Elections remain a low key affair in Chandigarh: Windy Kumar of the Con Party Likely to Scrape Through


The Great Indian Election juggernaut rolled through the city on Wednesday. And we must thank heavens, specially the city god (we have so many of them, I am sure a city god too exists) that the marauders spared the city from turmoil, a worst kind situation, which generally comes with Elections. In fact, electioneering in the run up to the voting day has been a low key affair this year. Though party flags, flyers, buntings and other promotional stuff had been put up on the rooftops, the mad imagery of posters was missing.
I actually have a serious issue with Banta Singh's poster overlapping that of Santa Singh and Ghatiya Chand trying to sneak in between the two, as if the positioning of the posters were to decide the elections. In the past, as we got closer to the voting day the posters displayed at all prominent places, including Conveniences and zoos presented a grotesque collage of images, with Santa's moochh covering half of Banta's face and Banta's long nose jutting into the 'Vote For'slogan of another small timer. However, I attribute my dislike to the disdain shown by my three year old kid. This kind of imagery literally popping out from every nook and corner of in the city leaves the little fellow bewildered and is enough to give him creeps of the worst kind.
The polling day being a holiday, I dusted my old faithful, a Yamaha 350 cc, and set out for a small spin (or geri as it is known in colloquial) around the city - just to capture the general mood. The city was unusually quite for an election day with paid party workers being the only ones trying to attract attention. However, I soon found that it was not only me, but almost every other guy who was on a spin. The spin in their case, though, was of a different kind, what with steel glasses filled with liquor to the brim doing quick rounds at most of the places. I noticed disapproval and a look of disgust on a few faces,  and I wondered whats could be wrong with people having liquor? After all, looking at the dismal outcome of the last few Parliamentary elections, these no longer command the kind of respect, which is the hallmark of a great democratic tradition . At that moment it occured to me that the guys had every right to take a swig or two or even polish off full bottles. Afterall, isn't the The Great Indian Election the baap of all tamashas?
As for the candidates, once again it is a straight contestt between Jhootha Mal Shastri of the Bhago Jaldi Party (BJP) and Windly (Pun)sell from the Con Party. Of course, the Quixotic Sharamheen Dhawan too is contesting:  as usual from a new party.
I stopped for a smoke near one of the polling stations, thought I could caught the buzz. I overheard and too a disinterested part in a few conversations and I sensed that Windy may just about scrape through, with the slightest of margins, to have another five-year go at the free government accommodation, govrnment sedans powered by my hard earned money, and various other privileges.
Windy had his aides campaigning hard for him. It didn't come as a surprise at all, when I learnt that one of the youth leaders was in the news just an year back, after his wife was caught red-handed stealing dresses from an upmarket boutique in sector 8. The lady was pretty enterprising, and had lured one of the showroom staff to hand over the loot when the showroom remained shut on holidays.

Cut to the present. Amidst the general confusion, I watched the guy in question. He had an impressive demeanor, appearing as if an incarnate of truth itself had landed in our midst. The guy had his best smile on (despite the crooked tooth, which was acting as the only spoiler to the otherwise pleasing stretch), stood with hands permanently folded, back slightly bent, and showed off an ultra fast mouth trap that yapped away incessantly, uttering niceties to all and sundry; as if he was meeting relatives back from dead. And why shouldn't he? For he knows his time will come, and if he plays his cards right, he could be the leader supreme of City Beautiful.

The day that happens,we will adjust,'coz thats the Indian way of life. But I am sure Le Corbusier for one would be doing some furious turning in his grave. Looking at the way things are deteriorating in the city, I won't be surprised if he springs out from his grave and have a nice go at the public servants or netas, whose only agenda has been to serve themselves...and leave the city to deteriorate at its own pace!