Hyderabad: A stable government and an equally robust Opposition which keeps an eagle-eye on the former — are two parallel wheels in a democracy. If the Opposition becomes weak to the point where they choose umbrellas to shield from thunderbolts, it will slow down the nation’s progress.
It will push democracy to a corner. The people’s aspirations will become a candle-in-the-wind. The Opposition which should ably bring to light the governments’ failures and deficiencies at the state and central level itself becoming completely incapacitated is not new to Indian politics.
As a result, the country has experienced so many disasters in the past seven-and-a-half decades. The Opposition bit the dust with consecutive victory marches of the lotus brigade under Modi’s leadership in the 2014 and 2019 general elections. The Opposition parties are still struggling to get back on their feet and to regain strength by winning back the people’s trust.
Every once in a while, they make noise on putting up a united fight being the only way to counter the strong BJP. However, each has its own way when it comes to applying this strategy. The Election Commission's announcement of the Presidential Poll schedule has revived the topic of Opposition unity.
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In placing their own candidate on the highest pedestal, as a successor to Ram Nath Kovind, the NDA is facing a shortage (in the required majority mark) of only about 20,000 votes —but bridging this gap is a cakewalk for the Modi brigade. That being said, there is also a golden opportunity for the non-NDA parties to establish a strong Opposition—to sustain the life of democracy—by unanimously fielding a common candidate.
Working towards this objective, if the Opposition acts timely and proposed a united candidate, the event will become the basis for projecting a powerful alternative in the forthcoming general elections. Letting go of fruitless egotism and narrow-minded, selfish politics, will the Opposition win this Democracy’s test by Agni-Pariksha. Or will they, as usual, succumb to their traits and neglect the nation’s welfare?
In the past, as many as 19 parties including the Congress, adopted a grand resolution to win the people’s trust with coordinated efforts. As the saying goes, empty vessels make the most noise. The leader i.e. the Congress, in its own uninspiring style, wrecked that resolution on the Opposition's trust gaining exercise.
Even though its popular appeal is waning, Sonia’s close aides are obstinate in not adopting a realistic approach. Coalition politics will succeed when a party, without being overconfident about its influence at the regional level, acts with flexibility. An alliance will stand strong, if the participants in partnership parties imbibe the wisdom and broadminded attitude of moving ahead with unity among all for each one…they will endure successfully (for a long time).
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However, contrary to this, the Grand Alliance failed in the past, being born with only a blind antipathy for the Modi regime. The alliances which sprang up, all of a sudden, in the past, in several states, with official posts as their only aim, soon disintegrated. Instead of simply criticising the ruling party, the Opposition should demonstrate their dedication and come up with the common minimum programme to address the problems of its fellow citizens.
Without any solid proposition of such nature, merely stitching up unholy alliances with its members ready to ditch the arrangement. That will remain unstable and useless to the public. It is not easy for the Opposition parties to come together on one platform with mature strategies, and face challenges which crop up at each stage besides setting aside their obstinately foolish stances. The real question is: will they be ready to achieve this unity, with people’s welfare as their higher aim, and work with sincerity of intent to prepare the ground for a strong, true alternative? (An Eenadu Editorial)
