FOES MARINATED, BECOME FRIENDS

 

 

Indian politicos are turning into mavericks, changing their partners and wooing other's partners more frequently than marriages and divorces take place in the western world. Thus, it didn't come as a surprise when Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray recently offered the Prime Ministerial post to his bitter foe, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar.

It all started with the elections to local bodies in Maharashtra, where the two main parties running the coalition government in the State – the Congress and the NCP – fought as bitterly against each other as against their main opponents Shiv Sena and the BJP. Yet, it was mainly because of the Sena's internal feuds and Raj Thackeray that both the Congress and the NCP got a majority in most local bodies except Mumbai and a few other metros. As all the leading parties firmly believed that these elections were the graded rehearsal for the next assembly and parliamentary elections, the game of wooing new partners for the future coalitions frantically geared up.

The two coalition partners, the Congress and the NCP, could not agree on seat adjustment during local polls because of leaders with personal agendas. Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi, a sworn opponent of Pawar, for instance, didn't allow the two parties to come together in the Pune Municipal Corporation. Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar captured the corporation with a discreet alliance with the Sena. The Congress too joined the game to win the local bodies and this brought Pawar closer to the Sena and hence, the Prime Ministership's offer from Thackeray.

Says Sanjay Raut, Editor of Samna and Sena Rajya Sabha member, “The Sena Pramukh offered primeministership to Pawar not only because they are old friends but because he also opposes primeministership of Sonia Gandhi." Whenever a political party shows its absolute command in the State, it has been able to rule the country by hogging a prominent position in the coalition government at Centre. Whether Pawar and Thackeray come together will not be directed solely by the results of local body elections and stray polite gestures. An electoral alliance needs to be based on solid foundation and principles. Anyway, did anybody ever believe the Sena supremo's rantings?