Election season is on. The entire political class is working at the last minute, much like an engineering student who studies only at the thirteenth hour before the exam. We see voters at chaupals or villages, offices and parties speculating about the election, defending or criticizing political parties. Yet, the most common comment I have heard from voters is “there is no alternative political leadership”.
A lot of voters seem very confused about the choice of prospective leadership in the country. Most of them, I believe, end up voting for a candidate only due to a sense of inadequate leadership in the political market. It is worrying to witness such helplessness among the voters in the largest democracy of the world. Being a party-neutral person, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss this conundrum of voters.
A question arises here — how many of those complaining about a lack of alternative have tried to search for an alternative, in the first place? How many voters have even listened to the party leaders and their vision and promises? How many of them have been involved in the political narrative and analyzed things on their own? The answer is, very few. Many do not even know the names of the leaders, let alone their vision. It is simple logic — how can one compare leaders and parties without gaining adequate knowledge about them? How can one say that there is no alternative without even looking for one?
There are, according to me, two kinds of voters. Some have been voting for the same party for decades and will vote again for the same party. They do not know anything about the political scenario in the country and will simply press the pre-decided button on the EVM. They are not willing to change their decision under any circumstance. In the other category, a voter tries to evaluate leaders through the media and many are active on social media. But, unfortunately, they get trapped in the propaganda of media houses, advertisements, marketing and publicity stunts of political parties.
The actual truth is not revealed to people who depend on the media for decision-making in voting. They get influenced by slogans, repeated rhetoric, and pleasant promises. In such times, voters do not think rationally and start believing in the narrative blindly. The voter is not even able to find the voices of the other parties, and especially of new youth leadership. Amidst all this, we keep hearing about the lack of an alternative.
I am not commenting on any particular political party. There may not be many options for people to vote for. But, we should come to this conclusion only after looking at both sides of the coin. For both categories of voters, there should be a desire to look for alternatives. One should take voting seriously and try to search for an alternative. They should listen to the speeches of leaders from different parties and interact with them. Many voters come with a preconceived mindset towards certain leaders — which is shaped by the dominant media.
The media creates a negative image for some potential leaders, especially the new emerging leaders and therefore, people do not even look at them as prospective leaders. Some have already been designated as anti-national without sufficient proof by the media, and voters will not even consider them. But voters should not become victims of illusive propaganda by the media and mainstream parties. They should, at least, look at the other side of the coin before making decisions. They should be open to accommodating ignored or new leaders and analyzing things, rather than depending solely on mainstream illusive sources.
Casting a vote is our duty, but casting it with full consciousness is our responsibility. Random voting does not work for a democracy, rather it will backfire and might usher in the wrong person to a seat of immense power. So, please, do look out for alternatives. Even after that, if you are unable to find one, then either press NOTA or choose the best among all.