For Goans the announcement of Parliamentary results along with the poll results of four Assembly segments has been quite a long wait. Fortunately this a holiday season for children and many parents too and somehow the days were passing fast, thanks to the various holiday activities in spite of inconveniences faced due to MCC. So the long wait has been sufficiently cushioned but the keen interest of election verdict has not been at all diminished.
Goa being a small State we have only two seats but the results of four Assembly constituencies have added icing on the cake. Moreover both these Parliamentary and Assembly results are not trivial events. The outcome of the two results is expected to have far reaching consequences, both at the Centre and on the government of Goa.
In Goa the election season went off rather peacefully but unfortunately in many States of India this election spread over 50 days and 7 phases has seen widespread heavy physical violence, unprecedented verbal duels of worst kind between politicians in different States, particularly in Bengal where the local TMC and BJP supporters fought pitched battles with each other. The ECI who had to be on its toes throughout, had to intervene strongly just before the seventh phase by invoking for the first time Article 324 and cutting short the canvassing time by over 24 hours.
This election will go down in the history of India as most violent as well as highly controversial. Besides violence there were other incidents of verbal abuses and insults between top leaders of political parties thereby lowering the quality of public debate and discourse during electioneering. Issues such as development, health, education and infrastructure were pushed to the back burner.
To add insult to injury even late PM Rajiv Gandhi, who had died in a terrorist attack 35 years ago was not spared. If this is not shameful enough some candidates and their supporters even went to the extent of glorifying Godse, the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, revered as the Father of the Nation and someone even calling Mahatma as the father of nation of Pakistan. This was utterly shocking and shameful.
If one observed carefully it wasn’t difficult to realise that the only reason to contest the elections nowadays is to win it at all costs for selfish reasons. Hence there was no dearth of unfair means being resorted to by almost all political parties. Thousands of crores worth of money, liquor, drugs were being distributed not only clandestinely but in some places even openly.
To add further disgrace to the conduct of voting some polling agents of a National party were caught on camera indulging inside the polling booth and forcibly pressing the button of EVM machine in favour of his party, thereby preventing the voter of his/her legitimate right to choose.
It is said that after a heavy storm there is always calm. Will such a calm prevail after the declaration of results on the 23rd? Will the outcome be decisive leading to the immediate formation of a stable government at the Centre or should we brace for yet another state of uncertainty and chaos?
