The countdown phase of the nation’s election process for its 17th Lok Sabha to take shape has moved to the countup phase, if the term merits to be coined. The vote-seeking aspirants for the privilege of membership of the august house have begun the all-too-familiar five-yearly tamasha of first wangling a ticket as a nominee of the respective political party and take to the course of consulting astrologers in camera to be advised on the auspicious time for filing the nomination papers in the Office of the Returning Officer. Thanks to the introduction of Model Code of Conduct, the nominated contestant is required to behave taking care not to violate any of the restrictions stipulated in the code, particularly in the matter of resorting to money-power, muscle-power and liquor-power. Psephologists of all hues are having a field-day predicting the outcome of the poll in Constituencies where the different social factors, specially caste affiliations, count. The rest of action falls into place with the poll machinery doing its part.
Amidst the over-charged rhetoric by the top guns of the major political parties, dominated by mutual mud-slinging, much to the amusement of the followers of reports in the media, the manifestos of the various parties are used to create an impression in the voters that all will be well again unlike the miseries that are bugging them no end.
