Woes Without End...
- Corruption charges—from CBI, CAG, the media—dog the UPA
- Scams like 2G, CWG and K-G Basin have corroded its credibility
- Three Union ministers, Raja, Maran and Deora, have resigned
- Investors shying away because of paralysis in government
- The Lokpal Bill and Telangana issues have been handled badly
- Allies like DMK and NCP are feeling uncomfortable with the anti-corruption drive
***
The Congress is literally on the streets. On the one hand, there's Rahul Gandhi on foot in western UP, taking one step at a time to try and claim some ground in the nation's largest state—which, from all accounts, promises to be an inordinately long journey. Then there's the spectre of MLAs and MPs from Telangana resigning en masse—this in a state that elected 33 out of it 42 MPs from the Congress, the party's biggest contingent. Worse is the picture in the public eye of UPA leaders in Tihar jail—Suresh Kalmadi, A. Raja and Kanimozhi. One joke doing the rounds in Delhi is that the next GoM the Manmohan Singh government sets up should be on jail reforms to make life more comfortable for its own members.
Revelations from the CAG, on the K-G Basin and 2G scams, continue to rattle the most powerful. On July 7, after the CBI nailed him in the 2G matter, Union textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran finally set the bluster aside and resigned. For now, DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi has backed him, blaming the media for Maran's plight. The question of whether or not that was for form's sake is tangential, the DMK's alliance with the Congress was already under severe strain.
Anyway, what matters in the public eye is the possibility that yet another UPA member could be heading for jail—depending on how investigations go. Things darkened for Maran after the CBI told the Supreme Court that its findings suggest he starved cellphone service provider Aircel of licences to force it to sell out to Malaysian telecom firm Maxis. Aircel's promoter Sivasankaran has also alleged that as part of a deal with Maran, Maxis invested Rs 599 crore in Sun Direct, run by the Maran family. Another instance of massive corruption linked to UPA-II—if it had anything of its image left to be sullied, this could take care of it.
What's more worrying, says a Union minister, is the complete policy drift. "We are all serving time," he says. "No one wants to do anything big." There is the long-pending cabinet reshuffle that Manmohan has described as "a work in progress". Well-placed sources say all the signs are that it will happen after July 9. Sonia Gandhi has had meetings with Manmohan and other senior leaders, and three Union ministers—Maran, Raja and Murli Deora—had put in their papers. But at the time of writing, it was still "a work in progress". An even more tantalising subplot is the much talked about "war" between finance minister Pranab Minister and home minister P. Chidambaram. Off the record, Congress leaders never cease talking of this.
Meanwhile, according to top businessmen and bankers, the paralysis in government has fuelled a flight of capital. Indians are investing abroad and developing strategies to get 50 per cent of their turnover from overseas. A staggering failure for an economist-prime minister. In the middle of all this, the aam admi—of whom the Congress is the self-avowed champion—has been left to battle soaring prices, to which the latest hike in diesel prices has no doubt added. Clearly, UPA-II's outlook seems terrible.
Even so, Congress leaders point to a silver lining. They still hope the ruling party will gather some confidence after the assembly elections next year. True, the Congress is tipped to win in Punjab and Uttarakhand, but the big test is in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi is concentrating all his energies. The immediate future of the party really depends on how he carries off the assembly polls. Party workers say that if Rahul were to be declared chief ministerial candidate, Mayawati would have to harness all her political skills to put up a fight. But without a state leadership of consequence, the Congress could still flounder. The happy signs—though it's too early to count on them—are that certain communities are beginning to tilt towards the Congress and a strategy at least is in place. Plus, it cannot be forgotten that in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress did unexpectedly well, getting 22 seats. Much of the credit went to Rahul.
Regional Trouble Congress MPs who have resigned for the Telangana cause
Yet, even if there were to be a revival in Uttar Pradesh, the Andhra bastion is certainly under siege. This time, Congress members have opted to take a lead role in the "resign and chalo Delhi" strategy of Telangana votaries, trying to be on the top of the game as the familiar scenario of bandh calls, rail rokos and the violence in Osmania University plays out. The absence of assembly speaker Nadendla Manohar—who is abroad (after a visit to the US, he is to attend a conference of speakers in the UK)—means the resignations are in the cold storage for now. Cutting across parties, over 100 of the 119 MLAs from Telangana have resigned, as have 15 MPs and 15 MLCs. K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the TRS chief, is believed to have plotted the mass resignations with state panchayat raj minister K. Jana Reddy. Rao, in his rabble-rousing style, says, "If the Centre does not take cognisance of the resignations of 100 MLAs for the creation of a separate state, Telangana will turn into a cauldron."
The Congress is in a 'damned if we do, damned if we don't' situation in Andhra Pradesh. The only blessing for it is that its other bugbear, Jaganmohan Reddy, who rebelled against the party and now runs the YSR Congress, is a fence-sitter on the issue (Jagan's bases are in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra). In Delhi, the Congress brass talk a lot of history, saying Andhra Pradesh is a state where the party has been wiped out in the past, only to be revived by Indira Gandhi. There is also the vague belief that, in the end, Jagan will come to an understanding with the Congress. Still, that does not solve the Telangana dilemma. Says Congress Rajya Sabha MP K. Keshav Rao: "As politicians, we represent the wishes of the people, not the corporate sector. We urge the high command to understand that the resignation of over 100 MLAs is not an ordinary happening. Our party president Sonia Gandhi will understand that statehood is a genuine demand."
It is highly possible that Sonia understands all this. But right now she does not seem to know what to do about many things. Congress leaders sigh and say that this crisis is a game of smoke and mirrors. They all have a dream, a prayer—before the next Lok Sabha polls, some big-ticket legislation, like the one proposed for food security, will become a reality and everyone will turn to Sonia and Rahul to hit the campaign trail and deliver what now seems impossible.
By Saba Naqvi with Madhavi Tata in Hyderabad
AUTHORS: SABA NAQVI
PEOPLE: A. RAJA | DAYANIDHI MARAN | MURLI DEORA | MANMOHAN SINGH | RAHUL GANDHI
TAGS: UPA | POLITICS | SPECTRUM SALE AND SCAMS | CAG | CONGRESS | CORRUPTION | DMK |NCP | GOVERNMENT-GOVERNANCE-GOVERNMENT POLICIES ETC
SECTION: NATIONAL
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JUL 11, 2011 12:41 PM 17 | A Correction to Post No 16 : The crucial declaration by HM Mr Chidambaram on AP came on the mid-night of Dec 09. 2009 and not 2008 as was mentioned. ... |
JUL 11, 2011 12:31 PM 16 | The UPA Govt led by the Congress Party has been committing one blunder after another on many issues. This is outrageously so, on Telangana . This ancient party which prides itself on its longevity of life (over 125 years), is now helpless, behaving like a babe in the woods. It did not learn any lessons on the violent agitations for creation of Telangana and Andhra states, in 1969 and 1972 respectively. No doubt this issue is a historical legacy which the state Govts inherited in 1956. But it is compounded by the short-sighted and petty-minded Chief Ministers and political leaders of the Party--especially those hailing from Seeamandhra. The Congress leaders of AP have always been extra loyal/slavish to the High Command--especially to the Nehru-Indira Gandhi family. Indira Gandhi can be faulted on several counts. But faced with the two powerful agitations in 1969 and 1972, she valiantly exhibited her leadership qualities by proposing proper solutions and soothened the troubled minds and hearts of the Telugus across the two broad regions of Seemandhra and Telangana. But the subsequent state Govts headed by leaders from both sides, had bungled --violating the terms of these compromises she worked out--- right,left and centre. In this repect the CMs hailing from Seemandhra are to be faulted much more than those hailing from Telangana. For, a greater responsiblity lay at their doorsteps to retain an United AP. But they behaved most irresponsibly-- in not honouring the the terms of compromise--be it on Dy CM's post, jobs to be distributed in the Six zones etc. As if this was not enough, in 2001 when the TDP was in power, Rajasekhar Reddy ( who was against the division of the state ) led a delegation of Telangana leaders/MLAs to Delhi asking for a Separate Telangan state! This is sheer stupidity,short sightedness and irrespoonsibilty on the part of the State Congress party. Unwittingly, Chandra Babu Naidu had also underestimated the potentialities of the simmering discontent and demand for a separate Telangana. If not, he would not have let Chandrasekhar a Rao (KCR) to leave the TDP to launch his TRS party. After all, every one knew that politicians like Chenna Reddy and KCR without power tend to be more dangerous to the unity of the state than when they are in. Babu known for his World Bank-inspired 20-20 Vision woefully lacked one when it came to assessing the potential mischief KCR could cause. When you are power-drunk, you refuse to read even the writing on the wall !! In 2004, when AP state was going to the polls, in their anxiety to come to power, the Congress Party thoughtlessly put the Telangana issue on their manifesto to please KCR and forge an electoral alliance with KCR's TRS party. Post facto, one realises that, by 2004 the TDP Govt became so unpopular with the people that even without this electoral alliance, the Congress would have come to power . Contnued agitations in Telangana and calmness before a storm in Seemandhra , had lulled the politicians of that region that division of the state was inevitable and would be accepatable to people across the regions. The hasty declaration of Mr Chidambaram in the mid-night of Dec 09, 2008,(apparenly a birthday gift of Sonia Madam to the Telangana people ) was indeed a TURNING POINT on this issue. As the statement by the HM promised the "Process" of creating Telangana to start, all hell broke out. The Centre should come out boldly with the inevitable solution to the Telangana issue. What is most clear is that the days of compromise are over. Let us face it. Post-Dec 09,2008 period is so vastly different from the earlier times. Procrastination on this isuue would only accentuate bitterness in the minds of the frustrated and agitated people. Let us go for it. Sooner the better !! |
JUL 11, 2011 12:02 PM 15 | #5 Bonita : "Rahamul Gandhi's highly publicised Padyatra.." Media earns money for the Paid News about 2G's escapades. Why should we add our bit ? And for free? It is best to ignore them. |
JUL 11, 2011 09:13 AM 14 | People who lives in Ivory towers got blank in elections.If the money could buy votes all the corporate honchos may have been in LS.Why they go to RS by paying 30 to 40 crores to parties who gave them votes.People want action and if any party couldnot provide basic necessities to people they would withdrawa their authority to them.If India would have been a autocrtaic form of Govt congress wouldnot hav ebene defeated so many times.Still it is in a fools paradise.The way it has behaved in the last 7 yeras and also now doing pretty little for poor but huge for riches Indira Gandhis 21 point programmes would be nothing.The Poor are not so poor now and also not so idiots as Congress thinks.If a Bihar and TN can do it all other stattes can also do it to remove Congress with a broom.Assam is nothing in comparision to all India phenomena which Congress are citing in each and every column.In Assam there is a vaccum in Opposition parties and the colaition btween AGP and BJP was not done which made them redundnat.But TN and Pondycherry shows the way.In Kerala the win by Congress is nothing spectacular as they are proud of.In WB the win is of TMC not of Congress.If it would have fought single handedly it would have been wiped out.It was a ngetaive vote agaisnt CPM and left parties and any party whioch shows it selfa s a alternative get the mandate.But It is written all over india on walls that congress has lost the confidence of voters by its unethical and corrupt ways. |
JUL 10, 2011 04:43 PM 13 | @Bonita
think of a boxer in a ring, exhausted after many rounds, trying to hit back at his opponent. But his jabs are so feeble and lifeless, the boxer is in reality comatose. It is a metaphor. Do not question the Outlook headline writers! |
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