It’s Mumbai’s turn today to Vote in the General Elections…I Voted !…. What a relief to realise I’m not a Greek Idiot !
Voting began at 7 am…My In-Laws were the first to register their Vote in the designated Polling Station near Home in South Mumbai…a School…My Wife and I voted mid morning….and yes ,Mr Debashish Chakrabarty,Chief Electoral Officer, we dutifully did not take our mobile phones as they were strictly not to be allowed in polling booths !……It was a mockery of a rule !…there was hardly anyone without one !
There were 20 candidates…three of National Parties,eight from registered political parties but not at National or State Level and Nine were Independents…many names I had not even heard of…many are surely in the fray only as vote splitters and many will lose their deposits…The pre poll alliances of NCP/Congress and BJP/Shiv Sena meant seat sharing….so we had the sitting Congress MP,all of a young 33 ,Milind Deora, standing yet again and no NCP Candidate while we had Mohan Rawle of the Shiv Sena standing and no BJP Candidate…60 year Old Rawle has served Five Lok Sabha Terms and he’s just Class 10 educated !…Milind Deora is a University Graduate,son of our Petroleum Minister,Mr Murli Deora and has served just one Term
In the last Elections in 2004 there was a 44.2% Voter turnout in our South Mumbai Constituency…This time we have 1.59 million voters in our Constituency….The Indian Voting Base is 714 Million of our Population of near 1200 Million
So who did I Vote for ! ?…The Choice was between the Devil and the Deep Sea actually…I neither liked most of the Candidates nor their Parties…I liked an Independent or Two,but am of the strong opinion that India needs to be ruled by a Conscientious National Party and local and small regionalised parties and Independent MPs would only ask for their cake in coalition politics..they would have little other voice to make any significant difference at the Centre !…I yet had to Vote !…so I chose the One I did not like the least ! …atleast,my Wife will be Happy….as this was her firm Choice all along !
What a Way to Go about Voting ! Sad State of Affairs really…but then just reflect !…The Fangs of Corruption,Criminality and Communalism yet rear their Ugly,Dangerous and Toxic Self over all of Us…we simply lack political will and leadership to tackle them effectively
One is Fed Up ! …but that does not mean one should not Vote !
So don’t be a Greek Idiot !…Go out there and Vote…you have a few hours left ! Then show off the indelible voting ink on your middle finger on your left hand…and show off the middle finger of your right hand to those who have not voted !