PALAMPUR: Unemployment, poverty, shrinking job opportunities, lack of avenues to generate self-employment , a pick-and-choose policy being adopted by MLAs and Ministers while undertaking developmental activities in their constituencies are some of the questions haunting voters in politically sensitive Kangra district, which always play significant role in the state politics being largest district having one third population of the state with sixteen assembly seats.
Rural as well as urban electorates are deeply worried over the declining standards of politics both in BJP and Congress. An interaction with a cross-section of voters reveal that promises made by the candidates with the voters during elections are not full filled and electorates are left high and dry by the MLAs when they are elected to the assembly. Thereafter the legislatures play in the hands of few workers and dance according to their tunes without bothering the public sentiments.
Mr. Vijay Kumar a road side shop keeper at Baijnath feels that unless a candidate is well qualified he cannot have a focused approach about the area. Nor can he develop the region by possessing limited qualifications. He regretted that while allotting the party tickets, both the parties have failed to consider this factor and had given tickets even to matriculates. He says in changing times there is global competition and there is need to have a representative who can instill confidence in the masses through innovative developmental activities . He feels the clean image of an individual is the most important virtue of a candidate . There should be no place for tainted and corrupt leaders in the society, he adds and people should reject them in the elections
Most of the electorates in the region say that neither congress nor BJP is bothered about the mass issues like unemployment, poverty and problems of farmers, like shortage of fertilizer and monkey menace who are damaging crops worth 400 crore every year in the state. The election campaign is restricted to mud slugging, allegation of corruption on each other etc. The major issue of rising prices, poverty and unemployment among youths have also gone down and hardly any leader speak about this.
Mr. Rajesh Kumar a government employee of state under taking at Palampur while interacting with the media persons says that old candidates are repeatedly getting elected from both the parties by virtue of the vote bank of parties is a matter of concern for the public while there is no place for young leaders in both the parties. He feels it is unfortunate that the older generation still has not changed its perspective about politicians. He is in favor of voting for a young dynamic person who can be a source of some hope for the younger generation and can provide clean administration to the public.
A senior journalist from Palampur.
Corrupt leaders are heading both parties. Voters don’t know where to go. Leaders have no vision; they only know how to fill their house and how to play cast based politics. nthing else..
People have no option.. elections are not going to change any thing unless we have leader with vision and commitment..