Cong proves a point, that it is in power

Kuljit Bains

IT was an election that could have had only one outcome. And there was no surprise. The only surprise, if any, was the absoluteness with which the Congress won the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections in the state. But in ensuring that “complete sweep”, the ruling party lost the right to celebrate the victory because the means deployed to secure even the borderline seats have blighted the fair wins too.

Put down ruthlessly for long by the Akalis, the Congress satraps chose to not let the Opposition secure even a respectable defeat. It started with the rejection of the nomination papers of Opposition candidates, or even assault at the time of filing of nominations. There may be no definite way to prove the highhandedness, but the sheer number of rejections should be proof. What followed on the day of polling was for all to see — ballot box stuffing, physical intimidation, locked out booths. If not for rude arrogance, it is hard to understand why the Congress would have done that. There was little at stake; the election had to go their way as villages want funds from the ruling dispensation. With the 2019 elections coming up, the only stake perhaps was sending out the message, “We are in charge”.

One thing the election proved was that there is no such thing as “poll management skills”, an art that SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal was credited with at one time. It is only about how brazen you can be in misusing the official machinery that is always ready to oblige whoever is in power. The first gram panchayat election after the SAD came to power in 2007 was a sight to behold with Akali workers marauding all over the countryside. The pendulum has now swung; the colour of the marauders’ turbans has changed.

In the process, however, the Congress seems to be hurtling down the same path as the Akalis at a surprisingly fast rate. In fact, it might even be faster, as some of the institutionalised corruption – such as sand, liquor and transport – has simply been inherited, without the need to waste time setting it up. The halqa incharge system is also practically unchanged. The municipal elections earlier and the panchayati raj polls now have demonstrated the ruling party’s contempt for basic democracy too.

The election would be a revelation to people, yet again, that it is only the rod that can ensure a fair election, and not political decency. To that extent, the helplessness of the State Election Commission is exposed in every local poll. Other than the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, which are supervised by the Election Commission of India (ECI), no election is fair. Many, of course, would question even the ECI’s integrity. Fairness, probably, is also a relative phenomenon.

In a supposedly productive state that is struggling with a pauperised population, the poll campaign rarely referred to any rural development issues, when that should have been the only focus as panchayati raj bodies were being elected. Drug deaths and farmer suicides are continuing unabated, even if the media attention has been diverted. But none of that was debated.

This disrespect for people’s condition makes the poll victory celebrations unbearable for the voters. Notwithstanding all the ‘hurt religious sentiments’ and high ideals that were peddled in the campaign, for many ageing politicians the election was a platform to launch their next generation, or simply to broaden the family base ahead of staking claim to the 2019 ticket.

Amidst the post-result drums being beaten and sweets being distributed were young men, with no real education or hope for future, dancing in a trance induced by mere proximity to power. They can hardly be blamed, for there is little else to do. If politics allows you to sponge off others, and is yet something to be celebrated, why not take your chances.