It’s election season again, where inter-alia, the electioneering tools are at play: rhetoric, hyperbole, sensationalism, jingoism, impractical promises etc. Their applications are designed to spread far and wide, infecting all forms of public discourse. Chances are that many a visions may turn cloudy. Oddly similar to the symptoms of a medical condition you say? In all probability it’s going to be the same this time too. To put things into perspective, with over 900 million eligible voters, this Lok Sabha election will be the largest election the world has seen.
Amidst the application of the tools earlier mentioned, it is effortlessly possible to fall prey and lose sight of what we the voters actually ought to consider and take into account before casting our precious votes. There’s a trend I intend to highlight that I believe ought not to be the only basis or guide of the electoral pattern of voting. Noticed much is that a voter in high probability would vote on the basis of which party the voter would like to see form a Government at the Centre or Union. Thereby essentially voting on party lines keeping in view who can serve the country best rather than which candidate is best suited for their constituency who in turn can voice their views on national issues affecting the state. Is this pattern/trend actually beneficial in a democratic set-up? Of course it is, otherwise we would have a vast number of independent parliamentarians all over the country running some form of a highly unstable mega coalition. However, what if I told you that taking into consideration the merit of the candidate presented before you is equally important especially if you belong to a small state.
Let us consider the State of Goa as a case in point. We send just two members to parliament or the peoples house (Lok Sabha). The quantum of seats of course has been decided taking into consideration the relevant aspects such as size, population etc. Now given that the State of Goa sends just two MP’s (Members of Parliament) the state’s voice is obviously unequal in terms of representation vis-à-vis geographically larger states such as Maharashtra (48 MPs) or Karnataka (28 MPs). Ergo, while electing a MP out of a preference for a party at the center is good, equally if not more important is electing an MP who could and would voice out the sentiments, demands and aspirations of a small state such as Goa at a national level (parliament) as we have just two representatives.
The sum and substance of the argument therefore is that it is prudent to vote for a candidate who would represent a small state like Goa to his/her best capacity, ensuring that the voice of Goans and their sentiments, demands and aspirations are kept in check with Central policies, legislations and other spheres of governance.
Coming back to our beloved state of Goa: There have been issues within the domain of the Center/Union that directly affected matters concerning the State of Goa, like the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) notification that hugely affects our 106 Kms coastline. Then there was the mining issue, river nationalization issue and even the implementation of the GST regime from Goa’s perspective. Most of these issues in my view could have been handled more effectively keeping our Goan perspective in mind.
Hence before your precious vote is cast, ask yourself, has your MP (North or South) who stands today for re-election truly represented you or us Goans at a national level? Has life really improved for you? And if so, has it been at the behest of your MP? It’s about time we hold our MPs responsible and accountable for keeping the interest of Goa alive in Parliament. Cast your vote or elect your Government at the center but at the same time vote for a representative who would make Goa’s voice heard immaterial of whether the party he/she belongs to is in power or opposition. Select Cerebrally.
(Wilbur Menezes is a constitutional and criminal lawyer at the Bombay High Court, Goa. )
