It is said if you smell mud, you can expect rain, and if you smell tar, you can expect election! The philosopher who coined this phrase was born in 18th century. Had he been born in our times, he would have added another word to tar…the money.
How true. Besides main roads, all lanes and bylanes in my Siolim constituency which were pockmarked with ugly potholes for past 5 years which could put lunar craters to shame are now suddenly getting hot-mixed and glistening giving a look of airport runways.
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There is smell of money too. The age-old practice of distribution of ‘notes for votes’ is a major part of election campaign. It is open secret that lot of money changes hands. Loyalty to one party is the thing of the past. MLAs and legislators turn their coats overnight and switch parties faster than we switch our TV channels!
Election fever has gripped Goa once again. COVID 19 fever is long forgotten. The ministers, MLAs, legislators, shakhapramukhs, karyakartas ….all have shed their CAB (Covid appropriate behaviour). Instead of COVID protection masks during their door-to-door campaign they are seen with saintly masks on their otherwise arrogant faces.
These political chameleons will hug you, touch elderly person’s feet, all that drama. They will give tall talk and promises. It is said that half of politicians lie when they open their lips, other half with their tears! They will promise bridge where there is no river. This is true when they promise jobs where there is no vacancy!
Political carnival in Goa is more colourful this time with plethora of parties, regional and national belonging to political bigwigs throwing their towels in political circus. With present scenario, it looks like Goa is not only tourist destination but also a political destination!
Media now have gone into frenzy and are in overdrive. After all it’s gist for their mills. Without their opinion and prediction, electoral process would be incomplete. They always add spice to boiling political xacuti and have power to sway masses. As Voltaire puts it ‘thieves and politicians are same and equal. Only thieves are caught and jailed because unlike politicians, they have not learnt the art of stealing.”
Be that as it may, we all have to go to the ballot box on Feb 14, to exercise our democratic right keeping all these things in back of our minds. Our vote is precious. As Abraham Lincoln says ‘ballot is stronger than the bullet.’ So we can silence top-notch corrupt elements in present system with our vote bullet. Let us all know that bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.
I know it is only temporary soothing balm for us voters when high profile politicians knock our doors and beg and bow in front of us. At present the mood voters is sky high. Come election results day, all eyes would be set on that magic no 21. Tense situation will prevail in the vicinity of the vote counting venue. Either party will win thumping majority or there would be fractured mandate or hung assembly.
So finally, when bunch of our ‘highly respected elected MLAs’ will form government, by hook or crook, they will have the last laugh.
