Kis? Kis? Kis, kis, kis, kis, Kisko???

Jaagore jaagore, jaa.aa..go..o..re!!
Yes, that's right - election ke din, agar aap vote nahin kar rahe, to aap SO rahe ho...
(and it plays out again - Jaagore jaagore, jaa.aa..go..o..re!!)

But yours truly - with all political disenchantment and without any clue on what choice to make - wants to know ki jaag ke, arthaat voting booth par pahunchke, karna kya hai????!!

Ji haan, vote to karna hi hai, par kis? kis? kis, kis, kis, kis, kisko?
Kisko vote karoon?!!

Now I do know, we do have enough regional/semi/quasi-national level parties, who have got quite used to calling the shots at the Centre in this age of coalitions.

But I want to zero in on only two - excuse me, all non-BJP, non-Congress, Third/Fourth/United/Disjointed/Secular/Whatever Front waalon and their supporters. Even if you possess an IQ that is as much as Mallika Sherawat's wardrobe, even then, you too would understand, that there are only two main parties in India: the Congress and the BJP.

These are the only 2 parties with whom shall wrest the responsibility of shaping the next government - whether on their own steam through a simple or near-simple majority (which is as likely as Himesh Reshammiya singing with the help of his vocal, and not nasal chords).

Or, one of these 2 parties can form/lead/support (from outside or from within the Cabinet), a coalition of parties where one of these two shall be the dominant, centrifugal partner in the coalition of parties that shall form the government.


Of the two, both seem to me to be equally (in)competent at the following:

• Corrupt: Now come on, we don't need to debate about it, do we? We have made ourselves and our country immune to it even faster than even the good folks who have been trying since so many years to immunise us and our country against polio through the pulse polio campaigns.
  

In fact, it has now come to a stage where corruption is a vice no more; virtue? - more
likely, necessity? - oh sure!

Which party/candidate to select, why and how?

• Communal: Overtly or covertly, directly or indirectly, whether through the direct, blatant, virulent verbal and physical attacks & hate propaganda by one party or through the other's squeamish, milk-them-and-use-them-in-the-name-of-secularism, get-votes-and-keep-promising-the-world attitude.

So, which one to vote for - the one that has Hindu sentiment and vote encashment as its
official warcry, or the one that just feels Muslims were born to live in a constant state of
shoot-at-sight, and it can feed off their insecurity and lack of other worthy options?
What enviable options!

• Apathetic: Don't know what others feel, but I can clearly sense these parties' care-a-damn-lets-get-power attitude.
  Pick any neta - Is anyone at all bothered about the welfare of the citizens and residents of an MP's constituency for the first 4 years 10 months??" What have both parties tried to do, when in power except on just encashing on the opportunity to use the power to achieve all material gains for self/party - in that order - at supersonic speed?

I know everything cannot be solved in 5 years (or even in 50 , for some problems). But I am not even asking for a quick-fix solution to everything. I just need to see intent, genuine intent, genuine effort, genuine concern and corrective action. Is that too much to ask for?
Unfortunately, none of the parties comes to the fore on any of these fronts.

I know, not voting does not mean the problems will be solved, but I need to know how to decide who is worthy of being voted?

How can you trust candidate A over candidate B when you have not only seen A and B, but have also seen the A's and the B's of the past - all happy enough to indulge in achieving their own personal goals and ready to involve themselves in mud-slinging against the other candidate/party at the slightest mention of their own tasks and achievements?

Yes, the answer is in putting your hand up if you feel so strongly disillusioned by things, and to make a difference. Forgive me for being such a pessimist, but I think such is the pre-dominance of these Big Two in politics, that even when the good, clean, meritorious, qualified, deserving and capable people have tried to make a difference, they have lost their voice and say, in the political spectrum of our country and have had to ultimately become subservient to one of the two parties, and pander to their big boss(es).

So where is the voice and clout of the independent in today's politics and what difference would you make, apart from raising some questions in the Question Hour? (that's assuming Parliament's not adjourned sine die, due to some or the other ruckus being created by some or the other party).

Anyway, just wanted to jot down my thoughts on the current scenario - apologies for the gloomy sentiments, and the pessimism - hope to find (and would love to receive through your comments) more answers than questions.

Till then...
Keep the faith, and do vote - just that I myself don't know, for whom? But good for you, if atleast you can put a finger on the pulse, and also on which button of the EVM to press!