Political circus between politicians, bureaucrats and just about anyone around has begun in full swing.
Elections in our country are not so much about responsibility as they are about power. About that firing ambition to become a prime minister, chief minister, or a minister. If not a minister, an MLA, or a corporator for that matter. Any position of governance is more about the ability to call the shots. For those plum projects. For contracts. Which translate to....you know what. Cash.
As the political one-upmanship takes centrestage, Advani, who we know began with those hate-ideology based Rath Yatras, makes the politically correct, Vote noises -- condemns the Mangalore incident.
Somnath Chatterjee signs off rather disappointed, saying he did his best.
Gowda announces a third front. In Bengal, Mamta Banerjee plays her poll cards.
Bangarappa, has switched sides again, after those umpteen jumps from party to party in search of greener pastures. This time he is with the Congress.
Mayawati, Jayalalithaa, Left, Karunanidhi...everyone's in calculation mode. Numbers. Seats.
At the end of the mela that will cost this country several hundreds of crores, there is no guarantee of a stable government. Our politicians chant coalition, coalition. They stitch up some alliances, tear off some, but have a common goal. Power.
Am already picturing a rag-tag coalition by mid-year.
Nirmala Venkatesh, till yesterday a Congress loyalist, cries foul at being shown the door by the Centre, for messing up with Mangalore's pub attack incident. She has the audacity to say she did not interview the victims as they ...huh...`ran away'. To where? From where? When she makes these hollow statements, she is dressed in impeccable blue with a matching chain to go with it.
At her own press conference, a Mutalik man starts shouting for anyone who dare say anything against Mutalik. Of course he is overpowered by other journalists.
In Bangalore, women get beaten up out of the blue, in a series of incidents. The government does nothing. Fellow journalists say it could be the work of an Opposition politician. But all the same, they get beaten up.
Elsewhere, felling of trees continues. Prices continue to rise. Mumbai's lakhs hang from trains as usual. Bangalore's women seethe at the city growing unsafe for women. The woes of the common folk do not end. Villages reel under the blazing sun.
Governance: heard that somewhere? Or did you dream of it in your dreams?
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