How 2014 is going to unfold in Lok Sabha elections is a mystery which is soon going to be solved. But in all circumstances, does the Indian voter have much of choice this time or do the voters have to use the choice NOTA (none-of-the-above). Till now voters had the option of either choosing the Indian National Congress, which has ruled the nation for the last 10 years and we are familiar with the development this government did or the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) which is beating drums of development in Gujarat to attract voters.
Apart from these two biggies, the voter has a preference to pick the candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has made a very powerful entry into the politics with their anti-corruption movement. Though the AAP has a strong vote-bank of a strong middle-class voter but the latest remarks of the AAP leaders and development within the party is somewhere shaking its grounds. Moreover many AAP leaders are leaving the party as it is moving away from its original goal.
Though the battle in some states is confined among these three or two, that is BJP and Congress, but there are more National level political parties. These include Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy’s Communist Party of India (CPI), Prakash Karat’s Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Apart from National level parties, India’s multi-party system is dominated by the small regional parties.
Also, the option of the Third Front with a minority government cannot be ruled out in Indian politics. These are the different coalitions formed by the smaller parties. The National Front (Rashtriya Morcha) formed government in India between 1989 and 1990. But generally they form very unstable government at the Center. It is obvious that different political parties mean different ideology and opinions which generally lead to instability. The Third Front has J. Jayalalithaa of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Nitish Kumar of Janata Dal (United) chief minister of Bihar, Naveen Patnaik of the Biju Janata Dal and chief minister of Odisha, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. The Third Front really needs a strong leader as a Prime Minister.
Media is talking about a Modi wave and huge crowd can be seen at his rallies in different parts of the country. He is considered as the most suitable candidate to hold the position of Prime Minister. If he wants to head the new government, then the BJP has to win more than 200 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. It is extremely difficult to cross the mark of 272 to form a majority government. Big parties do need the help of small ones to form the government at the Centre.
Speculations are even going on that India may also see the formation of a minority party government. Experts believe that small regional parties are no longer small. These have pushed the National parties, especially the Congress and the BJP, in the category of winning just 100-150 seats. It has also been seen that the Third Front usually choose to alliance with the Congress rather than the BJP.
India has lost its authority both internally as well as at global level. Foreign investors are reluctant in doing business with India. To bring a change in the economy, the bureaucratic system of the country needs to be changed. The new government must work on the delays in taking important decision, policy making delays and economy downfall. India desperately needs to uplift and sustain the growth rate in the coming decades in order to stay out of poverty trap forever. India can grow only if it has the stable and a visionary government at the Centre.
India has seen the rule of UPA and its endemic corruption over the period of time. If it comes to power again, then the things will keep on moving the way they are going and would take an indescribably bad shape.
Can we expect stability and growth from the BJP and Narendra Modi? In order to do this, the party has to work on its internal issues. Maybe what he has achieved in Gujarat has been exaggerated by the party and media. At the same time, his involvement in Godhra is talked about frequently.
The Indian electorate has to make up its mind and reach to a definite conclusion. Voters have a very limited choice but they have to pick the best from the available as nobody seems to be perfect.
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