There is always political consensus cutting across party politics when the national interest is at stake. This is the standard practiced by the developed countries. In India, political consensus is a rarity. And during election season, every leader is an opportunist. Being the member of the opposition party, criticize the government for everything! This is the horrifying trend which the democracy in India has been unwittingly embraced.

The moment Lalit Kumar Modi, the great eye-catcher hinted the change of venue to an oversea country for the second edition of Indian Premier League ( IPL), our flamboyant BJP leader Narendra Modi left no time to openly declare it (for not holding IPL in India) will send the message that India is an unsafe country.

If the government had given green signal to IPL, then the sporting event would not have shifted (sorry Outsourced) to South Africa. In that case, the government would have been come under fire from a section of our political leaders that how irresponsible the government is! For, it has shown enthusiastic in Cricket when the country is testing her democracy.

So, which IPL should be given utmost priority?

It is surprising that Lalit Modi and other franchise owners have not realized, which everybody has predicted that the 15th general election would be held in April-May 2009 after the United Progressive Alliance government managed to survive the confidence vote on July 22, 2008. It would clash with the IPL schedule, which was fixed from April 10- May 24.

In any case, IPL is a mega sporting event in the sub-continent. It has brought name and fame to Indian Cricket at the international level and entertained millions and millions of cricket lovers. At the micro level, the IPL has successfully tapped the local sporting talents. At a wider prospective, the event has further added feathers to India’s dream run to join the elite of global super powers.

After the resounding success of the inaugural edition of IPL, the BCCI has learnt it very well how to use IPL as money-spinning tool effectively. So, also the franchise owners! The IPL is predicted to bring the BCCI income of approximately US$1 billion, over a period of five to ten years.

Buoyant by the hyper-commercialism of IPL, BCCI approached the UPA government to provide necessary security arrangements for the event. When the Home ministry declined, BCCI came down heavily on the government. Adding twist to the developments, BJP politicized the issue for the reasons best known to its leaders.

India is a role model in Asia because of her vibrant democratic tradition. And the general election is an integral part of that vibrant tradition. Indian elections especially the Lok Sabha election have always attracted considerable international attention. In the 2004 general elections, nearly 670 million people cast their vote to elect a government. The number of voters were twice that of the next largest, the European Parliament elections. The upcoming election will be the world’s largest election exercise.

It is also equally true that the 15th general election will be the most complex exercise in the backdrop of recent terror attacks, which have created much havoc in the minds of people. In order to make the exercise successful, the government must create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility where the voters can feel secure. To ensure that, the government need platoons and platoons of paramilitary and police forces both the central and State governments. This is just one side of the story.

Right to vote is not merely a political right as enshrined in our Constitution. It goes beyond that. Voting power makes the people feel the real and equal sense of citizenship to choose their representative and parties who are going rule them for another five years. The citizens should exercise this power with utmost care. They must keep a vigilant eye at the political parties. They should actively participate in the democratic process.

In this context, I am really happy that the second edition of IPL will be held in an oversea country. And it will not catch much media attention and not dominate the prime time television coverage. Atleast, we can stay away from cricket fever during the time of elections. After all, IPL is noting but a shrewd combination of sport and business.

Bhagaban Sahu is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is specialized in Orissa affairs. The above article was first published in his blog.