ARUN JAITLEY
Leader of Opposition (Rajya Sabha)
On October 30, 2013 an Anti-Communalism Conference was organized at New Delhi. At the Conference there were familiar faces many of whom have shared the government with BJP in the past. Their participation in the conference was a part of their new strategy to re-position themselves.
There are two old strategies available to some of these political parties. They oppose the BJP on the principle of anti communalism. They support the BJP on the principle of anti Congressism. It doesn’t take them very long to decide as to what the current principle is.
Yesterday’s conference calls for a dispassionate analysis. None of the participants were concerned with the corruption of the Congress. They were not critical for mismanagement of the economy. They were not concerned with the threats to security emerging from incidents of terrorism. The conference was not in tandem with strong public opinion where there is a sense of revulsion against the present Government on account of the serious corruption scandals. There is a complete disillusionment with the leadership of the UPA. The leadership of the present government is non-inspirational. The alternative dynastic leadership being thrown up by the government in the name of dynasty is now being increasingly discussed by the people. The convention made no critical comments to any of these. The conference ostensibly of opposition parties refrained from hitting out at an unpopular government. Instead of attacking the incumbent it sought to challenge the challenger. This is the indirect strategy of helping the UPA.
Any talk of the Third Front is an exercise in futility. The Third Front is a failed idea. The Third Front governments are detrimental to governance. No single group in the purported Third Front can hope to win even 25-30 seats in the Lok Sabha. Who will anchor the Third Front? An unstable anchor can never provide a stable government particularly at a moment when people want stability in governance to rebuild the economy and the nation. The Third Front has too many contradictions. The BSP and the Samajwadi Party cannot simultaneously be a part of the Third Front. The RJD and JD(U) cannot sit together. The Left and the Trinamool Congress cannot be allies. The DMK and the AIADMK cannot be together. Most political parties which occupy the non-Congress space in their States cannot be seen either supporting the Congress or surviving at the Centre with Congress Support.
The country today needs a decisive and inspirational government. It needs a clear vision on governance. That is the popular expectation. A stable government can only be anchored by a national party with a reasonable Legislative strength.
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** Arun Jaitley – Leader of Opposition Rajya Sabha
**Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of INVC
