I am very happy to see that Amma and Didi retained power and both the leaders emerged victorious inspite of all odds. However, they back in power because of their good work towards people. These regional parties are hinting indirectly that they don’t want the help of National parties like Congress and BJP to form a government. They are the lone crusaders. Jayalalitha has borne the responsibility to march AIADMK towards the path of victory. She has rewritten the history of Tamil Nadu politics. Her welfare policies like Amma canteens, Amma pharmacies, Amma Water, Amma vegetable markets and anything associated with Amma continues to be successfully implemented. She could connect with the common people and not only won their confidence but also gave them assurance that they will be taken care of. The subsidy price at which everything is being available for the middle-class and lower middle-class made her popular among the masses. In fact, no other state in India or the earlier regime of DMK had ever given a thought of these types of subsidized welfare schemes. During her tenure, she has bought transparency in the recruitment of schoolteachers and Assistant Professors in Arts and Science colleges through TRB.
Whereas in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress has registered it’s best performance ever. The party has not only retained its traditional stronghold in the southern part of the State, where it has been winning local elections for a decade, but has increased its tally in the northern parts too. Moreover, for the first time in a State-level election, the party independently polled nearly 45 per cent of the votes. In the 2011 Assembly elections, the Trinamool bagged 38.93 per cent in an alliance with the Congress and in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, fighting independently, the party polled 39.77 per cent votes. The party was ahead in 214 Assembly segments in 2014 and bagged 184 seats in 2011.
Results indicate that only the Left Front share has dropped sharply, while both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party gained, besides the ruling party. While the BJP’s share dropped from 17 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls to a little over 10 per cent, the party has gained in seats and percentage from the 2011 Assembly elections. The Congress’s share, hovering around 10 per cent since the formation of the Trinamool two decades ago, has reached over 12 per cent. The grand old party has bagged 42 seats as in 2011. Precisely why the party chief in the State, Trinamool won from Left’s constituencies, rather than from the Congress-controlled seats; the Left’s loss is the Trinamool’s gain. Didi actually wiped-out left from West Bengal. Her people trust her and she has actually brought change in the state.
Mamata and Jayalalithaa are ‘Iron Lady’ of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu respectively. The Jayalalitha’s conditions during the campaign would make anybody mad. However, she stood up with a fighting spirit and announced freebies in manifesto, which works to say the least. However, she can bring changes by correcting her rank as a standard leader. She must stop her first person projection in all her statements. She must stop her party’s MLAs from wasting the public money by singing her praise. It is nauseating for the public ear. That would make Amma and her party more decent. The opposition must be given its due for debate. These are all very simple steps with far reaching positive consequences. Even people have given incumbent AIADMK government another chance, which is needed to close all existing schemes, and newly announced ones. Overall, Amma is a good choice!
The DMK chief for his own reasons chose to carry the water soaked sand bag of Congress in his old shoulders. That load weighed him down. If as reported in some sections, as Stalin wanted, the DMK had gone alone without Congress, the results could have been better for the party. Kalaignar will have to rue for a second time, the effects of ”Koodaa Natpu” even though his party is not a paragon of virtues.
Even though, these are state assembly elections, better informed voters in all the five states, have expressed their anger against the Congress party for its infamous record of scams followed by organized disruptions in the Rajya Sabha sabotaging the legislative business due to loss of valuable man hours. Rahul’s promise to work hard to win the confidence of the people is to be seen as admission that the Congress party has lost the confidence of the people. Congress needs a facelift and strong leadership; else party will lose its foothold. A ”corruption mukt Congress” is what Indian democracy needs now.
However, the BJP victory in Assam and relative victory reminds me of Arvind Kejriwal defeating age old Chief Minister Sheila Dixit of Delhi. When people look for change, they vote for less devil among them. Assam too was overboard with old man Tarun Gogoi, on state level they had no other option to choose besides BJP. Modi and BJP celebrated the party’s victory forgetting losses in other states. Anyway, they have not won in Assam on their merits. It’s an anger against Congress party and the promises that Modi made, gave them a chance here. Whatever may be the outcome still 20 per cent of Indian map shows the existence of Congress. Further, UP elections are ahead and there too Mayawati is strong this time. In short, the woman power is blooming in all corners. Let’s see, India will be saffronised or still they will hang on to ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’.
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