Big day it is going to be tomorrow. 4th June 2024 – the day when the results of the General Elections 2024 will be declared, and the fate of thousands of MPs across the parties will be sealed. Exit Polls though have already declared a thumping victory for the ruling BJP Govt. with an even bigger margin in comparison to the 2019’s. However, it remains to be seen whether the ruling government will be able to stand firm at the exit poll figures or will it collapse in a miracle kinda upset?
Since the day the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the dates of the 2024 General Elections, we have come across hundreds, if not thousands of tactics from the opposition blaming the Modi-led government for all the bads in the country. From miserable ranking in the Hunger Index, Democracy Index, Press Freedom Index, Human Development Index etc to the minorities living like second-class citizens; from the democratic tapestry of the country getting torn by the dictatorial acts of the government, to the independent public institutions resembling no more than a caged parrot; from the poor getting poorer, and the coffers of rich just getting heavier; the opposition indeed was having some substance and rationale in its say, and the allegations lodged and the issues raised weren’t blatantly false.
We have seen a wide range of critiques
ranging from roadside sub-literate uncles and aunties to rich erudite gentlemen
and ladies all speaking volumes and crying foul over the potential threat to democracy in India.
Dhruv Rathee, the Indian YouTuber having over 20 mn subscribers singlehandedly
leading the narrative with his meticulously researched videos spewing harsh legitimate facts. He certainly wasn’t alone, others stood hand in hand with him – one prominent name is Akash Banerjee, aka ‘The Deshbhakt’. Banerjee has raised some serious issues revolving around the larger
public interest in a witty manner that forced every single one of us, even the ardent supporters of the ruling govt to halt for a moment, acknowledge the biases
deeply rooted in our hearts, and feel guilty.
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| Picture Credits: Wikipedia |
Besides the above two, there also
exist tens of intellectual YouTubers, influencers, journalists, and teaching professionals excelling in a multitude of fields who have grabbed the ruling party by the collar through
their well-read and well-justifiable critical comments. Sharp, sensible rants
have come from the people living within the territory of Bharat as well as from
beyond, with the prestigious Ivy League and top-notch Universities in the US
and the UK, think tanks, global NGOs, and intergovernmental bodies reiterating the
depressing story of India every now and then.
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If that’s how sordid the present
state of democracy in India is, why on earth is the ruling party winning a thumping
victory in the exit polls (that probably will reflect in the final results
as well?) Why is the man who is called a dictator going to return as the
Prime Minister of Bharat for a record third time? And why all the toil and
efforts that the entire opposition lobby, so-called guardians of democracy
had put in are going to be thrown in the bin?
Three major reasons exist for the above. First, the voters, irrespective of their socio-economic-demographic status weren’t as gullible as the opposition presumed. They understood it well that if it’s anyways going to be a contest between the ugly, uglier, and the ugliest; why not choose the first one only? Second, say the opposition wins the elections (yeah, just like the Sun rises in the west). Who is going to be the PM then? Rahul Gandhi? Mallikarjun Kharge? Mamta? Kejriwal…? Even the commonest man knew that these people would temper with the sanctity of the INDI Alliance and the entire country would eventually bear the brunt of their internal strife. Had they designated a PM candidate as dear, populist, and strong as Narendra Modi already, a lot many responsible voters could have gone in their favour at least. And last but of all value, people had set their priorities in a manner in which the more important goods of the ruling government outweighed the lesser important bads. What the opposition thought was important wasn't really for the populace and vice versa.