Elections 2009

Surprise was the word for these Elections. Congress didn't expect so many seats, BJP didnt expect so few, LJP got none and for the first time since PV Narasimha Rao's Government we won't get to see Ram Vilas Paswan in the cabinet. This elections has surely seen a change in Bihar and the end of Laloo's reign. No more are the people of Bihar going to vote for Criminals and corrupted Politicians. In Andhra Pradesh Lok Satta won 1 seat, it's a beginning of many good things to come for them. The News channels are busy analyzing what were the reasons for this success of Congress. I have managed to come up with some on my own.

(1) Congress fighting alone in UP. This is not Rahul Gandhi's magic as the Congress claims but a fairly simple case of BJP commiting suicide. The people of UP were fed up with BSP as Mayawati's development activities consisted of putting up statues of herself everywhere. Munnabhai didn't exacly turn on his magic for SP and Kalyan Singh ( The Chief Minister of UP during Babri Masjid Demolitions) joining them meant the Muslim votes were gone. So the people of UP had to choose between BJP and Congress and BJP not taking any action against Varun Gandhi only meant all the votes went to Congress. The BJP should have shared the votes with them but they lost a crucial 10 votes due to this and allowed Congress to put up a reasonable performance in UP after many years.

(2) Kerala's Crests and Trough's. It is a well known fact that the LDF (Left Democratic Front led by CPI) and UDF (United Democratic Front led by Congress) come to power every alternate term. So the UDF was bound to come to power this time around and this helped Congress.

(3) Finally Bengal awakens. Frankly no one knows (except the Kolkata people) as to how the Left has been in power for more than 30 years. It had to happen. Finally the people got tired and voted for their only other option the Trinamool Congress and Congress's pre-poll alliance with them meant they had pulled off an unlikely victory.

(4) Turn around in Rajasthan. This is another instance of BJP shooting itself. Vasundhara Raje frankly didn't learn anything from her loss in the Assembly Elections and BJP's infighting meant the Congress got the loot. The Gujjar controversy during her rule didn't help at all.

(5) Too many cooks spoil the broth. This was the case in Andhra Pradesh. PRP, Left, TRS, TDP, Congress all wanted to rule. People were confused. The Mahakutami Alliance of TRS, TDP and Left had no agenda and they were basically parties with different Ideologies. Chiranjeevi didn't know what he was getting into, accusing Congress of corruption on one hand and selling party tickets on the other is not exacly 'Change'. He also dared to compare himself with Barack Obama. So people went for the choice which looked stable and held more promise.

(6) Congrees for the first time since 1980 projected a Prime Minister before the Elections. The honest face of Manmohan Singh played its part.

(7) Role of BJP. As a primary opposition party, BJP should have exposed the wrongdoings of the previous Government in terms of Security, Economy etc.. Instead they chose to waste their time debating about getting the money back from the Swiss Banks. Narendra Modi got into a useless confrontation with Rahul over the Diamond Workers. It was almost as if Congress played a strategy to lure them away from the real issues. BJP by raising the Ram Temple issue in the middle of elections lost focus. It looked like Congress by literally acquitting Quattrochi lost the plot but by then the Elections were won.

Another Chapter of this great story ends and this war has been won by Congress but there are more bitter battles to come and surprises will naturally follow.

P.S - I wish to Thank my Father for helping me with this Post.