Hot button issues in this sphere of 900 million voters

It will be difficult to say how much the implementation of these measures would cost the national exchequer or affect national security or there is a magic wand to have all these projects fulfilled.

Representational Picture (AFP)

New Delhi: One more election and one more campaign, but how is it different this time? Nearly 90 crore voters, say one billion are eligible to exercise their franchise in the general elections spread over 7 phases beginning April 11, 2019. Mudslinging and personal attacks, notwithstanding there are no two opinions that national security and unemployment are hot button issues in this election. Farmers suicides over unpaid debts and low income, agitations and how agrarian distress can influence politics, crumbling infrastructure, unchecked air and water pollution, growing economic divide, exploding population, women’s welfare and security, growing intolerance, communal disharmony, workers in unorganized sector, the debased health-care system, real-time women and child welfare are going to dominate the minds of the voters. Even as we see prime leaders trying to defenestrate rivals before every election and as the country gears up for the Battle Royale in the hot months of April and May, let us take a look at the key issues this time around. Agrarian distress Agriculture has become more expensive year-on-year, less rewarding and highly risky as it is still a gamble with the Rain God. If it plays truant as has been predicted, then, close to 60 per cent of India’s mammoth population which lives in the rural belt are bound to feel the pinch. Though mounting numbers are moving to the cities in truckloads and the trains are full of migrants seeking greener pastures in the urban concrete jungles of the big metros and the satellite towns, agriculture and rural population make up the backbone of the country and also are considered a major vote bank by political parties. Farmer issues are inconspicuous on most occasions but hog a lot of limelight as elections approach. Unfortunately, farmers become patsy to the wickedness of political parties. The venal motives of middlemen in the sector are a big reason for peasants not getting their due.   Agriculture and agrarian distress will be a lingering issue in the elections. National security is of paramount concern RUSSIA S-400 triumph missile system, purchasing crude oil from Iran, developing the Chabhar port as a gateway to international north-south transport corridor to shorten the distance to Russia and European countries, the surgical strike after the Uri terrorist attack, the airstrike in Pakistan’s Balakot, the visit to Israel, the long-awaited Goods and services tax bill implemented are matters which the BJP is touting as its achievements. Corruption in the Rafale deal over which the Congress has gone to town is matched by the corruption charges in the Agusta Westland VVIP chopper deals in which reportedly some of its big names figure prominently as having received bribes. Developmental schemes & the bullet train Bringing the bullet train in our country which will run between Ahmedabad and Mumbai will be completed by 2022 with assistance of Japan. Why the need of a bullet train when the present railway system is not in a good shape, ask most Opposition parties. Ease of doing business ranking reduced to 77 with the ambition to bring it under 50, the commitment in the COP 21 in the Paris climate agreement, the Bharatmala Yojana to construct a gamer changing road of 24,800 km roads, with 50 national corridors and new highways, flagship scheme of Ayushman Bharat Yojana It was not as if the situation today is unique. A party always suffers from the incumbency factor. Ten years ago, the UPA government was voted back to power, however lackluster or bright its performance in the first innings was and managed to complete both terms in full, despite the scams and the charges of corruption surrounding the administration. The current BJP government wants to ride back to power on its slogans of development for all which was the plank on which it rode to a massive mandate in 2014. The ground reality is that the benefits of many of the schemes including healthcare which have not duly benefited the common man. What BJP & Congress have promised to resolve In its Sankalpa Patra released, the PM made it a point to stress that the benefits will percolate to the common man.  The BJP has committed to scrap Article 370, which gives J&K special status, and Article 35A, building Ram temple in Ayodhya and also vowed to give constitutional protection of people's faith in the contentious Sabarimala issue in Kerala. Curiously the Congress which is the main opposition to the ruling party in its manifesto too, has made somewhat ambitious and practically difficult promises in order to woo the voters. In order to sport a pro-poor look, the party went to town with a confection of goodies for all. The 55- page document lists a Kisan budget, a NYAY scheme (with financial assistance up to Rs 72,000 per year to nearly 25 crore people) aimed at eliminating poverty by 2030, 150 days (instead of the current 100) of guaranteed employment under the MNREGA and the filling up of 22 lakh jobs in the next 12 months. Besides, there are proposals like a revision of the AFSPA, the scrapping of the sedition law and the citizenship bill. The BJP stressed on the farmer distress, triple Talaq and terrorism and promised that the country would be a 5 trillion economy by 2025. It had some sops for agriculture sector also.  While grandstanding is the mainstay of Indian political parties, the Grand Old Party hopes to woo the voters with these promises. The Congress’ minimum income plan would wipe out the GDP say critics. It will be difficult to say how much the implementation of these measures would cost the national exchequer or affect national security or there is a magic wand to have all these projects fulfilled. Disquiet about reservation Anger cannot be repressed for long and this is evident when so-called prosperous communities like the Jats, the Gujjars, the Patels, the Marathas took to the streets to vent their anger and demand reservations and other benefits. This has not been addressed well by the parties. What matters finally are more jobs and in an ever-changing world, it is unrealistic to expect either of the major parties to come up with a silver-bullet solution to this perennial problem of joblessness when the main employer, the Government, has also not been recruiting in the same scale as before. Ram temple & others In addition to these, other issues on which the parties and the public are exercised much are the construction of the Ram temple and the cow protection legislation. The stock market which is somehow the barometer of capitalist aspirations has been doing well. Whether it is an accurate reflection of how good the country’s economy is, is hard to tell as the market operates on the twin factors of fear and greed or one would say optimism. The see-saw battle of the Sensex is bound to continue till a new Government is put in place. What finally matters to the poor is an assured slice of bread and butter to endure the hardships of everyday survival.