Exploring the non-NDA coalition : Not throwing in the towel but...
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 28 , 2014 -

Not exactly throwing in the towel but in exploring the option of joining a non-NDA coalition Government, the Congress has clearly sent out the message that it is not so sure of stopping the Modi juggernaut that is sweeping across some parts of the country.

We say some parts of the country for as things stand today, the Modi magic may not have much of an impact in the North East, which gets to send 24 MPs to the Lok Sabha and Sikkim which has one MP.

In West Bengal too, it would be difficult for the Modi wave to break through and breach the stronghold of the Trinamool Congress and the Left parties and remember West Bengal gets to send 42 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

In the south too, much will depend on how the modalities of the pre-poll alliances are worked out, especially with the ‘demanding’ Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam and of course with Amma of AIADMK.

Then there is the Nitish Kumar factor in Bihar, the Left parties and their allies etc.

With the days of one party rule now passe’ much will depend on how the two principal parties, that is the Congress and the BJP manage to strike a chord with the regional satraps such as Mamta Banerjee in West Bengal, Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu, Nitish Kumar in Bihar.

In as much as the BJP seems poised to do much better in Uttar Pradesh than earlier, it would be foolish to write off the prospects of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati.

In Odisha they have an able ally in Naveen Patnaik. All these factors taken together will have an impact on the outcome of the election and therefore Government formation.

No doubt, the BJP has been successful to a large extent in projecting Modi as the man of the moment, the man who can steer the country out of the economic downslide and put India on the track of development, but it would be premature to say or even think that the BJP will be in a position to form the Government on its own.

In Maharastra, though it has tied up with the Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray, the presence of Sharad Pawar and the NCP cannot be taken that lightly.

The Congress seems to have fallen back on the compulsion of coalition Government, even going to the extent of stating that if they do not reach a certain mark, they would be willing to extend support to any other party.

A scenario which cannot be written off that easily. Though it was the BJP which first mastered the art of tying up with regional allies, today the Congress is not lagging behind.

Remember, the Left and the Trinamool were part of the UPA Government, before they snapped ties with the Congress over policy matters.

Other than the DAN in Nagaland, how about the other regional political parties in the North East.

Will the AIUDF go with the BJP or the Congress when the moment of reckoning comes ?

These are speculative questions, no doubt about it, but the very fact that the Congress has gone on record and stated that it would be ready to join a non-NDA coalition Government is a reflection of the political reality of the day, where each seat counts.

This is not to say that the Congress has conceded defeat, but in more ways than one, the new development may seen as the oldest political party coming around to the idea that it is more unlikely to command the number and lead UPA III in the Government.

The Modi wave certainly has come to roost and the Congress seems to be failing to match up to the ideas that the BJP under Modi has been selling to the people.

The final word is yet to be said, but the writings on the wall are beginning to get more and more clear.

Come May 16 and things will fall in place, but the things to come may be deciphered to a certain extent.