NDA ALLIANCE ABOUT TO FACE ANOTHER ROUND OF BY-ELECTIONS SHORTLY

The euphoria has been subsided. Now it is time to face realties.The National Defence Alliance (NDA), especially Bharathiya Janata Party, is busy analyzing the causes of why and how it emerged second in the recent by-elections held in different States. Be it a Communist party or Indian National Congress it is good to have a soul-searching and self-criticism. Then only another repeat performance can be avoided.

Amit Shah, though a self-proclaimed Chanakya of BJP (Bharathiya Janata Party) could lure the majority community of UP thereby securing 71 seats  out of 80 parliament seats in the general elections 2014 which need not be construed that the party’s future is bright and praise-worthy. Complacency need not last for a long time and for the party to grow in the long run the party and its allies will have to ensure that the common man (Aam Admi) and those who are at bottom of the ladder irrespective of caste, creed and religion and by bringing them under one umbrella, though a tedious task, should have to ensure that only through mobilization of the electorate, the party could achieve what all it sets its eyes on.

The proof of BJP’s influence is gradually declining in the by-elections held last month.

Now that another round of by-elections are about to be conducted to certain State assemblies, the party is holding its breath. It’s a kind of litmus test for BJP and allies. If it is supposed to lose its influence among the electorate once again conceding defeat and is giving credit to the opposition parties especially Indian National Congress, the less said the better.

True. Only hundred days in office is a short time and five years are left to achieve its aims, it is no time for complacency. In the 2004 general elections when the ‘India Shining’ slogan was at its peak, people unseated the National Defence Alliance led by BJP. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee bowed out of office and NDA had to wait for another ten years. Lal Krishna Advani, the then Deputy Prime Minister soon after made it clear that it was the complacency of BJP and its allies which led to the defeat of the NDA alliance and his analysis must be a lesson for the alliance at least in future.

While Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was donning the mantle of Chief Minister of West Bengal, he too had to bow out after elections due to complacency. Without holding talks, without getting the assent of the farmers and share-croppers, without holding talks with opposition parties he unilaterally decided to invite TATA and promised land and other facilities to start a car factory which was named NANO at Singur. A multinational firm, Salim group of Indonesia was also given a green signal to open its shop at Nandigram. The famers and share-croppers had to be evacuated forcibly to facilitate TATA and Salim group to construct a factory there. Much blood spilt down the streets of Bengal by adopting a heavy hand thereby killing many, thus ensuring that the farmers and share-croppers were evacuated. Mr.Buddhadeb Bhattacharya defied the protests of all including farmers and share-croppers which was not to the liking of Trinamool Congress under Mamata Banerji who stood firm with the struggling farmers who were once staunch supporters of the Left Front. The victims had to suffer beyond description which she capitalized on. She was supported in her mission by the writers, intellectuals, artists, film-makers and social activists who held protests and demonstrations along the streets of West Bengal. Consequently in the elections which was on the anvil trounced Mr.Bhattacharya at the hustings clearing way for Mamata Banerji to occupy her chair at the Writers Building. Thus came to an end 34 years of LDF  rule.

Now come back to NDA alliance. Another round of by-elections, almost 33 of them representing various Assemblies and two parliament election across different States are to be held soon.  The results are a pointer to the shape of things to come.

Two States Maharashtra and Haryana are going to Assembly elections shortly. It is heard that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided  to take the plunge and campaign in these two States showcasing Gujarat’s development trajectory. 

Two fronts, NCP-Congress alliance and Shiv Sena-BJP alliance are scheduled to fight it out in Maharashtra. And in Haryana, BJP-INLD alliance is scheduled to take on Congress. Whether in Maharashtra, the NCP-Congress has been ruling for 15 years at a stretch and in Haryana Congress in alliance with splinter parties have been in the saddle for ten years have to be ousted from office remains a moot question.

Whether a drastic change is about to take place is the million dollar question now. Anyhow, BJP and its allies will have to  sweat it out overcoming all roadblocks in its way.