YSRCP, TRS, Other Regional Parties Will Play Key Role In Govt Formation  

PoliticalGuru

Mumbai Indians worsted Chennai Super Kings (CSK) a few days back at Hyderabad. They notched up a score of 149 and strangulated and choked the much fancied CSK. On the final delivery, Lasith Malinga with his slinging action trapped Shardul Thakur plumb in front of the wickets. .

One reckons that the Grand Old Party of Indian politics would barely conceal their jollity if they too are able to take their tally to 149 seats instead of the meagre 44 at present, in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections when the much maligned Electronic Voting Machines are unlocked and the votes tallied.

In the seven phase elections, marked with grime, vandalism and unfortunate below-the-belt raucous rambunctiousness, will political parties strike deals once the results are formally declared?

On the surface, the elections have been contested on the ‘Modi vs. Who’ theme; where issues such as ultra nationalism, the battle against terrorism, naxalism and 56-inch masochism have dominated the print and electronic media. The idiot box is hardly telegenic today. It is marred by acrimonious pandemonium. There hardly seems to be political debate, discourse or narrative on issues pertaining to zillions of Indians.

At the subterranean level, Indians are genuinely concerned about bread and butter issues and not the Paul Samuelson brand of guns versus butter micro-economic paradigm.

The vast swathes are genuinely concerned about lack of jobs, price rise, merits of demonetisation, GST and adequate revenues, and effects of the twin measures of Demo and GST on traders, top conglomerates and business honchos. Nevertheless, fact is that it required enormous courage of an intrepid Prime Minister to initiate the twin strategies. Perhaps only time will unravel the mysterious though brawny moves.

Today fifty percent of the Indian population is below the age of 25 and millions of them would be first time voters. They are hungry for jobs, intellectual upliftment, and advanced technology. Several of them aspire to become civil servants, and others wish to foray into uncharted territories. They do not carry the baggage of the past - especially the riots of 2002 or the pogrom of 1984.

Their only desire is to upend the pyramid and transfigure their lives.

Now, if one reads newspapers or is willing to watch the harangue on television there are three strands of thought, perhaps four.

Scenario One: The BJP led NDA alliance will successfully romp home. Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah (the Chanakya of present day politics) are extremely sanguine about this scenario materialising. In the second scenario, NDA leaders feel it would be an NDA victory, albeit with a much reduced BJP (essentially due to a drop in numbers from UP and the cow belt). Third, the Congress suddenly feels energised with Priyanka Gandhi leading the campaign and a more confident Rahul Gandhi leading the party. In the final scenario, it is the regional parties that conjure a figure where a government would not be possible without the bulwark of their support.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and YSRCP fall in this category and are hopeful of garnering a majority of seats from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh respectively. To this end, the Chief Minister of Telangana is attempting to form a federal front with the help of the left parties.

These two political parties have, as of now debunked the overtures made by Congress to join their phalanx of political parties.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) too could play a pivotal role in case the Mahagatbandhan (of Bua of BSP and Babua of Samawadi Party) manage to transfer and exchange the Dalit, Muslim and Yadav votes to each others’ parties.

In another two days, the last phase of this long and winding process would terminate. As the last vote is polled, the exit poll results would come gushing out, to be analysed threadbare by psephogists.

The magic of Indian democracy will unfold.

As the denouement day of 23, May unfolds, it appears the twin states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana would be deciders, unless Prime Minister Modi and Shri Amit Shah once again prove the Cassandra’s of doubt wrong.

Our politicians ought to reduce decibel levels and listen to the perspicacious advice of the Bhisma Pitah of Indian politics and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to maintain decorum. Vajpayee had once remarked that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had the dichotomous character of Churchill and Chamberlain in him. This was on the floor of the house. Then PM Nehru was taken aback and apparently looked sternly at the poet-politician. However, the barb was soon forgotten as Jawaharlal Nehru laughed it away.

Today this attitude is passé and enormous amount of bitterness shrouds the political thought process. It is a slugfest in a bullring rather than intellectual argument.

One hopes the new House overcomes the antipathy members feel towards one another and work for the progress of Indian society.

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