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Singh Is King All the exit poll predictions were put to an end with the release of elections results for the 15 Lok Sabha. Exit polls conducted by various media groups had predicted that UPA will get more seats than NDA and left’s support was predicted to be necessary to form a government in the centre. It was predicted that Congress led UPA will win 200 to 225 seats and NDA will be near the 180 mark. But the election results were hiding another story. BJP led NDA could win only 164 seats while Congress led UPA has won 257 seven seats. With these numbers UPA needs the support of 15 more MPs to form a government in the centre. And congress can win the support of some independents very easily. Some Congress leaders have said that they will not seek the support of the UPA’s former allies Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD for the formation of the government. Congress has won more seats than its own estimate and with it Manmohan Singh has become the first Prime Minister of India after Late Jawaharlal Nehru who has returned to power with a thumping victory. Congress has crossed the 200 MP seat mark that indicates that it is regaining its lost glory. On the evening of May 16 Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had announced that Manmohan Singh will once again become the Prime Minister of India and there is no other Congress leader in the race. This announcement has put all the predictions to an end. There were rumors Singh will be the PM of India for a short term and later on will be replaced by Rahul Gandhi. But Sonia has made it clear that ‘Singh is King’.

Fourth Front The other story that these elections results are telling is that the Indian voters have rejected the ‘blackmailing’ political parties and leaders. RJD and SP that were the former allies of Congress led UPA government have faired poorly in their home states. It must be learnt that leaders of these parties were drawn towards UPA because of their personal and state level interests. They always had influenced Congress’ policies and have put their personal and state level interest way ahead of the national interests. SP has been defeated for its ‘money making politics’. It must be learnt that during the trust vote motion in wake of Indo-US N-deal, SP had decided to vote in favor of Manmohan Singh government. Many opposition parties and leaders had made allegations of horse trading against SP. These incidents had badly affected SP’s image in the public. On the other hand Lalu Prasad Yadav’s story is same as is Mulayam’s. It must be learnt that prior to the results it was being predicted that small parties will play a big role in formation of government in the centre. In wake of such predictions many prime ministerial candidates had started to appear. Lalu and Mulayam had stated dreaming about becoming the Prime minister of India and had formed a ‘fourth front’ and had decided to fight elections without making alliance with any other party. But after the election results Lalu has publically accepted that contesting the elections without any alliance with Congress was a ‘big mistake’. Another ‘aaya ram gya ram’ Bihari leader Ram Vilas Paswan, who was also an ally in the Singh government and in fourth front, has been badly punished by the public of t  he state. H  e himself lost the election from Hajipur seat.

Performance Rewarded People of India have voted in favor of stable and strong government. Performance has also been rewarded by the public. Bihar and Madha Pradesh are the perfect examples of it. In Bihar Nitish Kumar’s JDU has won 20 seats while BJP has won 12. JDU is the alliance partner of BJP. Thus they both have got 21 more seats as compared to the previous elections. In Delhi Congress has won all the seven seats and has thus wiped out BJP totally out of Delhi. This is the reward for Shiela Dixit’s ceaseless efforts to improve and develop the infrastructure of the state.

Public With this mandate Indian public has emerged as victorious. Rahul’s youth brigade has also worked in favor of Congress. It is the proven fact that without the support of youth no political party can win the elections. Congress did not have enough youth leaders to revitalize it. Rahul and Singh understood this fact and 80 young leaders were given a chance to contest the elections. And this theory has worked. Most of the young leaders of Conger have won the elections. These elections results show that Indian public has voted to Manmohan Singh’s leadership and experience and Rahul Gandhi’s India discover plan.

Achievement of EC and Tasks Ahead

Trends Exit poll results can not be fully believed but the reports coming from all the directions indicate that once again a ‘khichdi’ government will be sworn in the centre. On the other hand it is being said that both the national level parties Congress and BJP are very far away from getting enough seats to form a government on their own. Initial reports indicated that voters of various states have voted on the basis of the performance of their state governments. Means whoever have worked for the betterment of his state has been rewarded by the voters in the 15 Lok Sabha elections. It is evident from the exit poll results of Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, MP, Gujarat and some other south Indian states. But the picture of Punjab has not become clear yet. But initial reports indicate that ruling BJP-Akali alliance is trailing behind the congress. All the rumors will be buried down when EVMs will be opened and results will start to pour out on May 16.

Election Process Lok Sabha elections were held in five phases in the country. The entire ‘program’ took two months and elections passed peacefully except some reports of violence in some northern states. This is nothing less than a consolation for the people of India in wake of the serial bomb blasts and Mumbai terror attack. Though 17 people were killed in the first phase of the elections in the naxal related violence and two people were killed in West Bengal and Tamilnadu in the last phase, but if we see the overall report, elections passed peacefully as for as the size and diversity of India is concerned. In the past elections we have witnessed violence at large scale.  Prior to the election people used to be killed with the political motivations. Polling booths used to be taken over and voters were forced to vote for certain candidates. But in these elections we have not seen such kind of violence. We can say that 15^th Lok Sabha elections were held in a very friendly manner and reached at its final destination. The credit goes to the Election commission of India for holding free and fare elections. The process of Voter Identity cards, initiated by former EC TN Seshan has also paid its dues. This process has also increased public’s interest in electing good candidates. At the other end it has decreased the bogus vote danger. It is evident from the voting percentage (66%) of Punjab. It must be noticed that this is the summer season and temperature is hovering around 40 degrees Celsius in Punjab. In such weather conditions 66% voting turn-out is nothing less an achievement.

Work Required People have become more aware about their voting right and in some parts of the country they have started to demand that another button should be added in the EVM so that they also vote in favor of ‘ nobody’. Voters have the right of not voting in anybody’s favor but very few of them are aware about this right. This time’s elections will be remembered for their less sound pollution. Exit polls were banned prior to the elections that saved the voters from being influenced. EC did not hesitate from taking actions against those first class officers who were not found on the ‘expected lines’. But these measures are not enough to ensure the ‘free and fare’ elections. A lot of work should be done to speed-up and make the election process more transparent. This should be done on the priority basis.  Despite the ban of EC no party can firmly say that it has not used liquor or money power for influencing the voters. Almost all the candidates of various parties have crossed the money spending limits set by EC. A lot of work is required to be done to contain such kind of practices. Main political parties and social groups and individuals can help the EC in this practice.