CERTAIN SALUTARY ASPECTS OF 15th GENERAL ELECTIONS AND ITS VERDICT

The dust has been settled, a clear picture merged and the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) led by Indian National Congress is back with a renewed mandate, albeit within a short distance to reach the magical figure of 272. That doesn’t matter. The UPA led by the Party has more than enough supporters in queues to provide a stable government without expecting cabinet berths or anything of that sorts. No need to be embarrassed or surprised by the decisions taken by some power hungry politicians - not because they became the ardent devotees of Lord Krishna overnight, whose advice to Arjuna, the veteran Kshathriya warrior not to wait for the fruits of his action- but because quite unexpectedly their calculations and hopes went awry after the final results emerged. Shattered dreams like a broken glass castle are something painful and in politics also such painful things occur quite unexpectedly especially during election.

AmarSingh, SP leader was in an upbeat mood days before the elections and he was awaiting for an opportune moment to extract his pound of flesh from the UPA, as it was predicted to have a slight edge over the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) led by BJP and the Third Front led by Leftists with a hotchpotch of opportunist parties like AIADMK, TDP and PMK who were waiting keeping options open.

Soon after the clear picture became evident to all the Congress leaders like DigVijay Singh and Janardhan Dwivedi, they went euphoric within no time, such is the way of the world sir, openly declared Congress Party’s determination to keep SP (Samajwadi Party) out of the alliance once and for all. Their statements dealt heavy blows to the already humiliated Samajwadi Party with its 23 seats and INC contrary to their own expectations could improve its tally with 21 seats in UP, thus establishing their clout in the State with largest number of Parliament seats. Out of 80 seats in the State, BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) led by the Chief Minister Kumari Mayawati could garner only 19 seats much to her chagrin. Now she has also come out into the open with unconditional support to the coming UPA led government, ie with no strings attached.

Amar Singh was ‘heart-broken’ on hearing the statements of DigVijay Singh and Party spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi. They should not have spoken so rudely, after all it was Amar Singh’s Party which rushed to the rescue of ManMohanSingh government at a time the leftists withdrew support to UPA on the issue of Civil Nuclear Deal. “Too ruthless Too thankless and most unbecoming.”

Lalu Prasad Yadav bit by the sting find its very hard to swallow the pain after the unexpected drubbing his Party suffered at the hustings and the unexpected victory of Congress even to its leaders is in a pathetic state. His friend Ram Vilas Paswan is now nowhere in the picture after the leader himself drawing a blank at Hajipur constituency. He was quite magnanimous when he declared ( to quote his own words) ‘those who bring power to the centre should be worshipped. I couldn’t do it unfortunately.’

The Fourth front consisting of RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal), LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) and SP (Samajwadi Party) formed with the sole purpose of exerting maximum pressure on the UPA alliance which was supposed to have a slight edge over other fronts to extract the maximum from the coming government have nothing much to demand from it.

Unconditional support with no demands for the consummation of a stable government so as to enable it to deliver maximum prosperity and happiness to the ‘Aam Admi’ (common man) is only their motivation. Howzaat ? All in desperate rush to save the country from vested interests. Patriotic gentlemen always move ahead in tandem or on the same wavelength.

Even NDA (National Democratic Alliance) who were also dreaming power at the centre and most vocal in its criticism against the UPA alliance and the Third front have shed its belligerent mood and have decided to keep a low profile for the time being and at the same time have decided to extend constructive opposition to the government in the coming days.

Regional parties except a few were the worst sufferers in the 15th General Elections. The ruling alliance at the centre, if sincere in catering to the needs of dissatisfaction in certain parts of the country the mushrooming of regional parties can be avoided to a large extent. And that is a good omen. Those who associated with them to garner maximum number of seats, with glowing dreams of a prosperous dawn also fell in the quagmire of petty politics losing much of their fame, rigour, the revolutionary zeal and glory. The leftists swam with these regional players and in the process sunk with them. The one, INC which was ready for the gamble to regain the lost glory of the Party tasted victory albeit with a partial success. The frantic efforts of Lalus’, AmarSinghs’ and Mayawatis’ to rally behind the governing alliance are exercises in futility if they are always kept at a reasonable distance.