Round The States

New Delhi, 9 March 2012

States Verdict

POLL FEVER SPILLS TO CENTRE?

By Insaf

The election fever in States is far from waning. Rather it appears to be spilling over to the Centre. With big brother Congress being shown the door in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa, regional parties and their leaders are now eyeing New Delhi for a larger chunk of the coalition cake. While murmurs of putting up a Third Front for the 2014 General election were recently heard in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik can hope the call turns into a shrill. For one, it got an unexpected boost from the UPA’s biggest but unpredictable alliance partner, the Trinamool Congress. Its leader and Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi stumped many by raising the bogey of a mid-term poll! On Wednesday last, in conversation with a national daily he stated: If I was SP I would be happy to have an election tomorrow because I have the momentum. Trinamool may also be happy to have a mid-term poll now rather than 2 years later….” He also noted that if there was an anti-Congress wave in the country, the BJP too would want an early election and if everybody wants it, so shall it be!

While the TMC has promptly sought to downplay the remarks, an upset Congress is putting up a strong front. It insists its ties with allies are good and that the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government will last its full term. However, it can ill-afford arrogance and over confidence now as regional satraps like Bihar’s Nitish Kumar, Tamil Nadu’s Jayalalitha and West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee, could have Uttar Pradesh’s Mulayam Singh Yadav and son Akhilesh joining the chorus of upholding the federal spirit. The Samajwadi Party would obviously like to cash in on the popularity and can no longer bail out the Congress at the Centre as in the past. Indeed, the change of guard in Lucknow will be felt very much in Delhi. Reeling under a disastrous performance of its star campaigner Rahul Gandhi in UP and a problematic TMC, the Congress will need to tread cautiously this Budget session if it wants to hold on till 2014. Even if it does, will it succeed?  

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Punjab’s Historic Win

It’s balle balle (kudos) for Punjab’s puttar (son), Deputy Chief Minister Sukbir Singh Badal. His poll strategy has not only carved a historic win, a second consecutive term for the Shiromani Akali Dal and father Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, but etched a new chapter in the State’s politics. Apparently, Jr Badal took a gamble of making ‘development and governance’ the election mantra rather than the traditional ‘panthic’ agenda of religious identity, or harping on 1984 riots or greater autonomy etc. And this has more than paid off. Bete noire Capt Amarinder Singh and Congress, who heavily relied upon the anti-incumbency factor had to bite the dust. In the history of the State, created in 1966, it’s the first time that an incumbent government has retained power. Additionally, the Congress could not effectively counter the SAD-BJP government’s ‘achievements’ on the development plank –power stations, roads, flyovers etc—or its  government reforms such as Right to Service Act or populist schemes such as providing free electricity, bicycles to girls et al. However, while Jr Badal has reason to revel in the victory, the celebrations can’t go on too long. The State is under a heavy debt burden of Rs 75,000 crore and demands his immediate attention. 

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Goa Backs BJP

Goa can hope for a stable government. The touristic State known for its political volatility has voted the BJP in decisively giving it a simple majority on its own, with 21 MLAs in a 40-member House. In addition it has added strength of 5 members, 3 of ally, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and two Independents it had backed. While anti-incumbency factor has helped the BJP to show the door to the Congress-NCP government, the saffron party has duly given credit to the architect of its victory, Manohar Parrikar. He switches his role as leader of opposition to that of Chief Minister. Parrikar has these past years kept the pressure on the Digambar Kamat government over rampant illegal mining, corruption and blatant nepotism, wherein Congress influential families were seen to rule the roost. This apart, the BJP strategically chose to modify its political identity by reaching out to the Catholics, traditionally Congress vote bank. It gave tickets to six Catholics and they delivered. The State, riddled by defections and toppling of governments, can look forward to political stability as the Congress’ rout has ensured that margins aren’t wafer thin as in 2007 polls. The record breaking 81 per cent polling shall thankfully pay back dividends to the voters.

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Haryana Under Siege

Haryana is under siege. The Jats demanding inclusion in the OBC category and government jobs have intensified their two-week long agitation wherein several parts of the State are reeling under tension. On Tuesday last, the stir turned ugly both on the streets and in the State Assembly. The Bhupinder Singh Hooda Congress government had to call in the Army in Hisar district as protestors turned violent following the death of a youth in police firing, even as hundreds of Jats squatted on rail tracks in Fatehbad district and protestors set the official car of District and Sessions judge on fire in Jind district. While prohibitory orders are imposed in affected areas, the government hopes its ‘dialogue’ with the agitators may bring some semblance of order. However, the situation has been sullied with the Opposition INLD and BJP seeking to get political mileage of the situation. The fear is that it may get vociferous after the Speaker suspended its leaders for disrupting Assembly proceedings. Congress worries don’t seem to be ending soon.  

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Karnataka Ex-CM’s Revival?

Karnataka’s former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has good reason to claim the coveted chair back. On Wednesday last, the High Court came to his aid in the illegal mining scandal by stating “he was condemned unheard.” It scrapped the portion of the Lokayukta report which indicted him for illegal mining and also quashed the sanction of Governor H R Bhardwaj for his prosecution. The Court said the Lokayukta had gone beyond its brief in probing deals involving Yeddyuruppa and that the BJP leader was denied an opportunity to give his version before the indictment. Recall that Yeddyuruppa was forced to resign on July 31 last by the BJP high command following the Lokayukta’s report recommended his prosecution under the Prevention and Corruption Act. While a relieved Yeddyuruppa has “got justice from the court”, he is now awaiting the same from his party. Having got a clean chit from the court that it had no material to establish he had showered official favour on his family, Yeddyuruppa is pinning hope that his ‘political family’ gracefully accepts the verdict and reinstalls him. Will the BJP use the clean chit to its advantage and if so when? ---INFA

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