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Race for power : Positioning starts for 2009 polls |
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B.I.Saini
Major political formations in the country have started positioning themselves for the race for power at the Centre when Lok Sabha elections are held in 2009. Even though the elections are more than one and a half years away, political parties, which fancy that they have a chance, are trying to strike new postures and find new allies so that they are in a better position to get a share in the power cake.
The positioning by the political parties is apparent in their response to the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, whose details were made available by the two governments last week. The Congress, the prime force in the United Progressive Alliance government, is naturally projecting the deal as a major achievement in the sphere of foreign policy and moving towards fulfilling the country’s strategic objectives. The 123 deal is being projected as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s most striking success in his long years of public life, even beyond his role as one of the prime movers of economic reforms.
The principal opposition party, the BJP, which had itself been working for ending India’s isolation in the nuclear field, when in power,has now termed the agreement as an “assault on India’s nuclear sovereignty and foreign policy options.” It has demanded setting up of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to examine the pact. The party says that the Government should not sign the agreement till it secures Parliament’s approval. The BJP has made the demand despite knowing fully well that under the country’s constitutional framework, the agreement can be brought into effect after Cabinet approval and clearance by Parliament is not needed.
The Left parties, whose support keeps the Manmohan Singh Government in power, are faced with a dilemma on the nuclear deal - whether to accept the government’s plan to go ahead with the 123 agreement and become a party to the Congress claiming credit for an outstanding achievement, or to reject the deal, in accordance with their general anti-American line. The Third Front or United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) has already decided to oppose the deal in Parliament, with the objective of establishing its position as a credible opponent of the Congress-led UPA’s ‘anti-national’ and ‘anti-people’ policies.
The enforcement of the civilian nuclear deal with the United States is not the only major challenge before the UPA Government in the run up to the next Lok Sabha elections. The Congress-led formation has to show something tangible in its plans to better the lot of the other backward classes (OBCs) and the Muslim community, the vote bank which has generally deserted the Congress, but not necessarily the allies, some of whom have major pockets of influence among the OBCs and the Muslims.
In this light, the implementation of reservation for OBCs in educational institutions and of the recommendations made by the Sachar Committee on the status of Muslims, would be a major task ahead. The Government moves are facing difficulties, not only in judicial fora, but also from some sections of the body politic. There is increasing pressure from the allies as well as the Left parties for effective action to implement the suggestions made by the Sachar Committee to improve the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims. But the move is facing opposition from the BJP which is accusing the Congress of “Muslim appeasement.”
Several UPA constituents like the DMK, PMK, RJD and even non-UPA parties like the JD(U) have become the strongest votaries of the OBC reservations. The Supreme Court has stayed reservation for the OBCs in higher educational institutions, but there is increasing pressure from the allies for action to nullify the challenge to the reservation policy at the judicial level. There is also the hidden battle between the Congress and UPA allies on taking credit for OBC reservations.
With the focus shifting to issues which can fetch votes, the real problems facing the people are getting short shrift from the government. There is no all out attempt to fight the cancer of corruption which is bringing the government into disrepute especially at the local level. The recent episode in the national capital where a small shopkeeper built a Rs. 100 crore business empire within a matter of years by getting fraudulent allotment of land in connivance with corrupt officials is one sign of the rot in the system. The story is the same in all states and the impression is gaining ground that there is no effective system in place to check corrupt officials and politicians.
Another major problem facing the country, the agrarian crisis in several states, has also not got the Government attention it deserved, apart from some lip sympathy for the farmers who commit suicides faced with indebtedness and a system which does not give them remunerative prices for their produce. The Government’s response has been limited to announcing packages for affected areas, but hardly any monitoring to ensure that they work.
The challenge of extremism, with Maoist elements virtually controlling hinterland areas in an increasing number of states, has also not secured an effective response. On the other hand, the Governments at the Centre and in some of the states, are fighting over who is to blame for the rise of the spectre of extremism. Committees are appointed from time to time to go into the socio-economic factors responsible for the phenomenon, but often the response is limited to the law and order aspect.
The Manmohan Singh Government would do well to take a deep look at the fundamental problems facing the common man, which the Congress-led formation says that it is working for. The effectiveness of the Government action will determine the fate of the Congress and its allies in the UPA in 2009.
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