LS POLLS - 28 SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS ?

S ome people take great pride in the fact that the LS polls of 2009 are like 28 simultaneous elections on account of the hegemony of the re gional parties in various states . They term it as a healthy sign for the Indian democracy. My take on it is slightly different - had there been 28 national parties contesting the polls , it may have been a healthy sign but a dozen odd regional par ties dictating the show is certainly unhealthy. For, by design or circumstance, the regional parties lack a national outlook which is the cornerstone of Lok Sabha.Thus, while they might put up a facade of unity in the face of emotive issues such as war, communal riots etc, many a time they act as breakers in the acts of progress. The reason being that it is virtually impossible to satisfy all regions in any act of development . In such a scenario the regional parties wield their disproportionate clout to scuttle / delay it (viz. the women's reservation bill, nuclear deal etc).