But alas, in the beginning of the poll campaigns, non-issues and irrelevant emotional slogans were at the centre of the stage. The party campaign managers simply refused to see that the people of India needed bread as much as temples and mosques and fall of ruling regimes was less important for them than the fall of the human beings and their living conditions at the hands of the mindless politicians and merciless bureaucrats.

Will the lure of caste, creed and communal appeal help corner votes as it did in the past? Will India never step out of the middle ages? Will the people of India once again to be taken for a ride? The elections will indicate whether the country will continue to stumble and grope in the dark bylanes and blind alleys of pride, prejudice and personality.

Tactics of personal attacks before the declaration of poll manifestoes were quite visible in both Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. In Rajasthan, the rivals of the ruling Congress Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were looking for a skeleton in his cupboard. In Delhi, as to the media speculations, Sheila Diskhit camp has an edge over Khurana camp.

An element of "calculated betrayal of friends", which had become a hallmark of Indian politics in the last decade, was also evident in the pre-poll splits and defections within the National Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar and Punro Sangma, the BSP led by Mayawati and even the Congress Party led by Sonia Gandhi. The tussle between the "incumbency factor" and the "disgruntlement factor" was also quite in evidence in the early stage of the poll campaigns.

The Election Commission, giving strict warnings on poll misdemeanours to politicians and bureaucrats, has already banned distribution of school bags with Ajit Jogi’s pictures in Chhatisgarh and unwarranted display of the poll contending leaders and chief ministers on hoardings on the national and state highways.

The affidavit factor, enjoining upon candidates to declare their qualifications, assets and criminal records, will also be a new poll-influencer this time.