The Dye is cast with our vote Once your precious and sacred vote is cast ,then it is end for the voter. The bargaining power, is finished. The candidates will not bow down nor genuflect with bended knees or folded hands. It is time for the voter to visit the candidate and assure him that loyalty is intact .Often then not the candidate want to rest, be out of town, ensconced in some resorts, relaxing ,enjoying peaceful moments from dust and heat of election fever. You will be surprised, if he has time ,concern, regards or even a word of appreciation for your visit. For him all that matters is the result or outcome of failure or success .Success will enhance his hope of recovery of financial investments or he will be doomed in debts. His fate is sealed in the ballot box, no predictions, post poll surveys will assure him .The voters are unpredictable as weather he knows. The wait is agonizing, no god or deities will relieve him of anxiety or change his fortunes. Candidate in silence are resigned to their fate and outcome for there is nothing they can do, except break in the strong room, which is near impossible. Hope is still not lost. As pulsating feelings of glory to power, fame, position are his favourite yearnings in despair
The voter is waiting with bathed breath, if his vote will propel the winner in which case he can be part of jubilation ,celebrations ,self invited. Nursing hidden hopes of receiving some sort of rewards, promotion , employment is ridiculous Every favour will come at a price, realization will dawn on expecting voter Candidates will have no time to think of voters in any way. Politicians with arrogance and pride will ever admit openly that your vote in any way features in his win. Voter is powerless now for the next five years to demonstrate the value of his vote once again. He has no power to recall .The period of hectic canvassing with freebies, promises galore to give the moon are thing of the past .Those candidates that fought each other with daggers drawn will be friends embracing each other in success or failure The voters siding with candidates and making common cause will have made enemies with friends and neighbours .The period of healing and reconciliation may be longer than next elections. The voter could have shielded against such disappointments by not openly and directly taking sides and arguing endlessly for the benefit of party or candidate, who may not be even distinctly aware and have not commissioned you on his behalf or party. Our loyalties are therefore misplaced .The results may or may not be to your liking and ideology. Remember in a democracy bordering more on illiteracy and ignorance, ideologies and reasons have not upward value Whatever may be the final outcome we have to accept the fact, Rigging, malfunctioning of EVM, bogus voting are like sour grapes of consolation . In a democracy he majority wins and minority has to pursue with vigor and determination ,as the watch dog, constantly watching the footsteps Those in power flout all norms of decency, defy authority, break rules and conventions and generally are a law unto themselves. This is to be expected as general trend. If your vote does not matter s will thousands others will be in similar predicament. So do not lose heart you are not alone on the sinking ship. We get the Govt and candidate we deserve, except that NOTA is our consolation of no significant relevance We have lived in agony, pain, adjustment for the last five years, we may as well prepare for the worst ,if not the best for the next five years .We live in hope for better always that is what keeps us going forward Nelson Lopes Chinchinim