This election was forced on the people early by about six months. Legally the government of the day can call for elections at any time during their tenure but they are morally bound to govern for the full term of five years. The BJP, elated by the state assembly results of Rajasthan, M.P., and some other states and also Gujarat elections earlier, got over-ambitious and over-confident and made lots of miscalculations, as they often do, and did not judge the mood and anger of the people in many other states. They opted for an early general elections believing that they could win a clear majority on their own and jettison the NDA so that they could speedily implement their hidden agenda.

There were no issues of national importance involved in the campaign of all the parties. Campaigning was restricted to calling names, issuing challenges to other parties on inconsequential subjects, and replies to them and on non-issues that do not affect the people at all. Campaigning was reduced to much noise, heat, dust and hot air. Rallies were packed with hired people and often it was the same crowd at meetings called by different parties! During the earlier elections, bribing voters with money, liquor, clothes and other articles were done secretly. The night before the election was known as Katal Ki Raat, whereas now they are done openly on any day. This year’s election campaign was the cheapest and poorest in quality when compared with other elections.
The third front [Socialist Party (SP) and some other parties] joining the Congress-led alliance after the second phase of polling, led to the defeat of the candidates of the NDA by small margins. Several small regional parties ensured the Congress victory. If the SP and some of the small parties had joined the Congress-led front earlier, perhaps the victory might have been bigger.

The NDA and the BJP in particular, was rejected by the urban and semi-urban middle class electorate. They were angry with the BJP: (a) for inadequate, inept handling, and corruption in relief and reconstruction works after the earthquakes in Gujarat; (b) the Gujarat riots, the killings of Muslims and subsequent sham trials; (c) inaction of the Prime Minister in the Gujarat riots and trials; (d) the UTI, Tehelka and many other scandals that were sought to be swept out of sight of ‘Shining India’.

Aggressive and sustained attack on Sonia’s foreign origin resulted in a considerable number of women voters moving away from the BJP.

NDA leaders and particularly the Prime Minister literally begging for votes, seats and power, during the last phase of the election, sealed the fate of the BJP-led alliance.

The new set of people who have formed the government is a mixture of ideologies of the Left, the Left of the Centre, liberals, hitchhikers, opportunists and a few persons of doubtful character. Let us all hope and wish that this mixture of ideologies is proportionate, and lead to good governance.

Mr. R. Ramakrishnan is a political activist