Politicians are a strange breed. Regardless of their affiliations the BJP or the Congress, the Left or the Right, all are keen to be a part of the action. Politician in the political diction means an elected representative of the people. Is the Indian electorate prudent and mature in electing its politicians? In the UK Winston Churchill was elected Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and steered the Allies to victory in World War II. However, when he sought re-election at the end of the war the British electorate did not elect him, they found that Churchill was the right man to head the country in times of war but not when the war was over. The British electorate was prudent and mature to choose the right man at the right time.
In the 2014 general elections the BJP secured a majority with 288 seats and with its alliance partners now dominates the Lok Sabha with 336 members. The minorities also contributed to this victory. This became painful later when some of the members of the BJP and its alliance partners started abusing the minorities. It has now been made clear that the Narendra Modi government is secular and no distinction of society is made on the basis of religion and Modi himself has said this on his visits abroad. However, much has to be done by the government to allay fears of insecurity in the minds of the minorities and allow them to live in peace.
In Goa we will be having the next Assembly elections in 2017. The BJP, having lured and appeased the electorate in 2012 with many social schemes made inroads into the heartland of Salcete, earlier a stronghold of the Congress. It now appears that the BJP government cannot sustain the social schemes and has hence resorted to hiking the prices of utilities like water and electricity affecting the common man.
The government has to govern judiciously and not suffocate the people with high prices. A 14% hike in electricity rates is too much for the common man. It is expected that the BJP government will approach the electorate in 2017 with an election manifesto promising to reduce VAT on petrol to 0.01% thus making petrol cheaper in Goa by Rs 11, a promise which made headlines in April 2012 across India, only to be withdrawn 30 months later.
The Congress in Goa should field clean candidates. The electorate will not back the so-called winning horses. It should do away with the winability factor and forget the concept of family raj.
