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Finally, finally, finally, the elections are over. The result is out, and the country's leadership for the next five years has (hopefully) been decided. The Congress has won by a thumpingly huge margin, the BJP is once again berating its luck (and also, Varun Gandhi) and the Third Front (mainly the Left) has been sidelined. The spectacle which started on April 16, draws to a close.
I am not really sure about how I feel about the Congress storming back to power. I appreciate the fact that it does not blow the Hindutva horn like the BJP keeps doing, and also seems to have an agenda, a plan for running the country. The BJP's lack of a cohesive agenda was, to me, one of the glaring deficiencies in the party's campaign. But, on the other hand, the Congress is a decidedly pacifist party. It usually caves in to it's coalition partners demands very easily (I'm not saying the BJP doesn't, it actually panders a lot to the RSS), like it had been doing with the Left for the past 5 years. However, this time, the Left will most probably be in Opposition, and hopefully the government will have more of a free hand in policy decisions. I did see some strength in the PM's decision to pursue with the nuclear deal despite the Left walking out, and I hope he displays this strength in future.
One of the biggest upsets of this election has been the Left's defeat in the Red bastion of Bengal. Last year, the Trinamool Congress won just 1 seat out of 42, that of supremo Mamata Banerjee. This time, they have taken 20, and along with their partner the Congress, have more than 25 seats, reducing the Left to a paltry minority. A crushing defeat which will have enormous repurcussions in my home. I'll talk more about this in a future post.
Well, I'm off to check out latest developments, especially in West Bengal. The curry is just heating up, and I want to see how it turns out.
I am not really sure about how I feel about the Congress storming back to power. I appreciate the fact that it does not blow the Hindutva horn like the BJP keeps doing, and also seems to have an agenda, a plan for running the country. The BJP's lack of a cohesive agenda was, to me, one of the glaring deficiencies in the party's campaign. But, on the other hand, the Congress is a decidedly pacifist party. It usually caves in to it's coalition partners demands very easily (I'm not saying the BJP doesn't, it actually panders a lot to the RSS), like it had been doing with the Left for the past 5 years. However, this time, the Left will most probably be in Opposition, and hopefully the government will have more of a free hand in policy decisions. I did see some strength in the PM's decision to pursue with the nuclear deal despite the Left walking out, and I hope he displays this strength in future.
One of the biggest upsets of this election has been the Left's defeat in the Red bastion of Bengal. Last year, the Trinamool Congress won just 1 seat out of 42, that of supremo Mamata Banerjee. This time, they have taken 20, and along with their partner the Congress, have more than 25 seats, reducing the Left to a paltry minority. A crushing defeat which will have enormous repurcussions in my home. I'll talk more about this in a future post.
Well, I'm off to check out latest developments, especially in West Bengal. The curry is just heating up, and I want to see how it turns out.
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rightly said friend...
somehow i have also started liking congress though i never liked them and did not even vote for...
i feel they did their homework very well and took things very seriously....
as serious as they were they got what they wanted and people also gave their verdict...
and i always hated CPIM...and guess even people wanted a change....so now it is here...all infront of the world....just as the americans hated bush we in bengal hate the CPIM people...they r damned...32 years under one hand rule this state shud have been the golden bird of the world but this is the worst place in the whole world....whatever happened, happened for good...
this era, the world over has been an era of change...and change has happened in India too...
people have finished the role of local parties...and the national party is which got importance...thats it...
Yogesh
yogeshgoel.blogspot.com
the123network.com
Yeah, you're right. I didn't like the Congress earlier as well, but now I think they should be given a chance to prove themselves without the Left breathing down their backs. If they mess up this time, then...they'll be in the same situation the BJP is in now.