Election 2014- India votes for a change

Indian voters have emphatically voted for a change . The corrupt and the inefficient have been voted out . The congress has been decimated . It is an unprecedented rout for the congress .Congress has drawn a blank in Delhi and Tamil Nadu . As expected in the combined AP (Seemandra and Telengana)it is almost a rout for the congress,securing just one seat. As expected states like TN,WB and Odisha were not much affected by the Modi wave . Regional leaders in these states were effective foils to BJP and Modi. These three local stalwarts winning 89 (37,34,18)seats between them is an impressive tally by any standards .Congress may not even get the opposition party status ,since its tally falls below the mandatory 10 % of the total seats to claim the opposition party status . It is good to see Rahul and Sonia owning up responsibility for the massive defeat of congress .This should pave way for examining their conduct in the last 10 years and take restorative measures to bring the party back to limelight .India badly needs congress as a strong and viable alternative in future elections.It is up to Congress to enumerate its deficiencies and overcome them .

For a party that ruled the nation for the last 10 years it is surely a dismal performance . Out of the 48 seats congress has managed to win, 21 seats (12 & 9) have come for 2 southern states of Kerala and Karnataka ,where congress is the ruling party. This means from the rest of the country,congress could get a meagre 27 seats . In another congress ruled state Maharashtra the BJP has almost trounced  the congress.In Maharashtra congress has managed to get just 1 seat ,a drab performance . In  J&K also Congress and Farooq Abdulla's NC have drawn a blank .It is no surprise that the DMK had to face the 'Modi and Lady' brunt .The AAP making a foray  in to the national scene too early, has also learnt the political turf at the national level is very different . In fact in one of my earlier posts when AAP made a dramatic debut in Delhi assembly elections ,I had stated this could happen if AAP enters the national scene too ealry.

Most importantlyBJP winning 73 out of the 80  seats in UP , 31 out of 40 in Bihar and 42 out of 48 in Maharashtra is impressive . In Chattisgarh, Goa, Rajasthan and Gujarat it was a clean sweep by BJP. BJP front has opened account in TN and WB securing 2 each in these states,two states mostly unaffected by the Modi wave . The only aberration for BJP could be the defeat of Arun Jaitely in Punjab . However Jaitely is a Rajya Sabha member and could be inducted in to the cabinet .

The most important fall out of this election is, after 1984 elections a national party has secured a clear majority to form the government . This is good for the nation .The clear majority will ensure there is no 'governance paralysis' .But regional parties like AIADMK,TMC,BJD,TDP and TRS have emerged stronger and can not be written off .The communists continued their downward slide .

Congress has to do lots of introspection . Turning a blind eye to all round corruption,Administrative inefficiency,not lending ear to regional leaders ,snubbing regional leaders of their own party and that of allies, disregarding regional sentiments with contempt and dynastic politics have derailed the congress government.Will congress learn a lesson ?.Every state wants their regional leader to be all powerful . It is a regional pride. whether it is a national party or a regional party,the local leader should have a say in national politics .A local leader of a regional party becomes popular when his clout becomes indispensable at national level . Similarly in the case of a national party ,there should be a strong and charismatic regional leader to combat the regional parties . Jayalalitha ,Mamta and Navin Patnaik have proved they are strong regional leaders .In the absence of such charismatic leaders in national parties in each state ,it would be difficult to sustain the party as a force to reckon with at the regional level. Congress has time and again failed to learn this lesson despite severe drubbing at the hands of strong regional parties . Even during the Nehru era ,perhaps the only period during which congress had a truly national presence ,there were strong charismatic leaders at state levels . The present day congress leadership is wary of strong state leaders and systemically stymies state leaders .This could be a fall out of the dynastic politics . In fact it should be the other way .Congress should promote strong regional leaders .At this juncture Congress needs articulate leaders at all levels through out the nation to build the party again at grass root levels . Perhaps they may have to reinvent the wheel . The classic example of a strong regional leader upstaging at the national level could be none other than Modi .

BJP should live up to the expectations of the people of India . They should ensure a corruption free ,transparent ,efficient ,matter of fact government that is development oriented fair and equitable to all sections of the people . The general public also expects the elected representatives to be humility personified and shun arrogant superiority to disdain the views of others as unworthy. I hope on 24 th May when the baton change hands, the new set of sprinters would take the nation forward .Congress along with other parties should play the role of a constructive opposition and try to rebuild its lost glory.

The sagacious Indian voter

Elections results of Tamilnadu,West Bengal,Kerala,Assam and Pondichery have manifold and diverse manifestations.Naturally when the mandates are diverse the ramifications of the results are likely to be diverse.The problems and issues were diverse among the states that went to polls.The election results have proved once again, the Indian voters are sagacious and no one should underestimate them.The elction results have thrown many upsets .The ramifications of these election results will have a Pan India cascading effect on national politics.

Except for a couple of forecasts,most of them predicted an hung assembly in Tamilnadu.But contrary to popular perceptions,it was a landslide victory for AIADMK front and an unprecdented rout for the DMK and the Congress.The Tamilnadu voters have given a decisive mandate and were acutley insightful and wise by giving an absolute majority to AIADMK. Despite all its neighbouring southern states have opted for coalition governments on one ocassion or the other,ever since the coalition and quid pro quid politics came to fore three decades ago, TN voters have always voted for a single party rule.The DMK congress combine did not find favour with the electorate on many issues.The freeby announcement by DMK front in its manifesto was neutralised by AIADMK matching them with an equally attractive freeby announcement.The worsening power supply situation in the state,especially during the summer had a telling effect on the voters. The massive 2 G scam had its share on the loss toll of the DMK front, albeit the DMK front tried to underplay its effect on the electorate.By and large the public believed the party top brass was involved in the scam.It was a huge setback to the DMK front.The Sri Lankan crisis and the fishermen issues are not issues of inconsequence as the Congress and DMK believed .There was rising resentment among younger generation about the way the DMK and the Congress handled these two issues. This was very evident in most of the social net working sites.

Now the AIADMK will take over the reigns from the DMK. The AIADMK should be wary of possible pitfalls in governance from the begining itself. One hopes Jayalalitha will ensure a corruption free government and zero interference by party functionaries or extra constitutional powers in administration. Jayalalitha should also control sycophants from repeating the nauseating flattery seen in the previous regime.Most importantly she should check fawners of her own party.The common public expects exemplary and impartial behaviour from the authorities who enforce law and order.Regarding the Sri Lankan crisis,though belated, the new incumbent government can, at least now, use its offices to influence the centre, to amend the wrongs done in the past.Similarly fishermen should not be subjected to continued harassment by our neighbouring country.These are two emotive issues that can not be ignored by any party ruling Tamilnadu.The new government should also work towards for a negotiated settlement of the riaprian rights of the state.Having made the freeby announcements now the Jayalalitha government has to deliver its promises,despite its assurances about a judicious and prudent fiscal management unlike its predecessor.When Lalu Yadav could turn Railways that was in red to a financially viable organisation,one hopes Jayalalitha will also be able to achieve this financial feat .

The left has lost its forts in Kerala and West Bengal. However in Kerala the defeat for the left was not as humiliating as in West Bengal.V.S has won in Kerala where as Budhadeb has lost in Bengal.The left front was ruling Bengal for close to 4 decades. But ever since veteran Jyoti Basu left the scene in Bengal,the slide for the Left front started in Bengal.Besides, when Praksh Karat took over from the veteran Harkishen Singh surjeet,as party chief , he appeared as an hardliner of party philosophies.But after he took charge, the party started loosing in elections and came under attack of his own party colleagues.He even went to the extent of calling Mamta a 'dumb doll'. But Nandigram and Singur provided the much needed spring board platform for the fiery Mamata to push the left front on to the backfoot. From then on she has only gone on strength and never looked back and has finally culminated in ahcieving her goal.The 'dumb doll' finally dumped the Marxists .But it remains to be seen how she fares.There could be trouble for Congress in store,as they have to now keep Mamta in good humour for their own survival at the centre.She is another moody and unpredictable politician, to be carefully handled by the managers of Congress.The downfall of the left front in Kerala could be attributed to themselves.The infight in CPM , the lack of support to its incumbent CM, from party high command and a possible error of judgement in excluding Muslim league from the LDF front have resulted in the defeat of the LDF in Kerala.Despite all this, many believed V.S would be a better CM than Ommen Chandy. The results also reveal the UDF has secured a very slender margin in Kerala.This was made possible simply because Congress forged a winning combine this time .The coalition arithmetics of UDF was right this time in Kerala.

A congres win in Assam was a foregone conclusion. The outgoing Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi performed well to get re elected.Also AGP is on decline for the last few years. There was literally no opposition worth its name to Gogoi.It is a personal victory to Mr.Gogoi ,and Congress can surely gloat over it .

The congress has lost Pondichery to NR congress and its allies. NR congress, is a party floated by former congress Chief minister of Pondichery, N.Rengaswamy.He forged an alliance with ADMK and have won 19 setas in the 30 member assembly. The loss is again congress's own making.NR was the most popular and unassuming Congress chief minister of Pondichery. Under his regime Pondichery was awarded the best state to live in India by the vice presodent of India. But the congress high command felt otherwise.Due to internal bickerings NR was aksed to resign and was replaced by Vaithilingam as CM.NR floated a party just few months before the elections, on popular demand from party cadres, and forged an alliance with AIADMK and their front has won the elections this time.It is high time for Congress to understand they should respect regional pride and sentiments.A party can not be a run successfully by a stooge of the high command. A tall regional leader should head the state unit of the national party and he should have greater voice in party affairs, for a national party to flourish in states.Whenever there were strong local leaders for national parties,the party has fared better in that state.

It has been proved again and again,that the Indian voter is sagacious.When Indira Gandhi said 'India Marches forward' in the post emergency elections,the Indian voter thought otherwise and voted her out. When BJP under Vajpayee said 'India is shining' during the elections,after a five year tenure ,the BJP government was voted out. The Indian voter is not a charlie to be duped by wily politicians.

' Vote us Get Laptop '-Freeby culture of Tamilnadu politics

Both the Dravidian parties have released their election manifesto's. As expected it was a freebie galore offered by both parties to woo the elctorate, defying all prudent economic theories.Both the DMK and AIADMK have tried to out do the other party by announcing freeby offers that are appealing to the elctorates.It is almost like a festival season discount offer announced by big retail outlets .This is akin to Tamil weeklies and magazines giving freebies to increase their circulation. Like the 'Buy one Get Two ' tagline of famous men's wear outlets ,now political parties tell the elctorate 'Vote us  Get laptop '.During the last elections AIADMK lampooned  DMK's freeby offers. But having lost the last elections ,this time Jayalalitha has tried to match DMK's election manifesto by announcing many freebies for her part also.The sad part is that EC is a mute spectator to this as there are no laws to prevent wooing electorates by promising freebies using government funds.Some legislation should be passed to curb this unhealthy practice at the earliest .Else this will be emulated by all parties in all the states and also at the centre in future elections. It amounts to squandering state funds.Political parties can make any freeby offer,because their party is not going to spend money from their coffers to fulfill their freeby promises.From the tax payers money they are going to meet out the freeby expenditure.Like the proverbial 'Rob paul to pay Peter' , government exchequer is robbed to fulfill political partie's poll promises. The voter should ponder for a minute, if they would tolerate a spendthrift in their family ?The political parties offering freebies are dong exactly the same thing by spending state funds recklessly to secure votes and secure power .In other words the political parties tell the electorates to vote for them and take home free what has been promised .Look at the freeby offers made by both parties.If DMK wants to give women free mixies and grinders, AIADMK has added fans along with mixe and grinders . Karunanidhi has promised laptops to students in their first year of college. Jayalalitha is promising them one even as early as their eleventh standard.Voters should not forget parties indulge in such lavish populism to secure votes and fool the people Election laws should be amended to disqualify parties or candidates offering such freebies in their manifesto's or make election promises. A PIL is already pending before the SC from 2008 over promising freebies in election manifesto's by political parties.The wily political parties want people to accept the freebies on one side and accept their corruption and  inefficiency on the other side.The underlying notion of the freeby culture is that the voter is a buyable commodity.Unfortunatley by offering tempting freebies the Tamilnadu politican is feeding the voter's greed .The Tamilnadu voter has to just ensure that his name figures in the voters list .DMK and AIADMK would vie with each other to woo the TN voter by showering freebies .The only choice TN voter has to make now is whose offer is the best !.At this rate what would they offer as freeby in future elections .Could it be something like the following !

Free internet connections (No use in merely providing laptops)

Free cable connections (subsidised cable conncetion now promised by AIADMK)

Free mobile phones

Free pre paid connections

Free mopeds for BPL card holders (Now free cycles promised )

Free bikes for APL card holders

May be some one would promise free brakfast lunch and dinner served at home !

The parties who promise all these freebies are not bothered that Tamil Nadu debt has crossed one Lakh Crore.The Tamil Nadu debt has doubled in last five years from about 50, 000 crores to one Lakh Crore.This is a serious problem .This needs to be addressed on top most priority.Implementing the freebies announced will only make TN government to borrow additional money and take TN economy to a bad shape.