THERE is no doubt that the Opposition has launched itself to fighting a losing battle when it goes into the November 1 mega rally titled dramatically ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’. Even though the parties comprising the INDI Alliance are trying their best to create a great hype around the rally, the effort is bound to pale into insignificance against ‘padyatras’ planned by the Bharatiya Janata Party on the same day to counter the Opposition effort. More importantly, what is visible to all political observers is that over time, the Opposition’s argument about ‘Vote Chori’ through Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Voters’ Lists is falling flat in public mind. No matter the Opposition hype on the subject, the BJP and its allies also have launched systematic counter-offensives to expose the hollowness of the claims of vote theft. Listening to the debate currently raging in the country, the common people realise that the Opposition has a weak case which its leaders are trying to whip up with only a limited success.

 

For the common public, ‘vote chori’ was never actually an issue since they have seen and participated in the elections with any hindrance across the country. The people also realise that the Opposition is applying double-standards while talking about vote theft. It has no complaints where it has won elections, but it has every possible complaint against the system where it has lost the elections. The people have not missed noticing this. Through the November 1 rally in New Delhi, the Opposition is trying to launch its unofficial election campaign in time for the Legislative elections in several States in the coming months. Factually, many of its leaders are conscious that their vote-theft accusation has lost its steam over time and that the common people know that the argument has no substance. Yet, feeling a sense of frustration over repeated electoral setbacks over the past few years, the Opposition appears to have defunct in its intellectual capacity to analyse correctly the fact and fiction of its own theory of vote theft. Another realisation that has dawned upon the common people is that the Opposition is less interested in winning elections, but more interested in pushing the sinister idea of anarchy in the country.

 

The people now realise that the Opposition’s allegations of partisan conduct by most constitutional institutions in the country is also part of its strategy to add to confusion and anarchy in the country -- something which the common people resent in the most candid manner. Another aspect of domestic politics which common people do not miss is the irresponsible manner in which the Opposition parties are conducting themselves -- that the Opposition is following double-standards and is refusing to follow simple norms and procedures that the Government is following as it implements the SIR. On the other wise, as the people now know, is the honest manner in which the Government is trying to operate within the frame of rules and laws -- which the common people do not miss noting. The most important aspect of popular realisation is that the Government has refused to be dragged into wrong muddle of politics through the Opposition hype. The responsible and calm conduct of the Government as against the irresponsible and cantankerous conduct of the Opposition is fully visible to the people.

 

 

The people also have not missed the appeals made to the Opposition by personalities such as Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah about being more sensible and understand the real issues on the ground. November 1 rally of the Opposition in New Delhi will thus become a starting point of intense politics ahead of Legislative elections in some States. What will make the critical difference is the people’s assessment of the comparative conducts of the Government and the ruling parties, and the Opposition. There are reasons to believe that the Opposition is launching a losing battle whose verdict will come in parts as the elections proceed in different parts of the country.