Offstumped – Commentary on Indian Politics

What politics giveth it taketh away

There is a sense of destiny with which the Law of Unintended Consequences operates.

There were just 7 months back staring at a triumphant Congress with a firm lock on Andhra looking at a stable and secure 5 year term.

And here we are 7 months later with a shaken up Congress with an uncertain lock on Andhra clueless on the political faultlines that will likey shape the rest of its term.

There was no way out for Sonia Gandhi on the long overdue demand for a separate state of Telangana. After having campaigned on the Telanagana plank in alliance with the TRS back in 2004 it was foolish of Sonia Gandhi to have put all her eggs in the immortality basket of YSR’s political persona.

Alas mortality is such a great political leveller for in the wake of its assertions it exposes many faultlines leading to even more political upheavals.

Sonia Gandhi had to do right by Telangana but to have done so in a knee jerk manner after being boxed into a political corner, reminds us once again of the Congress’ achilees heel.

No amount of media spin can help gloss over this monumental blunder.

Sonia Gandhi lack of natural political acumen, Manmohan Singh’s technocracy and Rahul Gandhi’s naivety have badly exposed the Congress.

That her political advisers blundered as well goes to once again highlight that political leadership cannot be an outsourced backroom function. A lesson for the BJP as well.

The many headlines say it all – Telangana in a limbo, Andhra in a mess and political chaos across the nation with latent demands for many states receiving a filip.

In the Telangana chaos lie many a political opportunity for the BJP, if only its moribund leadership could demonstrate vision. 

The political environment is ripe for a movement that advocates reorienting India’s fledgling federalism with a firm focus on administrative efficiency and governance.

The issue of smaller states and autonomy to local governance has the potential to rewrite many an existing political equations and marginalizing many an existing political power centers.

The BJP’s hopes of revival rest on breaking new ground and on stitching new social coalitions. There cannot be a better opportunity than this to take on the Congress over the next few years.

Is the BJP up to the challenge of offering a coherent vision and leading the movement on this issue of smaller states and freedom, autonomy to local government ?

Join us for a debate on the same at the next Offstumped Community Live Event on Sunday night – Telangana & Small States – What is the way forward ?

Filed under: DesiPundit, Live Events, Local Governance, Offstumped Community, Telangana