|
Left assertiveness : Congress need not lose sleep |
 |
B.I. Saini
The Left has made clear its intention to be more assertive after its massive victory in West Bengal and Kerala in the current round of Assembly elections. But it is no cause for worry for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh.
No doubt, the Left thinks that its superlative performance in the elections gives it the right to intervene in policy matters to ensure what it calls implementation of people-friendly aspects of UPA’s national Common Minimum Programme. The latest instance of this is to be seen in the flat ‘No’ by the Left to the Centre’s proposal for hike in the prices of petroleum products to offset the losses suffered by the public sector oil marketing companies as a result of spiraling international prices of crude. That the Congress is face to face with the new reality of a more aggressive and assertive Left is shown by the changed posture of Petroleum Minister Murli Deora on the issue. Within a few days of the Petroleum Ministry and the Oil companies putting forth the case for increase in the prices of petroleum products, the Minister has written to the Prime Minister opposing any increase in fuel prices. He is now parroting the Left line that the oil companies’ deficit should be met by restructuring of customs and excise duties. It is significant that he agreed whole-heartedly with the Left stand that increase in the prices of petroleum products will hit hard the common man. Finance Minister Chidambaram, of course, does not agree with the strategy of reducing customs and excise duties as it will upset his budget projections. Ultimately the Prime Minister will have to intervene to find a way out of the problem.
But the Congress, even though it has lost power in Kerala, has reason to be reasonably satisfied at the Assembly elections outcome. It has been able to come back to power in Assam, even though at the head of a coalition, and not on its own. The party has made significant gains in Tamil Nadu. The fact that Karunanidhi’s DMK does not enjoy an absolute majority in the state Assembly, means that it will have to carry the Congress on its side to remain in power in the state. Karunanidhi’s allies in the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) - the Congress, the PMK, and the Left parties - have pledged unconditional support to the DMK Government in the state. So far as the Congress is concerned, the support of its 34 MLAs may be unconditional, but the party will naturally expect the DMK not to rock its boat at the Centre. In the circumstances, a reasonable expectation would be that the DMK would work as a moderating influence at the national level vis-a-vis the Left.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s massive victory in the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha by-election and the failure of the idea of a third front in the elections in Assam augur well for the party when Assembly elections are held in Uttar Pradesh early next year. Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, which is heading the coalition in Uttar Pradesh, was one of the prime movers of the third front idea in Assam, but it has come a cropper. With Sonia Gandhi’s heir apparent Rahul Gandhi offering to lead the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, interesting times are ahead in the state.
|
