Indian politics and the electoral procedure are fun galore. From the tickling to outrightly funny, from bizarre to most innovative, we have it all. A candidate from Madhya Pradesh, for instance uses banners and thelas carrying boxes with posters to campaign, nothing unusual in this except that he urges the voters not to vote for him. Balram Jakhar, erstwhile Loksabha speaker takes a clue from the Indian telly dramas and ensures that his speeches are all tear-jerkers. The veteran politician spares no chances to shed his (crocodile?) tears during almost all his public addresses in Rajasthan (which even irrates women among the audience). Television, btw is an area where the Indian politicians shines a lot, India shines or not. So you have these trained puppet actors performing mime with open palms for the Congress while BJP seems restrained in its own melodramatic ads perhaps owing to the fact that 5 years in power gave them enough time to perfect their act(ing). Advertisement apart perhaps for the first time ever major political parties are now sponsoring TV programmes ("this part of the movie is brought to you by Congress", bet you can't prevent yourself from smiling on this).
The idiot-box meanwhile proves its idiocy on almost all News channels. People today want entertainment even in news, believe the policy makers. So in the name of political satire you have Kadar Khan (hitherto known for his double-meaning dialogues) providence as Narad muni on Sahara, now-who-is-Shekhar-Suman doing a "Poll-khol" on Star to the unknown actor Sanjay Mishra playing Harry Voter on Aaj Tak. With watch-dogs like these who can prevent elections from becoming a mockery. A country where the janata is showing appetite for entertainment even during election times it's not ironical that while you can easily convince gullible people that the EVMs can give an electrical shock unless you vote by pressing a particular button, you can not convince them to vote for a seemingly devoted political novice like Shiv Khera.
