As India wakes up on 16th May 2014..

Welcome to the most awaited day of the year! Oh no, it’s not an India-Pakistan match. Nor is there any IPL match today (IPL doesn't matter if you are a Mumbai / Delhi fan anyway). It’s not the day of your appraisals / promotions. In fact, it’s much more than that. More than 6 months of campaigning throughout the country has brought us to this day. A day that will decide who rules for the next 5 years (or possibly more). A day that will decide if we will move forward or remain still or worse, move backward as far as growth is concerned. A certain interview question will have a lot of significance and a lot of confusing answers on this day – “Where do you see yourself 5 years down the line?”

Your decision and the press of a button is all its needed

Its Election Results day! Just a note – this post is irrespective of who forms the government – NDA / UPA / AAP / Third Front. Whoever comes to power, it will still be a new Government. Even if UPA somehow manages to spring a surprise, I feel they will start afresh and with young potential leaders. For non UPA, it’s anyways a new beginning. So, will it be “abki baar Modi Sarkar” or “Har haath Shakti, har haath tarakki” riding by the end of the day? Or will it be Delhi assembly elections 2013 revisited? Or will Amma finally achieve her dream of becoming PM? Your guess is as good as mine. Or will there be a hung parliament leading to strange allies – the same people who abused each other before the elections. Imagine NDA and BJD combining / NDA and AIADMK joining forces or UPA, AAP and small regional parties coming together to defeat their common enemy – NDA.

Anticipation of the future is sometimes as good as the experience of the result unfolding right in front of you! That’s what May 16th 2014 is all about. The obvious results of certain political biggies winning their constituency coupled with shocks of some heavyweights losing out will make the whole experience worth it. The news channels have increased the expectation of millions of voters into overdrive. Exit Polls are the new norm today. News channels have had their own tie-ups with exit poll agencies and have churned out and analyzed the data and formed their own governments with hypothetical allies. Thanks to the exit polls, the news channels might have achieved their yearly revenue targets in a week’s time. The ad rates have also gone up this week. Though exit poll results cannot be taken at face value, a common trend shows  NDA closest to attain majority and form the government. It also shows Congress will fall to one of its lowest numbers (close to 100) and AAP missing the bus to play the king-maker at the center thereby losing both Delhi and the center. NDA, as expected, have already started the process of government formation. Congress has categorically denied the results of the exit polls citing past failures.

There are 2 things we need from this result – a strong government and an equally strong but constructive opposition. That’s what we didn’t have post 2009. The Government (UPA) appeared too arrogant after winning handsomely in 2009 (which I feel, in hindsight, led to their downfall along with corruption and lack of decision-making). The opposition (NDA) were only interested in disrupting both the houses of Parliament and thereby applying speed-brakes to the already diminishing growth of the country. None of them handled their responsibilities properly. And hence, we crawled and crawled for 5 years. This time the parties / alliance forming the Government and the opposition parties in the house need to pull up their socks to ensure the country doesn’t suffer because of their infighting. We’ve had enough. Not anymore.

By the time you read this, the results may well be out and elation / anguish might have overpowered you!

Whoever wins, here’s hoping for a better, prosperous and a safer future. Jai Hind.