news details |
|
|
| No Kingmaker only King | | | The resounding results of Indian elections declared on Saturday have sent the kingmakers on an embarrassing packing and returned the Singh as King once again. The way the Congress Party, at the head of the UPA, has powered its way back to government is the stuff of legend. From July last year, when the parliamentary majority of the Manmohan Singh government had to be reconfirmed amid controversy and rancour in the light of withdrawal of support by the Communist-led group, the Left and the Hindu Right and their allies had acted in tandem — although not necessarily by design — to harass the Congress, its policies and its Prime Minister. The people have now spoken, reposing their trust in a party which has, surprising everyone, picked up support in regions where it had been relegated to the margins in recent decades. The Congress has gathered about 45 per cent of the national vote share in contrast with approximately 26 per cent for the BJP, underlining the difference in their respective popularity. There are glimpses in this impressive Congress victory of the famous win of 1971 when Indira Gandhi had routed the Grand Alliance of the Opposition parties led by stalwarts. The clear storyline of this election is the ignominious defeat of the Left and the drubbing of the BJP-led Right. There can be no ambiguity that people are asking them probing questions about their role in national affairs. It should indeed be a surprise if the organisational structure of these formations does not feel the impact of this. In this election the Congress could only bank on the DMK and the Trinamul Congress as firm allies. The NCP has to be excluded from this list as it was in the habit of unleashing friendly fire in concert with the Left and the Third Front. As it happens, the Congress’ two rock-solid allies exceeded their own expectations and turned in impressive performances. The Trinamul Congress, led by the feisty Mamata Banerjee, has turned the politics of West Bengal on its head. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK has made a mockery of past trends and stupefied analysts and rivals who pointed to anti-incumbency. In Andhra Pradesh, the Congress beat back anti-incumbency to regain its clout in the state Assembly and won more seats in the Lok Sabha than in 2004. This is an extraordinary achievement. In the Congress scheme, there can be no two ways now that Rahul Gandhi is the man to watch, even as Manmohan Singh has led the government with deftness. Inveterate critics of the party and the Nehru-Gandhi family will be hard put to deny Mr Gandhi’s billing as a national leader of substance after his fashioning of the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar strategy of going it alone, and campaigning with maturity and élan across the country. His sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also be remembered for the role she played in this election, her easy wavelength with the poor being the hallmark of her style. Outside the Congress and the UPA, two impressive politicians stand out — Bihar’s Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) leader who is with the BJP-led NDA, and Orissa’s Naveen Patnaik, who recently left the NDA to associate with the Third Front being self-righteously chaperoned by the Left. They are among the younger generation leaders that India may look to in future. In contrast, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party appears to have rolled over without a fight, surprising even critics. With the Congress’ huge win comes huge responsibility.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
