Ab aayega nasha!

Can elections be fought without issues? In every election various issues get highlighted. National parties usually sing national anthems and regional parties dabble in local flavours - that's more or less the trend. Currently, the national anthem for everyone is "stena gunna mana". It's all about how each party will take on the terror ist and ism.

As for local flavours, they are dime-a-dozen. Corruption, lack of infrastructure, regionalism, water woes, crop prices, jobs all find expression in different places. Of course there are non-issues too! Ones that will 'tipple' you!

For eg. there is a report from Hubli of Karnataka State that some citizens there have formed a "Drunkards’ Welfare Association" (Kudukara Hitharakshana Sangha) to dissuade people from tripping over free booze supplied by politicians during the polls. The association also wants an assurance from parties that they will roll back prices of the precious fuel since it has become fashionable to keep hiking prices of booze every now and then.

They have also demanded discounts for senior citizens similar to what they get for railway fares! The association has threatened to picket candidates to pressurize them and get assurances.

The tipplers association is hoping that women will support them in large numbers since according to them it is women who bear the brunt of high liquor prices because they end up getting less money from the men for household expenses.

And above all, they are apparently contemplating fielding some candidates for the polls if none of the existing parties take up their cause. Ah! won't that really make the polls interesting in those seats where they field candidates. I can think of 101 innovative ways of campaigning for such a candidate!