Leaders of parties promise heaven on earth during election campaign!

The mindset of contestants of any major election is one of anxiety. Money alone can not win any election. In the state election of Tamilnadu, the Election Commission has seized more than one thousand millions of rupees approximating to one hundred crores in Indian currency. Why the contestants are keen to dole out money to one and all? By bribing the voter, they want to gain their franchise. Of course, this is one of the serious crimes in any elections. But to my knowledge, this has been the practice of all contenders around the globe! If not cash, they will send gifts secretly.

As the election commission tightens the noose, many contestants adopt various modus operandi to cheat the commission in many innovative ways. They secretly obtain the mobile numbers of voters and top up them remotely. They issue tokens to the houses in the night to collect gifts later after elections from particular malls or big shops. It is like gift cards. Also, the rich contestants deposit money directly into the accounts of the voters, soliciting the bank account numbers. Of late, locked containers are transported from one location to other carrying cash and gifts. The poor hut dwellers are offered gold nuggets or silverware lamps or even brass pots. This they sleekly distribute in the dead of night where there is no power or lamp posts. They just drop the articles inside their huts through some holes. They seek the assistance of news paper boys, insert cash inside the newspapers. (Of course, this one is risky).

Even during the campaign, the leaders promise a host of freebies once they come to power like free electricity up to certain meter readings, free transport for elders, marriage assistance to poor girls, delivery assistance to pregnant ladies, subsidized two wheelers.(the government will bear part of the cost) There are many comic situations arising out of the announcements. One leader has announced free delivery of subsidiary rice, wheat and other grains besides pulse and oil at the door step of each voter. They are at liberty to promise even the sky and ocean to the voters but at what cost? They never bother to calculate the amount required to fund such schemes. Now, the election commission has sent notice to the parties, how they are going to fund such dream projects?

The above methods clearly show that the leaders treat the voters as fools. But nowadays, most of the voters are literate, aware of the happening in the state and the dismal records of the leaders. It is a sad spectacle that the political parties utilize the poverty of the hutment dwellers, offering them bribe in the form of cash or kind to snatch their franchise.

In olden days of civilization, there were more transparent ways to elect the heads of village committees. A mud pot will be kept near temple premises and the voters will put a palm leave with the name of the person they want to select. It was more open and people select a good and respectable person from the village based on honesty. But the polling scenery has become so worse in spite of advancement in other fronts. All the social platforms are abreast with lot of comments about each leader, mostly ridiculing each for their unsavory behavior in public. Baring one or two leaders who are well behaved in public, personal animosity and criticism is on the rise. The people are very much disillusioned with the leaders of all political parties. None is keen to ameliorate the sufferings of poor people. Selfless leaders have become rare!

Thanks to the number of mobile applications, what up, twitter and face book carry thousands of messages and live feed to keep the voters abreast with the wrong doing of several party leaders doling cash and kind and these become viral very quickly. All political leaders have Twitter and Face book account and every minute they convey their messages and comments on the political activities of other parties.

Several newspapers use their space to reflect the views of netizens on various topics happening with funny twists and cartoons.

Sometimes democracy is seen as a negative platform in politics of today. Too much freedom makes the leaders to treat their citizens as herds of sheep!