First past the post - winner takes all

Over the years, elections in India have rendered fractured verdicts for the parliament leading to small regional players demanding and getting undue importance in the government. Whatever the media maight say, the verdict is fractured this time around as well - only less than normal. Winning is more about electoral arithmetic not programs or policies.
A limited analysis of some sample constituencies where the congress or its allies won, reveals that people have not come out in droves and voted for the MM Singh government. It is a clear case of 'spoilers' in three states.
If we take Maharashatra where the SS/BJP combine lost about 5 seats from last time, an analysis of the votes in Mumbai and Pune reveals that Raj Thackery was a spolier for this combine.In a sampling of 8 constituences consisting of Mumbai (6), Thane and Pune, of the total 5.44 mmillion votes polled, the Congress/NCP combine got only 39.6%, while the Shiv Sena combine - Shiv Sena and MNS polled about 34.5% and BJP polled 15.8%. So there were enough votes against the Congress even with a turnout below 50%. The only seat which Congress won with any comfort was the North Central where the Dutt daughter got the better of Mahesh Jethmalani. If the supposedly 'right parties' had worked together Congress would have had a tough time. The 'right parties' seemed to be more interested in getting a Maratha as the PM rather than working to protect the nation.
If we take TN, an analysis of about 11 constituencies, of which only 1 was won by AIADMK, reveals how Vijayakanth played a spoiler. In all possiblity the anti DMK vote went to Vijayakanth rather than to the AIADMK. In these 11 consitituences the DMK-INC combine garnered 42% of the votes, the AIADMK got 37%, MDMK got 10% and BJP got 6%. The BJP on its own did very well in K Kumari and Ramanathupuram garnering 33% and 16.5% respectively. A credtiable perofrmance considering the Christian influence in K kumari. In all 10 constituencies the results would have been different if the AIADMK had tried to work with MDMK and BJP if the intention was to defeat the DMK. It looks like Vijayakanth was set up specifically by the DMK to see that the anti-incumbency vote did not drift. Of course DMK has also perfected the art of splurging money and no elction commission can do anyhting about it. In spite of this the Congress still lost 2 seats as compared to last time and Chidamabram, the ex Finance Minister just made it by under 3000 votes.
Andhra Pradesh had another spoiler in the form of Chiranjeevi. A sampling of 7 constituencies where the Congress won reveals that the TDP had a vote share of 35%, Chiranjeevi had 18.6% and Congress had about 40%. We cannot take this as a vote for the Congress or Reddy's government. The vote got split and the result favoured congress. Was Chiranjeevi set up for this becasue his party is not even 1 year old?
The Left has been pretty well beaten in West Bengal. In 11 constituencies where the Trinamool Congress won, it has garnered about 50% of the votes compared to the Left combine's 40%. So the allaince with Mamta Banerjee worked for the Congress. It was more a vote for the Trinamool rather than the congress. It is also interesting that the BJP has been able to garner about 6% of the votes in these constituencies.
There are a few positives from this election which we should be happy about.
1.The left which got undue influence last time around hopefully has startted its journey into the sunset. It is time that it is relegated to the dustbin of history alongwith leftist historians.
2. Smaller caste based parties like the PMK,MDMK and LJP etc hopefully will only remain marginal players in the future. Due to alliances they had been given undue importance.
3. Parties like the BSP and SP hopefully will remain in UP and try their best to keep UP in the past and not entertain PM ambitions.
4. Lalu Prasad Yadav has had his time entertaining people with his supposedly earthly wisdom and hopefully he will not continue his antics.
All this is hope. One can never say in the sewer of Indian politics what floats up and what sinks down by virtue of electoral arithmetic. As long as we continue this system of winner takes all, the wallet will rule the roost and we will only be a democracy in name.