In 1977 Indira Gandhi was swept out of power post emergency, but she swept South India where her popularity was at its peak. Akin to Bhakts now, she developed a cult in South of the Vindyas where she was popular among the masses as AMMA INDIRAMMA (mother Indira), especially in the politically important state of Andhra Pradesh.
Her popularity in South continued unabated until the matinee idol NT Rama Rao gave her a shock by dethroning her in the Assembly elections held in Andhra in 1983. In July 1984, an insecure Indira Gandhi with the help of a pliant Governor created a fracture in the ruling Telugu Desam Party by making some Vijay Bhaskar Reddy as the CM.
Telugu Desam MLAs were rumored to be given 25 lakh Rupees, a big amount those days to switch party. A concerned NT Rama Rao drove his loyal MLAs to a resort in Bangalore as the last resort. Incidentally there was a non-Congress government led by RK Hegde of Janata Dal was in power in Karnataka. Thus began the era of resort politics.
Now fast forward to almost 40 years later. Does it ring a bell ? Now its deja vu time for us as history repeats itself. The present BJP led government has taken a leaf out of Congress page and mastered the art of resort politics. BJP has vindicated itself as the party with a difference. The difference being - Crores instead of Lakhs are used to purchase Siv Sena MLAs parked inside a resort in Assam.
Not surprisingly the BJP supporters are conspicuous by their silence, though a few shameless ones still believe it's an internal matter of Siv Sena where BJP is innocent lily white. The 40 odd Siv Sena MLAs are simply visiting Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Their thick skinned impudence is thicker than the skin of the Rhinos of Kaziranga Park.
It yet forces me to repeat my often quipped colloquial Odia proverb,
NARATTOMA DASA KAHE,
KOU SALA BHALA NUHE.
Roughly transliterated,
Narottam Das says;
Not a single SALA (scoundrel),
Is a good Fella.
BJP and Congress aren't a whole lot different.
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