The writing on the wall is clear for Left

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

Remember the song ‘Winds of change’ by the German band Scorpions. It had become the popular anthem for German reunification in the early 1990s. It may not be too far away that composers in Bengal might be geared up to produce such a song. Although no reunification is in store for state, a political change definitely seems to be on the cards. The Left Fort is showing sings of cracks which are beyond repairs and the state could soon be painted green after the Assembly polls in 2011. It is no longer ‘Ma, Mati, Manush’ for the Trinamool Congress but ‘Ma, Mati, Manush and Mamata’ for the state.

Bengal finally seems to have had too much of Left for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the last three decades and wants a change in menu. Idealism never seems to feed the Bengali stomach and they want growth and the anti-Left lobby finally seems to seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Left ruled with an iron fist and shattered the hopes of everyone who thought they could be defeated. Years of power made it corrupt and years of defeat made the opposition loose confidence. BJP never existed in Bengal, the Congress surrendered but it was the grit of one lady whom many term insane believed in the impossible.

There was always an anti-Left vote in Bengal but it was never confident and never organised. These people boycotted polls at an individual level as they election results in Bengal were not worth betting. All it needed was a trigger for these people to come together under one banner and take on the Left. Nandigram and Singur proved to be catalyst and the results are here for everyone to see. It now seems Left had crumbled from inside long ago but the absence of a strong opposition gave it the power to rule the state over and over again.

Some staunch Left supporters dismissed their defeat in the 2008 Panchayat elections saying it was village issues which cost them power. It 2009 Lok Sabha polls they blamed the national wave for UPA as the reason for their defeat. In 2010 they say people voted for candidates in the civic body rather than the parties they represented. What would they say for 2011 elections? What other issues will people vote for? The writing on the wall is clear for the Left, only the leaders and their staunch supporters need to sense it. It is quite another thing to close the eyes and feel the world outside is dark.

Left supporters blame Mamata, calling her insane and blaming her for what happened in Singur. True this was one of the episodes which TMC should be apologetic about but this brand of politics of bandhs, gheraos and bringing industries to a halt had been mastered by the left for ages. In Singur, Mamata seemed more like the Left than the Left themselves. It is no point having a prejudice against Mamata even before voting her to power. If she fails to perform as a Chief Minister, people will have the opportunity to fall upon the Left again but somewhere a single party rule has to end.

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Mother of all civic elections in Bengal!

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

Nowhere in the country perhaps has a civic election aroused so much interest as it is happening with the case of West Bengal this time. As many as 81 civic bodies across the state are going to the polls today to decide the next course of politics in the State. Never has New Delhi looked so interest in any civic elections in the country in the recent years and never has any civic election made so much buzz in the Parliament. It is the Left Front’s biggest litmus test as it takes on the Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress and the Congress although the two main opposition parties have decided not to sail on the same boat.

An outsider might wonder what is so much to do with a civic election which is being termed as a virtual semi-final of the assembly polls stated for 2011. True, by normal conviction but the fact is never have elections been as interesting in Bengal. The result was always known for the past three decades where the Left front would emerge victorious. The only thing probably to bet on was whether they would get a two-third majority or do a clean sweep. To put in to perspective, Bengal elections had very little TRP value and the political pundits always go their predictions correct or probably there was no need to predict.

It all changed in May 2009 when the TMC-Congress combine sent a shocker to the Left winning more seats in the Lok Sabha polls. Bengal suddenly seemed to have opposed to having a Left Hand Drive in their cars. The Red Fort showed signs of decay and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee seemed to symbolise Mikhail Gorbachobe of India. The invinsibles had been defeated and the inevitable achieved. Mamata Banerjee who was just another politician in Bengal suddenly became the crusader of the Left in India. Since then even a small university election in Bengal has aroused interest.

In the run up to the civic polls Mamata Banerjee played a smart card with her alliance partners Congress forcing them to fall for her bargain or quit the alliance. The grand old party of India decided to opt for the latter option. This gives Mamata a chance to test her own strength before the Assembly elections. If she emerges victorious the Congress will have no options but to listen to her dicktats in the Assembly polls, In case she fails she will kiss and make up with the Congress. As for the Congress it still hasn’t completely closed doors on the Left in the background and might have the last laugh over Mamata.

The Left front on its part is trying hard to keep it’s fort intact and this election has become a pride issue for them. They are trying too hard and the desperation showed when Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee even appealed to the BJP voter to side with the Left. The supporters of the ‘untouchable party’ don’t seem to be untouchables for the Left anymore if it gives them control over the civic bodies. The great party of idealism has very little to showcase in terms of work done. It is to be seen if idealism can by them vote this time to because from a neutral point of view they have done little work to be voted back to power.

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Thackrey's Marathi Manoos card is irrelevant

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

Indian democracy and its political is regularly known to touch lows. And perhaps the most recent example when Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said that the 'Marathi Manoos' had betrayed him. The 83 year old Godfather of Maharashtra Politics who had establish his party for the cause of the sons of soil said that he won't ever trust the Marathi manoos. To sum up his anger on the Marathis he said “The Marathi manoos has ditched me.”

It is perhaps only in Indian democracy that a leader can make such a statement after loosing an election. Does he have any respect for people's mandate. Do the words 'democracy' and 'elections' mean anything to him. On what grounds does he accuse the Marathis of betraying his cause (what ever the cause he may understand). Does Marathi nationalism (he would like to read regionalism) have to start and end with Shiv Sena.

What right does Mr. Bal Thackrey have to blame the people of Maharashtra when he was unable to set his house in order. What forced him to become bias and chooses a inefficient son over a more efficient nephew as his political heir? Isn't he answerable to the people of Maharashtra on this? Mr. Thackeray should realises that there has been a sea change in the society over the years and his regionalism card is no longer an ace of spades.

There has been a pattern in the election starting with the Lok Sabha polls and across the country people are preferring to back the national level parties and do away with regionalisms. The violent Marathi manoos campaign patronised by Shiv Sena and later the MNS has cost many individuals their lives. A mandate against such breed of politics is a welcome change in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena's biggest defeat has been that it was unable to polarise people this time around.

One more factor which has been a disguise setback for the Shiv Sena has been that its coalition partner BJP has won more seats in the assembly for the first time. This means that BJP will play a larger role when it comes to heading the opposition in the house. Perhaps another signal that people prefer a national party more than a regional in Maharashtra. Mr. Thackeray should see the signs written on the walls all over Maharashtra rather than taking a dig at the Marathi people.

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Is this the end for BJP?

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

The Congress's clean sweep in the assembly elections in three states - Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh has come as one more blow to the already demoralised BJP. The party has been reeling under a severe crisis since the Lok Sabha defeat and seems to have lost its connect with the people of this country. The biggest setback for them is perhaps Maharashtra where the people did not choose them over a two term government which had nothing to boast about going into the elections.

The big questions now arises is has the BJP lost its grip on Indian politics and its status as the biggest alternative to the Congress? The saffron brigade has been on a constant decline since the 2004 Lok Sabha polls but the party seems to have been shattered since defeat in the General Elections earlier this year. The infighting among its senior leaders is not helping its cause. BJP which was looked upon for its discipline and in-house democracy is a house in complete disarray.

The RSS which was the main ground force for the BJP also doesn't seem to be in tune with the party anymore. The election defeat has shown that BJP is slowly loosing its roots which it has spread under the leadership of Atal Behari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani. The factionalism between the Sangh and non-Sangh leaders within the BJP seems to be its biggest problem and there is a cloud of uncertainty among the leaders regarding the party's ideology.

BJP's rise in the 90s was an outcome of the people's frustration with India's grand old party the Congress turning into a corrupted, inefficient and indifferent league of leaders. BJP presented itself to the people with a cleaner and more selfless image. But over time the party turned into another Congress with its leadership failing to control the party bottom down and its name being involved with communalims, corruption and inefficiency.

If fresh blood and leadership is not injected into the party immediately, BJP will fall like Jan Sangh and Janata Dal in the past. It is very dangerous for our nation not to have an alternative to Congress as we have seen in the past how bad the grand old party can become in the absence of a strong opposition. After all a vibrant democracy thrives when there is a strong opposition to keep a check on the policies and programmes of the government.

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Congress-NCP hold the Maha Fort

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

The results for the three Assembly elections are out and its Congress which has made a clean sweep over BJP and the NDA coalition all over the country. While Congress victory in Arunachal Pradesh and Harayana was anticipated much before the polls, Maharashtra was the place where the entire nation had their eyes. For one this was the second largest state (by population) in India going to polls and secondly it was a state where the NDA and the UPA were head to head.

The results are finally out and the Congress-NCP alliance has defied anti-incumbency and managed to hold power for the third consecutive time. For the BJP and the Shiv Sena it was another demoralising defeat which the NDA camp is slowly getting used to. Congress and NCP managed to cross the halfway mark of 144 by a whisker grabbing 145 seats in the 288 member house. In the end the ruling coalition just about managed to return home.

It wasn't a thumbs up victory for the Congress-NCP but more of a defeat of the opposition. Considering the amount of dissent that people in rural Maharashtra had with the government BJP-Sena could have fared much better had they managed their election campaign properly. Demoralised by the Lok Sabha polls BJP seems to be a party in decline which is unable to regroup itself. Congress had gone through a similar phase post 1996 Lok Sabha defeat.

The Sena-BJP combine might like to rest blame on Raj Thackrey and the MNS but the truth NDA seems to have lost its connect with people in general. MNS making its debut in the State Assembly seems to have done well managing 13 seats. They have surely dented BJP-Sena's chances of forming a government by eating into their vote share. Many analysts are drawing the map which shows that had the estranged Thackrey brothers been together results could have been different. Had Bal Thackrey not favoured his son over his more able nephew he would have surely distributing sweets in Mumbai.

Congress has come stronger over NCP and which means the keys to the new government will be in Sonia Gandhi's hands and not in Sharad Pawar's. Congress which had stressed on the coalition to be under its terms after its performance in the Lok Sabha polls has closed the door for Mr. Pawar to blackmail it any more. A grand Maratha NCP-Sena alliance is out of the picture and Mr. Pawar will have to listen to 10 Janpath for the next five years both at the centre and the state.

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MNS might spoil Maharashtra elections

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

As Maharashtra, Harayana and Arunachal Pradesh go to polls today the eyes of the entire nation will be on the outcome of the results. The elections in these states are been watched closely as this is for the first time the NDA and the UPA are taking on each other since the Lok Sabha polls in May. Although national politics is not known to affect State Assembly Elections it will still be a reality check for UPA-II under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Both Harayana and Arunachal Pradesh are expected to remain in the hands of the Congress going by the pre poll sentiments among the people. Maharashtra however has enough uncertainty to attract the attention of the entire nation. Will the Congress-NCP alliance be able to retain their government? Will the BJP-Shiv Sena combine pull off a stunning victory to give the saffron brigade something to cheer about? How much of an impact will the MNS create in the polls which is rightly being called the 'Maha Elections?'

Going by the fact that people of Maharashtra have had two successive government under the Congress-NCP rule which has done very little to get itself re-elected a BJP-Shiv Sena combine was most likely to cash on it. But the thorn in the flash for the saffron brigade is the Raj Thackrey floated Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. MNS which erupted out of a family feud between the Thackreys threatens to jeopardise BJP-Shiv Sena's chances of forming a government in Mumbai.

The MNS is not expected to win many seats but might prove to be a deciding factor in more than 40% of the seats in the State Assembly. Going by the vote swings in the Lok Sabha polls MNS is expected to change the course of this election. It is expected to eat up the vote share of the BJP-Shiv Sena combine and Raj Thackrey might just deliver the political slap to his estranged cousin Uddhav and prevent uncle Bala Saheb Thackrey from running a remote control government in the State.

Although this gives some relief to the Congress-NCP alliance, their leaders are not laughing their way to the polling booths. After having not done any work for two consecutive terms they themselves are feeling the heat. Acute power shortage, farmer suicides, poor infrastructure and investors overlooking Maharashtra is giving them sleepless nights. The Congress-NCP government has certainly left Maharashtra in a worse state than it was at the time when it had taken over.

In this political mess a party like MNS might make situation worse and be a cause for a hung assembly. This in due course of time will promote horse trading and lead to further chaos. The people of Maharashtra should take a stand and vote for the government or against it rather than wasting their votes on smaller parties which in no case can form a government and thrive on a fractured mandate. MNS in no way can be a king maker but surely is scripting a hung assembly.

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It's 'Ekala Chalo Re' for Rahul

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

One characteristic of Rahul Gandhi that emerged in the last general elections was that he doesn't believe too much in coalition politics. During the Lok Sabha elections it was his decision to go alone in Uttar Pradesh the hub of Indian politics. Not only did Rahul come out with flying colours grabbing 20 Lok Sabha seats he also dented the big dreams of leaders like Mayawati, Mulayam Singh, Amar Singh, Ram Vilas Paswan and Lalu Prasad Yadav.

If it was UP before the polls it seems to be the turn of Maharashtra in the upcoming Assembly elections. Congress workers in the state are riding on the confidence of the General Elections and believe they can pull off a win without the support of the NCP. The Congress high command might give into their demands considering the dwindling popularity of Sharad Pawar. If Congress can pull it off without NCP, Sharad Pawar's political career will almost be finished. He has already swallowed his Prime Ministerial dreams and now can only find solace only if he manages to hold Maharashtra.

With the resurgence process of Congress switched on in UP and Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi seems to be heading south. In his recent three-day Tamil Nadu trip, Rahul urged the state party leaders to lessen dependence on the the two Dravidian major parties DMK and AIADNK. Congress hasn't tasted success in Tamil Nadu since it lost lost to the DMK four decades ago in 1967. This is the longest period in India's history for a state to have not seen any Congress government.

Rahul seems to be on the march towards bringing back Congress' golden period it enjoyed in the first two decades of India gaining freedom. If Rahul succeeds the larger impact might be in loosening the grip of the regional parties in their respective states. This would in turn pave the way for better functioning of the central government which time and again has suffered blackmailing by the regional parties.

For now Rahul seems to be reciting Rabindranath Tagore's 'Ekala Chalo Re'

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BJP's decline dangerous for India

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

Bharitiya Janata Party is going through its darkest hour of crisis. The party seems to be in a complete mess with Rajnath Singh's leadership proving to ineffective to lead the party since the defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. Once termed as the 'party with a difference' BJP is today the party with differences, a divided house with no centre of gravity. The situation for the party is such that Lal Krishna Advani the co-founder and once termed as the 'Ironman' of the party is slowly loosing grip over BJP.

Be it the Vasundhara Raje Schindia case, the Yashwant Sinha or the present Jaswant Singh crisis the party seems to have too many expert opinion makers. The exit of Atal Behari Vajpayee from active politics meant that Advani was the sole godfather for the party. But Advani became the first victim of the Jinnah flu and was forced to resign as Party President. Not only did he loose the Presidency but also his command over the party that he had founded and turned into a force to reckon with.

Advani's loss meant that BJP had too many leaders to take the lead and this went onto become their biggest weakness. The Arun Jaitleys, the Yashwant Sinhas, the Sushma Swarajs and the Jaswant Singhs were all equals in their stature within the party. All of them were reluctant to let the other take the lead but none of them were ready to get into the shoes of a Vajpayee or Advani. This infighting among the party leaders and the their confusion with Hindutva ideology has caused BJP's decline.

BJP's decline is however not good for the country. The Saffron party's rise pushed developmental politics in Indian and meant that India's grand old party the Congress which had made corruption and inefficiency its core competence overhauled its system and come out a cleaner party with more efficient leaders. BJP's exit might again push the country into years of sluggish growth with the Congress becoming complacent. The presence of a good political opponent is the essence of any modern democracy.

States like West Bengal and Orissa have lagged behind because the opposition has never been able to topple those in power. Whereas states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab have progressed because the opposition always pushed the government. So it is in the interest of the nation that BJP regroups and acts as a responsible opposition at the centre. This is not only necessary for the Saffron party but is a need for proper functioning of the Indian democracy.

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Bengal likely to see violence till 2011

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

The recent spate of violence in West Bengal by the Congress workers protesting against the assault on eight Congress MLAs by alleged CPI(M) cadres may be just the trailer of a long movie. The political entropy in the state is so high these incidents of violence are most likely continue till the 2011 Assembly. A huge political uncertainly is looming over the state and political parties are all out to show their muscle power ahead of the most crucial assembly elections in the state.

Six months back nobody could have predicted the lack luster performance by the Left Front in the Lok Sabha polls. But with successive losses in the Gram Panchyat, Lok Sabha and Municipal elections Left Fort seems shaken in West Bengal. Having drawn first blood in the Lok Sabha poll the Congress and TMC combine is in no mood to let them go. The people in the state also seem to have seen enough of the Red Brigade and their mandate in the successive elections have shown that.

Left Front is at its lowest since it assumed power in 1977 but it will not go down without giving a serious fight. A three decade old regime won't let the power go off that easily. The ground level cadres that the Left Front has patronised for years are resorting to hooliganism time and again. The opposition parties are no better and answering them in the same language. People who hoped for a wind of change to blow across the state are living the harsh realities of the pathetic state politics in West Bengal.

The main problem lies with the kind of political culture that has evolved in the state over the years. All the parties are responsible for making politics an act of street violence rather than being played out at the assembly. The Left Front has to take major share of the blame having been in power for so long. Torching of a few buses and pelting of stones is no longer considered unusual in West Bengal. The administration sees this as a normal law and order problem which happens everyday in some or the other part of the state.

The victims as usual are the citizens of the state who have to face the heat of political battles as well live with underdevelopment due to absence of investment. The people of the state for long have faced the apathy of a political front which never accepted that world around them was changing. Now they have to face a new challenge in their everyday lives when the rival political factions resort to hooliganism in the order to gain supremacy.

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Red is fading in West Bengal

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

The elections is West Bengal continue to throw surprises. Six months back nobody other than a certain Mamata Banerjee believed that the Red bastion could be shattered in West Bengal. Proving that the Lok Sabha polls were no fluke TMC and Congress won 13 out of 16 municipalities in the state. This comes as a severe blow to the Left leader who have been engaged in a blame game within the party since the humiliating loss in the Lok Sabha Polls.

If some analysts thought the Lok Sabha results were an isolated case they better open their eyes. Bengal not only voted with the country in the parliamentary polls it also voted against its egoistic leaders. The people voted against leaders who could not bring in development form the centre and only raised the decibel levels in the Parliament. People voted out those leaders who always blamed the centre to hide their inefficiency.

Left Front may not have yet seen its worst days, the Assembly Elections in 2011 might see State Government without a 'Left Hand Drive'. In the last three decades of its rule or rather misrule in the state the only thing that the party did was strengthen its network and develop its own structure. The development of the state took a back seat as Left leaders did not foresee a day when they would have to pay the price of their misdeeds.

People around the country never understood why a government which never improved the living standard of the people was being voted in time and again. The truth is many people in Bengal could never imagine what a non-Left government would be. Left got an extended life span post the liberalisation era due to this confusion. What Bengal needed was a trigger and Nandigram exposed the ugly face of left where criminals were sent of rampage on innocent villagers.

It's not certain if a non-Left government would bring in change in the state which is starving for development but one thing is certain people have had enough of Left. The leaders who had taken people and their emotions for granted are finally facing the music. As former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson has rightly said “He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery”

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BJP seems to be in complete disarray

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

The resignation of Yashwant Sinha from the BJP shows that saffron brigade is in complete disarray. The party’s lacklustre performance in the Lok Sabha polls has meant that there is infighting and chaos within the party. The recently concluded poll results show that the party which ran the first non-Congress government at the centre for five years has lost tune with the voters across the country. Its support base is slowly dwindling away from it and moving towards India’s grand old party the Congress.

Many in the BJP has cited the moving away from the Hindutva as the reason for the defeat in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls but the saffron brigade seems to have no answer for its loss in 2009. They had backed hardliner Hinduism by endorsing Varun Gandhi’s speech but that backfired not only across the country but even in Uttar Pradesh once BJP’s bastion. It is from the same UP that the BJP had risen in the last two decades to challenge the Congress.

In the late 90’s BJP was termed ‘a party with a difference.’ The average middle class Indian frustrated with Congress’ shabby economics policies saw leadership in the persona of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani. They believed here was one party which won’t promote dynasty politics, which has leaders with a corruption free background, a party which won’t misuse Article 356 a thing which the Congress had mastered and above all lead India from being a third world country to a global superpower. But the ‘party with a difference’ seems to have become the ‘party with differences.’

One of the key reasons for the infighting in the BJP comes from the fact that the second level leaders were never groomed to take over the charismatic Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the dynamic Lal Krishna Advani. The Sushma Swarajs, Rajnath Singhs, Arun Jaitleys and Yashwant Sinhas were all equals under the shadow of Vajpayee and Advani but none of them could emerge as a consensus candidate within their own ranks. The Congress never had this problem due to the presence of the Gandhis who will rule the party for ever.

The first major task for the BJP will be to dowse the flames within and do a complete overhaul of their party. They have to come out of the shadow of Hindutva and feel the pulse of a common Indian who needs security and development ahead of a Ram Temple in a certain city called Ayodhya. Keep the Modis and the Varun Gandhis out and promote the Arun Jaitleys. BJPs existence in necessary for the UPA to function well as the fear of being voted out in the last 15 years has propelled the various governments to take developmental steps.

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Gandhi v/s Gandhi starts on a pleasant note

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

The Gandhis may have ruled this country directly or indirectly for most parts in the last 60 years but the 15th Lok Sabha will have the highest representation from India's unofficial first family. Indira Gandhi's two bahus (daughter-in-laws) Sonia Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi along with their betas (sons) Rahul Gandhi and Varun Gandhi respectively will grace the holiest temple of Indian Democracy.

Whats more interesting is the fact that the two mother and son duo will be occupying opposite sides of the Lok Sabha. While Sonia and Rahul will be in limelight having led the Congress to a thumping victory in the elections Meneka and Varun will be in the back benches of the opposition as no queenly or princely treatment is served to them by the saffron brigade.

The first day of the Lok Sabha began on a warm and pleasant note for the two estranged factions of the Gandhi family. After a bitterly fought election battle Varun Gandhi greeted his aunt Sonia Gandhi with folded hands before taking oath in the house. Rahul Gandhi was not far behind in returning the greetings bowed his head as a gesture of respect towards Maneka Gandhi.

There seems to have been some ease in tension between the two families as the Congress president smiled as she watched Varun read out his oath in Hindi. Maneka looked similarly indulgent when Rahul took oath in English and even thumped the desk as he was sworn in. However there had to be a climax in the Devrani-Jethani tale and Maneka didn't meet Sonia's eye while taking oath.

Life is at times an irony isn't it, had Menaka Gandhi not had a fallout with Saasu Ma Indira Gandhi and her Jethani Sonia Gandhi she could have easily been holding a key post in the Congress. Varun Gandhi who is trying to create a place for himself in Indian politics would have surely been touted as the future Deputy Prime Minister of the Country if elder cousin Rahul would get the top job.

The irony however is Meneka's decision to go against her family after the death of her husband Sanjay Gandhi has cost her dearly when it comes to politics. She should have become used to the jai jai kars that Sonia and Rahul hear and the royal treatment meted out to them wherever they go. Her son Varun would not have been forced to make an anti-Muslim statement for mere publicity as he surely would have been the Chhote Nawab behind bare bhaiyaa Rahul.

It will be interesting to see the political debates in the Lok Sabha this time. Will Varun Gandhi question his estranged cousin Rahul on the developmental issue or will Meneka challenge the Congress led government on Animal Rights. But as they say politics is all about uncertainty and the Gandhis might be sitting on the same side of the house in the 16th Lok Sabha.

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The 'Lalu Effect' on Indian Railways

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

As Mahmohan Singh's team takes charge and the country rejoices voting a stable government at the centre Lalu Prasad Yadav has turned out to be the biggest casualty in this ekection. His dwindling away from the Congress just before the elections not only cost him dear in Bihar but it also meant that India's most successful Railway Minister would not be getting back his ministry which he truly deserved.

Yesterday I got a proof of the Lalu Effect on Indian Railways. I got a email saying “Thank you for using IRCTC's online rail ticket booking services. From 1st April’09 Railway has revised the passenger fares. As you have booked tickets prior to 1st-April’09 an amount of Rs.32 towards the difference of fare for the ticket booked vide PNR No XXXXXXX has been issued to electronic payment gateway on 01-Apr-2009. Same shall appear in your account within three to four working days. You are requested to please check with concerned bank regarding the same. We regret the delay if any, in crediting back the refunds. We solicit your continued patronage to our services”

I had long ago booked the tickets and even forgotten about the adjustments but the Lalu Effect chased me to refund my money. Critics would say what about the lakhs of people who book tickets in the counters how will they get back their refund. But the question ho many of us fill our proper contact details in the form while booking tickets. Even if the Railways wants to refund money through post it won't be due to the lack of proper address for correspondence.

Anybody who has travelled in a short distance or a long distance train in pre and post Lalu era will swear by the performance of the Bihar strongman. Lalu had done the unthinkable reduced fares but at the same time increased efficiency of the Indian Railways. He brought the poor railway porters under the payrolls of the Indian Railways but at the same time showed profits year after year during his entire five years tenure.

What was certainly a sure ministry for Lalu had he not committed a political blunder has been taken over by a uncertain Mamata Baneejee. She had almost made the Railways bankrupt during her previous tenure at the Rail Bhavan and this time too top railway officials are worried. Lalu not getting the ministry after such a wonderful performance is a shame on Indian Democracy.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam had once said political parties have to strike a balance between 'Party Politics' and 'Developmental Politics'. In this case Party Politics has won over Developmental Politics. True Lalu may have backstabbed the Congress during the elections but the Congress is backstabbing the Indian Railways by not giving its charge to a performing candidate. Can Dr Mahmohan Singh hold his heart and say performance is the mantra for his government when a Lalu is dropped and a Vilasrao Deshmukh is brought in?

Life has turned a full circle in the life of Lalu Prasad Yadav who has lost the confidence of the people as well as his political peers. Its ironical that when he had turned Bihar into Jungle Raj he was being voted in turn after turn but when he delivered he was left alone in the wild. Well is this the reward that Lalu deserved for his performance? Is performance the criteria for allotting ministries in this democracy that we are so proud of?

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Manmohan's team has been finally selected

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

After the most closely fought elections in the country's history and tug of war with the allies over ministerial berths Manmohan Singh's team is finally ready. After the initial swearing in ceremony of on the May 22 which say only 19 heavy weights take oath it was the turn complete team to take oath at the Rashtripati Bhavan from President Prathiba Patil.

14 Cabinet ministers and 45 Minister of State were sworn in today taking the total to a whooping 79 in the 543 member house which is a record. Three DMK candidates M K Azhagiri, Dayanidhi Maran and A Raja were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers. This after DMK had stayed out of Friday's swearing in due to dispute with Congress over ministerial berths.

Other well known faces to take oath were former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, former Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, Former Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Jairam Ramesh. Also among the sworn in ministers was Shashi Tharoor whose destiny seemed to lay in the Indian parliament rather than becoming the Secretary General of the United Nations.

The youth brigade was not far behind with Sachin Pilot, Agatha Christie Sangam, Jiten Prasad, Jyotiraditya Scindia The government seems to be a rich mix of young and old with former Karnataka CM SM Krishna being the oldest at 77 who was already greying at 50 when the youngest Agatha Christie Sangam who is 27 was born.

The swearing in of 60 ministers could not have gone through without its share of goof ups. Congress' Jairam Ramesh who was fumbling forgot to sign the register after taking oath while V Narayansamy requested time from the President to settle his papers. The best of the day however came from Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Ray who did not even wait for the President to give him the official cue while taking oath.

Now with the swearing in ceremony completed the country has got a government for the 15th Lok Sabha under the leadership of Dr Manmohan Singh. The immediate tasks will be to revive the economy and overhaul the security set-up in the country. Mahmohan and his team have to live up to the faith shown by the people of the nation upon them.

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Mamata wants to run Railways from home!

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

After drawing first blood against the Left Front in the Lok Sabha polls Mamata Banerjee is no mood to let the momentum go of the hooks ahead of the Assembly elections in West Bengal. In a demand which may sound bizarre to many the fearsome Mamata wants to look over the Indian Railways from home! Well not quite literally she wants to report to Eastern Railway Headquarters in Kolkata rather than in Rail Bhavan, New Delhi.

Mamata has set her eyes on the 2011 Assembly Elections and she wouldn't like to divert her attention from her home state. With the Left facing its worst political crisis in over three decades Didi is planning to tighten her grip over the her political opponents. With both the Urban and the Rural voters giving their consent to her in the Lok Sabha polls Mamata is planning to topple India's longest running state government.

The people of West Bengal who are tired of one party rule in the state for three decades might rejoice Mamata's attention towards the state but the worrying factor lies with her handling the key portfolio of Indian Railways. The country's biggest mode of public transport will need full attention from a Minister. Railways are key to the growth of our economy and any amount of neglect might proved costly for the country's growth.

Many top officials in the Indian Railways are worried that Mamata might halt the process of modernization in the Indian Railways started by her predecessor Lalu Prasad Yadav. It was under the leadership of the Bihar strongman that the Indian Railways made huge profits and improved its efficiency by leaps and bounds. Once the biggest loss making government body the Indian Railways started swelling in profits once the RJD boss took over in 2004.

Critics might argue that it won't be too difficult for a minister to handle a ministry from a metro like Kolkata. True, but there are two points which needs to be remembered. First Mamata's performance as a Railway Minister in the past had hardly been anything to talk about. Secondly she is stepping into big shoes perhaps India's most successful Railway Minister since independence. Hope Indian Railways is not sacrificed in the name of a state election.

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Pranab da should bring goodies to Bengal

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

For the better part of the last three decades politicians from West Bengal have occupied the opposition benches in the Lok Sabha. The Left Front MPs time and again failed to grab developmental projects by the Centre. What that meant was Bengal remained aloof from the national race to become a global superpower from a third world nation. When the Karunanidhis, Modis, Naidus and the Krishnas were grabbing huge pies from the Centre politicians from Bengal lived up to tag of being OPPOSITION in every sense.

As the country went ahead post liberalisation era Bengal was living in the dark shadows of poverty and underdevelopment. This resulted in huge brain drain out of the state which cost dearly so much so that once the most flourishing province in the days of the British Raj is today counted among the most backward states in the country. Although most of the Bengali ‘bhadralok’ like us would not like to accept this in open but deep down in our heart we cannot even counter it.

The results of the 15th Lok Sabha polls brought in a lot of surprise to the state. The writing on the wall was clear and the people of the state decided Bengal’s car at the Centre won’t have a Left Hand Drive for the next five years. Manmohan’s new Cabinet team will have a record number of representations from the state with Congress’ all weather man Pranab Mukherjee will hold the key portfolio of Finance and Left’s thorn in the flesh Mamata sitting in the engine of the Indian Railways.

The people of the Bengal and surrounding areas in the East and North East will hope to get some special attention from Pranab da. Let us be honest Central Ministers have always showered goodies on their own states holding key portfolios be it the Lalus and Nitish Kumars making Bihar and unofficial hub of Indian Railways or the Naidus and Marans driving lion’s share of the Telecom and Information Technology revolution down south.

The entire Eastern part of the country including the North East has remained backward due to poor representation at the corridors of power. But with Pranab’s command over the Finance the people of Bengal finally have something to rejoice. They hope the UPA government to shower some goodies to the state keeping in mind the assembly elections of 2011. If West Bengal flourishes the tremors of development will reach other neighbouring states as well.

The only worry is the whether the Left will play the role of a responsible opposition at the Centre and speed up development being in the driver’s seat in West Bengal. They have to do a lot of rethinking more so with their ideology. They have to shed their Anti-Americanism and become pro-development in their approach. The problem with them is they oppose the increase in the price of American soft drinks but keep mum when Russia blackmails us to pay them $2 billion dollars after the agreement was signed for $500 million dollars for the Aircraft Carried Admiral Ghroshkov.

It is now over to Pranab Mukherjee and Mamata’s Trinamool to assure the people of Bengal that they really voted for a change. All of us can hope some 'winds of change' will finally blows in West Bengal.

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Who wants to be a 'Minister'

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

Just when the people of the country and the markets were breathing a sigh of relief having voted a stable government there are first sign of trouble. The friction has started even before Manmohan Singh assumes office as the 18th Prime Minister of India. The reason well the most expected one 'ministerial berths'. After fighting the election as a part of Congress led collation all the UPA partners want a share of the pie.

The DMK is at loggerheads with the Congress over the number of ministries it wants to hold in the Union Cabinet. DMK had demanded as many as 8 Cabinet berths for itself which is unacceptable to the Congress. The Congress is riding on the confidence that it can form a government at the centre without the help of the DMK which need to bow down to save its government in Tamil Nadu which survives on Congress' support. In a scenario where DMK and Congress part ways Jayalalitha will not waste a minute in holding Congress' HAND.

Who says Congress alone promotes dynasty politics DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi wanted to have his son M K Azhagiri, daughter Kanimozhi and grand nephew Dayanadhi Maran in the Union Cabinet which was agreed upon by the Congress. The bone of contention has been the name of TR Baalu former Cabinet minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways. The Congress wants to keep him away for his corrupted background.

Sharad Pawar's dream of becoming the Prime Minister will remain unfulfilled. This time with Rahul making 'ekla chalo' as the buzz word in state elections means that the Maratha leader is at the mercy of the Congress. He is likely to hold Food and Agriculture Ministry while his party colleague Praful Patel will get Civil Aviation.

Mamata Banerjee who holds the second largest number of seats in the pre-poll UPA alliance will surely drive the Indian Railways. Lalu Prasad Yadav's political blunder meant that he isn't getting anything in 'Taatkal' and most likely he isn't even a part of the 'Waiting List'. For the first time Congress and TMC believe Left can be defeated in West Bengal so it won't be surprising if more if goodies are showered upon the MPs from the state with Pranab Mukherjee already getting Finance.

Other partners like the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Kerala Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League will have to take whatever elder brother Congress gives them. With the kind of numbers Congress has this time its allies unless united together won't be able to blackmail it anymore. Gone are the Karats, Lalus and Paswans of Manmohan's previous government. The Singh is King finally!

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What went wrong for the BJP?

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

If the results of the 2004 Lok Sabha polls were surprising for the BJP the results of the 2009 polls came as a rude shock. The party had not expected to sweep through the polls this time but didn't expect its tally to end up being almost half that of its arch rivals the Congress. The loss was not only in the number of seats but the saffron brigade lost a pie of their vote share across the nation barring a few states.

Poll analysts hadn't predicted a huge show by the BJP but felt that the part could emerge neck in neck with the Congress. With a recession hit economy, sky-rocketing inflation and Mumbai terror attacks some believed the tide was shifting towards the BJP just before the elctions. But alas the Indian voter thought otherwise and a pan Indian mood shattered LK Advan's dream of occupying 7, Race Course Road.

As the BJP tries to find out the reasons for its humiliation it will have the company of its arch rivals the Left Front who too are shell shocked. One thing common between both this parties has been they failed to understand the mood of the Indian voter. While BJP was in no mood to come out of the clutches of Babri Masjid and the RSS, the Left Front doesn't want to accept the fact that the Cold War has ended almost two decades ago and anti-Americanism doesn't appeal anymore.

BJP's campaign was centered around negativism and similar to what Pakistan has been doing for years. Our western neighbours have been time and again focussing on destroying us. Had they put in the same effort towards their development we could have had a better neighbour. BJP leadership hardly talked about development and believed in mud slinging and the results are here for us to see. The only states (Bihar, Chattisgarh) where they talked development they won handsomely.

The BJP leadership tried to point out the failure of the UPA government rather than focussing on their election manifesto which had so many developmental projects like linking of rivers, high speed internet connectivity, Rs 100000 fund for a girl child soon after her birth. Did the voters even know about these promises by the BJP camp. The answer is a 'NO'. Well how could they the BJP leaders were not even interested in talking about them. They were busy patronising a Varun Gandhi more than talking about developmental issues.

BJP failed to understand that fact the nation has moved from their Hindutva wave. People are more interested in jobs and a better future for their families than a Ram Temple being built in Ayodhya. The urban people like to practise religion as their personal subject rather than it be made a political compulsion by some party. They were unaware of the fact that a majority of Indians want peace in their everyday life rather than fight over the issue of a temple.

The absence of Atal Behari Vajpayee in the campaign process also cost the BJP. There is no better star campaigner for the party who appeals to all even people among the opposition camp. BJP also ignored the fact that India is a young country and there is a need to project young leaders. BJP only had a controversial Varun Gandhi while its opponent the Congress had an army under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi who created a huge impact in this election.

In the end it was a failed campaign for the Iron Man of Indian politics Advani whose dreams of occupying the highest chair will most probably remain unfulfilled. As for the party it will be an uphill task of rebuilding and bringing back to its past glory. If BJP wants to create an impact in 2014 it will have to start building itself from now. It wasted the 5 years between 2004 and 2009 in building strong leadership and the results are here for all of us to see.

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Has Bengal had enough of Left?

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

The results of the 15th Lok Sabha polls hasn't been too surprising but in the context of West Bengal 'shocking' is the word. The Left was expected to perform badly but nobody thought they would crumble in the manner they did. Not even the worst of the political critics of the Left Front could have predicted this just about two years ago. Mamata's 'Maa Maati Manush' appealed to the people and they did the unimaginable.

The Left parties are finding it tough to understand what went wrong for them. How could a fortified structure they had created in three decades fall like a pack of cards in three years since the violence in Nandigram? From the urban middle class to the Muslims everybody voted against them. They even lost credibility among the rural masses once their stronghold thanks to the mishandling of the Singur and Nandigram crisis.

What was surprising was to see the Trinamool Congress win in most of the urban constituencies and doing a clean sweep of Kolkata. Many would have believed this to be impossible after the dissent that the urban Kolkata had with Mamata Banerjee after she chased away the prestigious Tata Nano project from the state. Many people believed West Bengal did not even have a choice to throw the Left out after the Nano mess.

The thing that went against Left was the consolidation of votes. The urban voter especially the youth always felt let down by the Left rule voted against it. Combined with the Muslim and the rural electorates it formed a lethal combination against the Left. As for the Red Front it was left with votes from their supporters who believed in their ideology and its a known fact that this group is shrinking.

Although the Left leaders may be pointing fingers at Prakash Karat for this humiliation the actual reason for their defeat was within Bengal. The truth is a person in rural Bengal doesn't even know who Prakash Karat is and doesn't care what is his stand on the nuclear deal or about his ego issue with Manmohan Singh. The fact is this person only cares about his basics which was being threatened by the Left as was evident in Singur and Nandigram.

The violence in Nandigram exposed the ugly face of Left. People in the rural belt who always considered the Left Front as a saviour suddenly felt threatened with there sentinels. The cadre based strong local units that the Left had created over decades and which won them election after election lost the trust of the common man and led to its debacle.

Ironically with 35 seats in 2004 Left had delivered its best performance in the state. In a matter of just five years tide seems to have blown in the opposite direction in West Bengal. The 2011 Assembly elections will give a better picture whether a obituary for the Left can be written or this election was an one off incident. But one thing has surely changed, the myth that 'Left cannot be defeated in West Bengal'

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The 'King-Makers' come alive

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

As expected most of of the Exit Poll results have predicted a hung Parliament raising the political mercury levels across the country. With a photo finish being predicted between the two national parties all the allies and regional parties are keeping their potions open. Post May 16 some pre-poll alliance are expected to break and UPA would not mind dumping Mamata Banrejee and Karunanidhi if the Left and Jayalalitha come in with more numbers.

Barring the Congress and the BJP and few of their allies all the other parties are calculating the pros and cons of going either way. From the Jayalalithas to the Chandra Babu Naidus to the Mamata Banerjees all want to be 'king makers' in the 15th Lok Sabha. From important ministerial berth to regional demands, almost any bargain is justified as long as support is pledged to a national alliance. Nobody wants to miss a share of the pie in New Delhi.

The last phase of polling seems to have made some of our leaders do a reality check. With a dismal six seats predicted for him Lok Janshakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan has already said he will do anything to keep the NDA out of power thus unofficially lending his support to the UPA. The dream of a Fourth Front seems to be over for this Dalit leader. Lalu faring poorly in Bihar will loose no time in getting back to the UPA train and try getting his own bogie (read Railway Ministry)

The actual 'king-makers' might come from down south this time. Jayalalitha and Chandra Babu Naidu might have larger roles to play than the Lalus and the Amar Singhs. As for the NDA it will try to make sure that it gets the support of these two leaders. If by any equation it can get Mayawati on board L K Advani can realistically look at being the next resident of 7 Race Course Road, New Delhi. As for the Congress other than the BJP it seems to be reaching out to all others.

But again Exit Polls are no results and in the last Lok Sabha Polls they proved how horribly wrong they can be. In 2004 a substantial number of sets has a narrow victory margin and thus the Exit Polls went wrong. In another two days the actual results will be out and they might surprise us more than the Exit Polls. It remains to be seen if the king-makers can protect their own kingdoms in their home states. Well someone rightly put it as the 'Dance of Democracy'.

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