Friday, November 19, 2010

COALITION CONSTRAINTS - TODAY'S REALITY IN INDIA

Arun Jaitely, BJP leader and leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha made an interesting observation while the core-committee meeting of that party was underway in NewDelhi. The meeting was attended by NDA Working Chairman Lal Krishna Advani, President Nitin Gadkari, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, former BJP President Venkaiah Naidu and former Minister for Human Resources Development Mr.Murli Manohar Joshi.
While launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Dr.ManMohan Singh, Mr.Jaitely cast aspersions on Dr.Singh for being a prisoner of coalition politics. The context was even after repeated demands by the entire opposition to agree for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting an 'obstinate' PM was not kind enough to succumb to the demands instead Dr.Singh was displaying objection to it. And that was one of the reasons for terming Dr.Singh a prisoner of coalition politics.
What Arun Jaitely told was true, cent percent true, but the point is he has no locus standi to vehemently launch an attack on Dr.Singh's stubborn attitude.
Arun Jaitely's leader and former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee besides Deputy PM and the then Home Minister, to be precise, the entire BJP were submissive to the constraints of coalition politics throughout their six year tenure. But for the arm twisting, constant pressure and threatening of secular parties in the coalition- the National Democratic Alliance consisting of around twenty parties BJP would have went on with materialising its cherished dreams of constructing a Ram Temple at the disputed site of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The threat of the allies worked and BJP had to put its promises of building a Ram Temple on hold.
An alliance, be it under Congress or BJP, should have to work under constraints while out of power blaming the other party which is at the helm of affairs is absurd and meaningless. To work without constraints the ruling party whichever it might be should have the required numbers of its own to rule the country and chart out its own policies and programmes.
Arun Jaitely, a great legal expert and an orator has a rare knack to drive his point home but not always unless conscious of the predicament in which the party has found itself in. Why couldn't Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat go to Bihar for the election campaign for his alliance - the NDA - on behalf of BJP which is a partner of Nitish Kumar Government, leader of Janata Dal(United) who is always against Mr.Modi and the latter remains unwelcome throughout?
Dr. ManMohan Singh's UPA - 2 Govt of late has begun to taste the bitter fruits of coalition politics. Needless to blame a coalition politics, since across India majority of states are being run by coalitions. But when the spectre of corruption and other scandals start to seep into the coalitions especially ministries 'the scenario undergoes changes with the media-and the opposition always remaining vigilant to jump upon each scam or scandal. As the pressure gets mounting as the corruption charges and scandals come tumbling out of the cup-boards with documentary evidences followed by mudslinging with one trying to pass the buck facing the heat, and also with the highest court of land, Supreme Court also taking up the issues on Public Interest Litigations (PIL) mounting up or suo moto taking actions, the situation turns grave, putting the Govt on a tight spot.
For the last several months, India was witnessing scandals and scams one after another, a mounatin of them, and still the shows go on. Former minister of state for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor was the fiirst one to go, but his ouster was not in anyway connected with corruption. It was some other issue and that was a relief.
Even while Mr.Tharoor was very much there in the Govt, corruption scandal against some other gentle men were very much there not all of them ministers in the Union Cabinet A Raja who is charged with embezzlement to the tune of Rs.1.76 Lakh crore rupees-only peanuts-the largest one which Independent India witnessed up till now in the 2G Spectrum allocation issue was very much under scanner, he went on enjoying the status of Minister for Telecom Affairs and Information Technology justifying the allocation with the argument that whatever he did was in accordance with the law and also with the knowledge of Prime Minister Dr.Singh. Repeated demands for enquiries and his dismissal by the entire opposition, very much that heartening that occasionally irrespective of ideologies, these parties display a united face went unheard their voices reaching the wilderness. But the opposition persisted with their demands with more and more evidences they gathered, but no, silence was the answer. In the meanwhile Janata Party leader Dr. Subramanian Swamy wrote a letter to PM on issue and according to him it took about one year to get a response. Dr.Swamy besides being a whistle- blower is always a nightmare to tainted politicians. One who was very much wanted by Indira Gandhi to imprison him during emergency while remaining at large, one day made a magical appearance in Rajya Sabha and made his presence felt and within seconds reportedly vanished into thin air, eluding arrest.
The Supreme Court upon getting seized of the matter enquired whether A.Raja still was continuing in the Ministry. It was something shocking to the court.
While A.Raja was very much enjoying the sweet fruits of power even while with opposition throwing tantrums both inside and outside Parliament two other gentlemen were also following his path.
The infamous goings on while the preparations for Common Wealth Games 2010-under Olympics committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi rocked the whole nation and abroad resulting in the lossof Rs.70,000/- Crore to the exchequer and the Govt dilly-dallying on taking action against him and his accomplices and his subsequent ouster from the post of Congress Parliamentary Party Secretary are still very much alive in our mind. Together with him went Ashok Chavan who was allegedly involved in the Adarsh Housing Scheme Scam-thus enabling the opposition something to marvel upon after relentless fights.
All the afore-mentioned allegations were very much in the air seeking on the spot action, Govt vacillated for too long a aperiod the reasons not at all baffling or puzzling.
Now that A.Raja too gone out, finding no let-up, Supreme Court has taken the captain himself to task. Dr.Singh was ordered to file an affidavit related to A.Raja affair yesterday and demands for his resignation from Prime Minister's post arising from certain quarters. The Govt too is seized of the grave situation with resignation one after another who awaits next in the queue is anybody's guess.
I started with Mr.Arun Jaitely's attacks on our Prime Minister ManMohan Singh for being a prisoner of coalition politics he ought to have recalled his government's constraints in the coalition politics from 1998 to 2004 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

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