Do elections matter?

Elections to assemblies in 5 states are over and results will be declared by March 6. This is the time psephologists and news channels earn their moolah. Every pundit, and his uncle, knows exactly which party is going to form the government, shares of various parties in each assembly and the reason why people have voted the way they have. Politicians will do the rounds of TV stations showing confidence in winning absolute majority and news anchors will try to create excitement by shouting ever louder. Of the 5 states UP is the big daddy because it is the largest state in India with the ability to elect over 80 MPs to parliament so the voting pattern will be watched closely and every district will be analysed for the influence of caste, minorities, economy, crime and statues of elephants. But are the elections really fair and do they matter? The Election Commission is very strict but still could not stop Congress promising 9% reservation for Muslims and did not have the guts to punish Congress. The electronic voting machine is said to be proof against tampering and so there cannot be stuffing of ballot boxes as happened in the past. In the last general elections one famous candidate was behind by more than 5000 votes but ended up by winning by 300 votes. So, mysterious changes can still take place. Criminal politicians can easily threaten people to stay at home and send in his goons to vote for him. The police will look away. After all, no one wants to die for an election when most politicians are scum anyway. Index fingers of voters are marked with indelible ink to prevent them voting again but in the last elections in Afghanistan people were dipping their fingers in domestic bleach to remove the mark and voting again. Our criminals are no less cunning. Having gone through this massive exercise costing hundreds of millions of rupees is it really going to change anything? Elections are very important for politicians because they determine who gets to loot and who does not but for the citizens they are irrelevant. What does it matter which group of criminals is looting the exchequer? Prices will rise as businesses bribe a new set of scoundrels and pass on the cost to the consumer. Taxes will rise, services will remain inaccessible without bribes and crimes will go on rising. Exit polls are usually completely inaccurate because most people lie about who they have voted for. You do not want your leg broken for not having voted for the local goon. So the speculation will go on while we yawn and switch channels. Now, if Sarah Palin, Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian were standing that would be real excitement.