Results (soon to be followed by knives) are out in the just concluded Assembly elections in India. When everyone has an opinion about it, not to be left behind I scribbled mine, the 11,46,33,897th one on Social media.
Held little after half way through the tenure of the current BJP led central government and months after the DeMo (Demonetization) move by NaMo (Narendra Modi) - the elections held in 5 States, which included the electorally crucial Uttar Pradesh, was billed as a benchmark of its performance and harbinger of things to come in the future.
The proof is in the pudding, as BJP's icing on the cake was its historic and spectacular victory in the State of UP, where 1/6th of India's population, close to the population of America live. It's rival Congress, the GOP (Grand Old Party) of India bit dust on the dusty cowbelt, with cow dung topping its cake.
The win can be ascribed to BJP changing its strategy with changing times, where as its rivals, especially the Congress still living in 19th century. It's not the India of 25 years ago. In a country with a huge, aspiring, young population with access to Smartphones and social media, the new generation doesn't buy old gamut of blatant caste and communal politics.
The Harkishan Singh Surjit style of politics of "all secular parties joining their hands together to defeat communal BJP" no more holds good, so also stale Indira Gandhi kind of slogan Garibi Hatao (remove poverty). It is vindicated by BJP getting nearly 40% votes which would not have happened without a good chunk of support it got from the lower, backward castes, and minorities.
The traditional naked pampering to the minorities by the non BJP parties is not futile, it backfires big time, in the form of backlash in the form of consolidation of votes behind the majority community. India is 85% Hindu and UP is 70%. A mere 5% of Hindu backlash can swing the election, and 10% can cause a landslide. The later happened.
It's not the local BJP leader K P Maurya or Yogi Adityanath who won the election in UP. It was Modi all the way, and he is not from UP, yet reinforcing my view that Modi has transformed himself to a pan Indian figure, a la Indira Gandhi in 1970s.
A lot of credit should go to Amit Shah for his no nonsense approach towards aggressive micro targeting the voters and shaping the image of his boss as a man with a vision, who isnot afraid to take bold moves like demonetization. Politics is a matter of perception. Modi is regarded as a go getter, compared to his counterparts and his predecessor who presided over policy paralysis vis a vis Modi who is trying to get things done.
Not that Modi or BJP are perfect and free from lacunae. But the results are a tell-tale sign where the nation is heading to - a Congress Mukt (free) Bharat (India). It hasn't happened yet. A party at the helm of affairs for most of the 70 years post Independent India is well entrenched to be dislodged overnight. But the die has been cast, for a while the ball has been set rolling in that direction.
It's not just that Congress has been constantly facing one electoral debacle after another, it's the vacuousness shown by its leadership at the time of crisis. Sonia Gandhi, the Party's unquestionable leader is in USA right now, supposedly for medical check up. As they say - JAHAAJ JAB DUBTA HAI, TO PEHLE CHOOHE BHAGTE HAIN (Rats flee a sinking ship). Don't want to be rude, but if her days are numbered, then without her being not so young and Rahul Gandhi being forever young, Congress party will splinter. That won't be bad at all - my dream of a Congress Mukt (free) India will come true. Time for Rahul Gandhi to retire and start GHAR SANSAR leaving the party to its fate.
India is moving slowly towards a Presidential form of government in guise of Parliamentary democracy. But every democracy needs a viable opposition for doing checks and balances. In a future Congress Mukt Bharat, a credible opposition is the need of the hour. AAP (minus Kejriwal) can very well fit the bill. Otherwise, BJP may turn into another monster like Congress.
Now basking in a comforting majority in Lok Sabha, a win in the most populous state of UP and soon going to be in majority in Rajya Sabha, BJP has never seen better days. It has come a long way since with only 2 members elected to Lok Sabha in 1984, it was mocked as the party of HUM DO, HUMARE DO (Us two, our two), alluding to the famous Family Planning campaign those days to limit couples to only couple of kids.
A note of caution - nothing lasts forever. What goes around, comes around. A week is a long time in politics, a year can be eons. BJP should beef up its governance, not worry about who is eating beef. Then only they can be the beacon of a new India. Otherwise, it's going to be same old, shame old.
No comments:
Post a Comment