India Inc on state polls: People want corruption free politics

Results of four state elections are giving a strong message that government and political parties need to ensure good governance and provide corruption free rule, industry leaders said on Sunday. 

"The Congress has been shown the door for poor political leadership and unconvincing approach to corruption," said businesswoman Kiran Mazumdar Shaw in a stern message as the poll results pouring in showed rout-like situation for the party in at least three states.

Industry chamber Assocham said: "The election results in the assembly elections have thrown a clear message: It is the quality of governance which matters at the end of the day". 

Impressed with Aam Aadmi Party's "amazing" debut, Shaw said, "people want corruption free politics based on transparency and responsibility".

She tweeted that the AAP and Arvind Kejriwal and have walked the talk on clean politics and tasted success as a result. According to Assocham, all credit goes to Indian voters who have solely voted for governance brushing aside the traditional issues of caste and religion.

A political party that delivers on governance would actually remain relevant, it noted.

"Certainly, the voter may not understand the complexities of economics, but he/she reacts rather strongly if his/her purchasing power is curtailed by inflation," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.

PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that inflation has definitely played on voters mind, as there has been price rise in vegetables and essential commodities, leading to a paradigm shift in voters' mindsets.

"As an industry body, we urge the winning parties to take steps for generating employment by boosting industrial growth. This can be done by giving tax holidays and financial reforms" the association's Executive Director Saurabh Sanyal told PTI.

Meera Sanyal, banker and supporter of the AAP, said the election has proved that there is no TINA (There is No Alternative) factor. So, AAP has proved that there is an alternative, she added.

Going by the election results so far, in Delhi, the AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party are leading in most of the seats.

While the BJP is heading for huge victories in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, it is a close race in Chattisgarh between the BJP and the Congress.

Image: A woman shows her ink-marked finger after casting her vote at a polling station during the state assembly election in New Delhi.

Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters