All Ready To Vote For Change – But For Whom And What?

These elections are seeing an unprecedented amount of activity on the part of the educated Urban India – Young and Old. There is a never-seen-before sense of wanting change, wanting change from the present to a rosier, better future! 80 Million First time voters and over a 100 urban constituencies could make these elections an election where the urban voter and indeed the young vote count!

The rhetoric and sloganeering of Political parties and a willing media continue unabated and doesn’t make the choice of who to cast your vote for easier and as one young first time voter-to-be asked me quite innocently – how do I decide who to vote for?

Actually the answer to this question is far simpler than you think.

Lok Sabha elections are always a referendum on the incumbent Central Government, in this case in 2009, the Manmohan Singh government! Similarly State elections are a referendum on the performance of the State government! Therefore the question to ask yourself before you vote in the coming days is – Are you happy with the performance of the Manmohan Singh Government over its term or do you want Change?

So either you are amongst those Indians, who have followed the many pages of advertisements in the leading newspapers (paid for by Taxpayers of this country!) and agree that  he ran a great government and deserves to be brought back, in which you need to say Welcome back and  vote for him/Congress and give him one more term.

Or you are amongst those who think that - a government with each minister pursuing his own agenda, the tragedy of 26/11, of being in government when more lives were lost to terrorism (except Iraq!), the cash for votes enabled confidence vote victory in Parliament, allegations of fixing the Supreme court by its own Political ally, constantly changing political alliances/partners with no constant ideology, a derailed economy with concerns of security and joblessness - are not signs of great achievement (as I do!) then you say Thanks but no thanks to another term and  vote him out and get change!

And if you are amongst the second category of Indians, Who do you vote in as the change?

Ask the same questions – With the Taliban at the borders, with failed/ unstable countries all around like Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Sri Lanka around us – Who will provide us the leadership for a secure India? Who can take our economy and the increasing joblessness and revive the economy with strong, decisive steps? Who can take our broken Government and fix it and make it more accountable and responsive to all of us?

Voting is never difficult if you ask the right questions!