WE SHOULD ALL VOTE. We know that, but we, the so called educated elite have found certain excuses to skirt the issue.
Excuses for not voting:
1) My 1 vote does not count!!
Ask Shri. C.P. Joshi,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._P._Joshi
Shri. C.P. Joshi, currently Minister of Rural Development in the Union Cabinet under Manmohan Singh, lost his election to the Nathdwara Assembly seat in Rajasthan in 2008 by one, yes, ONE VOTE!!
HIS MOTHER, WIFE & DRIVER NOT GO TO VOTE that day!!!
He was the President of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee at that time and was credited with the Congress victory in the 2008 Rajasthan Assembly Elections. He would naturally also be a contender for Chief Ministership, but I guess that 1 vote made all the difference.
2) Whom should we vote for, they are all the same !!
Select the best candidate, not necessarily the best party…
3) Why waste our vote voting for those Independent Bankers and Professionals when they are not going to win…..
How many seats did Raj saheb Thackarey and his Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) win, 12/13 ….
How many seats did they make others loose. Many have put that figure close to 40 seats.
So, if for example, the Professional Party of India, or the like, are able to garner more votes than the margin of victory or defeat in many of the 38 Assembly segments in Mumbai alone, won’t that be a big chattering point on our news channels.
Politicians try to sway a block which is decisive in their victory or defeat.
Just visit any slum and see if Coastal Zone Regulations or CZR regulations are a speed breaker in an extra slum or an extra floor coming up near the sea shore.
Just visit your friendly neighbourhood slum to see if:
a) It has paver block tiles (or newspaper reading stands, or a temple, mosque or whatever) installed thanks to Corporator / MLA / MP LAD funds,
b) at a time when your tap runs dry to see if water is flowing through theirs
c) to have cold sherbet with water from their fridge, sitting on their sofa and coffee table set on a marbled floor watching your favorite cricket team playing on their telly (I have visited more than 1 such “slum”)
d) Try buying a slum, it may cost you more than 10 lakhs. They are truly slumdog millionaires! and they got their slum for free. oops, sorry, they voted for it !
If you, or your building, or club or community or ALM has the power to make some one loose an election, you will be wooed. Your problems will be heard and redressed.
So, we must learn from the MNS and make it matter where it hurts. If not in “our” victory, then at least in “their” defeat.
Unfortunately, the next (& the most important) elections are the BMC Corporator elections and they are still 3 years away!!
So in true Middle Class Mumbai voter tradition, lets plan where to head to for a well deserved holiday when that E-Day comes.
Jai Hind,
Jai Maharashtra,
Jai Mumbai
(And for my dear football crazy fellows,
Go Man U !!)
Rj2424's Blog 