Political Diary

New Delhi, 1 March 2014

Kal Ho Naa Ho Syndrome

NETAS RECKLESS OPPORTUNISM

By Poonam I Kaushish

Today’s political Delhi reminds one of a delightful anecdote. During his talk with President Chiari on Panama Canal, John F Kennedy said to an aide: “I am not doing very well in these negotiations.” “Why”, asked the aide. Replied Kennedy: “He (Chiari) says we have been screwing them all these years and I agree.”

Precisely what our politicians are indulging in today --- every Party and its leaders are not only busy screwing each other but, worse pouching on their rival’s mate. Promiscuity is a word that does not seem to exist in the political lexicon. And how can it? Imagine the stakes: India’s Raj gaddi.

The ensuing days are bound to unfold the spiciest political liaisons full of intrigue, double-talk, back-stabbing etc. Behind the placid exterior, there is deep churning at furtive breakfasts, coffee, lunches, tea and dinners wherein politicians of various hues merrily feast and being feasted. All playing a silly little game called Secular Defector, Communal Supporter, saying silly little things to score silly little points.

At the moment, the issue is not who will form the next Government but how many allies can the Congress-led UPA hang on to and which Parties will the BJP-led NDA wean away. All employing individual meanness for public good and showcasing opportunism at its crassest best. Sic.

The first of the mark is LJP Chief Ram Vilas Paswan. The 67-year-old serial pole vault champion arched his way in to the BJP-led NDA after 12 long years thereby becoming the Saffron’s Sangh’s first new ally ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Struck by amnesia he conveniently forgot that he had dubbed the Party “communal” post the 2002 Godhra riots and quit as Minister in Vajpayee’s Government.

Nicknamed chameleon by rivals, Paswan who made his political debut in 1977 during the anti-emergency movement and has been through all the factions of Janata Parivar ---- Janata Party, Lok Dal, Janata Dal and now his own LJP is credited with developing an expertise is sniffing power and grabbing opportunity, notwithstanding this took a severe beating when he along-with Bihari compatriot RJD’s Lalu Yadav walked out of UPAI in to political wilderness on the eve of 2009 polls for five long years.

Never mind the new-found BJP-LJP love-bites were preceded by a week-long high drama which saw Sonia desperately trying to stop Paswan from turning traitor after a 10-year old Congress-RJD partnership. The pretext Paswan doled out is indeed laughable: The Congress offered five while the BJP allotted 7 of the 40 MP seats in Bihar.

Undeniably, for both the NDA and UPA the 6% Paswans vote-share are crucial as they along-with the Muslims could tilt the scales in the three-way contest between the BJP-LJP, RJD-Congress and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U). That politics is a heartless mistress is apparent as Paswan back-stabbed compatriot Lalu who nominated him to the Rajya Sabha out of the RJD quota in 2010.

A partner a day almost seems like the BJP's aim. After netting LJP’s Paswan, the Saffron Brigade is on the verge of striking a deal with Assam’s Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), its first ally in the North-East, despite its State unit up in arms stating the regional outfit was a spent force. According to insiders a tie-up with the AGP would benefit the BJP hugely as they could concentrate the anti-Congress votes as in 2009 polls, when the Party won four seats (highest) of the State’s 14 Lok Sabha seats.

Specially against the backdrop that when both Parties fought the 2011 Assembly polls separately the results were disastrous for both. While BJP managed to win 5 seats, AGP got 9. In the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, sans alliance, the Saffronites won only two seats and AGP none.

If LJP’s Paswan could ditch buddies Lalu Yadav and Congress and tango with BJP, nothing stops Southern DMK supremo Karunanidhi from crooning to BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Dropping a bombshell in an interview to a Tamil newspaper, the 90-year old patriarch described NaMo as a “hard worker and a good friend”, falling short of commenting on a likely tie up with the Saffron Sangh post election.

Playing deaf when queried about his vociferous averment of not aligning  with communal forces, read BJP, at a recent Party State Conference, Karunanidhi hedged his bets asserting one could not speculate and tell what would be the situation after the Lok Sabha polls, even as he ruled out an alliance both with former ally Congress and BJP.

Alongside, Modi on his part has left no stone unturned to attack the DMK over the 2G Spectrum scam in which Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi and former Telecom Minister Raja stand accused. All eyes are on whether like Paswan, DMK too will go back to its original moorings, BJP-led NDA. 

Recall, the DMK parted company with the Saffron brigade in 2004 for the Congress-led greener pastures to be part of the two UPA Governments. What happens now to Modi’s anti-corruption plank of Congress’ Republic of scams?

On its part, the BJP too is no less opportunistic and is willing to jump into bed with the ‘secular’ enemy. In its quest for another shot at power it has buried the hatchet and bought peace with erstwhile “corrupt” compatriot Karnataka’s Yedurappa, never mind if it cocked a snook at NaMo’s much tom-tommed anti-corruption crusade.

The Party is also testing the waters with Trinimool’s Mamata, notwithstanding Anna Hazare’s pluming for her as Prime Minister. The Saffron Sangh’s ‘Suitable Boy’ Narinder Modi has sent feelers to NCP’s Sharad Pawar who continues to blow hot and cold.

As for the Congress it seems to be gripped by the Kal Ho Naa Ho syndrome. If its wipe-out in the recent Assembly polls was not bad enough it now has to contend with allies deserting its sinking UPA ship. Today it is busy licking its wounds with a put-on brave face, swallowing its pride humming Lead Kindly Light as Sonia-Rahul serenade all Parties to continue sharing the secular warmth and overcome the cold chill of BJP’s communalism.

The less said the better for the 11 regional satraps who have bandied together. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK, her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), Orissa’s Naveen Patnaik BJD and UP’s Mulayam Singh Samajwadi along-with the Left brigade: CPM, CPI, RSP, Forward Bloc, Asom Gana Parishad, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and Gowda’s JD(S).Together, totalling 92 MPs in the 543 Lok Sabha. All wily nily swearing to play Gulli Danda with everybody called secular and gung-ho about taking on the two national Parties.

True, in a milieu wherein politics is the art of compromise with the ‘communal’ friends and ‘secular’ enemies all rolled in to one, hangs a question:  What does it all add up to? Lust for power and more power. What does it tell us about our polity? A toss between a rogue and a rascal. With all Parties exposing the hollowness of their political commitment to satiate their narrow selfish ends for power, one wonders which way India’s democracy is heading! ----- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)