Modi decimates Congress

DELHI: Rajeev Sharma

A Narendra Modi tsunami hit India on Friday, enabling the Bharatiya Janata Party to form the next government on its own with Modi as the new prime minister and mauling the entire opposition in such a way that no party, not even the Congress, can have a leader of opposition in either house of Parliament.
The Modi-led BJP won 283 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, 11 more from the magic number of 272. The Congress suffered its worst-defeat with just 44 seats, substantially lower than its previous worst performance of 114 seats in 1999. The Bahujan Samaj Party failed to open its account even after getting the third largest vote share and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) finishing with just 4 seats (out of 440 it contested) with its leader Arvind Kejriwal too getting defeated, though at the hands of none other than Modi.
The rout of the Congress shocked even the BJP as the 129-year-old party lost even the prestigious leader of the opposition status. To get that status, Congress required one tenth of the total members that is at least 55 MPs.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi read out a short statement, smilingly, and said his party expected to do better and added that he took the blame for the party's defeat. “I would like to congratulate the new government. They have clearly been given a mandate and I wish them all the best,” Rahul said.
Rahul’s mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi made a slightly longer statement, accepting the mandate of the people, adding that “in these elections the Congress candidates did the best against the opposition but the people have not given us the mandate. We accept that… We hope that the new government will not compromise on the country's unity.”
Congress leader and union minister Jairam Ramesh finally admitted that there was a 'Modi effect'. Sample his remark: “This is worse than we expected. We need to take a look case by case. Clearly there was a Modi effect no doubt about it. The Congress has faced difficult times in the past. It has a vast reservoir of strength. It has workers in every village and every town.”
The Left parties recorded their worst performance in decades. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said it was “an anti-Congress wave” from which the BJP benefitted. The BJP has gained from this anti-Congress wave resulting in a big victory for the BJP and the NDA. There was an unprecedented use of money power in these elections,” CPM politburo said in a statement.

BJP President Rajnath Singh, in his brief victory address replete with “Modi! Modi!” chants said: “Never before in history has the Congress been defeated by such a margin”.
Modi, who was accused of masterminding the anti-Muslim riots in his home state of Gujarat in 2002, promised to work for all Indians and particularly the young as he fed building expectations of what he will deliver.
“I want to make the 21st century India's century. It will take 10 years, not very long,” said the four-term chief minister of Gujarat who is expected to be sworn in as prime minister next week.
“I want to take all of you with me to take this country forward... it is my responsibility to take all of you with me to run this country,” Modi added in front of a crowd of thousands in his constituency of Vadodara.

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Anything critical said today goes against the moment of celebration. The BJP has swept the nation and deserves its day in the sun. Also, since most of India is largely and happily ignorant of what they have voted for there being scarcely any attention given the manifesto as against the volleys of viciousness there is nothing to criticize. I have to admit I have a hazy idea at best of what each party stood for. All I heard was drivel about the communal card and more drivel about development which could mean anything and really has no parameters. Which politician has ever spoken otherwise.So when I hear the political pundits say that development is the pivot of the new regime I am clueless why they are saying it. Should that not be a given and nothing to get orgasmic about.
Narendra Modi comes with a clean slate as of today. The chalk is in his hands and he will have to do the writing. The past is another place and we cannot keep going back there. Move on.
The only two cautions one can give are bed-rocked in history. The first is from Napoleon’s grandson who said power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Tread lightly and treat success as an imposter.
The second is a little more practical. Surround yourself with giants, not sycophants, the Congress will tell you how dangerous it is to have kitchen cabinets and crooks in your bed, they are fleas. Do not allow the second raters to be your voice or the rabble rousers to speak for you. India does not want to see tawdry, mealy mouthed ugly politicians spraying piety and looting the till.Only make promises you can keep. And have a list of priorities. Do use India’s huge reservoir of brains and be seen to discipline those of your flock who try to ignite communal and other divisive feelings or raise tensions.
India’s biggest problem is a disaffected youth.Thousands of young men and women with half baked degrees and a tepid education that lifts them from their ordained position on the lower rungs of the social ladder but gives them no jobs or even the remote possibility of earning power. That is your first priority.
Go for it, Mr Modi, be the man they say you are and lead from the front. Don’t do a Kejriwal and betray the public trust for an agenda.
As any General will tell you winning the war is easier than keeping the peace after that.

Bikram Vohra