With political waters in heavy churn courtesy high decibel campaigning, the hazy and iffy political mosaic made these elections unprecedented. Fighting anti-incumbency, the saffron party is going to the polls alone, contesting all seats with the hope of securing a third successive term in office. Their hopes hinge on split in votes. Congress which has been decimated across the country is banking on its appeal not to split votes and voter's conviction that it alone has the capacity to form a non-BJP government, but that's a tall order. AAP and TMC are the dark horses who hope to make a dent in other parties' fortunes. The sad fact remains that politicians look at politics only as investment and returns, people's welfare is the last thing on their minds. Elected MLAs look to first recoup their 'capital expenditure' and then to enrich his coffers. Even if the ruling party falls short, it can very well 'purchase' elected independents or engineer a defection in other outfits. Voters are ‘damned if they do and damned if they don't’.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
