These elections seem to have become a play ground for independents. In some of the constituencies in Bangalore there are as many as 35 independent candidates contesting elections. Many of them, whom we had never ever heard of, and many not hear after the elections too.

At first, it seemed a laughing matter, when some unknown face files nominations with the hope that he will become a MP. It seemed that they lived in a fool’s paradise.

When I spoke to them, they indeed had hopes that they could win, and were content that they have done much more for the society than the seasoned netas.

This belief made me admire our democratic system and most importantly the multi party system which we often curse. Here any body who feels that he can be a people’s representative can join the fray. It indeed gives you the feeling that being the citizen of the country, you can become a leader and no one can stop you from trying.

A 75-year old man is contesting elections, his achievement that he can boast of being a traffic signal that hoots when its time for pedestrians to cross the road. Once, when I spoke to the vendors sitting near the traffic signal, they told me how they hate the sound of it and how disturbing it can be. This man has just three supporters unlike the netas who have thousands. But she still hopes that he will become an MP.

A young BPO employee too has joined the fray and is not campaigning at all. He says that people should treat his name in the ballot as the button for “none of the above,” which means people could vote for him, if they did not like any of the other candidates.

We would perhaps not get this opportunity in any other system to stand tall among political Titans and challenge them. How much ever we crib, our republic system has many positive sides.