WEST BENGAL: DESPERATE FOR CHANGE

Mamata Banerjee triumph in the Bengal civic election, particularly in Kolkata has not come as a major surprise but definitely as a huge jolt for the 'Left'. The writing is on wall for Buddhadeb as many have already pronounced that Mamata is all set to become the first woman chief minister of Bengal next year.

Whenever I discuss the ongoing change in Bengal's polity with my Bengali friends they have just one point to say- 'The urbanites don't like Mamata, but they are fed up with the Left'. This reason underlines the factor that has influenced the 'winds of change' in Bengal.

After ruling West Bengal for 'thirty six' long years with an iron fist, the Left had left a political vacuum in the state. There was no real challenger in the state to stand up against the might of the west. The man who led the Marxist revolution in Bengal was Jyoti Basu, who remained chief minister for a record 23 years and won five terms. When Basu relinquished the chief minister's post in November 2000 and made way for a younger, efficient & moderate Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, many thought this would mark the beginning of Left's decline in the state. After all when Basu did step down it was not the best of times for the Left. Urban jobless rate was rising, Basu's family name had got involved in corruption cases and even in rural Bengal Left was seen losing ground. But thanks to Buddhadeb's clean image and efficient style of functioning, he was able to restore confidence in the people. The Left retained power after winning the 2001 assembly elections.

The real change began between 2001 & 2006. Buddhadeb embarked on a path which no 'comrade' had dared to even speak off openly. He initiated the economic liberalization policy in Bengal by inviting industrial houses to Bengal. The biggest catch of them all was Ratan Tata, who agreed to set up 'Nano's production plant in Singur. Many within the Left criticized Bhuddhadeb for initiating economic reforms in the state by inviting foreign investment at the cost of agriculture land. Buddhadeb's argument was that these lands were not futile anymore and industrialization will help improve lives of these farmers who owned these lands.

In the 2006 assembly elections Buddhadeb stunned his critics by sweeping the elections. His popularity was at an all time high. The masses from both urban & rural centres were all gaga over him. With this win Buddhadeb was able to create his own niche within the Left which was all this while overshadowed by Basu's legacy. This victory was termed as the turning point for the Bengal state and Buddhadeb saw this victory as a vindication of his policies. He was now the poster boy of the 'Left' and was proclaimed by many in the media as the best chief minister in India!

Politics as they say is all about that one moment that can change the momentum. Singur & Nandigram was the moment that spelled doom for Buddhadeb and gave a new ease of life to Mamata Banerjee who was in oblivion. The forceful approach by the government and more importantly by the Left cadres on the ground appalled the people. Suddenly all the good work done in the last one decade by Buddhadeb was forgotten. The arrogance displayed by the Left cadres was frightening.

The people of Bengal had also become bored & tired of the Left. They were probably waiting for an opportunity to get convinced to vote the Left out. After all it was a miracle of sorts in Indian polity that for three and half decades anti-incumbency hadn't spoilt Left's game. The masses couldn't find an alternative outfit to replace the Left. The Congress could never raise the right issues and strike a chord with the citizens of Bengal. But after Singur & Nandigram the people knew the time had come for a change. Unfortunately they don't have any other alternative but to vote for Mamata. Change has become imperative and even if it was not Mamata but some other formidable party they would have voted for it. So what if they don't like her but at least they are not completely unfamiliar with her. It's a risk which the Bengalis are willing to take.

Will this mood last till 2011? That is the big question. But one thing is certain that Mamata has captured the momentum and she will do everything possible to drive home this time around. She doesn't need to do anything extraordinary at the moment because by default the finger on the voting machine will punch for her. As for Buddhadeb, his only hope is to reconnect with the masses and try to convince them to give him a graceful exit which he deserves for his commendable work and not make him pay the price for his party's sins.

UPA’S BIGGEST HEADACHE :COALITION DHARMA

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his first press conference after taking charge of the government for the second time, seemed a bit nervous while responding to the media queries. Probably that’s the nature of Dr Singh who believes more in action than words.

In the last one year, there have been many thorny issues that have pricked the government. To begin with the positives – the government was successful in handling the global financial crisis. The woman reservation’s bill which got passed in the Rajya Sabha, and the Right to Education Bill, were some key achievements of the UPA 2. But if we look at the negatives - clearly the price rise issue has hurt the government and the people of the country the most.

The Naxal issue has led to more chaos and destruction rather than achievements. Pakistan’s failure on the 26/11 front has also not helped the government.

To measure a performance of any government it is important to take individual performances of the cabinet ministers into consideration. After all a government is like any other team, especially when it involves coalition partners. Over all the performance of the ‘Congress’ ministers has been satisfying. Kapil Sibal, P. Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee have been the star performers for the government in their respective ministries. Shashi Tharoor , who was in the news throughout for the all the wrong reasons, was show the exit door while Jairam Ramesh has been appreciated for his work as the environment minister but has been a let down for his comments on other ministers.

But the biggest negative for team UPA has been the performance of the coalition partners and their ministers.

Sharad Pawar has made more news in cricket rather than agriculture and agri-products which directly impacts the price of essential food items. He has been a total failure on that front.

Mamata Banerjee has been a visiting minister for the government. She is mostly in Kolkata and her priority is the West Bengal elections next year. She has been soft on the Naxal issue and has openly criticized the government for its policy towards Naxals. Mamata is clearly turning out to be the biggest irritant for the current UPA government much like the ‘Left’ parties who stalled various reform decisions taken by the UPA during its first tenure..

The DMK is the biggest liability for the government in terms of performance. M.K Alagiri and A Raja have been an embarrassment for the government. A Raja’s alleged involvement in the 2G scam, which if proved by the investigating agencies, would be the biggest scam in the history of India. Though the PM has defended Raja, but with a rider that if anyone is found guilty, he will take action. On the other hand, Karunanidhi’s elder son Alagiri has been a complete misfit in the capital so far. He has not been attending the Parliament, even after been reprimanded by the speaker. He has shown no interest in his portfolio so far.

But Manmohan Singh’s biggest problem is that he can’t take ministers from coalition partners to task. He can’t pressurize them as he has to keep this coalition intact for the UPA to last a full 5-year term. The first year is a very short duration for any government to be judged as all the major reforms are initiated only from the third-year onwards. If the first tenure saw the rise of Manmohan Singh as an effective political leader; this tenure would be a test of Singh’s ability to extract good performances from his team. No one doubts Singh’s potential as an individual performer but if his other ministers do not perform in this tenure, it would dent Singh’s legacy.

WINNER & LOSER : ELECTIONS 2009

Election 2009 was special for more than one reason. In this blog, I am listing out the biggest winners & losers of this election. The winners are those , who will have a enduring impact in Indian polity. And the losers are those, who had very high stakes & have suffered a major setback

THE BIGGEST WINNERS OF ELECTIONS 2009

Manmohan Singh
SINGH IS KING: Election 2009 was the mandate for Manmohan Singh. His honest and decent image, along with the unshakable stand on the nuclear deal, made him emerge, as one of the best prime minister ever. He is the face of reforms & progress that can give India a better future.


Rahul Gandhi
THE SAVIOUR: He has emerged as the messiah of the poor & youth. The youth wanted a leader who was forward looking and could lead them in the future, while the poor wanted a leader who can fulfil their needs and aspiratons. Rahul Gandhi is that leader. His decision of going alone in UP was the turning point for the Congress.


Sonia Gandhi
THE UNDISPUTED LEADER: This election puts to rest, as to who is the strongest leader of this great nation. The manner in which she held the UPA coalition together was nothing short of remarkable. Her faith in Manmohan Singh as the prime ministerial candidate & Rahul Gandhi to lead the Congress campaign paid huge dividends. The Congress has been revived, thanks to her relentless efforts.

Nitish Kumar
THE PERFORMER: In an election that saw the power of regional leaders emaciating, he emerged as the strongest regional leader. His performance as the chief minister of Bihar has won him accolades across party lines and his popularity has surged across North India. His success underscores the fact, that people want development over caste & communal politics.

Mamata Banerjee
THE REBEL: Finally after 3 decades the ‘Left’ hegomony in West Bengal has been broken. Not only has she challenged the future of the 'Left' in their strong hold, but has also emerged as the ‘Voice of Bengal’.

The Indian Voter
THE KING: The Indian Voter has emerged as the King maker and chosen its own destiny. By choosing a secular, stable & strong government, it has proved that India is not only the biggest but the most powerful & vibrant democracy of the world.

Election Commission
THE UNSUNG HEROS: The most under-rated people of this election. Election Commission has proved that in this complex country, beset by terrorism & dirty politics, it is still possible to hold free & fair elections. The EC’s meticulous planning and execution is remarkable. A round of applause, for the team, that made this excercise a resounding success.

THE BIGGEST LOSERS
L.K Advani
END OF THE ROAD: His dream of becoming the prime minister crashed. The milestones of his great political career included the formation of BJP & the ‘Ram Mandir’ campaign which bolstered his popularity among the Hindu harliners. But he lacked the charisma and acceptability that Vajpayee enjoyed.


Narendra Modi
THE FAILED CHARMER: Many thought that the BJP had found the charismatic personality in him which was missing post Vajpayee. But his charm & magic was restricted to Gujarat. The star campaigner of the BJP failed to garner any extra support outside his stronghold. His unacceptability among other NDA parties, may dash his hopes of becoming the prime minister.


J Jayalalitha
OVER CONFIDENCE: Her overconfidence before elections was one of the biggest factors for not posting an impresssive performance. People were incredulous about the promises she made with regards to the ‘Tamil’ issue in Sri Lanka. Even a strong pre poll alliance could not help her to register a huge victory.

Mayawati
DELHI IS FAR AWAY: This election was a reality check for Mayawati. She still has a long way to travel, before she reaches Delhi. During the UP assembly elections, her ‘social enginneering’ earned her a thumping victory. But her failure to live up to their expectations, led to a disappointing performance this time around

The Yadavs (Mulayam, Lalu Prasad & Ram Vilas Paswan)
NO WHERE TO GO: Their selfish and arrogant aprroach pre elections has cost them dearly. Not only did they loose badly, but also lost out on an opportunity, of becoming a part of a stronger government at the centre. With all three out of power both at the centre & state, the future looks bleak.

Prakash Karat
BROUGH T TO THE GROUND: His dogmatic attitude and ideology, which is out of tune with reality has brought him & his party to the ground. His stand on the nuclear deal, which he potrayed as ‘anti- national’ and continous blackmailing during the UPA regime back fired. The masses taught him & his party a lesson.

Published on http://www.behindindia.com/india-news-stories/slideshows/election-winners/manmohan-singh.html - 21st May 2009

http://www.behindindia.com/india-news-stories/slideshows/election-losers/l-k-advani.html - - 21st May 2009