Ripping the Opposition apart : Ringing the election bell
- Sangai Express Editorial :: June 10, 2013 -
Ringing the election bell.
This is the unmistakable sound that has been emanating from the series of political workers' conference of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee. The strategy of the Congress is easy enough to read.
Leave the job of tearing apart the Opposition parties to the president of the MPCC (I) Mr Gaikhangam and let the Chief Minister talk of the policies and programmes of the Congress Governments, at Delhi and Imphal.
Perhaps nothing illustrates this better than the announcement by the Chief Minister that the Centre has given its approval to sanction Rs 300 crore for the economic development of the minority Muslim community under a new Prime Minister's package and the stinging offensive launched by the MPCC (I) chief Gaikhangam against the Opposition parties for trying to sup with the Naga Peoples' Front, all on the same day, albeit at different venues on June 8.
At the core of the strategy adopted by the Congress is the fundamental principle, 'Strike while the iron is hot.'
With the State Congress obviously on a roll, helped in no small measure by an Opposition, which seems to be in complete disarray and with Parliamentary election scheduled anytime next year, perhaps this is the most opportune moment for the Congress party to tear apart the credibility of the Opposition parties while at the same time trumpeting the programmes and policies of the Congress Government.
This is exactly what Mr Gaikhangam sought to do or did, when he questioned the credibility of the Opposition parties for trying to sup with the Naga Peoples' Front, whose agenda of bringing all Naga inhabited areas under one administrative unit is well known.
It is early days yet and while gazing at the crystal ball may not exactly be what political pundits would prescribe, an assessment of where the Opposition parties stand vis-a-vis the Congress in the State may not be out of place.
It would be wrong to say that the Opposition parties have been keeping quiet. They have been making noises but whether they are making the right noises or not is something for the voters to decide when the time comes. Corruption, misgovernance and failures on all fronts have been the ammunition of the Opposition parties against the Congress party.
Fielding common candidates of all the Opposition parties against the ruling Congress in the coming Parliamentary election seems to be the best strategy which they are trying to sell to the voters and the public.
Keeping aside ideological differences and coming together to defeat the ruling party seems to be the mantra here. How well this will go down with the public remains to be seen, but it is significant to note that far from serving their interest, the Congress has taken this as the right opportunity to tear them apart on this point.
Mr Gaikhangam's taunt that the coming together of the Opposition parties is an indication that none of them can stand on their own will find takers, for sure. Again picking the NPF angle and bringing the territorial integrity of Manipur issue to the centre stage may be seen as delivering an effective punch on the Opposition parties.
This is the Congress picking holes in the grand scheme of the Opposition parties to come together and take the fight unitedly against the party in power, but there are still some other points that need serious deliberations.
That the MSCP issued a clarification the day the Opposition parties announced the 'common candidates' decision is significant.
Moreover, no political analysts would seriously believe that it would be feasible for the BJP and the Left to strike a pre-poll pact, though the situation here may be different.
Moreover it is also important to note that the Opposition parties just do not seem to have a party or a personality which/who can be projected as their flag bearer.
Herein lies the biggest shortfall of the Opposition parties.
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