The campaign for the February 4 State Legislative Assembly elections has fallen silent. From Thursday evening, till polling booths open on Saturday morning, political parties and candidates will not be able to take their campaign to the streets. The stillness gives voters a full day to sift through the various promises made by the candidates and arrive at the decision of who they are going to vote for. This is an absolutely crucial time for the voters, especially as this election will bring in not just a new government but also solutions to the various pending issues and decisions for the future of Goa.
As they step out to vote on February 4, people have to keep in mind that they will be voting, not just for a new government that will remain in place for a term of five years, but for a government whose programmes should ensure gainful employment to their children and even their children’s children, while protecting the land, the environment and the identity. The long-term focus is absolutely necessary. The parties have given the people their choice of candidates, it is now for the people to vote wisely, keeping in mind not the short term gains of the coming weeks and months, but the future of Goa. The issues at hand in Goa are many, but the solutions lie not just in the hands of the politicians but also with the people. It is when they vote for honest representatives that the State will change for the better.
There are questions that need to be asked before the vote is cast. Are we proud of Goa today? If not, how can we change this? Is the politician responsible and responsive to the voter and to the situation? Does the government have the will to do what it was elected to do? The voter can’t always depend on the politician to do what is best for the State. A politician is in power for a limited period of time and is always looking at returning to the Legislature at the next election. It is for this reason that we frequently hear of decisions taken being described as political, which means that the decision taken is not necessarily for the good of the State but suits the reelection prospects of the government.
In this election the 11.08 lakh voters have 251 candidates to choose from. With there being a number of new faces among the candidates there is hope that there could be a new crop of politicians elected who could give a new direction to the State, taking it away from the pitfalls of the path that it is currently treading. But an Assembly with new, committed members, who have the interests of Goa at heart, can only happen when the electorate votes differently. The change can come when we have people of honesty and integrity who will be prepared to stand by their convictions even when the tide is running against them.
This is the last opportunity Goa will have to make the right choice and bring in the right set of persons to the Legislative Assembly. Five years from now it may be too late. The Assembly needs persons with secular credentials, who will not cause a rift between the people of the State on the basis of religion or language. This is what the Goan voters should look for in their candidates as they arrive at their decision on who to vote for.
