Rhetoric-spewing bombasts or genuine parliamentarians?

Most leaders are found to indulge in personal criticism of their political rivals, rather than speak about the issues before the electorate

- Abhay Mokashi

Elections, whether in India, the US or in any other country, invite plenty of rhetoric from political leaders and candidates; this is the modern trend.

Gone are the days when leaders spoke on issues and refrained from personal criticism of their opponents. India has seen great orators, from various parties and from across the country, who placed their and their party's stand before the electorate in a dignified manner. They not only had a vision for their respective constituencies, but also for the state and the country at large.

That is now historical, as most leaders are found to indulge in personal criticism of their political rivals, rather than speak about the issues before the electorate.

Yet, a few leaders provided a reprieve from all such situations. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stood out in the midst of electoral cacophony.

Gandhi spoke at Maha Vikas Aghadi's inaugural election rally in Mumbai and stuck to the issues concerning Maharashtra and its people, without indulging in personal attacks on his and his party's political opponents. While criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party-dominated Mahayuti in the state, Gandhi claimed that while the Eknath Shinde-led government has launched the Ladki Bahin scheme, under which a woman gets Rs 15,000 per month, amounting to Rs 18,000 a year, every family in the state is losing Rs 90,000 annually due to inflation and taxes.