Kyunki it is election time again

If on Sahara8217;s Maharashtra Countdown they8217;re debating how free is the cost of free electricity, on DD8217;s Kaante Ki Takkar, they8217;re taking on party manifestoes with due emphasis on 8216;8216;vikas8217;8217;, Star News8217; Kahiye Netaji sees Bandra8217;s bhai-behen demand answers on 8216;8216;udyog8217;8217; and terrorism in the city; meanwhile, NDTV India in Kolhapur brings together candidates and farmers: the latter lament their ganna crops and how politicians offer no assistance: 8216;8216;leaders grow fatter and fatter8217;8217; complained one skinny man and the camera captured a well-proportioned politician though by no means fat.

Another discovery: the farmer. He8217;s 8212; always a male 8212; been pulled out from behind whatever bushel he was not hiding behind and placed centrestage. The mistake of giving the politician too much 8216;8216;bhav8217;8217; and the public too little during the general elections, has been rectified. This time, the kisan is king.

Some politicians have also taken their election defeat to heart, no one more invisibly than Pramod Mahajan who until May was automatic one-stop-never-stop talk machine. Now, you8217;re lucky if you hear his name. It remains to be seen whether or not his disappearing media act will have the desired magical result. Bal, Raj, and Uddhav Thackeray have stolen the media limelight from the Congress-NCP 8212; CM Shinde was sweet and humble on Follow the Leader but riveting he is not 8212; but will they win the vote?

It8217;s been a praiseworthy exercise so far, so how come we hastily switch to MTV, PTV any other TV channel the minute the State of Maharashtra maps the screen? Perhaps because these elections come just four months after a two-and-a-half month campaign which dominated the news channels. We8217;re tired of the election jamboree 8212; people who feel bad, politicians who make the same worn-thin old promises, psephology shows which are over-populated with figures and percentages you need Ramanujan8217;s brain to appreciate the permutations8230; that8217;s it, we8217;re simply tired.

We8217;re equally weary of messiers D Raja, S Yechury and other Left politicians. Since May 13, they might have smiled once and that too on May 13 when BJP-NDA conceded defeat. Since then, they have occupied, monopolized the space vacated by Mahajan 038; Co. and behaved like spoilt children who want what they want and won8217;t go away until they get it.

Not quite sure what the strategy is: to play the 8216;loyal8217; Opposition before the country, distance themselves from the Government, use frequent media appearances to pressure cook the government, or to make up for their years in media wilderness. Whatever it is, they might like to consider the possibility that it was the BJP8217;s too high TV profile that overcooked their goose.

There8217;s one person who has done himself no harm from his media outing last Friday. Square, lockjaw Kerry raised his sagging features, sorry election prospects, during his debate with Bush. There were moments there when John appeared more presidential than George. Something our TV debates could emulate 8212; a civilised contest steered skillfully to bring out the best or worst of the speakers. Our TV wham-bams see politicians yell at each other while the anchor flaps about, as uncontrollably as Marilyn Monroe8217;s dress over the pothole in the Seven Year Itch.