The last few days have been the most turbulent for the UPA 2 government. While the government seemed determined to push through with the reforms, all the other political parties were opposing them for their own reasons, which hardly overlapped.
Let's start with our own beloved BJP. BJP as a party would not want early polls. For one their leadership is deeply divided. A cold war between all the top leaders is on. Who is going to become the prime ministerial candidate is the million dollar question among the party cadres. While Modi has an appeal among the educated middle class, he is a polarizing figure which is going to shun away the secular allies like Niteesh Kumar who depend on minority votes.Well he may not depend on the minority votes so much but who would not like to get more votes and get a secure victory?? LK Advani would desperately want early polls so that he can fulfil his dream of becoming a prime minister. He would be 86 in 2014 and a young country might not want to be governed by a 86 year PM. So, he wants to do it at the age of 84 so that the country can accept him. Or so he hopes. Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley (both more capable than the other 2 gentlemen) are not mere spectators either. Nitin Gadkari hopes that he might become the dark horse in this battle.
Now let's come to Momtadi's Poschimbanga... Or whatever.. Given Momtadi's wide appeal among hoi polloi, the opposition i.e. the CPM would be doing a political suicide if it pushes a third front right now along with SP and other smaller parties. The WB congress would want to place itself as the lone liberal centrist party in a state which has been so dominated by the leftist ideology and would possibly relish a breather from marxism/mamtaism.
A mid term poll would be Mulayam Singh's dream. (andha kya chahe do aakhe). But alas! Bhenji's here to spoil his party. And would he want his bete noire, Bhenji, to get closer to the Congress? hell no. Congress is all they have until an elusive third front finally obliges them. And given the political favours that they themselves need from the congress it is in their own interests to be in their good books. To add to that Bhenji would not want a mid term poll either.
And TDP?? Are you kidding me? They failed to win even a single seat in the recent Andhra bypolls while YSR congress teared into both the Congress and the TDP. So, that shows that the possible lead architects of a third front viz. Mulayam, Karat and Naidu would not either want a mid term poll or would want to be in the ruling Congress' good books. So, where in the hell did the third front come from? Well it is now very clear that any third front is not feasible right now.
A few parties would definitely want early elections. JD(U), SAD, TMC would desperately want to convert the popular support which they have seen in the assembly elections into LS seats. But given the political scenario in the country right now, that does not seem to be happening.
So, it appears we are stuck with the UPA. And fortunately a UPA - TMC is going to be a much better scenario than a UPA + TMC. And given Manmohan Singh's and P. Chidambaram's previous stints as finance ministers, they have showed their proclivity towards market reforms. It does not seem to be such a bad choice to stay stuck with them. Does it?
Let's start with our own beloved BJP. BJP as a party would not want early polls. For one their leadership is deeply divided. A cold war between all the top leaders is on. Who is going to become the prime ministerial candidate is the million dollar question among the party cadres. While Modi has an appeal among the educated middle class, he is a polarizing figure which is going to shun away the secular allies like Niteesh Kumar who depend on minority votes.Well he may not depend on the minority votes so much but who would not like to get more votes and get a secure victory?? LK Advani would desperately want early polls so that he can fulfil his dream of becoming a prime minister. He would be 86 in 2014 and a young country might not want to be governed by a 86 year PM. So, he wants to do it at the age of 84 so that the country can accept him. Or so he hopes. Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley (both more capable than the other 2 gentlemen) are not mere spectators either. Nitin Gadkari hopes that he might become the dark horse in this battle.
Now let's come to Momtadi's Poschimbanga... Or whatever.. Given Momtadi's wide appeal among hoi polloi, the opposition i.e. the CPM would be doing a political suicide if it pushes a third front right now along with SP and other smaller parties. The WB congress would want to place itself as the lone liberal centrist party in a state which has been so dominated by the leftist ideology and would possibly relish a breather from marxism/mamtaism.
A mid term poll would be Mulayam Singh's dream. (andha kya chahe do aakhe). But alas! Bhenji's here to spoil his party. And would he want his bete noire, Bhenji, to get closer to the Congress? hell no. Congress is all they have until an elusive third front finally obliges them. And given the political favours that they themselves need from the congress it is in their own interests to be in their good books. To add to that Bhenji would not want a mid term poll either.
And TDP?? Are you kidding me? They failed to win even a single seat in the recent Andhra bypolls while YSR congress teared into both the Congress and the TDP. So, that shows that the possible lead architects of a third front viz. Mulayam, Karat and Naidu would not either want a mid term poll or would want to be in the ruling Congress' good books. So, where in the hell did the third front come from? Well it is now very clear that any third front is not feasible right now.
A few parties would definitely want early elections. JD(U), SAD, TMC would desperately want to convert the popular support which they have seen in the assembly elections into LS seats. But given the political scenario in the country right now, that does not seem to be happening.
So, it appears we are stuck with the UPA. And fortunately a UPA - TMC is going to be a much better scenario than a UPA + TMC. And given Manmohan Singh's and P. Chidambaram's previous stints as finance ministers, they have showed their proclivity towards market reforms. It does not seem to be such a bad choice to stay stuck with them. Does it?
