Events & Issues

New Delhi, 2 April 2012

Regional Parties

‘GOOD GOVERNANCE’ ON AGENDA?

By Dhurjati Mukherjee

The ever-growing power of regional parties, as witnessed in Uttar Pradesh polls, has raised many questions. While it is clear that these parties will now be calling the shots in the coming years, the role of national parties is gradually going to dwindle. The recent observation of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief that the growing clout of regional parties was a matter of concern remains to be seen in the coming years though the statement may have been made in desperation at BJP’s shrinking space.

In UP, it is generally believed that the father-son duo of Mulayam-Akhilesh won the elections for the party. This was also the case last year in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal where J. Jayalalithaa and Mamata Banerjee respectively swept the polls. The charisma of these leaders cannot be doubted but it needs to be pointed out that the Indian masses possibly are very much keen on a leader who could steer the party and the government for better regional development.

A look at the broad political geography emerging in the country merits attention. While it is a coalition Government at the Centre, the Congress at present rules on its own strength in only four States: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh. Likewise, the BJP on its own is no better as it is only in Madhya Pradesh and Goa that it commands an absolute majority. Everywhere else both the parties hibernate in the opposition or one of the two join hands with some regional party to form the government, often as a junior partner.

Among the national parties, whether the Congress or the BJP, leadership remains a problem and the concept of joint leadership exist. Also there are dissensions within the parties on various issues which are quite common in democratic parties. In both these parties, various leaders air their views in public which may sometimes be against the decision of the high command. But this is quite healthy as decision needs to be taken after considering the views of different leaders.

This is not the case with most of the regional parties, where the role of the leader is the ultimate and nothing can be said against him/her. Take the case of Mamata Banerjee who has unceremoniously forced the exit of a qualified and efficient leader like Dinesh Trivedi from the Railway Ministry. Apparently, Trivedi fell out with his leader because of his growing personal stature as also the fact that he was not ready to carry out her dictates in all maters and the railway fares was just one issue. Mamata chose the populist stance of showing how close she was with the masses without bothering to care about how to fund the railway expansion plans and its safety requirements.

The changed political scenario in the country has stirred up discussions about a non-Congress, non-BJP front, a kind of loose canon or ‘fourth front’ that may emerge before the Lok Sabha elections. The natural members of such a front would be regional parties such as the SP, Trinamool Congress, AIADMK, Akali Dal, Biju Janata Dal and Telegu Desam supported by the Janata Dal. And Sharad’s Pawar’s NCP may also be too happy to jump in when the pastures are greener.

All these regional parties will obviously not like a stronger federal structure but more powers and, of course, more financial resources from the central kitty. They will not tolerate the Centre’s dadagiri (bullying tactics) towards States. If and when they come to power and whether their demands of economic decentralization would be beneficial for the country remains to be seen.

But a problem with these regional parties is that they are mostly controlled by one person (or one family) and there is hardly any democratic decision making within the party apparatus. While one cannot totally dismiss the capability of leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav, Naveen Patnaik or Nitish Kumar, the one-man show – except perhaps in the JD – is against the Indian tradition of democratic functioning.

In recent times, the dwindling of the power and clout of Central parties have become manifest. The sorry plight of the Congress has been because of its ineffective and listless governance and failure to curb wanton corruption. On the other hand, BJP is a divided house with prominent leaders squabbling over supremacy in the party.

Apart from this, while the plans and programmes of the Congress have not been able to reach and benefit the poor and economically weaker sections, the BJP has still been unable to shed its ‘communal’ tag. Moreover the obsession with Rahul Gandhi (and his sister and brother-in-law) all of whom failed miserably in the UP elections, will pose further problems for the party. Manmohan Singh’s integrity has not yielded results because he has not been able to provide leadership for efficiency in government functioning.

Similarly in BJP, after L K Advani, there are too many leaders but none of them are unanimously acceptable to the party members. Also the fiasco and disunity in Karnataka has created problems for the party, specially the power-hungry and corruption-tainted deposed Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

However, both these parties function on the basis of some sort of democracy which is lacking in the regional outfits. Political analysts are of the opinion that the performance of the regional parties would be better because not only would they concentrate on development of respective regions with an iron hand but would not hesitate to take prompt action if plans are not implemented within the targeted time frame. Moreover, the regional interests and needs would be better looked after.

The apprehension of hooligansism being perpetuated by the regional parties may not become a reality though some of these parties may make enough money and the possibility decreasing may not actually happen. As is well known, these parties and some of their leaders may become inordinately rich after being in power. Only possibly Nitish Kumar and, to some extent, Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik are the exceptions.

With education and information technology spreading rapidly in cities, the youth today are well informed and very much concerned about their future. They are no longer willing to be fooled by talk of religious identity, bogies of communal, casteist or social repression. Moreover, the widening gap between sections leading to social and economic exploitation has made them disrespectful of the Indian political system and the political class.

The changing political scenario does not instill either optimism or pessimism but the Indian educated electorate is quite concerned about the deterioration in the polity while the masses feel that the system will not help them in any manner. To make the system effective, what one would call ‘good governance’ or to make development ‘inclusive’, basic changes are necessary at this juncture. Whether the regional parties would combine together to bring about these changes remain to be seen. Social activists such as Anna Hazare have limited appeal and reach to galvanize the masses towards this much needed change. ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)