By Ashish Wagh

The illuminati being exhibited by the aspirants of power, in the Vidhan Sabha elections 2024 in Maharashtra, is overshadowing the real essence of democracy.

Every political party claims to know all the issues faced by the voters and are vociferous about they addressing it no sooner power is vested in them. By the way, the above is the last on their priority because they have better and larger ‘interests’ to ‘take care’s of!

Issues like farmer’s deaths, unemployment, water scarcity, ever-growing crime rate and corruption, poor education services, crumbling infrastructure, healthcare and a killer inflation have all been rechristened as ‘trivial’ in the present political culture.

What’s important to these parties is betting on the best horses and docile but loud braying politically uneducated but can make a ramp out of a TV debate, who enjoy double the freedom we ever got from the British.

The political culture and dynamic of holding fair and democratic elections is a passe. It’s about trading horses, misusing the rule book, be ruthless and unapologetic, create an uncertainty in the minds of voters, just to name a few epaulettes today’s law makers take pride in radiating to the rich and mighty for ‘care’ funds but for the voters, it’s a 5 minutes capsule administered from them for ‘By Invitation Only ‘ paid patients.

The other side of this audacious scheme of things has scaled up the emergence of either rebels or those who have started calling themselves independent. By the way, we all know that it is a nicer way of defection.

Both the Mahayuti and the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are creating a new pool of disgruntled elements (who call themselves Jan Pratinidhi and a whole lot of other titles) who have their own reasons to justify their actions.

No political party is spared of the exodus or entry of half-blood defectors, not even the Congress and the BJP. I call them the two large political conglomerates.

A recent interview given by a senior BJP leader, Gopal Shetty from Borivali, Mumbai, who chose to contest the forthcoming elections as an independent because, said he has taken the step because the BJP, in the last four elections, experimented with the half-blood aaya rams but failed. “The voter’s wrath is faced by me for no fault of mine. This time it is their wish that I contest independently to be their Jan Pratinidhi,” he said.

A young aspirant from the Congress in Pune was in for a shock when he could not get to be the authorised candidate. This, despite he being ‘promised and assured’ about it.

Most top rung leaders of political parties have hardly any clue about grassroots’ issues faced by constituents, ie the aam janta and the leaders representing them. This ignorance stems of the exclusivity shown off by the high commands and it directly impacts the choice of a good saleable candidate during elections.

This practice has spelt doom for democracy and will be raging till power is vested in the hands of a few opportunists.

These elections seem to have brought in a new trend – convenient exchange of aspirants. Hushed conversations heard from insiders in the present labryinth are pointing towards an unholy, unhealthy and obnoxious regime after November 23 when the festival of lights will actually begin for the new rulers of the grand State of Maharashtra.