First of all, I would like to congratulate all of my fellow Indians for such a matured verdict that clearly demanded highest quality of performance from elected representatives--either you perform or perish.
Today morning when Sonia Gandhi and MonMahan Singh appeared in their first press conference after UPA was assured of a thumping victory, Sonia spoke very wisely-Indians electorates know what is the best for them. Despite sustained campaign of NDA to portray her as Christian, destroyer of Hinduism, clandestine anti-Indians, Indians clearly rested their logic with Congress campaign- me na Hindu hu, na Muslman, na Sikh -me Indian hu.. . However, on ground Congress's good governance that garnered an average growth of 7.5% GDP over last five year helped immensely to appeal their vote bank who too saw their bank balance and income rising. Even at lowest level, Congress initiated 100 days of compulsory work for BPL listed poors of India which did help them to cut corner over NDA. On the other hand Muslim vote banks consolidated behind Congress and its allies because the way Congress tackled Islamic terrorism without increasing Hindu-Muslim polarity in this country, minority of India has been assured a sense of security in Congress leadership. Minorities dumped the so called third and fourth alternatives whose leaders vacillated their choice around BJP.
The fact that BJP lost ground is deeply rooted in the same ailment of why communists became irrelevant in this election. These ideological based parties failed to update their ideology with the need of hour. Opposition to US-India nuclear deal was such an affair that exposed opportunism and immaturity of these parties living in the past. When people of India are facing 8 hours of power shortage on daily basis, industries are suffering from acute power cut, opposing such a deal which India needed badly to improve its energy security was suicidal for opposition.
It is interesting to note Indians have rejected both left and right wing despite in different forums, it is hard to find a centric supporter while there are no shortage of right and left wing loyalists. In the past, I wrote centric ideology has its own advantage in this modern world-because of 'no ideological backlog' they can catch the next train faster than the others. This is what happened with Congress and at the same time, they are attracting top professionals like Shashi Tharoor in their party rank to manage the public affairs better. Where as both the leftists and rightists are still looking for a correct party line that would sail them through. But their effort to find a party-line is tearing apart by inherent contradiction between pragmatism and outdated idealism.
I would like to speak a few words on abolition of the communists in this election-they have been reduced to 24 from 56. However, this is not abolition of leftist force because their substitute in UPA, Trinamul Congress from West Bengal vowed to pursue even more rigours left policies in the center. Question is, why this time West Bengal voted decisively against CPM? Was Nandigram and Singur responsible? Forcible land acquisition responsible?
While many may think so, unfortunately I can not share that opinion. CPM still could retain 30 of the seats in West Bengal, had they not been breaking up from UPA on a ground that was a total blow to West Bengal's development and industry image. While deciding the break-up, Bengal comrades warned Karat that this would eventually lead to TMC-INC alliance. Because if CPM-INC alliance in UPA would have remained intact, Mamata had no choice but either to fight on her own or allign with BJP-in which in either of the cases, she would not have won Muslim votebanks in West Bengal which is a deciding factor. As ex-speaker and expelled MP from CPM Somnath Chatterjee has pointed out today, I have long shared my opinion that CPM supremeo Prakash Karat is devoid of any leadership quality and he would ensure total destruction of CPM.
Instead of working for empowerment of deprived class in India, he wanted to champion a third front against Congress and BJP with the kind of leadership who are the most corrupt goons in Indian politics. CPI supremo Mr Bardhan's support for Mayabati's corruption made me obnoxious about degradation of ethical values of communist leadership. No wonder Indian people have thrown out both CPI and Mayabati's party. Not to mention even Karat was given same punishment for his hypocrit gesture. Nothing can be more laughable than Karat's claim of Mayabati and Joylalita as class friend and Congress as class enemy. He forgot people do not have a stomach to digest such jokes for a long time and therefore, Sujan Chakrabarty, one of his ex-MP who lost in left bastion of Jadavpur clearly criticized Karat's strategy of third front which was totally rejected by the people. Why Karat thought people of West Bengal would go by his line when he dumped the interest of West Bengal again and again from 2001 ? Many American corporations like Boeing, Disney wanted to set up their shop in West Bengal but they could not due to blind-anti American position of Prakash Karat who might have discovered the ghost of imperialism in disney cartoon as he discovered the same in civil Indo-American nuclear deal.
For Hinduvta or BJP, it was a different story. Advani didn't do anything as opposition leader in last 5 years-even lefts were more vocal opposition of Congress. UPA did fail in many grounds-more people registered under poverty line than ever before. They could not ensure 100days of work to the poorest of poor as promised. When CPM was conducting near genocidal attack on Nandigram, UPA did nothing since CPM was a partner. As a leader of opposition he came and soon forgot the incident. Congress also failed miserably on security issue-instead of pointing out mistakes, BJP took interest only in communal polarization. Worst came for BJP in Orissa when Hindu-Christian riot broke up-he could not take a decisive step to stop murderous Hinduvta goons. He has right to speak against ill-motivated religious conversion by the Christian missionaries but he can not mute himself against violence of worst kind. BJP never did anything to promote positive side of Indian spiritual tradition and instead always resorted to idenity based politics which people do not want at this moment.
However, to summarize, I will conclude with what Sonia Gandhi said-Indians know what is best for them. Democracy is the greatest filter of noise of the leadership.
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