Gustakhi Maaf Haryana-Pawan Kumar Bansal. Haryana Goes to the Polls.

Haryana Goes to the Polls.
The field is wide open and election process is underway in Haryana. The common perception is also very clearly understood to both public and politicians. However, the clever ones are projecting and parties particularly Congress are not stopping them. This is confusing the electorate which is already divided on caste lines. The scene which was 60 C, 20 B and 10 Others has changed to 53 C, 30 B and 7 Others.Congress has definitely lost some ground because of one man.

The loss is due to one factor only that in West Central Haryana it is BJP vs Hooda and not BJP vs Congress. If one listens to the rhetoric of high Fi BJP leaders including PM, they do not seem to attack Congress but Hoodas. This is a new polarization of BJP in which they are strongly making election as BJP vs Jats so that they can take floating votes to their advantage.

This seems to be working as well. The Congress president did not control the situation as he feels that only Hooda can bring majority. May be they will be happy even if Congress scores 48 or so seats. Reasons are obvious as two major castes of Punjabi and Backward would not like a Jat leader and that too Hooda whose partiality is proved beyond doubt as CM. Infact they are confused right now and have become floating vote. If somehow BJP scores more than 25 seats in spite of heavy anti-incumbency it will be a taste of victory for them.
Having said that it is also essential to expect what Congress may or may not do to fulfil their promises. If Mr Hooda becomes CM chances are that things might go smoothly because he will be having majority MLAs with him. However, for this Congress as a party will be at loss as Hooda never had the tag of good governance before 2014 when he was CM. He has all the immoral ingredients of self-serving and preferring his own community over others. If Shelja is chosen as CM she may not complete the term as breakaway group of Hooda will partner with BJP and Hooda may become CM again of coalition just like in Maharashtra. In any case only a new person with neutral thinking should be the long-term objective of Congress whether they form Govt or not. AAP party is just experimenting and looking at floating votes. Rest assured if they score 15% votes polled, they will be the next party to emerge in Haryana just like Punjab. Right now AAP
did not have its solid cadre but by the time next election is due they can become a force to recon with by choosing persons suited to be public or mass based people as MLA candidates.

People of Haryana want both good governance as well as moral governance. BJP did some good thinking, but execution was bad, and their boss Khatter slowly became highly unpopular because of his repressing attitude and behaviour. Being an average intellect, he was governed guided by the IAS and by nature just make those policies which benefit them the most.

Every rupee spent must be accountable and transparently spent with proper public feedback. This was missing. Powers should be handed to lower strata of officers with full accountabilities.
Let us look at some issues as why politicians knowing all this tend to compromise and might choose wrong approaches over good ones .
Politicians often prioritize actions that will garner immediate support and ensure their re-election, even if these actions are detrimental in the long run.Appealing to the masses, even with populist or divisive rhetoric, can be more effective than pursuing policies that may be unpopular but beneficial. BJP has not been able to explain the reasons of introducing Agni veer policy, and why they cannot legalize MSP. Why Khattar and company wants Mercedes when Swift Desire is available. This gives the message that BJP is not public oriented and big advertisements or slogans won’t fetch votes. With 25 % electorate in the kitty as compared to 20% of Congress, BJP wins not on policies and issues but on last time polarization and garnering maximum no of floaters. This idea works well with absorbing corrupt ones of the other parties as
Powerful interest groups can exert significant influence over politicians, often lobbying for policies that benefit their own interests rather than the public’s. Financial contributions from special interest groups can provide a substantial advantage, potentially influencing policy decisions.
The increasing polarization of political parties can make it difficult to find common ground and implement bipartisan solutions. Politicians may be reluctant to compromise on their positions, even if it means sacrificing the best interests of their constituents.
A lack of transparency in government can make it difficult for citizens to hold politicians accountable for their actions. In some cases, politicians may face minimal consequences for their wrongdoings, which can incentivize unethical behaviour.
In some instances, politicians may prioritize personal gain over public service, engaging in corrupt practices such as bribery and embezzlement.The pursuit of power and prestige can lead politicians to make decisions that are not in the best interests of their constituents.
It’s important to note that these are not universal reasons, and many politicians do strive to serve the public interest. However, these factors can contribute to the prevalence of wrong approaches in politics. Good politician are a rare breed now. Second October 2024.