During election days my maidservant used to take frequent leaves, when asked she said today so the party leader visited our area and gave us packets. During this season several leaders give us gifts and money, this is the only time we earn without slogging. Though I was not at all surprised, across Mumbai suburban and slums money is distributed on a large scale. The one who pays handsome votes goes to him. A poor person knows only the needs but not the importance of voting or choosing wisely. For them, voting is a seasonal earning tool.
People have started to accept and even in certain cases demand money or other favours. But it is also to be noted that voters accept money from all the parties contesting the elections and vote for the party of their liking. People started accepting money because they believe that corrupt politicians are pocketing money that is supposed to have been spent on welfare projects increasing their quality of life. And politicians who win elections by distributing money or other favours believe that they have the right to loot funds meant for schemes and people have lost their right to question them since they have accepted the money. This essentially leads to a vicious circle which is now taking a toll on our political system.
In our nation, even politicians are traded. Their ability to perform is zero but their political price is in crores. Countries where politicians are sold, ideologies are mocked, votes are manipulated, anything is possible. The only aim is to get the power. The politicians act like they are suffering from retrograde amnesia once the election results are declared. Turning their faces away from those voters who were initially called the golden buddies and the rulers of democracy during the campaign days. It is now a regular and common phenomenon all across the nation.
Politicians do nothing as the voters expect them to do. Not even those sublime promises enlisted in the election manifesto. After the end of 5 years of reigning, a couple of roads and bus stops decorated with huge flexes with the name of the respective MLA or MP are probably the only leftovers. Even though the government frames new plans and schemes, they won’t reach the citizens as expected since we have politicians engaged only in filling their own pockets. People also know the election is the only time when one can get what they want.
A day before Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao launched his national party, a video of a leader distributing whiskey and chicken went viral. In the video, shared by news agency ANI, Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader Rajanala Srihari was seen handing out liquor bottles and live chicken to locals in Warangal. With a big cut-out of KCR on the transport vehicle stacked with the freebies, the leader can be seen personally handing it out to people who had gathered in a long queue. He also posed for pictures. With an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, KCR is set to announce his national party on Dussehra. He is said to have discussed the roadmap for the launch of the national party.
There are many states like Gujarat, Manipur and Nagaland alcohol is prohibited and banned but during elections, alcohol plays a vital role. The politicians break the rules while distributing liquor. Alcohol prohibition has been a major promise by most participating political parties. But the implementation is always forbidden by the lawmakers during elections to woo the voters.
A large portion of politicians completely depend on the money earned through politics as they don’t have any other source of income and therefore till the time, until they become an MP or MLA and start receiving a salary, they tend to adopt unfair means to acquire wealth. Since we have democracy, people are the ones who should be blamed for this as democracy is by the people.
