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| Turncoat galore in urban local bodies | | | Mahadeep Singh Jamwal | 11/21/2018 9:00:57 PM |
| Politics without principle and politicians without character are the most damaging elements of the social order; it was remarked by the Orissa High Court. Mahatma Gandhi once said that seven things that will destroy us are: 1.Wealth without work. 2. Pleasure without conscience. 3. Knowledge without character. 4. Commerce without morality. 5. Science without humanity. 6. Religion without sacrifice 6. The Politics without the principle. It is often said that the route in politics is littered with broken relationships and strange bedfellows. The determined spell of urban local body elections is over and the results thereof are now matter of scrutiny. The BJP is on rock and roll owing to formation of many councils and committees being headed by their party candidates or BJP in support with those against whom they have left no stone unturned to defeat them. The mood of the people on the ground tells a different story. The Urban local body elections in J&K concluded with formation of councils on tags of polling as low as 3.49% in Kashmir and somewhere above 75% in Jammu region. The other two aspects that require mention here are that out of total tally of 598 wards in valley leaving aside Ladakh region, only 182 wards went into contest. In 231 wards candidates were declared winner as uncontested and 185 wards remain vacant. Of the 413 wards that returned their representative, major chunk went in favor of 171 independent candidates i.e. approximately 43%, INC 138 i.e. approximately 33% and BJP just 100 approximately 24% (The BJP registered its presence in valley, may be a matter of joy for BJP but it must accept the facts that the boycott of these polls by the two major parties, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC) and the Congress not fielding candidates in volatile regions, have end up with BJP emerging as a winner by default). In Jammu region BJP badly failed to show off its success and managed win only in 212 wards of the 521 in Jammu region (A matter of introspection for BJP as this number mustered because of the absence of parties PDP and NC that have a comfortable voting chunk in Jammu region). It badly failed to secure comfortable number of seats as to get their President and Chairman in Kathua, Basohli, Billawar, Lakhanpur, Nagri, Samba, Ramgarh, Vijaypur, Rajouri, Thanamandi, Kalakote, Poonch, Udhampur, Chenani, Ramban, Batote, Banihal and Kishtwar. It was an ominous blinker for the BJP for 2019 elections and state elections. Clutched over the outcome, it embraced the approach of exchange as to give a hand out that BJP has formed councils and committees even in those space where it has been jilted. As a move further what we saw BJP hawks were moving camps, divorcing and marrying new political suitors and erecting new shades to ply their political trade. As a result many elected ward members have recently decamped from one party to the other and has shaken the faith of those trusting them as their representative. The line that separates one politician from the other is so thin that some politicians have practically traversed all political parties in a bid to satisfy their burning interests. By moving from one political party to the other, they make new friends with whom they share the same interests at the moment. But moving from one political party to the other has its consequences. One of the effects is the loss of faith in the democratic process in the country and other betrayal with its voters..
Leaving aside those councils/committees, where BJP has its majority, the others were tailored by way of indulging into settlements by a party all time obsessed with power lust. Ultimately settlements conclude into comforts for both the players that often contest against each other like fight that of dogs and cats for a loaf of bread. The settlement is followed by defections. This we can say with facts and figures as in all such units, the turn-coats have taken refuge under the BJP canopy and have encashed the opportunity out of the kitty. In Kathua the councilors elected by voters of the congress ideology and not favoring BJP, managed into the BJP camp for power lust and the party turbaned them by accommodating as President of the council from the turncoat lobby. In politics as it is often said, there are no permanent friends or enemies; only permanent interests and it proved in Udhampur, when MLA group capturing five seats skipped beneath the canopy of BJP that secured four seats only to attain the President ship of the council. There are street talks that MLA Udhampur although not on the BJP platform after denial of assembly mandate by the party, but he never misses any opportunity to encash the situation as earlier seen while elections of Rajya Sabha member, managed the chair of MoS and in the present situation, Presidentship of Municipal Council Udhampur bringing in his kitty. Same system applied in other local bodies. If exposed what goes on behind closed doors and in the back rooms of our political establishments, we would never vote again. A turncoat is a person who shifts allegiance from one loyalty or ideal to another, betraying or deserting an original cause by switching to the opposing side or party. Those opting for power lust turned their coats and suitably get themselves rewarded by getting elected as chairman and presidents' whereas in actuality they have back stabbed the voters electing them. It stand proved that the human mind is not a terribly logical or consistent place. What's clear is regardless of what our stance may be on a particular issue or the political party one identifies with, the commonality here is people want someone who they trust in power. Defectors are often thought as untrustworthy. The defectors often find it hard to settle down. It is not easy for somebody who has defected only for power lust and escaped to live in the comfortable position. They have to rediscover who they are in a new party and utility of their position, choosing how to deliver, what to do, even which statement is to be issued. The suitably placed turncoats are bound to obey the dictates of the party accommodating them and in no way or having no authority and are not in a position to deliver out of their own. The voters feel that their candidate is empathetic; it not only evokes trust but inspires their generosity. The turncoat representatives are epitome of fictional characters and their commitments are like bubbles of air that burst without making any noise audible to the voters.
Concluding one has to use his talent, skills, experiences, honesty, integrity, challenges and constraints with the positive effect that one can have in touching other human lives. Any turncoat getting some responsibilities in new set up must respect and experience of others to satisfy both the sides of the coin i.e. the party accommodating and the voters he has betrayed. They must make a point of responsibility to develop and make life better for people in their wards. After indulgence into settlements and compromises although BJP managed the formation of councils/committees being headed by its party candidates in quantity but the mixed bag is lacking in quality. The identities of both coming together had been blurred and many of their voters have been disenchanted by their betrayal act. Politicians always reposition themselves depending upon where the wind is blowing to, but the desire to remain relevant in changing time may end up forcing ours to stoop to the lowest of lows. |
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