Election dates announced for the carnival of democracy.

It’s here. The election dates have been announced. The big carnival of democracy is upon us. The vote is a special, sacred thing – it unites us all, it discriminates not between rich and poor, billionaire and street-side dweller, between caste and community. It’s our greatest festival, drawing from our greatest text: our Constitution.

As a child, I remember my mother telling me – cautioning me – “beware the fury of the patient man (or woman)”. I wonder if it was an early lesson, a warning almost, for a career in politics. Governments forget this. Heady with power and triumphalism, they forget that judgement day will come and the people will demand accountability.

The voter is patient, she is generous, she is understanding; but should the need arise, she can be unforgiving. It is the fury of the patient voter that singes and smashes self-important and under-performing governments and ministers, those who have betrayed the public trust. In a sense, this makes every election a revolution.

My first big closeup view from within the party was in 2004. Then, I experienced this inspirational and at once cataclysmic phenomenon again in 2009 and 2011. Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress’ founder and leader, accomplished a 30-year mission and unseated the Left Front government, which had held back the development of West Bengal over two generations. This summer, the voter will deliver a similar message to the UPA government. From my personal, business and political travels and conversations in different parts of India, I have little hesitation in declaring that the Congress-led government in New Delhi is the most unpopular in India’s recent history.

Elections are not just about politics; primarily, they are about people. An election in which 800 million are eligible to vote, from the Himalayas to the tip of the Indian Ocean, is a logistical marvel. My admiration for the men and women who work for the Election Commission and run the five-yearly election project knows no bounds. I wish them luck for the weeks ahead.

As for my beloved fellow Indians, the men and women who make up our great country and spectacular society, all I can say is: Choose wisely. Your vote is not just your vote. It is your blessing to your children, for it will determine their future.

Derek O’Brien
Member of Parliament
Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha and National Spokesperson, Trinamool Congress

Have pitched camp in Delhi...

I’m rarely in Delhi on Sundays. When Parliament is in session, I tend to fly back to Kolkata on Friday evenings. Sometimes work keeps me back on Saturday, but never on a Sunday. The election season, however, changes us all, and I’ve spent the weekend in Delhi. It’s likely I’ll spend several of the coming weeks (and weekends) in the capital as the most important five-yearly event in the life of our democracy is upon us.

This morning, right after church, I went to the Trinamool office in Delhi and spent several hours on the lawns with our new friends from Team Anna. They were not conventional politicians – in fact they were not politicians at all, one could argue. Yet, their public-spiritedness, their enthusiasm and sheer passion, and their cult-like commitment to their cause was infectious. As they sang songs, it was natural to hum along.

As some of you may know, Mamata Banerjee and Anna Hazare met recently and have agreed to work together. This is not an electoral alliance or anything of the sort, but Anna has graciously offered to campaign for Mamatadi and for Trinamool candidates in the coming election. We believe he will help us expand our footprint.

What is the purpose of focusing energies on a national election and on states beyond Bengal? The question is legitimate but ignores the strides Trinamool has made in regions beyond Bengal. A few months ago, I was sent by Mamatadi to help be a part of the party campaign in Manipur. I was left overwhelmed and impressed by my remarkable colleagues in Imphal. They performed astoundingly. Dismissed as no-hopers, we won seven seats and today Trinamool is the principal opposition party in the Manipur assembly. We also have five MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh and one each in Assam and Uttar Pradesh. This is a small start, but good going for a party that was born only 16 years ago.

Our dream for 2014 is to open our non-Bengal account in the Lok Sabha. We have identified a few seats where the party has a reasonable chance. In West Bengal itself, we are confident Mamatadi’s good governance, credibility of purpose and consistent opposition to the anti-people UPA government, especially in the past two years, will help us win a majority of the 42 Lok Sabha seats. People will decide.

Derek O’Brien
Member of Parliament
Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha and National Spokesperson, Trinamool Congress