A few hours from now we will be welcoming 2019.

2019 is going to be an eventful year for Indians.

We will be electing our new Lok Sabha.

We will be either supporting the present coalition (NDA = BJP + Allies) OR; will be going for a new one.

Whosoever we vote for, it will govern India for the next 5 years.

For the sitting party coalition, we do have the report card in front of us. So it will be quite easy to decide whether to vote it in or vote it out. We just have to see what it promised in 2014; and how many of those promises were fulfilled in the 5 years.

We will be up for the real task if we choose to vote out the coalition currently in power; and choose a new coalition to govern the country. In that case, we will have to think clearly.

One of the factors which can easily affect our ability to think clearly is whether to vote for a National party, Regional party or Independent candidates in Lok Sabha elections 2019.

To make the decision a little easy, there can be a few suggestions for us:

• It is good to vote for a National party in Lok Sabha elections; particularly when people vote out (not choose) the present Government in power. 
• One can vote for a Regional party candidate in a Lok Sabha election ONLY when the party has significant presence in state assembly.
• Independent candidates are NOT a good choice for Lok Sabha elections because often they don't have enough support in parliament. 
• Majority of the independent candidates are non-serious. Majority of them don't even manage to get the minimum votes required. They mushroom up all of a sudden. They disappear in the same way. So in simple words, giving valuable vote to them is lazy decision making. 
• We can vote for an Independent candidate ONLY when we personally know his/her worthiness as a candidate. In simple words, he/she must have a unquestionable record of voicing and fighting for real public issues.

In the next few months, we as voters will see the creation of many new political parties. We will also see individuals who will tell us their long unquestionable record of public service. They will promise CHANGE and what not... but that doesn't mean we throw away our vote in their bags. We will think before voting. 

Wish you a Happy New Year 2019!

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