UP Elections- The state of Indian Polity

 

The final round of polling has ended in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous Indian state. The results are yet to come out and each party is ready with its post poll calculations. There has hardly been an issue worth the name that would alleviate the plight of the masses of UP who migrate to other states (Notably Maharashtra) in search of livelihood. The most debated issue of greater reservation for Backward Muslims in government jobs may play out as a trump card for one party or the other or it may polarise the voters on the other side but it is hardly going to have any concrete benefits. During the whole campaign we have seen pot-shots taken, and a race to label the other more corrupt. Every party has fielded criminals in hordes, their muscle power being their ticket to get the ticket.  This makes one feel that the Electoral reforms bill (which bars criminals from contesting elections and has other measures to prevent electoral corruption) will never see the light of the day.

If the outcome of the elections is a hung assembly then it increases the possibility that next five years will see greater corruption and criminalisation resulting in greater migration from UP. This does not augur well for the country as such a situation is a perfect foil for regional chauvinists in other states. Even if a party gets an absolute majority it may take the proxy Editorship of all the newspapers of the state and make sure that no wrong is reported and all uncomfortable news is blacked out. This is precisely what has happened in neighbouring Bihar where the fourth estate (The fourth pillar of democracy) has lost relevance.

Such cynicism with the political class creates a vacuum which is temporarily filled by the likes of Anna Hazare. However closer media glare removes the Hallow around them and makes them look only a tinge better than fulltime politicians. 

We have seen 65 years of Electoral democracy, each election bringing hope and next five years broken promises. Has the time come when we start to ponder whether the form of democracy we have has been able to bring everyone equal before the law, are the fundamental rights of rich and the poor same in our country, do we not discriminate on one ground or the other. In the heat and dust of Hindi heartland elections these questions should find their way.