15th Loksabha Elections And After – Churning Process In Full Swing

The churning process had already begun. Now it is in full swing. It is expected to go on atleast for three to six months.

The process began soon after the election results were completed. The Grand Old Party (GoP), Indian National Congress is sitting pretty in the saddle and hence is in a jubilant mood. Whether this jubilant mood turns out to be a complacent one- we have to wait and see.

It is quite natural. The parties which emerge with flying colours do not have the need to worry about where the whole strategy went wrong and why? As a party which has been chosen by the electorate with a mandate to deliver needs to ponder over its responsibilities to the masses who voted them to power and also chalk out a future course of action. Any party which goes against its promises to the masses after tasting victory will have to pay dearly in the next round. As somebody put it, electorate have long memories.

We were talking about- churning taking place among the badly mauled or defeated lot- here the parties mainly the so-called national parties and also a few regional entities- still licking their wounds. The edifice of tall claims seen crushing down before the very eyes of its tall leaders was witnessed by all and it naturally resulted in throwing dirt among themselves has come out into the open. The last one or two weeks the murky state of affairs, going on in the BJP (Bharathiya Janata Party)- the party with a difference- happened before the full glare of the media and even the common man. The shocking defeat at the hands of the electorate, upsetting all calculations of its leaders from the top rung down to the lowest rung- witnessed the violent shaking of the party. The party’s newly elected deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj admitted before the media the pathetic state of the party saying it was like a volcano about to be erupted anytime. First came the bombshell of Yashwant Sinha, Party’s Vice-President, in the form of a resignation letter from all the responsible positions in the party owning up responsibility for the shocking defeat of the party at the hustings while retaining the primary membership. He didn’t even forget to request his colleagues in the party to follow suit owning up the responsibility, paving the way for a total overhaul. While writing this a resignation spree- one after another- is going on.

The one sitting at the top- a totally desperate man, who in his eighties with all his dreams of occupying the Prime Ministership getting shattered is groping in the dark to rescue the party from infighting and also to restore its old glory. But if his body language is an indication, I don’t think he is that confident now, unlike his glorious days, then fondly addressed by his followers as the ‘Loh Purush’ (Iron Man).

Power is a great cementing force. If the result that came out was different the whole story would also have been different. With Advani still remaining the ‘Loh Purush’ (Iron Man), the second rung leaders who have now risen in revolt against him with each with his/her own agenda would have toed his line even without a whisper. Same is the case with all the parties whether national or regional.

Now let us discuss about the most prominent Leftist party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the drubbing it suffered in the 15th Lok Sabha elections. In the case of CPI (M) also- which suffered shocking defeats in its citadels –West Bengal and Kerala- the search for villain is in full swing with one faction turning against another, eager to put blame on each other, the party’s Polit bureau has intervened to bring the feuding cadres toe its line. As is the characteristic of a cadre party particularly a communist party introspection and self-criticism ‘may’ help it to oversome its ‘inertia’. The forcible evacuation of farmers from Singur without even consulting among its constituent parties and the decision to allot the land to Tatas’ for the manufacturing of ‘Nano’ cars and similar incident in Nandigram, there to allot land for a multinational to erect its chemical hub. The ruling CPI(M) of West Bengal under Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee by adopting an inhuman pro-capitalist attitude was infact caring two hoots for the voices of protest and agony of the poor farmers who were instrumental in catapulting the CPI(M) to power from the very early days. Mamata Banerji, leader of Trinamool Congress cleverly cashed in on their hapless state converted their grievances into votes and cornered as many seats as possible along with the Congress. The intelligentsia of West Bengal, writers, artists, film-celebrities, who were steadfast in their allegiance to communists once, on witnessing the arrogant approach of the Leftist Govt. turned against them and sided with Mamata.

The intellectuals were not against the communist ideals. It was their ire against the inhuman pro-capitalist approach of the communists. The Leftists’ 32 years of monopoly suffered a near crushing blow in the 15th Lok Sabha Elections and if this trend is to be reversed- introspection and self-criticism are the way out. Then only a possibility of another consecutive term in the saddle be expected. This pro-capitalist approach is in some way responsible for the unprecedented clashes raging in the entire Lalgarh area which is virtually under the occupation of Maosits and the fight to regain Lalgarh is now going on with much bloodshed.

In the Southern State of Kerala also – Marxists solely due to its State leadership’s irresponsible policies suffered a mortal blow at the hustings. The infighting raging within the party for the last one decade and more, opportunistic alliances with communal parties and the leadership’s big brother approach to its smaller constituents and a host of other factors like SNC Lavlin contributed a lot to the defeat at the hustings. The Polit bureau is grappling with this matter also and one is at a loss to know whether any lasting solution is possible except for a patch-up. If the latter turns out to be a solution, Party’s prospects will be bleak in future also.

Here I recall my early days in my native village when Communist party and its popular base was at its peak. Atleast once in a month, long processions of red volunteers and the followers, majority of them poor and illiterate shouting slogans to the peak of their voices, raising their fists in the air marching all the way to the nearby town, about 3 to 4 miles away from the village to see and hear their beloved leaders, Comrades P Krishna Pillai, AKG, EMS, Rajeshwar Rao and such prominent comrades of the party. They would patiently occupy places in the sprawling stadium and listen to their leaders’ speeches till late in the night with bated breath, full of excitement and would return to their abodes in their villages.

Today there are no such processions. Only a handful to undertake processions or marches, that also once in a year. Such sincere and dedicated leaders also very rare. I don’t know whether any introspection or retrospection is taking place among its new generation leaders. I am afraid, new generation leaders have lost touch with the poor at grass-roots level unlike the old generation comrades. Only one truth still haunts us, the poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy and exploitation still reign supreme in our Incredible Nation.

NB: In the smaller parties also the churning process is going on. So is infighting. Such news have no such ‘nuisance’ value or ‘news-value’. Hence they rarely reach our ears, occasionally one or two. Like the one in Telangana Rashtra Samiti. A rebel faction has split the party and has formed Telangana Vimochana Samiti. Owning up the responsibility for the defeat Chandrashekara Rao has quit the leadership as per the direction of the rebel faction. A perfect ‘gentle man’! A leader of principles, really!