There are no permanent friends or foes in politics, they say. Right is what they say. Indian politics; yes, it is full of such examples.
We, the Indian voters, have now become almost used to of reading the newspapers and getting to know the twists and turns of politics with the politicos turning coats for suiting their purpose.
Changing sides has never been considered bad in the ‘Game of Thrones’. On the contrary, it has been used as a tool for securing oneself maximum political and electoral benefits. The best man is the one who can decipher the direction of changing tides.
Almost decade back the same trio: Sharad Pawar, Tarique Anwar and P A Sangama, who parted ways with Indian National Congress and founded Nationalist Congress Party became a Congress ally for two successive United Progressive Alliance regimes at the centre.
Meanwhile, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, union Railways Minister in 2002 when Sabarmati Express was gutted by radical elements at Godhara, Gujarat, claiming as many as 59 lives, who then gave clean chit to then Gujarat CM and now PM Narendra Modi, started accusing Modi for his alleged involvement in the reactionary killings of minorities. Not only this, he snapped his party’s ties with the 17 year old National Democratic Alliance too.
That apart, Lalu Prasad, who was being constantly under the scathing attacks of Nitish and was accused for the alleged ‘Jungle Raj’ in Bihar has become his best friend and both the parties (RJD and JD-U) are contesting the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls together.
Back to Sharad Pawar. He extended unconditional support to the BJP in Maharashtra when the latter was choking under the pressure put on by its ally Shiv Sena. Pawar’s party Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), considered a UPA member but now acting more as an NDA ally, indicated that it might pull out of the so-called secular alliance in Bihar, just hours after NCP chief Sharad Pawar held a meeting of regional parties, including Nitish Kumar’s JD (U), at his Delhi residence.
The bonhomie of a ‘chai pe charcha’ among the NCP, Samajwadi Party and the JD(U) turned sour since the Pawar-led party was offered just three seats for the Bihar assembly elections slated for mid-October. Of the total 243 seats, the ruling JD-U and the RJD will contest 100 seats each, and the Congress is put in the fray for 40.
At the meeting at Pawar’s residence – also attended by the Trinamool and the National Congress, the regional parties had reportedly decided to give another try for a federal front and extended support to the anti-BJP alliance in Bihar. But, the seat-sharing formula seems to have disrupted the NCP’s equations.
Still no chance of a permanent friendship or animosity, it is politics my friend. The majority getter must not be the one who plans to rule, rather should be the one who plans to serve. Do your work dear politician friends. Electoral success will follow. Still it shall not be made the sole motive. Refrain from undermining people’s mandate! You never know what lies in EVMs after all.
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