Once again, exit polls have failed to be an accurate predictor of the results of an election. They forecast a drubbing for the BJP in Haryana instead of the coming back of the party to power for an unprecedented third time. Whether it be the 2024 Lok Sabha polls or the Haryana assembly polls, both pundits as well as politicians have learnt never to take the voter for granted in India. Despite the undoubted hold of Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda over a substantial chunk of the electorate, overconfidence in the outcome became a factor in the defeat of the Congress Party. It has been a surprise to see how some leaders of major political parties have returned to the caste politics of the 1970s, harping on the caste factor as the determinant of success. Using the caste card by seeming to promote a particular group over others has the effect of consolidating other groups against the political party that is using caste as a strategy for success. Far better for both a political party as well as for the nation as a whole for the focus to be on development. In the 21st century, youth in particular have a right to expect good governance. Absence of corruption and the putting in place of policies designed to boost jobs, so that more people get enabled to improve their lives. What ought to count are better housing, education, employment and healthcare. A Chief Minister should administer the state in a way that treats all equally. He or she should be above considerations of caste or creed. The aim of the Chief Minister of a state should be to work in a manner designed to show through better governance why another term should be given to her or his party. Key among the guideposts to success is the empowerment of women and youth.
India was stuck in a low growth orbit during much of its history as a republic, a time when caste politics prevailed over the need to work for all rather than just some of the people. It is not difficult to find scapegoats for bad performance, such as the accusation that EVMs are faulty. Were that the case, the BJP would not have conceded the Karnataka Assembly polls to the Congress, or lost several Lok Sabha seats in the general election, while the Congress gained many seats. Nor would the NC-Congress coalition have come to power in Jammu & Kashmir rather than the BJP, whose seats were from Jammu rather than from Kashmir. The likely CM of J&K, Omar Abdullah, is right when he speaks of the need to cooperate with the Central government. But it is doubtful that the Congress Party will allow him such leeway, given the way Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi has launched a “no holds barred” attack on the BJP and its leadership. It is important for not just J&K but the rest of India that the new NC-Congress government look to the future rather than seek a return to the past. The past has not been pleasant for many in Kashmir, and still less so for the many who were forced out of that beautiful state. J&K has the potential to emerge as a hub for education and tech, apart from moving up the ladder of international tourist destinations and investment destinations. Such ought to be the objective of Omar Abdullah, for if he fails this time around as CM to deliver on substantive issues, his party will lose popularity and go the way of the PDP. In every state, the party or parties in power are on test before an electorate that is becoming more and more discerning and less and less forgiving of bad governance. Promises are cheap, and what citizens expect is performance. Gone are the days when the candidate was not important, only his or her party was. A changed situation needs a change in the way politics gets done. In the 21st century, what is needed are 21st century policies, not those of the past