E D I T O R I A L

Back To Power

AKALIS are back to power in Punjab. They shall along with along with Bhartiya Janata Party form the government and hopefully rule the state for five years. BJP has won back Uttrakhand from the Congress. But it is Manipur that offers some solace to the beleaguered party that rules the center with the help of communists and other smaller parties.

Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal, the next chief minister of Punjab can surely pat himself for snatching victory for the jaws of the Congress. But much more the BJP that captured 19 out of the 23 seats it contested in large urban Hindu dominated areas can feel elated. Badal was not prepared to concede more than 12 seats as he thought it could not win more than half dozen seats. Five years back it had won just three out of the 23 seats it contested. It had then deprived the Akalis the pleasures of the sweat rule. It has now made the Akali rule possible. It would also claim its pound of flesh from the Akalis. Badal would also find it easy to check the rabid Akalis.

Capt Amarinder Singh, the outgoing chief minister and his party president Shamsher Singh Dullo [who lost from khanna] need not blame anyone else for the defeat despite not so ignoble a defeat.  It is their own making. Farmers, small town dwellers and the scheduled castes have indeed backed the Congress. Urban dwellers who suffered neglect and where the Congress lacked any credible leader went for the BJP and the Akalis.  It is unique in Punjab's electoral history and the SAD-BJP combine has reversed the 2002 polls, while the Congress had won 62 seats, the SAD-BJP won 44, of which the BJP had only a total of three. Now Akalis have 46 seats total the tally to 68 out of 116 seats. Congress that lost badly its stronghold of Doaba has 43 seats in its bag. The BJP, whose showing in 2002 was dismal, encashed on the Congress neglect of the urban areas, especially in the latter's stronghold of Doaba. Congress lost all but four out of 25 seats. From Gurdaspur the Congress which had won ten seats losing one to BJP and now it has got just one. Reverse trend is visible in Amritsar too.

It should be a morale booster for the right wing Hindu party, the BJP, though it may not help it in any big manner in the coming elections to India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh.  For the Congress tides are indeed bad.

With limited choice and basic issues taking backseat, the power game in both Punjab and Uttrakhand was all about resources and muscle power. Electoral battles lacked substance and yet the results should the voters went for a change, not very marked one. By hindsight, the congress can understand this defeat. If it had cared for the urban areas, improved education, health care and provided a bit less corrupt regime, it might have romped to power. If the government’s performance was that bad, how could congress win 43 seats? Suppose it had brought in two dozen better candidates and especially these inefficient and corrupt ministers any chance to exploit again, there is ample proof from the results, it would have done better. Also, some adjustment with the Leftists may have benefited it.

Both outgoing Chief Ministers, Amarinder Singh of Punjab and Narayan Dutt Tiwari of Uttarakhand have promised to be “effective opposition" and keep the new governments on its toes. What that means no one knows if they could not provide effective government; how they could be valuable as opposition leaders except that to block all work, shout at the pitch of their voices and seek fresh elections all the time. This is what most opposition have done and shall continue to do.

It may or may not be a referendum. But it clearly is a reflection on the functioning of the central government.  Price rise, corruption unemployed do fall in their lap as these do for the provincial governments.

It is a clear setback for the Congress and the Prime Minister's economic policies Since Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister, the Congress has not won a single election.

In a way it is good that no party is sure of a second win [except Manipur where the congress provided some semblance of stability for the first time and won], yet what exactly this means to the people. Akalis and BJP in Punjab had a bad track record five years as was the case with BJP in Uttrakhand. Should the public expect less cheating and more delivery. Badal and Khanduri have to provide an answer. Otherwise, history would just record their years as blank lacking any substance.

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