Indian polity and economy at the crossroads?

India has been ruled by the Congress party for more than 60 years and hence the need for a change to enable transparency in government working and ensure all-round development, says Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Rahul Gandhi, the National Vice President of Indian National Congress points out the sacrifices made by his elders in the family esp. Indira Gandhi & Rajiv Gandhi and seeks the mandate of the people for the 16th Lok Sabha. Regional satraps like Mulayam Singh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, Jayalalitha, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Mayavati of Bahujan Samaj Party and Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party also want to become the Prime Minister of this country after 2014 General Elections to the Lok Sabha on the strength of their policies and manifestos. There are so many other regional parties and splinter groups trying to position themselves with certain demands and riders so that the national parties would seek their support in garnering 272 seats for forming a government at the Centre. Voters of Indian Republic would have to scratch their heads, weigh the pros and cons of their choice in selecting their representatives to the House of People for the next five years. Election Commission of India has raised the expenditure ceiling for the candidates to Rs.70 lakh. Well, ordinary men and women will have to think twice before contesting the election without the support of the political parties. Freedom of Indian citizens is thus limited financially to this extent and subject to this reality while fighting an election in Free India! Despite the mounting and mind-boggling cost of the polls, the Indian parliamentary democracy has to go through this drill this summer for electing its rulers. The opinion polls, for whatever worth they are, indicate the possibility of a hung Lok Sabha with no single party enjoying the majority to form a government on its own. Here starts the problem in a multi-layered society, polity and populace where a stable government is not easily ensured. Certain type of grouping has started already and they are trying to align themselves with others on the basis of their calculations and expectations in sharing the seats for contesting the poll. Albeit there is an attempt by the communist parties to form a third front with eleven and odd parties to put up a fight against BJP & Congress, things would not be easy to resolve their inter-party interests among themselves till the final results are out after the elections. Looking to the claims and counter-claims of the political leaders for placing their respective candidates on the chair of prime minister, it would be worth dwelling a little bit on their promises and performances made and proved before the electorate so far. As far as Modi is concerned there is no doubt that he is the chief minister of an economically developed state for more than three terms with rich experience and no family commitment. He is a clear headed individual who has risen from an average family background fully qualified to think for those underprivileged and draft plans for their betterment. All the minor points against him quoted and raised by his opponents don't stand in the larger interest of this country. Minorities know very well that he can't afford to be a Hitler in Indian democracy. Even the so-called Emergency failed through in India despite the iron will of an Iron Lady in 1970s. A strong and committed leader is the need of the hour at this juncture to take the country forward and establish our strength in the comity of nations in 21st Century. Rahul Gandhi is no doubt a young leader with good intention like his father. He should have taken a chance during 2009-14 and proved his worth in terms of governance and performance but he failed to do so due to some reason or other. It would be a big risk if he is asked to lead the country with no experience whatsoever. It is also very clear that he would certainly become the P.M of this country in case his party wins the election. Sonia Gandhi would have been a better choice for the post with her experience in heading the party very successfully till now and running the government indirectly. In any case the congress would find it very difficult to sustain the number of seats it has achieved in the last elections. No spectacular governance has been ensured by Mulayam Singh Yadav himself or his son Akhilesh Yadav as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh till now despite the clear mandate of the people and majority provided in the state assembly. Handling of communal issues and the administrative apparatus is less said the better. The status of infants in both government and private hospitals scattered all over the state of West Bengal and the manner of suppressing the voices of dissent certainly speak volumes on the style of functioning of the head of the government namely Mamata Banerjee in the recent past. In spite of spending millions of rupees by the chief minister Jayalalithe for the upkeep and boosting the morale of the police force in the state of Tamil Nadu, the increasing incidence of crime in the form of killings of men and women and burglary of shops for gold jewellery almost on a daily basis since her return to power in 2011 is an open secret. Everyone knows her capacity for hard work but her promise to manage better the generation and distribution of uninterrupted power supply to homes, factories and other establishments both in urban and rural areas is still to be realised. Instead of her becoming the P.M at this juncture she should ensure a government at the Centre with the support of her party M.Ps enabling a favourable response and results from Delhi for her golden rule in the state for the next ten years before she can think of leading India from Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal, a new meteorite on the political horizon of India and the ruler of Delhi for 49 days with his commissions and omissions is no substitute to Dr.Manmohan at this time of the year after the general elections. His failure to conduct the first Janata Durbar soon after becoming the CM of Delhi is a fact known to the thousands of visitors who thronged the state Secretariat on that day. That event had very badly exposed the hollow nature of his rhetoric outbursts on other political leaders and the present establishment whereas he is not mature enough, neither supported by good advisors nor experienced himself in the art of governance justifying his elevation to the P.M's chair straightaway. It is indeed a tough job for the voters of this subcontinent to choose a single individual and his political party to form the government at Delhi esp. in the days to come. Unless a wave runs through the country or a stunning development unites the whole country on an emotive issue and supports a party or an individual to place him at the apex level, there is the least possibility of a single party achieving a simple majority to form the government. The country is passing through this phenomenon for quite sometime now. We are going to get such a scenario in May 2014. What is the way of getting a stable government to rule this nation for a full term of five years under these circumstances? Whichever party gets the maximum number of seats in Lok Sabha should be called by the President of India to form a government without bothering about the so called simple majority in the house. Let the party elect its leader as the P.M and the latter allowed to constitute a Council of Ministers to advise the President and run the government on his behalf as provided in the Constitution of India. Each and every legislation brought in by the ruling party with the consent of the President can be discussed and decided by the majority of the members present and voting in the Lok Sabha on that particular day. If the people are unable to send a party with the simple majority as has been the practice so far, we need not scratch our head and keep worrying for the rest of the period. On the economic front Indian governments have of late totally lost control over inflation - threatening to demolish the improvements in the standard of life achieved somehow by the citizens in the last two decades. The steps taken by different governments both at the Central and state level are only piecemeal efforts with no understanding of the repercussions both in the medium term and long term. Every section of society clamours for compensating the hike in prices of commodities and services. The prices of not only the raw materials for manufacturing but inputs like power, water and building materials are also vying with each other to upset the economics and planning of the concerned citizens in the country. Nearly one half of the populace is less than 25 years of age. Where and how to find jobs for millions of youths getting ready for employment? How to control corruption in a society fully involved and totally adept to live with this menace for several decades? Total transparency and sacrifice starting from the top level only can think of reducing corruption in public life. There is no fear anywhere to remain honest and ensure a fair deal to the citizens at the cutting edge level of public services. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Indian economy is fast declining in the recent past despite many promises and satisfactory forecasts emanating from the Government functionaries from time to time. India’s GDP growth slowed marginally to 4.7% in the third quarter of 2013‐14 from 4.8% in Quarter Two ; however, it has been higher than the growth of 4.4% seen for the third quarter last year. Industrial sector saw a contraction of 0.7% in Q3 of 2013‐14 as against 1.7% growth seen in the corresponding quarter a year ago. A good monsoon in 2013 has contributed to a higher agriculture growth. On the other hand, industrial output / growth pulled down the overall GDP growth led by the contraction estimated in manufacturing and mining & quarrying sector. It would be indeed a Herculean task for the new government in FY 2014-15 to ensure a GDP at a rate more than 7-8 per cent and maintain the same or increase it further in the subsequent years. Many political parties at the regional level are trying to buy votes on the promise of freebies without bothering about the financial implications in the wake of limited revenue resources available in the annual budgets as also the opportunity costs in sacrificing several infrastructure projects essential for increasing productivity in agriculture, manufacturing and services sector in the long run. Let us vote for known and reliable candidates irrespective of their party affiliations (Constitution doesn't dictate voting on party basis) to represent us in the Lok Sabha and conduct their business as disciplined servants in public interest without wasting their time and public money. .+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++