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| Congress must plug in holes | | | Daya Sagar
Ofcourse the Indian voter citizen too has played apparently smart this time. But How wisely the voter citizen has played would be known only in the afternoon of 16th May. Vote if wisely cast would surely increase the MPs of both Congress & BJP, otherwise the small/ regional parties would eat into the strength of Congress. This time elections to 15th Lok Sabha have been very frustrating for the election fore cast experts. Right from 14 the April till 13th May they have remained trapped in the if and but forecasts. The clever political leaders have played quite wise during last two months. They have very meticulously handled the sentimental, moral and value issues. Laloo Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan have spared no mud to slash Congress Party but Man Mohan Singh too has shown enough courage to still carry the Laloo Paswan combine in his government. The race for allegations and counter allegations has since ended. Now those who were enemies on 13th May would be seen desperate to hug the same enemy in 16th afternoon with “KURSI” as their only “dharma”
Saturday begins the counting for the fortune numbers. Sonia Gandhi, Man Mohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee , Lal Krishan Advani, Prakash Karat, Laloo Yadav, Mulayam Singh ,M. Karunanidi, Mamta Benarjee, Ram Vilas Paswan, Navin Patnayak, Jai Lalita . Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Pawar and Mayawati surely must have been looking into the sky all the last night. No doubt leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Lal Krishan Advani, Jai Lalita , Mayawati , Chandra Babu, Farooq Abdullah ( even Mufti Sayeed) would also lay some preference to 15 Lok Sabha having some stable numbers with those who would hold stakes for leading the government. Where as many others would be praying more for both Congress and BJP emerging weaker than their number count in 14th Lok Sabha, particularly the Congress. Players like Farooq Abdullah or Mufti Sayeed do matter at international level for India although they may hold a meager numbers in Lok Sabha. They would to prefer stable New Delhi since under the circumstances that prevail in Pakistan terrorist and fundamentalist culture can otherwise strengthen anti Mufti / Farooq groups in Kashmir valley. A Government on stable footing can only work seriously on issues like J&K and more people like Sajjaad Lone can only then come forward to bring the grievances to parliament and carry back the messages of intentions of India that otherwise have remained far away from the common Kashmiri
Some anti BJP/ Congress sects may be setting their eye on Bala Sahib Thakrey, Sharad Yadav, Navin Patnayak , Jai Lalita , Chandra Babu and even Janta Dal – U( though they may not succeed).
All those who were with Congress in arms against NDA ( particularly BJP ) appeared playing their independent flutes and even UPA partners addressed the voters from separate dais They were so vociferous against even CONGRESS. CPM and CPI were every second day on the air to declare that under no circumstances they would prop a government lead by CONGRESS or BJP. All the Regional and small National level political parties were out to repair their fields and work to improve their own numbers during April / May 09 elections. Some UPA or NDA ( more of UPA) associates tried to project their self as independent of any absolute alliance so that those against Congress / BJP / other allies could be won. The political parties were playing changing stances with the election phases progressing. Changing stances of the political parties did provide some material to media ( particularly electronic channels ) to conduct some saleable debates on changing likelihoods. Some electronic channels appeared to be media managers of Congress ( particularly of Sonia Gandhi , Rahul Gandhi and Prianka ) . One of the channels kept on advertising for the broadcast of the date and time of an interview with Prianka for nearly two days. How wise and powerful is the elite political leadership in India could well be assessed with such like “cooperation” by even some elite media men. This speaks of the strength that leaders like Sonia Gandhi have been able to gather on their own. It may be bitter for some but it is a truthful reality that Sonia Gandhi has grown much taller after 2004 even after not accepting to be the Prime Minister of India..
The only objective of the non Congress / non BJP leaders was (i) to paint BJP as enemy of all those who are not HINDU and check BJP moving to near to magic numbers and (ii ) to weaken the cadre as well as number count of Congress MPs. The leaders have started showing their colours real after 7 may09 ( 4rth phase). So the eyes will be set only on the power seat after 16 may 09. After 3rd Phase of elections ( 30 April) some shift in the stand of even CPM, NCP, DMK, BJD, SP,RJD ( other small locals have no particular preferences ) started becoming eminent. The door latches started loosening .The focus started shifting from the VOTER to formation of Government at New Delhi. The importance of the voter citizen started reducing day by day. For next five years it will be the power seat that would matter and not the common voter citizen.
The press Conference that Rahul Gandhi addressed before 5th Phase of elections might have surprised some. But to me it was not unexpected. Similarly the shift as is being seen in the stand of CPM by some was already quite evident in the double statements that Prakash Karat had been making in April. So now it will be an era of new slogans and manifestoes from Saturday onwards. But these slogans and promises would not be for the common Indian citizen who have voted the MPs to Lok Sabha but to pay for the tears that Mr. MP had been shedding for the empty stomach poor Indian who was herded to rallies sweating under the hot sun.
What ever may the figures that would emerge from the EVMs but one thing appears sure that it will not be that easy for Man Mohan Singh to be the next PM. It can not be ruled out that in case consensus ( in third , 4rth and “5th” front of those coming in going out ) may not emerge for Sharad Pawar some may push in the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee. Congress party may also throw some surprises incase they fall very low in score. Congress may stand firm against any blackmailing by the UPA associates to the extent of staying on opposition benches. In case of controversies / rivalries Sonia Gandhi may accept to be the Prime Minister of Congress lead government in case she could manage numbers ( although on 24 March 09 while addressing a press conference along with Man Mohan Singh she did declare that her decision would be same as was in 2004). No doubt Mayawati will not enter into any serious controversy and will be prepared to wait for another 5 years to lay more tentacles in some other Indian states.
More confusions and blackmailing will not be in the social, political, economic and security interests of India. Congress and BJP leadership will have to give priority to national interests over local political gains so that the so called “secular” allies are checked from caste, religion and region based exploitation of the common Indian. It will also be in the over all interest of both Congress and BJP if they stand together against such divisive and blackmailing elements.
This time there has been active participation of voluntary organizations / social activists/ thinkers / scholars and youth in the voter awareness campaigns.. Such campaigns may not have much apparent net effect this time but surely (i) it was worth disturbing the political parties, (ii) has set before the common man some issues for debating and (iii) would surely create pressures on those who will sit in the 15th Lok Sabha for incorporating some electoral reforms. But it will also have to be tested whether the social activists / reformists were serious about what they have been suggesting or they were also simply participating in the ‘Election Festival”. The voter citizen awareness programmes if carried for another five years by the social sector, Indians still can hope that elections to 16th Lok Sabha would be in an less polluted political environment.
*( Daya Sagar is social activist and Sr. Columnists on Kashmir affairs [email protected])
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