Poll posturing
The stage is set for the December 1 assembly elections in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Coming after a healthy monsoon that was preceded by a severe dry spell, the polls offer parties the perfect platform for articulating their stand on matters concerning development. A Down To Earth (dte) team fanned out to the four states to assess first-hand whether there was indeed a shift in political mindset in this direction. It found that save for the customary lip service to real issues such as participatory governance, the level of political discourse was shallow and divorced from reality. These are ominous signs, considering that the ensuing assembly polls are being seen as a dress rehearsal for the next general elections.
Politicians like Hari Shankar Bhawda, a bjp leader and former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan, make no bones about following the agenda of expediency. Bhawda's belief is that there are two kinds of issues