The need for strong govt, decisive leadership
With the Lok Sabha elections slated to be held soon, many opinion polls have been conducted and presented in the media in the last few days. While an opinion poll is not the real thing nevertheless such an exercise does give an idea about people's view on such question as leadership, government policy or support for a political party. One should therefore not completely ridicule opinion polls as trash neither treat it as the gospel truth. We can however view it as an indication of things to come. Depending on whether one is winning or losing, political parties will welcome such opinion polls or reject it. However to ignore it would be at one's own peril. In fact, if conducted properly, such an exercise can strengthen democracy and become beneficial for both leaders and voters to make an informed decision or choice. This can improve the quality of our democratic process and people's voice can be better heard.
With the Lok Sabha elections slated to be held soon, many opinion polls have been conducted and presented in the media in the last few days. While an opinion poll is not the real thing nevertheless such an exercise does give an idea about people's view on such question as leadership, government policy or support for a political party. One should therefore not completely ridicule opinion polls as trash neither treat it as the gospel truth. We can however view it as an indication of things to come. Depending on whether one is winning or losing, political parties will welcome such opinion polls or reject it. However to ignore it would be at one's own peril. In fact, if conducted properly, such an exercise can strengthen democracy and become beneficial for both leaders and voters to make an informed decision or choice. This can improve the quality of our democratic process and people's voice can be better heard.
Coming to the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, it is now becoming clear that the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is the front-runner to form the next government at the Centre. Most opinion polls are giving the BJP around 188 seats, which is its highest ever, up from 116 in 2009. The Congress on the other hand is projected to get around 90 seats, which is down from the 206 seats it won in 2009. Given these projections, it is expected that besides the present NDA partners, other parties, especially the regional ones will gravitate towards the BJP led NDA, notwithstanding the reservations over Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. And so, while the BJP is expected to emerge as the single largest party and find new allies to form the next government, the question is whether Modi will be able to provide a strong and decisive government. After all, to be fair to the Indian voters, the BJP has been ridiculing the weak and indecisive government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The BJP under Modi can therefore ill afford to go the way of the Congress led UPA government. As from the experience of heading a coalition, such as the present Congress led UPA government, who ever the government may be, which comes to power in Delhi, high dependence on allies could have an adverse effect on government functioning and subsequently its performance. The BJP, if it comes to power, as is being indicated in opinion polls, it will do well to work not just towards getting more seats but also find reliable partners to form the government. As is often said, in politics there are no permanent friends or enemies but only permanent interests. After ten long years of a Congress led UPA government, which has not performed as expected because of various compulsion, people of this country want not just political stability but a government that is strong and leadership decisive. For that to happen, perhaps people should give a more decisive verdict. A hung verdict can lead to political machination by those who will do anything to bargain for power. This is not what India needs at the moment. What is required is a strong government at the Centre providing decisive leadership to fight against corruption, promoting good governance and bringing peace with development.
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