What are the real issues confronting India in the run up to the general election 2014.
India being largest democratic country is just few months away from holding general election. The numbers of voters eligible for voting in 2014 is much greater than USA and European countries combined. The LS poll therefore is touted as youth election, where youth of the country will decide the future.
According to the records of previous elections, any party which wins 272 seats wins the majority. UPA came closest to this number in previous the election in 2009. However, it didn't have an impressive run and some members of the ruling party got involved in scamd and scandals. As a result the UPA-II it is burdened by the allegations of corruption and faces the anti incumbency factor.
On the other hand second most popular party of country, the BJP that leads NDA though accused of being communal, is being favored by the pollsters in the country.
Whoever may come to power, the main issue is how to empower the common man of India. Today common man is target oriented. He does not believe in fate. He does not curse its beginning. He is challenging all such attitude. He wants best of the thing at its doorsteps. How to meet his rising expectation is the big challenge.
India's GDP depends on the earning of common man. So the emphasis has to be on increasing the economic growth of the country. This could be achieved through continuing reforms that look towards FDI improvements, more innovation, and more employment generation, stronger investment in education, greater provision of infrastructure, and reduction in poverty.
Other issues are; realizing the growth potential of north-east, increasing quality of primary education, increasing quality of primary healthcare, ensuring safety and empowerment of women, increasing employability of youth, reducing malnutrition, promoting research and innovation. Added are India's rapidly growing population problem, faltering food production, and the ever-present poverty. These are the real issues in the general election 2014.
As India moves increasingly into the global mainstream, what happens in the 2014 elections will matter a lot. At stake is the continuing economic growth that has placed India in the global mainstream. So is India's stand on some critical international strategic issues.
In this backdrop the obvious question is does Rahul Gandhi have any strong credibility to handle any of these issues? The answer is "No".
On the other hand Narender Modi can at least boast of brining huge amount of the FDI into Gujarat. He has challenged the idea that the states are subjected to national direction. He through foreign investment has made huge developments in Gujarat.
While we wait for the future possibilities, we should know that, 2014 elections result could bring us a new beginning, or beginning of a new end.
Prashant Mishra
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