Political Parties - Unholy Alliances

All political parties are busy forming strategies to win elections – 2014.  The three national parties are not confident of forming government by self.  The Communist party is always dependent on other parties to win parliament elections.  It had maximum MPs in 2004 and supported Congress.  Though the Communist leader Shri Jyothi Basu had opportunity to become the Prime Minister then, it was refused by the party.  Later there was fall of Communist government even in Bengal, the only state in India which was under its rule for almost two decades.  Their strength also decreased in Parliament.

Congress, more than a century old party ruled India for about half century.  No other party could rule singly for more than three years.  It is always Congress verses other parties.  The stalwarts in the party are good at manipulative and popular politics.  They can carry on individually or in coalition and bring in populist schemes and gain in elections.  The electoral benefits of recently introduced food guarantee scheme is drowned in the multiple scams in UPA – 2.

The Bharatiya Janata Party wants to come into power presenting Shri Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate.  They talk about the development of Gujarat.  But civil liberties people and people for human rights are pointing out various developmental indices that fail to show any improvement in the life of poor.  Also they point to the failure of Modi government in protecting a section of people in 2002 riots.  One of his Ministers is jailed for leading the riots.  Being the head of the government he is held responsible for riots and had to apologise for the same.  This is compared to Sikhs attacks in 1984.  Congress has apologized for it but did not punish anybody till now.  Now these national parties want people to elect them, and people have little choice, choosing between the devil and deep sea. 

There are other national parties like BSP, SP and JD.  But their influence is very little nation wide when compared to Congress and BJP, of course, Communist party.  Now almost all the states have one or more local or state or regional parties.  In Andhra Pradesh, the most popular regional parties are TDP and YSRCP and TRS.  The leaders of TDP and YSRCP belong to Rayalaseema or now newly formed AP (Seemandhra) and TRS is led by Shri K. Chandra Shekhar Rao who belongs to Telangana. The 2014 elections are being held to form new governments in two states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The election heat is hotter than summer heat in Seemandhra and Telangana.  Local, municipal, assembly, and parliament elections are to be completed by mid May.  The appointed day for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is 2^nd June 2014.  All the political parties are fighting with all their might to win as many seats as possible.  The changed scenario due to formation of Telangana had led many Seemandhra Congress leaders to desert the party and join other parties, particularly TDP and also YSRCP to fight against Congress which had fulfilled its poll promise of formation of Telangana.  Do not know what people are thinking in Seemandhra, but TDP thinks it is the champion of Samaikya Andhra as Shri Nara Chandra Babu Naidu tried his best to stall the formation of Telangana till it was passed in Rajya Sabha.  He is the man behind resignation dramas on 10^th December, 2009, and also negated the Telangana formation in 2002 by NDA causing death of more than 1000 deaths of Telangana youth in the recent past.  YSRCP also thinks it is the only party whose MLAs resigned after the decision announced by CWC to form Telangana.  Their party led agitations in the name of equal justice in Seemandhra.  The party has completely disappeared in Telangana.  TDP Chandra Babu Naidu could manage to hold his Telangana flock together till February 22^nd.  Later as Naidu was sure that he had lost ground in Telangana had announced that he would make BC person CM in Telangana if TDP comes to power has made TDP leaders in Telangana turn their direction towards Congress and TRS. 

To come to power the parties and leaders are getting into unholy alliance.  As surveys are predicting win for TRS in Telangana and at national level people are favouring Modi to be prime minister political leaders are leaving the parties which have given them political life and power.  Leaders who always talked of secularism are joining BJP or trying their best to have an alliance with it.  People who blamed Babu as back stabber and his letter is the cause of division of AP state are joining TDP praising Chandra Babu Naidu as a shrewd politician and capable of leading Seemandhra.  People who have come to power as Congress persons forgot that they have won elections in 2009 promising separate Telangana are blaming Congress for dividing the state and joining BJP which supported Congress’ decision on creating Telangana.  BJP who promised one vote two states in 1999 but back tracked on its promise due to Babu’s pressure against it is blaming Congress for passing Telangana Bill.  BJP which pressurized Congress to bring Telangana bill in the last minute worked in tandem with Babu, who refused to have alliance with them in 2009 blaming it as Hindutva non secular party, now promised BJP that if the party obstructs the passing of Telangana Bill he would give support to BJP in the ensuing elections and help formation of Modi/ BJP government in the Centre.  TRS which promised possible merger of his party in Congress after Telangana formation now refused merger and wants to contest alone.  Telangana people and party did not forget the trauma they had faced for four years due indecisiveness of Congress and its high drama in the final stage and imposing restrictions on government of Telangana state.

Now it is very difficult to know which leader belongs to which party and how long he will be in that party.  By the time the nominations are over there may emerge a crude picture of party leaders and their affiliations.  Once the results are out, then there will be refined picture of politicians and their political affiliations.  Observing all these things it will be a serious mental exercise to vote in these elections.  Whether to vote for a person or party is difficult to say.  When individual leaders do not abide by party principles these leaders should be eliminated and party should be given priority as every party is founded on definite principles and the people in central committee of any national party will always take decision abiding by its principles.  All the parties have skeletons in their cup boards.  We should wait and watch what happens at the national level.  As for local elections, in Telangana it is a must that TRS should win to gain “Sampoorna Telangana”, and it happens.