The die is cast

The EVMs used in the seventh and last phase of the world’s largest exercise in democracy entailing over 90 crore voters have been locked, sealing the fate of all candidates in the fray till the votes are counted on May 23 and the results declared thereafter. A feeling of relief is palpable in the air; relief after the end of a long-drawn affair stretched over a marathon 39 days — polling for the first phase was held on April 11 and the last on May 19. There is finally respite from an atmosphere made toxic by vituperative speeches flying back and forth across rivals vying for votes in the high-stakes battle. The 2019 General Election campaign would, unfortunately, be remembered for the nadir it hit as star candidates tried to outdo one another in stooping low to spew venom and hurl abuse. If one was a ‘chor’, the other’s father was ‘bhrasht’; while one sought to belittle the Father of the Nation by glorifying his assassin, another questioned everybody else’s ‘nationalism’. 

With the political discourse sinking to vicious and vitiating depths, the EC’s clean chits and notices did little to assuage the matter. Stronger action against hateful speeches by aspiring MPs would have had a deterring effect. As this bizarre circus of demolishing and diminishing of opponents played out, the discernible voter was hard-pressed to zero in on a prospective representative who would address his real economic and social issues; the tall promises doled out sounded false and hollow. But, optimistically, the voter exercised his franchise to register the best possible choice. The die is cast. 

In 2014, the BJP won 282 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats and the Congress 44. The exit polls predict the NDA retaining power, albeit with a reduced majority. The voter has, hopefully, sent out a strong message of zero tolerance for divisive politics. And, the turn for the better in conduct and speech by leaders should come soon: as soon as the new 17th Lok Sabha begins. If the exit polls are correct, PM Narendra Modi would open a new chapter by heeding to his ally Nitish Kumar’s advice and expelling Pragya Singh from his party.