Elections!

Lemme start with a confession. I am one of those to-be-blamed Indian citizens who have never voted. Every time something or else came up. But I cnt help but study the hysteria they create. And yah, this time I do intend to cast my vote.
Of course, I am no expert but I do like to listen to those "expert analysis" on TV and occasionally in my favourite newspaper TOI (:D). These elections must be one of those where it seems there is no big issue at all over which it is being fought! Instead everyone seems to be busy fighting over hate speeches and challenging others to point less TV debates. Is there nothing else to talk abt really? No "Change" is needed in India? I wonder.
And then you have those side kicks who suddenly become the heroes merely coz of the coalition plague. Imagine Mayawati asking if she can be the CM for so many times then why not PM? Esp when shes a Dalit? I mean really, is this the qualification to become PM? That you have to a Dalit CM a couple of times and thats it? I mean who the hell is she outside UP? Phew....and if you havent noticed, just glance through her tax returns. You will know the kind of money she rakes in. Of course Taj corridor has been easily forgotten.
BJP has always been weird to my mind. I have never understood why does a Babri Masjid and a Godhra happen only with BJP? Of course you can counter argue that 1984 Sikhs riots were associated with Congress. I concede that. But the nature of 1984 wasnt communal. I wnt get into that debate but we all know that Babri and Godhra incidents were tinged with communal hatred and maybe, Godhra and Babri Masjid demolition are related events. Anyway, you cnt help but appreciate the fact that Advani was associated with Babri and Modi with Godhra. Both now the two most visible faces of BJP. If I were a Muslim, maybe I wudnt have voted for them just because of this. I mean, why in the world would I vote for a party whose clarion call is Hindutva? BJP claims to be "THE" party coz its young. OK, but you got the oldest person in the fray as a prime ministerial candidate. What about him? Laughably, they raise the question why wasnt a capable economist like Manmohan Singh not able to control inflation! Well, you got a better idea then why dnt u say it?
Then theres SP who thinks computers and English are secondary to manpower and Hindi. Interesting. Given a choice, would Amar Singh want his son to learn English or Hindi? At least I am quite clear abt what my choice would have been. Between computers and manpower? lemme just say that I am a comp science engineer.
And finally the Congress. I agree Manmohan Singh hasnt got the charisma or the personality of a PM. He is a economist, whos become PM by chance! I understand when BJP alleges that real power emanates from 10, Janapath. But if Advani wasnt the PM candidate, the same would have been true for BJP also! but anyway, it is not as of now. Congress has its own set of issues. Tytler has been given clean chit, Rahul Gandhi is still a useless speaker(Priyanka is way better than him!), they handled 26/11 stupidly, they dnt have any charismatic mass leader and frankly, I hate it when power gets concentrated in a family when we are supposed to be democratic.

All said and done, whom should I vote for? Sidhu stands from Amritsar as a candidate. We know his criminal record. I cnt recall his major achievements as sitting MP. And I dunno what the candidate in opposition is going to do! So should I vote for the lesser evil knowing fully that with my limited knowledge, I may end up voting for the bigger evil? How do I decide when no one seems to be doing anything worthwhile? Whats the real reason why so many ppl dnt cast their votes? Why is it that all retired actors, criminals, cricketers etc etc suddenly become politicians? Is it so easy? Is there a lot of easy money in it? (Mayawati apparently paid over 20Cr merely in taxes!!) But if I dnt vote, that would mean someone else(the other voters) are deciding for me. And how well informed are they? I guess theres some case for casting your vote after all.