What makes Elections 2009 different from the ones before? For the first time, so many celebrities are involved. The youth is aggressive about casting their first vote. The independent candidates from educated and elite backgrounds promise progressive administration of the country and their readiness to give up profitable business or professions and come and serve the people.

Among the smaller things related to the elections, are the concerns of a first time voter. Who to vote? Sometimes we don't see good in anyone, so then, what to do, just never vote? That's what pushes most of the educated class to not vote. The difficulty in going through the formalities to get a voters ID, then the queue to vote, "(sighs) We'd rather stay at home, in AC and watch TV"

Okay you're a concerned citizen, who has gone through all the years of waiting to get your Voters ID issued and then wait in the queue to vote, but who to vote?!

How many voters do some sort of background verification? Is education necessary for politicians? I am particularly impressed by this first time voters views Sushen Pai

" With the election fever around the corner and being the first time voter that I am, I just wonder..

The first and foremost fact is that none of the candidates are worth voting for. All of them surely have allegations stacked against them or worse, a criminal background; though I must admit I have not done any kind of background verification. I don’t need to! Another thing I’m sure of, without having to verify, is that they are all uneducated. School or college drop outs at some time, they took to politics like the oft repeated Johnson’s definition of politics being the last resort of scoundrels. They neither have any sort of developmental works to their credit nor a flattering profile. The power mongers took to politics with the sole intention of growing rich by milking the system dry, thanks to the million loopholes and our shameless custom of bribery.
I do not want to choose any of them but the fact remains that, I can only choose the lesser sin of the lot. The Electronic Voting Machines rule out the option of invalid votes. The 49-O forms will never be found at the polling booths and heck, I will not have someone else voting in my name.
I’m no expert and I may be wrong talking with respect to India, but I somehow feel the dual-party system, as in USA, works well. There are only two options to choose from, it is either this or that! There will never be an issue of coalition government or a Hung parliament. Somehow we will have a better choice of candidates, if two-party system is the case.

Even better, we can have an ombudsman for ticket seeking candidates. The candidates should have at least a formal degree from a recognized university and a profile that matches the requirements as mentioned in a framework set by the connoisseurs of the arena. This framework should be revised to stay in tune with the changing times and necessities.

Sledging is another commonly used technique. Allegations against opposition party candidates sensationalized especially when elections are around the corner. Another thing is the way issues are blown way out of proportion. Little do they realize that, any publicity is good publicity; tasteless nevertheless. The Varun Gandhi episode, Pramod Mutalik versus Renuka Chowdary and the Pink Chaddi campaign, Modi bashing for publicity, seeking mercy votes and targeting minority vote banks etc. All this should somehow be nipped in the bud, it is disgusting!

Another thought of mine is that only tax payers should be eligible to vote as only they truly value their hard earned money and put in the effort of correctly deciding who should lead and how. A teenybopper I once knew voted for a candidate at the last elections (she was then a first time voter) because she thought he was cute! A bedridden octogenarian (May his soul now rest in peace!) said he always admired Nehru and declared that voting for the daughter-in-law of the family was his way of showing loyalty. How can we expect to have proper leaders when we have voters biased on such unreasonable terms?
It is probably the Ayn Rand influence but we cannot sit back and expect things to become the way they ought to be. The system will not change till the leaders change and the leaders will not change till the people desire the change. We are a democracy and we should find a way of getting the changes we desire to see.

To end it all, I’m just a first time voter and these are just a few of my concerns! "

Though movie stars have played a role in politics before, siding up with various parties, this time it is different. While some film stars or filmmakers are contesting elections, others are canvassing for various parties, and still others are working with grassroot organizations in helping people to register and vote in the upcoming general elections. Right from versatile stars like Kamal Hassan to newbies like his daughter, Shruti Hassan, they have a statement of their fans.

Indian fans are more devoted to their stars than god. No wonder political parties spend crores of Rupees in roping them in, hoping to convert the star-campaigns into favorable votes. After all, we are talking about the world's largest democratic election!!!