A general election is usually an exciting time for the voters. In our State General Election for the State Assembly is even more exciting and is considered more important than Parliamentary elections. So let us mean 'General Election' used here as the Assembly Election of the State.

Just about three months from now we will have another election for the Ninth Legislative Assembly in the State. This is the time when history is made or unmade. To be a part of the process that brings the heat and dust of the election '07 to our readers is for us an enormously exacting and almost always a satisfying exercise.

So from this Monday onwards, for every Monday this column 'Insight' has the intention to highlight some of the colour, rhetoric and issues that will come along with the coming of the Ninth State Assembly Election.

In a politically illiterate State like ours election is another name of festival or carnival. The reason why I use the word 'Carnival' is because people enjoy most during the election days. People vote for someone who offers them with money, someone who has visited their homes during a bereavement.

People in our society vote for the man who has offered a job to one member in a family or promises to do so in the future. All these and a host of other personal reasons help make up a voter's mind. On the surface, our voters seem to well digest the bisecting problems of the society but at the time of exercising their franchise they actually don't bother about the problems and issues in the society.

So what the politicians who wants to contest in the coming general election do these days? Go to any public or private hospital these days and remain stand near the entrance for a while, you will find present siting MLAs, ex-MLAs and ex-Ministers and former Ministers and many aspiring candidates from every constituency coming to meet patients belonging to their constituency and spend a few minutes near bed side and departs wishing the patient a quick recovery after giving a few notes of Rs 100 as a token of love.

Why! because election is coming.

Go to any section in the Secretariat building, there you will find the same sort of people mentioned above nudging the commissioner, secretaries and other officials to clear the bill relating to the contract works of their workers, to effect the transfer of the employees from their constituencies to the choice of the employees. Why? Because election is coming.

Go to any religious ceremony in any locality like Shradha or marriage these days, there you will not fail to see security personnel used as escorts of the MLAs and Ministers at the gate while their boss is in the 'mandop' as the VIP of the function as if the host is one of his near and dear ones.

Then the VIP will make obeisance to the 'Sankritan' and hand at least a currency note not less than the domination of Rs 10 to each and every 'pala' (musician) and leave the place with head held high to search for another religious ceremony (if any) in his constituency. Why? Because election is coming.

Open any inner pages of daily newspapers these days, you will find to see the words of thanks from groups of people, NGOs, Local Clubs and Meira Paibis with compliments to the MLAs, Ministers and would-be candidates for the benefits done to their society, locality and villages. And further they will vow to support such candidates in the coming elections and wish him every success. Why? Because election is coming.

Yes, in the public meetings there will be loud noises about AFSPA, Sharmila, Integrity, but it will remain only in the winds because our voters vote for a Rs 500 rupee note.

The don't vote for good governance and lofty legislations. As for as the candidates who emerge out victorious from this ugly race is concerned, the contract work is done and over. People have no right to hold him accountable for what he does once he is elected because they did not extract any commitment from him before the elections.

There will be speeches, Pow-wows on television and impressive manifestos will be circulated as the election draws near. But things rarely outlive the results. In these circumstances choosing a party is quite perplexing.

You know what you want but at the same time you can't be sure which party can give it. So most of the people have this opinion 'Enjoy the carnival (during election time). Nothing else is expected from the polls.

When we get a political party which dares to address some of the burning issues of the day and which assures us that when it comes to-power, it will make the elected members live like an ordinary Manipuris does, then we can hope that our votes will make a difference.

Meanwhile let us remain prepared for the great election carnival.