This is blog that is posted once in a year if not less frequently, so the topic that's discussed should be equally rare, shouldn't it be. I think elections that happen once in every five years are worth discussing here. Except this time it doesn't look like we 'll have to wait that long for the elections to happen again. Over the years, the equations have definitely changed, some time it looks like this is a cycle when people start getting fed up with the leading parties and choose smaller fishes which are even worse and then come back to Congress or BJP.
Talking about Congress, i would say congress has done rather well in the last five years. The Share market touched twenty two thousand from a meagre six thousand during the last government's term, although it came crashing down to eight thousand back again but that is the effect of world financial crisis on which government doesn't have any control. On the contrary, the current government has done well in handling the global situation and hasn't allowed it to become a crisis in India, we're still facing a slowdown and not a crisis with our financial institutions quite strong when the same are bleeding around the world.
Congress has always portrayed itself as a defender of a common man but have they really done something for the so called common man, it's really hard to say and i would rather not comment on that. But according to the general perception Congress is good enough to run the country. What if the non tolerance has grown throughout the country under the vociferous encouragement of local politicians who want to gain some political grounds from sectarian tactics whether it be cast or region or the colour of their skin, and the silent encouragement of the central government who doesn't want to loose any more local votes. What if this silent encouragement has sprung leaders like thakares, baisalas and mayavatis who would be glad to butcher the country into pieces to get a handful of votes and some inches of proximity to power.
The list of What ifs is long, so lets talk about something else. How about the probables for Prime Ministers. Below i think are the candidates for Prime Ministership.
Manmohan Singh: The prospect of him becoming the PM again doesn't excite me much. The old guy needs a break and a well deserved one. Don't make him work till the time he goes to the grave. I think he has performed his part, played his role to the consummate perfection and should be allowed to retire from a long and rewarding career. He would be always remembered as the man who laid the foundation of India as a financial superpower, if the future leadership managed to do something meaningful with India.
Mayawati: She's young, she's dynamic, she's vibrant, she's people's leader. So what's exactly wrong about her ? She's the antitheses of decency, her public image is that of a greedy, abysmally corrupt, opportunist and sectarian politician who doesn't know how to live in a civilised society. Her image is bad enough for Uttar Pradesh and no decent Indian could bear that image being portrayed for India on the world stage. She has taken the caste based politics to its pinnacle by installing her statues around the Uttar Pradesh. If she becomes the Prime Minister, there will be lot of people like me who'll loose their mind.
Sonia Gandhi: I think most of the converts (in her favour) over the last 5 years won't mind her becoming the Prime Minister. She has proved a lot over the last five years, denouncing the most respected post in India and choosing a deserving candidate, holding the strings of the government from outside and leading the coalition to the five years of successful term. She has created a image of a tough woman for her who has sense to do something meaningful with the responsibility without being a power freak.
Lal Krishna Advani: He has been there for more than fifty years, trying very hard for the party, has been there around the leadership but could only make it to the top when Vajpayi left. Gives a feeling that after this all hard work, perseverance and patience, he should get the ultimate reward, but he's too old and too hardliner on hindutva to make it to the top. I think he has to be satisfied with what he has achieved so far.
Rahul Gandhi: He's my man for the job. Yes, i know he's naive, he's inexperienced, he's almost clean and innocent yet after 5 years in politics. But the good thing about him is his unwillingness, his lack of personal ambition. he has seen power from so close that it doesn't mean anything to him. Power is responsibility to him rather than any ambition. This lack of ambition will allow him to do the things which wouldn't just be vote puller. He's not exactly a dynamic leader, not a crowd puller for sure but if you listen to his speeches, you would get an idea that he's not as stupid as he's made out to be. He talks about the problems we are facing rather than presenting the rosy picture laced with rhetoric that others do. Anyways, if not this time, it's always next time to him. Also, it seems like Congress and mother Sonia wants him to gain some more experience, some more acceptability before embarking upon the job which eventually has to come to him, so why hurry.
Narendra Modi: He has been given so much credit for being a very strong leader who has been quite supportive of business and industries, his fame grew a lot after he cajoledTata to setup the Nano shop in Gujrat. He has the support of industry as well as from inside BJP. Despite all this the Gujrat riot ghost will haunt him for life. He has been a mass murderer who has made a horrible use of the limited power of a Chief Minister, imagine him with the power of a Prime Minister which could corrupt him to unimaginable level. Power is dangerous thing which dislocate the heads of the most stables, Modi is already a power freak. In my openion he is a perilous choice for the PM for the country and for himself.
Sharad Pawar(?): With the elections around and lack of confidence in major parties, the sidelined regional leaders like Sharad Pawar start daydreaming about the top post in indian politics. Well, at least they don't harm anyone doing that and in the process amuse themselves.
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