Forming a new Political Party? Winning the election is a cakewalk.
by Mahesh Bhagnari

The last General Election which resulted in UPA government assuming power threw up the following figures:
The total polling across the country was just above 57%.
The UPA alliance came to power getting a vote share of 34.53%.
The NDA alliance lost power having a vote share of 34.83%.
That means the UPA alliance enjoys the support of only just above 19.50% of those eligible for voting.

I am repeating this for more stress:
A political party can come to power by having a vote share of about 20% of all eligible voters.

Now we come to a crucial figure i.e. About 43% of the people did not vote. And out of those who failed to vote the majotily of the people were from middle and upper middle class, those that have the benefit of education, access to information and thus awareness to choose the right candidate.

But why do these people not vote and are alienated from the political process, forget about taking an active part in formatation of policies or being interested in governance.

The resons one often comes across are:
No candidate is worthwhile and anyway it doesn't matter if anybody wins.
I am concerned with my own life, family and friends and do not have any interest in any political party.
Whosoever wins it is not going to make any difference in my business environment or my personal life or for that matter the country.
I am not intrested in politics and am not even aware who the candidates are.
No policy or scheme of the government is going to affect me much unless I am poor.

The poor and marginalised people are the ones who vote for the wrong person/party for their own benefit.

Rich and informed people are aware of the policies of the party but, as they have no personal advantage tolook forward to, do not vote.

Political parties are aware that it is the poor and marginalised people whose vote decides the win and so target these people. Unfortunately these are the very people who are easily influnced by way of:
Promise of reservation.
Promise of Yojnas/Employment schemes.
Freebies like blankets, saris, money and Subsidies.
Emotional issues.

Securing the support of these people also ensures that these people will not eventually be demanding as they are unaware and so can be easily misled into believing that the government is doing something for them.

Educated and informed people can differenciate beetween the good and bad policies /political party/candidate but do not care to participate in the election while the poor and marginalised people get involved in order to elect the party which is promising to improve his lot.

Ultimately all people get involved for their own benefit and educated and intelligent people would not vote unless they see a personal benefit – or loss.

Any political party, even a new one, can win the election if it succeeds to win the support of these people. But how?

People wrongly assume that it does not affect them whosoever wins.

But the governments of this country have failed else the standard of living of even the common people would have been much better.

The whole system has become rotten which affects everybody.

Even countries which not long ago were poorer than India now have much higher per capita income enabling people to enjoy more material benefits.

It just need to be shown to the people that they have suffered a LOSS by not participating in the election process, formation of the policy and being alienated from governance.

But will any political party want to wake up a sleeping tiger.

More aware people will question the policies of the government, the system, the patronage enjoyed by the people in power; ultimately the very purpose these politicians are in business.

After all most of them are there not for the benefit of the people, the country, the society but for their own.

A sleeping tiger is what they want.

Do you wish to wake it up?