INDIA GROWTH STORY: INDIA DECIDES: A STABLE, UNIFYING GOVT IN THE WORLD’S LARGEST DEMOCRACY

Saturday, May 16, 2009

INDIA DECIDES: A STABLE, UNIFYING GOVT IN THE WORLD’S LARGEST DEMOCRACY

FINALLY, A FREE HAND

The people have spoken & spoken decisively: voting out confusion, voting in clarity; voting out schism, voting in development; voting against arrogance, voting for ability. 2009 may just be the beginning of India's century. A year when India dumps its old baggage & looks to the future with humility, unity and hope NO HUNG-UPS: CONG, ALLIES STORM DELHI WITH ASTOUNDING VICTORY

PR Ramesh NEW DELHI

    THE CONGRESS ON SATURDAY WAS uncorking champagne like never before in the last two decades. The grand old party smashed the existing political template and roared back to power with a victory margin that was as much an announcement of the return of its lost pride in the country's polity as it was a crushing blow to the BJP and many identity-based formations.
The victory has also set the stage for the eventual smooth transition of the government's leadership to Rahul Gandhi, who spearheaded the Congress' charge. The baton can now be passed on to the Gandhi scion as and when the Congress leadership deems fit.
The scale of its victory, which surprised even die-hard Congress optimists, must be gratifying for the party as it will now be able to perch itself in the driver's seat without distractions from backseat drivers and remote control operators. The dominance of the Congress in the UPA is so total that some of the alliance partners, pesky in the past, have no option but fall in line. Sharad Pawar, who for the past two days revived his latest and perhaps last bid for prime ministership, was among the first to state that "Manmohan Singh is the UPA's undisputed prime minister".
    It is now certain that the Congress will not only have the last word on issues of governance but also get to keep all the plum departments under its charge. The CPM's Prakash Karat has already retreated to his ideological bunker in the Capital's Gole Market, Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD has enough numbers only to spare itself a fig leaf and Ram Vilas Paswan, 'minister uninterrupted' through several governments, will have to learn to live life without the trappings of even an MP.
    Indeed, the icing on the cake was the Congress' "going solo" approach, which paid rich electoral dividends in Uttar Pradesh and marginalised the Lalu Yadav-Paswan combine in Bihar. Its alliance with the Trinamool Congress ended the Left's stranglehold in West Bengal after 32 long years; it broke the "winner takes it all" pattern in Tamil Nadu; and above all, advertised the lack of depth in the BJP.
    Also, the Congress has emerged as a challenger to the BJP in Madhya Pradesh as well as Uttarakhand and reinforced its numero uno status in Rajasthan and Haryana. Appealing to India as well as Bharat
INDEED, the spread of its influence showed that it is appealing to both India as well as Bharat. The resurgence of the party cannot but be a cause of worry for regional players whose growth over the last two decades has been at the cost of the national parties. The regional parties outside the UPA can be expected to make attempts to regain their vitality and relevance. But a consolidation by the Congress would make their task difficult. On the other side of the political aisle, the outcome is truly morale-sapping for the BJP.
    The high-voltage campaign unleashed by the saffron party proved to be ineffective in the absence of a robust organisation and lack of geographical spread. In the absence of allies in key states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, the party was relegated to the margins in the Indian Political League.
    The BJP's dismal show also is a pointer to the beginning of the end of the LK Advani era in the BJP. At the post-results parliamentary board meeting, Mr Advani expressed his desire to quit. The BJP, which is prone to dissensions, is certain to experience turmoil as leaders train their guns on each other. This would ensure that political momentum stays firmly with the Congress in the coming months.