Elections Are For Those Well Endowed

General Elections have been announced by the Election Commission and the frenzy has begun. I contested the 2004 elections from Sangli Parliamentary constituency on the BJP ticket but could not make it, I was runner up and the margin too wasn't too large. Due to the unfortunate demise of Prakash Patil (the Congress MP who defeated me), a by-election was held in 2006. Though not too keen to do so, I did contest again, with the result of I being defeated once more, this time, by Prakash Patil's son Pratik.(In India sympathy always reigns supreme). Now, for the forthcoming polls, though I havn't shown any keen desire to contest, the local news papers, seem to have taken my candidature for granted. Since the last couple of days my phone hasn't stopped ringing, every one whom I know (or dont know, for that matter) wants to advise me.
Elections are a difficult proposition. It's like putting yourself on the firing line. Your visibility increases a thousand fold. One needs to keep a constant vigil on every word that may escape the lips, any slip would mean certain defeat. All actions must be carefully choreographed, much like a trapeze on a "tight rope", one wrong move and you had it. And the worst part is that oodles and oodles of resources need to be blown up, without so much as a whimper. In fact you must thoroughly enjoy the prospect of making a heap of lots and lots of your hard earned savings, gently put a match to it, and see it all go to smoke and ashes.
No wonder as years pass, fewer and fewer ordinary citizens would be in a position to contest, only those well endowed ( both with muscles and deep deep pockets) would remain in the fray. For the time being I am keeping my fingures crossed.
"Jai Ho".