WITH just one last phase of voting remaining in West Bengal on April 29, the high-stakes elections in five States will come to an end but not without leaving a bad taste in the form of poor public discourse by all contesting parties. Electoral rhetoric often makes parties go overboard during high decibel campaigns. It is a trend that marks a democratic process of electioneering but things turn really sour when the narrative shifts to below-the-belt attacks on opponents and deliberate attempts to vitiate the social atmosphere. The dirty part of the campaign again turned the elections in five States a painful experience for those who have seen polls fought with grace and statesmanship of the highest order in the past. The current political discourse is not even a patch on what campaigns used to be in the not-so-distant past. Of course, loud-mouths used to put a spanner in the order but those incidents used to be only an exception.

 

The number of such motormouths has grown exponentially in the last two decades or so turning electioneering into mainly a smear campaign than reaching out to the electorate with one’s development agenda. Many elections in the past have seen contemporary political discourse tilting heavily towards mud-slinging. Regular indulgence in vile speeches have turned the political climate in the country totally toxic. It is reflected in the latest attempt by Congress President Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge to call Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi a “terrorist”. Mr. Kharge simply crossed the line by making such a harsh statement without realising that he was talking about the Head of a State. The language used was crass and the expression was downright derogatory. It has invited the right rebuke from the Election Commission of India which has taken serious note of Mr. Kharge’s statement and issued him a stern notice. This episode highlights the degradation in political discourse in the country with even top leaders falling into the trap of quick fame with derogatory or inflammable statements.

 

The campaigning in Assam, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal was full of such incidents as leaders got swayed by the moment and crowd and crossed the boundaries of decency. Not a single political party in the country can boast of practicing the right public discourse in this election. All are guilty of violating civility with some or the other leader from their party shooting from the hip without caring for its consequences on the social atmosphere. The language West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee is using against the Prime Minister and the Central Government for deployment of central forces during voting is insensitive and coarse. Her response to the presence of CRPF for smooth conduct of elections reflects her insecurity of losing turf battle to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has left no stone unturned in election campaigning. Ms. Banerjee is trying to turn the presence of a large number of central forces into a narrative of intimidation by the Centre.

 

It is a pathetic attempt to gain public sympathy, for, even the common voter in West Bengal knows why the central forces are necessary to ensure peaceful polling on the voting day. Ms. Banerjee cannot brush aside the large-scale violence that has become a hallmark of elections in West Bengal. Evidence has suggested direct involvement of Trinamool Congress (TMC) cadre in such incidents. Even the courts have red-flagged the high-handedness of political goons during elections under the patronage of the State machinery. Such circumstances are termed extreme in a democracy and hence the deployment of a large number of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) near polling booths. With one more phase of voting left in the State, Ms. Banerjee’s cantankerousness is set to grow further. It will further muddy the political discourse and mark another low of electoral politics. The onus is on the top leadership of all parties to sensitise workers on the value of a healthy democracy. Elections cannot be allowed to become a mud-slinging match each time.