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Punjab election, an overview from the outside - Part I
Thursday, January 19, 2012 - 15:30
You can take a person out from Punjab, but you can't take Punjab out of a person. You might have heard this phrase many a times, with many other places being named instead of Punjab. But as pompous or self adulatory it may sound, it suits Punjab the best. Wherever the Punjabi's are, their eyes and ears are right now focused on Punjab elections, more than anything else.
So with nothing else to do, and armed with an eager eye and a sonar quality ear, i set out to talk to all and sundry in Punjab to feel the pulse. Believe me when I tell you not to trust a Punjabi, when he or she says "Bhaaji trust me, when I tell u so". So when you venture out to check the mood of Punjabis out to cast their vote, you can't take their words to be gospel truth. Like an experienced Kuchipudi dancer, they tell you more with their expressions, body language and exclamations than with their words. So one can, at best, try to separate the beer from the froth, with his or her own ability.
As on 19th Jan 2012, the election hasn't started as yet. It might sound statistically wrong, but it is correct in essence. Howsoever notorious Punjab election might be, for its "Money Power", it's a fact that barring a few VIP seats, not many candidates have enough money to last more than 8-10 days of full steam electioneering. So much so, that when I was sympathizing with a ticket aspirant about the delay in allotment of party tickets, he nonchalantly said "Its better this way. Who has the money to spend on voters for more than 10-12 days? If tickets were to be given today, the langar would start here and now".
Gurpreet Singh Sangha
So mindful of Election Commission (EC) guidelines, I will not say that "they would" or that "they won't", but the real money power will come into play between 21st Jan to 29th Jan only. Whether it's about negotiating with the still running "independents or rebels" or its about "bringing the dissidents around" or its about "ghar waapsi" all is going to take place after 21st, once the "Sulking or the RUSSEY HOYE" have shown their metal even after the passing of 16th Jan "name withdrawal" date. And it actually so happens, that "95% of the sulking brothers do come back home" after "seeing REASON...or whatever else Election Commission might want us to call it".
Coming to the brass tacks, as on now there is no party which is poised wins 59 seats (the halfway mark). But that's the beauty of this situation. If it weren't so, why would you be reading these articles and trying to decipher the maze? Why would the readers make do with armchair analysts like us, who sound like Lala Amarnath in his heydays, giving his "expert opinion" about how bowling team was actually trying to get the batting team OUT as soon as possible (Eureka .... no one knew that).
But it's not all that Greek. It doesn't take rocket science to see that Sukhbir Badal (there doesn't seem to be an Akali Dal any more) is not fighting an election in Punjab. He is fighting an election on only 70 seats, aiming to win 55 out of those. He somehow has been convinced by his Haryana brethren that election management wins elections rather than good governance (it's another matter that this trick failed in Haryana...twice). Even Captain Amarinder Singh is playing to the gallery and talking more about frivolous issues like "paisa khaa gaye" and "farzi parchey" rather than telling people about what he can do. It speaks volumes about the bankruptcy of his think tank, when they come out with their Election manifesto only 12 days before the campaigning ends. And in that too, it seems all the time was spent on photocopying the Akali Dal manifesto, with all the populist references to "Atta dal scheme" and "Free electricity". Why does a party's manifesto (the most important document in an election fight.... but rarely accorded that stature) have to be the last priority? And why don't people ask this question to the vote seekers? Do we?
Is anybody talking about massive deforestation of Punjab? Is anyone talking about where this water guzzling agriculture is taking us? What's the real cost of producing rice for whole of India? What are actual plans about the 5 Million unemployed, besides plain rhetoric? What about the cancer of massive drug abuse amongst our youth? Why are we again seeing so many Bhindranwale stickers all around? Why are the Dera's again as belligerent as the Nirankaris were once? What's the point of taking free electricity worth hundreds and see our children die from drinking chemical laced hazardous waters?
But since it's all about elections and more about seats, we have to start counting. And if neither SAD (the Badals), nor INC (Congressi's) is a clear winner as of now, who will swim them through. A few very lucky independents will be holding the key to government formation a-la Haryana. We only hope for Manpreet Badals sake that his few winners don't do a Kuldeep Bishnoi on him. With party loyalties as weak as the financial health of Punjab and lucrative "Liquor, Bajri and Construction" contracts in sight, who can blame the contestants of trying too hard to win, by hook or by crook. After all, a win on a party ticket might make you only a MLA, whereas an independent win, might make one a Minister.
So armed with all this ammo, I set out to talk to and meet people on the ground. And whatever good or bad I gather, I will share with all in the next 2 newsletters. Maybe by that time, i might have some figures/forecast ready about the winners and losers (Only if I am that lucky and it was so simple).Till then, enjoy the circus.
For more News visit:
Punjab Newsline
Thursday, January 19, 2012 - 15:30
You can take a person out from Punjab, but you can't take Punjab out of a person. You might have heard this phrase many a times, with many other places being named instead of Punjab. But as pompous or self adulatory it may sound, it suits Punjab the best. Wherever the Punjabi's are, their eyes and ears are right now focused on Punjab elections, more than anything else.
So with nothing else to do, and armed with an eager eye and a sonar quality ear, i set out to talk to all and sundry in Punjab to feel the pulse. Believe me when I tell you not to trust a Punjabi, when he or she says "Bhaaji trust me, when I tell u so". So when you venture out to check the mood of Punjabis out to cast their vote, you can't take their words to be gospel truth. Like an experienced Kuchipudi dancer, they tell you more with their expressions, body language and exclamations than with their words. So one can, at best, try to separate the beer from the froth, with his or her own ability.
As on 19th Jan 2012, the election hasn't started as yet. It might sound statistically wrong, but it is correct in essence. Howsoever notorious Punjab election might be, for its "Money Power", it's a fact that barring a few VIP seats, not many candidates have enough money to last more than 8-10 days of full steam electioneering. So much so, that when I was sympathizing with a ticket aspirant about the delay in allotment of party tickets, he nonchalantly said "Its better this way. Who has the money to spend on voters for more than 10-12 days? If tickets were to be given today, the langar would start here and now".
Gurpreet Singh Sangha
So mindful of Election Commission (EC) guidelines, I will not say that "they would" or that "they won't", but the real money power will come into play between 21st Jan to 29th Jan only. Whether it's about negotiating with the still running "independents or rebels" or its about "bringing the dissidents around" or its about "ghar waapsi" all is going to take place after 21st, once the "Sulking or the RUSSEY HOYE" have shown their metal even after the passing of 16th Jan "name withdrawal" date. And it actually so happens, that "95% of the sulking brothers do come back home" after "seeing REASON...or whatever else Election Commission might want us to call it".
Coming to the brass tacks, as on now there is no party which is poised wins 59 seats (the halfway mark). But that's the beauty of this situation. If it weren't so, why would you be reading these articles and trying to decipher the maze? Why would the readers make do with armchair analysts like us, who sound like Lala Amarnath in his heydays, giving his "expert opinion" about how bowling team was actually trying to get the batting team OUT as soon as possible (Eureka .... no one knew that).
But it's not all that Greek. It doesn't take rocket science to see that Sukhbir Badal (there doesn't seem to be an Akali Dal any more) is not fighting an election in Punjab. He is fighting an election on only 70 seats, aiming to win 55 out of those. He somehow has been convinced by his Haryana brethren that election management wins elections rather than good governance (it's another matter that this trick failed in Haryana...twice). Even Captain Amarinder Singh is playing to the gallery and talking more about frivolous issues like "paisa khaa gaye" and "farzi parchey" rather than telling people about what he can do. It speaks volumes about the bankruptcy of his think tank, when they come out with their Election manifesto only 12 days before the campaigning ends. And in that too, it seems all the time was spent on photocopying the Akali Dal manifesto, with all the populist references to "Atta dal scheme" and "Free electricity". Why does a party's manifesto (the most important document in an election fight.... but rarely accorded that stature) have to be the last priority? And why don't people ask this question to the vote seekers? Do we?
Is anybody talking about massive deforestation of Punjab? Is anyone talking about where this water guzzling agriculture is taking us? What's the real cost of producing rice for whole of India? What are actual plans about the 5 Million unemployed, besides plain rhetoric? What about the cancer of massive drug abuse amongst our youth? Why are we again seeing so many Bhindranwale stickers all around? Why are the Dera's again as belligerent as the Nirankaris were once? What's the point of taking free electricity worth hundreds and see our children die from drinking chemical laced hazardous waters?
But since it's all about elections and more about seats, we have to start counting. And if neither SAD (the Badals), nor INC (Congressi's) is a clear winner as of now, who will swim them through. A few very lucky independents will be holding the key to government formation a-la Haryana. We only hope for Manpreet Badals sake that his few winners don't do a Kuldeep Bishnoi on him. With party loyalties as weak as the financial health of Punjab and lucrative "Liquor, Bajri and Construction" contracts in sight, who can blame the contestants of trying too hard to win, by hook or by crook. After all, a win on a party ticket might make you only a MLA, whereas an independent win, might make one a Minister.
So armed with all this ammo, I set out to talk to and meet people on the ground. And whatever good or bad I gather, I will share with all in the next 2 newsletters. Maybe by that time, i might have some figures/forecast ready about the winners and losers (Only if I am that lucky and it was so simple).Till then, enjoy the circus.
For more News visit:
Punjab Newsline
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