The confidence exuded by the various candidates (with the exception of independent candidates) and political parties of winning the elections by a huge margin is something to be noted. Supporters of a particular party reportedly burst crackers in Mapusa in anticipation of a victory. If only politicians who are elected show the same level of confidence in delivering the goods and keeping the promises made in the days leading to the polls.
Interestingly confidence means feeling sure of oneself and one’s abilities which need not be in an arrogant way, but in a realistic, secure way. Confidence isn’t about feeling superior to others. It’s a quiet inner knowledge of one’s capability. Self-esteem, which is strongly linked to confidence, shows how people perceive their own value. After elections citizens reciprocally need to have confidence in those they have elected.
Political trust, generally defined as citizens’ confidence in political institutions, is an important indicator of political legitimacy. A large voter turnout in a constituency is looked upon as a wave towards a particular party. Incidentally Vasco has the least voting percentage of 67.1 per cent followed by Panaji of 67.26 per cent. What inference should one draw from this?
