VADODARA, Sept 1: `Chor ka bhai chor, kya farak padta hai?'A streetside shopkeeper, when asked whether he would vote.Here, in what is traditionally considered BJP territory, people are sick of politics and politicians. On Wednesday morning, a walk in the by-lanes of Mangal Bazar revealed that not one of the ten traders Vadodara Newsline spoke to thought elections would change anything.`Election se kya faida?' queries Hiteshbhai Shah, owner of a readymade garments shop. Elections never affect the common man, he says. ``Whether it's Vajpayee or Sonia, our lives will remain the same''.Hiteshbhai is worried about rising prices and unemployment. ``Factories are closed, markets are down, people are suffering. But the leaders sit in their chairs and forget us'', he complains. He has a small wish-list: Can the government please do something about inflation?Asif, a shop-assistant at a garment store in the area, says he has no expectations from these, or any other elections. ``Politicians are in the field only because of greed'', he says. ``They come out of their havelis only to beg for votes''.He also complains about the slump in the market. If there is an issue that matters to him, it is the state of the economy. ``If people have more money, there is less corruption'', he says. ``Even the government babus don't take bribes as readily at the beginning of the month''. He will vote, he says, `If I have the time'. Of course it doesn't matter, he adds, because if he doesn't cast the vote, someone else will do it for him.At Janta Towel Store, proprietor Gopichand Banani throws back the question: `What do elections mean to you?' They mean nothing to him, he says, because politicians only promise and never deliver. ``They've been promising the Sardar Sarovar since before I was born'', he says. ``What happened?''He, too, is concerned about the state of the market. ``I read in the papers that two traders committed suicide recently'', he says. He will vote because he considers it his duty. Not that he expects any good to come of it, he is quick to add. He wishes governments would be more stable, but he has his doubts whether any government now can be stable for very long, given the political situation. ``Maybe the BJP will last longer without Amma, let's see'', he says.Another duty-bound trader is Ashish Pandya, owner of a small garment store. He is clear about his loyalties and doesn't mind broadcasting them: He's rooting for the Nationalist Congress Party. He thinks its the only one to put up a candidate who will work for his constituency.``I'm more concerned with local issues because its important to put one's house in order before going out to put the country in order'', he says.The streetside traders refuse to comment on the polls. ``We don't know about these things, please ask the shop-owners'', they say.One of them finally breaks his silence to comment that all politicians are thieves. ``Laddoo dikhate hain, fir dande marte hain'', he says. Life was bad under the Congress and hasn't gotten any better under the BJP. In fact, there are more people he has to pay off now from his very meagre earnings. He doesn't want to vote because `its no use'.
