Victory of the Congress

Nameirakpam Surjitkumar *

The people of India voted for continuity and stability in the 15th Lok Sabha Election 2009 giving the Congress-led United Progress Alliance another five year term.

The victory of the Congress was actually because of specific successes in the different states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal.

In the case of Manipur, among other factors, the winning of Dr. Thokchom Meinya and Thangso Baite in the election shows that people of Manipur have faith in the Congress both at the centre and the state. The Congress could win both the Parliamentary seats of the State largely because of party's promises and programmes which put forward to the people of Manipur.

The sitting Congress MP, Dr. Meinya now could accomplish the unfinished tasks of development agenda which was there in the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. He could fulfil the long cherished hopes and aspirations of the people of Manipur by raising his voice in the Parliament.

He could also consult the government at the centre and state for the development of Manipur in the fields of education, tourism, science and technology particularly information technology, etc.

In a democratic country like India, everyone has the right to freedom of speech and expression. The people of Manipur should express their wishes and needs to the elected MPs which are related with the development of the state.

We should remember that democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. It implies that ultimate authority of the government is vested in the common people.

In this context, both the elected MPs are our representatives who are elected by the people of Manipur. They should be responsible to the people and people should also be responsible to them.

Further, we may see that the victory of the Congress in Manipur is also a kind of reflection of the people's desire for peace, unity and integrity in the state. If we look at the centre, the charismatic leaderships of Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi are the main factors for the success of the Congress in this election.

The Congress has appeared more responsible and accountable, more future oriented and pro-people than the other political parties. The result of the Lok Sabha election 2009 has also opened up a new era for the Congress in the contemporary Indian Politics.

The UPA government must use the second term to improve the good governance and respond successfully to the big challenges. Among the challenges of UPA's foreign policy, India's policy towards neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar, India's US policy, and the issue of terrorism are important.

Finally, when it comes to the question of the 2009 Lok Sabha election verdict, we can remember the concept of "politics" by Hans J. Morgenthau, an International Relations theorist. He defines "politics is a struggle for power" in his classic work, Politics among Nations. * This article was also published on May 23, 2009 edition of the Sangai Express.