State BJP finding succour from Delhi : Priming to take on Cong
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: February 03, 2015 -

TINA is now a dinosaur. It is dead.

This was true when applied to the Congress all over the country but it is definitely not so when Manipur comes into the picture.

For the political novice or those who have not yet sunk their teeth into the political terms and analogies in the country, TINA stands for There Is No Alternative.

A term that was once associated with the Congress and with good reasons, for no political party was thought well placed to last a full term in office.

A thought which gained currency after the shambolic performance of the then Janata Party Government which came to power after the Emergency sometime in 1977.

This was again reinforced when political leaders had to toy around with new combinations or partnerships, such as when India saw Governments in quick succession headed by VP Singh, Chandrashekhar, Deve Gowda, IK Gujral and Atal Behari Vajpayee for a couple of days.

All this however changed in innings number II of Vajpayee when the BJP led NDA Government managed to complete a full term in office and Vajpayee became the second man outside the Nehru family, after PV Narasimha Rao (of the Congress), to hold office without any interruption.

Things however have been a little different in Manipur, little different, but with profound impact.

With the Manipur Peoples’ Party managing to disappear from the political consciousness of the people after a stint in power, it was left to a breakaway faction of the Congress, the Manipur State Congress Party or MSCP to occupy centre stage for some time.

The MSCP managed to complete a full term in office but it quickly faded into oblivion, thanks to the inner tussle for power and pelf and it did not take long for the Congress to come roaring back to power.

Now in its third consecutive term in office, the Congress is definitely enjoying its honeymoon with power.

The result of the 2012 Assembly election managed to shut up all doubting Thomases and in the process Chief Minister O Ibobi scripted history by becoming the longest serving Chief Minister in the history of the land.

Even now the Congress is going strong, best exemplified by the victory its candidate managed in the by election to Hiyanglam Assembly Constituency in the latter part of 2014.

However it is not for nothing it is widely said, ‘When it rains in Delhi, umbrellas are brought out here’ and it is this which seems to have given strength and vigour to the State unit of the BJP.

After the BJP stormed back to power at Delhi under Narendra Modi and swept the polls at Maharastra and Haryana, the State unit of the BJP too has been making all the noises to embarrass the State Government.

With not a single MLA in the 60 member Assembly, the State BJP has nonetheless been sending out the message that it is the only political party which can take the fight to the Congress in the next Assembly election in 2017.

Still too early to say which way the wind will blow, but it is definitely interesting to see fresh energy being injected into the State BJP and it is not without reason why the party has been going full throttle with its membership drive here.

Membership strength may not necessarily translate into electoral victory, but it is significant to note the fresh energy in the State BJP and Okram Ibobi and his men must be aware of this.