2024 is the election year in South Asia, with Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India headed towards general elections. Change and the prospects of change are the usual talk of the town around election time. But the air in South Asia appears less open to change during this election season. A glance at the political happenings in each country suggests that the status quo is most likely to prevail.

Pakistan

Pakistan, a country facing multiple challenges, is not new to political turmoil. In Pakistan, the electorate’s keen interest in economic manifestos indicates an increasing knowledge of the direct impact of policies on everyday lives. The general concern about fairness in the electoral process reflects people’s desire for transparent elections, where all parties have an equal chance at pre-election campaigning.

Above all, voters desire comprehensive strategies that address important economic issues and offer a permanent solution to these recurring problems.

In Pakistani politics, the battle between traditional powerhouses and rising forces may give an impression of desirability for change, but the status quo usually prevails. Irrespective of who comes to rule, there is an ever-growing appetite in people for sustained betterment on all levels, especially those that directly affect their everyday lives. More than anything, they want peace and economic security.

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, there is a repeating cycle of power rotation rather than any revolutionary upheaval, fixed inside an existing political structure. The country is dealing with a troubling transition toward perceived one-party control, as seen by the recent surge of opposition rallies that were repressed in a way that points out the decreasing scope for opposition. This concentration of power within a single party has weakened the election process’s efficacy.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s astute political skills and coalition-building have cemented her position, which is backed up by a powerful alliance of armed forces, security agencies, judiciary, media, and economic circles.

The inability of this powerful ruling coalition to accept any form of opposition into administration makes Hasina’s triumph certain and inevitable in the upcoming elections. But for the overall state of democracy in the country, this is a bad trend. Bangladesh’s political history exhibits authoritarian tendencies that repress opposing voices, leading to a general disbelief in the democratic system.

India

India’s democratic fabric weaves together many political beliefs, yet the electoral atmosphere frequently favors continuity over dramatic change. The recent Congress party victories in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh provide hope for a comeback, but their influence on the 2019 General Elections is unknown given the intricacies of national politics.

State elections in Rajasthan and four other states are going to be very decisive in the tug-of-war between the ruling BJP and Congress.

For the Congress, gaining a nationwide comeback requires persistent efforts, competent collaborations, and a profound awareness of developing political terrains, highlighting that occasional triumphs may not guarantee a sweeping victory in the general elections.

As these countries prepare for the election frenzy of 2024, the expectation of a status quo may not represent an acknowledgement of stagnation, but rather an understanding that actual change may need a more prolonged and continuous effort than a single electoral event can provide.