation don’t appear to be protesting this immorality. Why go through the hassle of voting if this means of gaining power ignores the will of the people? Let the winner be the party with the largest bankroll or the most potent propaganda apparatus. Its leader may be requested to propose the lawmakers, who will then dutifully follow his or her instructions.

Voters should band together and demand that every legislator who wants to switch parties first resign and run again on the ticket of the party they have selected, if they do not want to be a part of this enormous swindle. The legislator may or might not win the next election, but dishonest political tricks won’t have duped the electorate.

But even if our democracy calls itself the “mother of democracy,” its demise is certain if the electorate accepts these tricks, as it currently seems to be doing. Our PM’s favorite concept of “One Nation, One Election” would come to an end if MLAs decided to switch sides in response to enticing incentives. Because in this grand scheme of things, elections would signify nothing.

Of course, democracy in India has changed over time. It has created ways to get out of dangerous circumstances. Six MLAs were disqualified by the Himachal Assembly Speaker for disobeying the party whip. The number of MLAs for the governing party was cut to 34, while the BJP’s total did not rise at the same time. Until some additional disgruntled Congressmen are enticed, it will remain at 25.

It is noteworthy to mention that the Congress serves as the primary breeding ground for the out-of-control BJP. The great old party is where most turncoats come from! Why is it the case? They first entered Congress, in my opinion, in order to earn a nice income. The choice lacked any noble qualities. The “party with a difference” will now be adorned by these turncoats. However, going forward, there won’t be much distinction between the Congress and the BJP since the newcomers would only make token allusions to Hindutva doctrine.

Numerous Hindu brothers and sisters now feel much more proud of themselves as a result of the BJP’s Hindutva agenda. Under the Mughal era and subsequently under British rule, their forefathers felt excluded.

I remember talking to a renowned Sikh lady in Punjab. She informed me that Sikhs were no longer considered first-class people in their own country! Her claim surprised me since she was earning “hot millions” herself. “Madam, if you think of yourself as a second-class citizen, I will have to be ranked two places lower at fourth,” I said. She was the one who was astonished now.

Modi should avoid the urge to jump into the sea or “soar into space,” unless his propaganda squad has determined that the votes of the less fortunate among our brothers will more than make up for the educated people’s votes that would be lost by engaging in such “escapades.” Will it, though? The sixty-four-dollar question is that.