Opportunistic alliances cut across principles and credibilties of parties and leaders!
So, parties can throw away all principles? All arty leaders can dream of Prime Ministerial ambitions?
Which party has some commitment to India as one country? One strong country?
It is rather embarrassing to listen to L.K.Advani calling for a strong leadership and a decisive government! The Congress seems to be simply mumbling!
The Indian National Congress, as the oldest party that led the country Independence, must have some basic parameters when it enters into alliances with other parties for the sake of winning elections and forming the government at the Centre.
Unfortunately, the Congress today is not what it used to be all these years. Under Sonia Gandhi’s leadership for the past 10 years, it is for everyone to see that the party has become almost progressively weakened and in some of the major states, where it was once a force, the party has almost become so weak so as to say that it now non-existent.
This is the case with UP, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and some other states.Even where it is in power, say, in AP and Rajasthan, the rival parties in these states are now ell-entrenched. In AP, the rivals are too serious challengers. Both Chandrababu Naidu and actor Chiranjeevi are sure to grow further and this is the pattern we see in other states as well. In UP, the Congress is almost not a serious contender vs. SP and Mayawati and even the BJP. In Bihar, it is a sad spectacle to see Lalu Prasad Yadav and Paswan playing this last-minute “dirty” game! One doesn’t know how Sonia Gandhi reacted. As for Tamil Nadu we can say with confidence, Sonia Gandhi has made the state unit of the party, a state where stalwart leaders like Rajaji and Kamaraj gave all-India leadership to the party, almost a branch unit of the DMK which is running almost wild with conquering the rivals in all parties and everyday, it is a game, poaching the senior leaders from the MDMK and other parties and malcontents rushing to join and shine in the reflected glory and the glee of the DMK’s machinations.
The TN Congress leaders are evenly divided into four or five factions and the allotment of MP seats are done in such a way that each faction leader gets one seat for himself and one for, hopefully, to his son or daughter!
Yes, the dynastic politics is played out so blatantly and the fact that Sonia Gandhi practices this cult of family heirs taking over from their parents once the time comes is perhaps the lowest level of a degenerate political culture which Mrs.Gandhi practices with no forethought whatever.
This is the danger that faces the Indian democracy today.
What is worrying by the latest developments in the pre-poll alliances is the way the regional and smaller parties are doing is to throw out from their minds and calculations any thought about the larger India. India as a great democracy and India as a great regional world power and as such it has its own challenges. Pakistan is passing a new set of threats and uncertainties. China is also posing a threat to India’s territorial integrity; Tibet is one more additional reason for China to remain hostile to India. India’s nuclear ambitions, India’s aspiration to enter the UN Security Council and many such border issues have seen China not being friendly to India.
There are many other subtle and not so subtle reasons to suspect that given a chance, China may not hesitate to poke its nose in India’s internal affairs.
It is here, we have to see the “evil” thoughts and evil designs of some of the India’s parties, most notably the CPI (M) and the CPI and other Left parties. The news that the CPI (ML) would contest in some 80 constituencies must give us some thought for concern.
Who knows that if some opportunity arises, the Left combined with the other adventurous parties, including the regional parties that are plainly separatist in their mindset, the whole of the Dravidian parties can be brushed with such a paint and even the current constituents of the Dravidian parties in the Congress alliance are these ones who may not hesitate to take some irresponsible steps to disrupt and cause disintegrating activities.
So, what is the point of the Congress, to take the specific case of Tamil Nadu, joining hands with the DMK, the PMK and the VCK and giving seats to these parties and individuals who, the IB and the RAW must be knowing enough about these parties and the individuals, and making them to cause future damage to the polity?
We have been urging Mrs.Gandhi through various forums and means to stand by some basic ideology of the grand old party. We have been reminding Mrs.Gandhi of the fact that as a party of some 125 year old history of sacrifice and principles, the Congress must state its basic belief system clearly and must openly ask its current and likely future potential allies, these allies are now with the party only to seek ministerial positions and indulge in corruption and anti-national acts only.
So, it is now a blessing that in UP and Bihar, SP and the RJD had ditched the Congress.
This must at least jolt the complacent nature of the functioning of the party to spell outs its position.
Unless this is done rightaway, there is still greater danger lurking in the days ahead.
And another point is the Prime Ministerial ambitions of the men and women in the Congress party and also those among the allies.
Surely, it doesn’t show any wisdom to say anymore that Dr.Singh will continue as the next Prime Minister also. This is blatant affront to the world’s largest democracy.
Congress party must openly say that the next Prime Minister would be openly elected in the Parliamentary Party meeting and anyone individual who enjoys some sort of consensus in the party, almost in the AICC and also as far as possible through an informal referendum in the largest party forums and the consensus candidate must be declared elected as the next Prime Minister.
Rahul Gandhi is too young and too unprepared and so he can at best become a minister in the next cabinet. He has to wait for his time.
Sonia Gandhi’s own future needs some articulation.
Any party leader has to make way for others after a decent interval. Such an interval has come now. After the elections, after the formation of the government, Sonia Gandhi must take a back seat and nominate and better still help someone to context and get elected as the next President.
Some of the old time Congressmen, I mean, the genuine Kamaraj followers I have spoken to in Chennai, say how the old Congress party was functioning in a democratic manner even under Gandhiji. There were leaders who could defeat Gandhiji’s own nominees! Such was the democratic traditions of the Congress.
So, Sonia Gandhi also must be open enough to give the Indian people their right to get the best leadership of the great party.
Let others play their own roles, the allies and other party leaders.
Third front government is unfeasible, given Indian polity’s diversity. And the past experience with the Third front governments.
The Congress-BJP governments are the only possibility.
In fact, we have to warn about the dangers of falling into the trap laid by the Communists!
Patriotic forces must be alerted and mobilised. This is a task for the Congressmen, more so the sections that feel left out by the Sonia Gandhi and her sycophantic circle!
After all BJP by any stretch of imagination can’t be said to be unpatriotic!
Yes, in tough situations we have to talk some tough realities!
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