BY VIKAS KHANNA



NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 06 : With poll surveys predicting two different sets of outcomes, an air of uncertainty looms large as people vote tomorrow to elect a new government in Delhi within 14 months. Since AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal pulled the plug on his government within 49 days of rule last year, the national capital has suffered the most with practically no development activity taking place. It does not bode well for Delhi aiming to become a world class city.
Never before Delhi witnessed such hysterical campaigns as this time as opponents launched no-holds-barred attacks against each other, often hitting their rivals below the belt. The choice of words used by some political leaders against their rivals was in poor taste, to say the least. In their bid to outdo each other, candidates often raised personal issues of their rivals, at the cost of the pressing issues facing Delhi. The gradual downfall of public discourses, often crossing the “Laxman  Rekha” speaks volumes about the falling standards of democracy in the country.

Also perhaps for the first time, Delhi witnessed the brazen display of money used during campaigning. Over the years, the campaigning has undergone a sea change. Street-corner meetings have been replaced with huge public rallies, often importing people from nearby areas to give an impression of the wide support the party enjoys. The numbers never reflect the reality as several of them have often been found of switching sides on the polling day. The use of multi-cam set-ups to give a bird’s eye view of the rallies and providing free feed to news channels is something a very innovative but also an expensive idea. One can very well imagine the kind of money required to organize such rallies. No doubt, political parties have come of age!


The money could have been better utilized as Delhi cries for basic needs. Hundreds of thousands of people continue to live in inhuman conditions. Even after more than 67 years of independence, poor people are forced to sleep in the open during harsh winters, often losing their battle against life. Several areas where high-rise buildings have come up to give a look of an aspiring Delhi have no pipe water supply and bank on poorly-maintained tankers. Violent clashes over water during harsh summers, sometimes resulting in deaths, do not speak well for the national capital.  And not to be forgotten is the shortage of road space as thousands of new vehicles pile on roads every day. The road rage has become synonymous with Delhi. The issues are many and endless. Women no longer feel safe stepping out in the night. Crimes against women ring alarm bells. Should we be proud of these “achievements”? But who will give a thought to it?  


It is easier to blame political parties. But are they only to be blamed? Do the citizens have no role? The new elections have been thrust upon Delhi not by political parties but by the people themselves. The hung legislature does no good to anybody as political parties are forced to resort to corrupt practices for the survival and longevity of the government. If political parties or groups come together to run a government with no common political ideology, it smacks of political opportunism, often at the cost of welfare of the society. Voters would do a great disservice to Delhi and the nation if they repeat the mistake of 2013 creating a situation where no political party could form the government on its own. For, Delhi or for that matter India can ill-afford to have political uncertainty in the capital.