The high sounding declarations about "a new political culture" and "a new ethical base" all vanished into thin air as soon as they saw a danger to their rule in Uttar Pradesh. The episode was marked by large-scale defections defying the people's verdict. MLAs with criminal and dubious antecedents were inducted into the ministry after they defected from their parent parties. The same pattern was continued later at the centre with the inclusion of some of the most tainted men in the NDA alliance, who were later on given portfolios in the Cabinet.

CENTRAL DILEMMA

The BJP which had fought the 1998 elections on its own independent manifesto, a year later gave up its manifesto and fought on the manifesto of the NDA, to accommodate the allies and in order to deceive the people. The NDA which was formed after the 1998 elections and brought into its fold several parties and splinter groups, was later expanded and now includes around 24 parties in all. It also includes the TDP which has sought to support the government, without remaining in the alliance or government. However, certain facts expose the reality of the BJP's claim about sticking to the common agenda. A number of BJP leaders, including L K Advani, are on record saying that the BJP has not given up its own agenda; in fact, it has only postponed its implementation because of the fact that it has not a majority of its own

At the same time, there has been an on-going tussle between the BJP and its government on the one side, and the RSS which is the parent organisation of the BJP. The RSS which did not directly enter electoral politics, seeks to achieve the ultimate goal of establishing a Hindu rashtra through its political outfit, the BJP. It has been trying to smuggle in its agenda, through the BJP in the fields of education, culture, foreign policy, etc. The state governments controlled by the BJP were also sought to be utilised to further RSS ends. It is in this background that the ban on government employees participating in the activities of the RSS was lifted in Gujarat. The order had to be later rescinded due to all-round protest and condemnation of this move.

OFFENSIVE ON ALL FRONTS

There have been a spate of developments since the BJP-led government assumed power last year. The ICHR was packed with known RSS personalities and later on Romila Thapar and Rajendra Yadav were sacked from the Prasar Bharati Board. The new incumbent in the chief minister's chair in UP, had passed a bill aimed at denying permission for construction of new mosques in the state. Later, the chief minister also stated that if the VHP and other organisations so desired, construction of the Ram temple could begin at Ayodhya.

An all-out effort was made to win the elections to the assemblies of Bihar, Orissa and Manipur that went to the polls recently. While in Orissa the alliance won, thanks to the BJD, which secured a majority on its own, the BJP had to be content to play second fiddle. It however, fared miserably in Bihar. Ticketwere given to history sheeters who had committed heinous crimes, all in the name of ending "jungle raj" .

  The NDA's recent perfidy in Bihar is in continuation of this very anti-federal drive of the BJP. Despite the fact that the RJD had emerged as the single biggest party after the elections and led the biggest pre-poll coalition, and despite the fact that the Congress had extended support to the RJD in forming a government, at the behest of the centre the governor called Nitish Kumar to form the government in the state. In the end, however, Nitish Kumar had to run away ignominiously, without even facing the confidence vote.

Politically motivated cases are being foisted on the Bihar CM to implicate her in order to dislodge the RJD ministry.

The recent Rajya Sabha elections further exposed them with a section of its MLAs indulging in cross-voting in Uttar Pradesh. Only a few days have passed since its government's money bill was defeated, but it refuses to resign. Had it been any other government, all hell would have been let loose.

Now they are looking towards the Congress party to come to their rescue. After all, both of them plough the same furrow as far as economic policies are concerned.

DEBACLE IN THE CONGRESS

The Congress Party has lost its monopoly of power forever: its strength was further reduced in the last parliament election to just 112 in the present Lok Sabha. This is the outcome of the policies that it has been pursuing while in government. While its economic policies led to impoverishment for the vast multitude of the people, it enriched a few. This was further escalated after the initiation of the policies of liberalisation and privatisation in 1991. It alienated the poor, the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward sections from the party. Simultaneously, it failed to take a consistent stand in defence of secularism. It vacillated and in fact connived on the Babri Masjid issue. This led to the isolation of the Congress from the minorities. These led to the depletion of the vote base of the Congress party and is responsible for its decline.

Former Prime Minister, Narasimha Rao, under whose stewardship the policies of liberalisation were initiated, and now condemned to obscurity, is now seeking to distance himself. In an article published recently, he has criticised certain aspects of these policies and emphasised on the need to tackle the problems of poverty, hunger, unemployment, etc., as well as the government's interventionist role in the social sectors. But the party as such has not done any such rethinking. Representing the interests of the bourgeois-landlord classes, it is not possible for either of these parties, the Congress or the BJP to reverse their policies.

But the Congress fails to realise that without a change in policies any regaining of the people's confidence is not possible. It lost badly in the recent elections in Orissa, where it was in power. In Bihar, it has failed to make any breakthrough, and could win only 23 seats. In Uttar Pradesh, the recent Rajya Sabha elections witnessed cross-voting by its MLAs also. Those who have clung on to the Congress despite its declining influence, are getting demoralised. No effort at revival seems to be in the offing.

REVOLT IN W BENGAL

To the contrary. A revolt has started brewing within its unit in West Bengal. The official nominee of the Congress lost the Rajya Sabha election, despite the party having a sufficient number of votes to get its candidate elected. Here, the Congress has been out of power since 1977. It has failed in dislodging the Left Front headed by the CPI(M) from government. Despite limitations, the Left Front has tried to provide whatever relief it could provide. It has provided a corruption- and scandal- free administration and has made every effort to democratise the administration at the lower levels.

The splinter group which broke away from the Congress and has tied up with the BJP, the Trinamul Congress, has mooted the idea of a Grand Alliance against the Marxists, which would consist of the Trinamul, the Congress and the BJP. While the state leadership of the Congress is all for this and has reiterated its stand in Delhi also, the central leadership has not uttered a word against this. In fact it seems that the state leadership seems to have gained the idea that they were asked to carry on and try and find out proper tactics to pursue this objective. This has enraged a section of Congressmen who feel that this will lead to further alienation of the party from the minorities.

While the Home Minister, Shri Advani welcomes the idea and stated that they have no hostility against anyone other than the Marxists, the Congress leadership is conspicuous by its silence.

CRASSS OPPORTUNISM

This betrays the utter bankruptcy of the Congress party. In their quest to somehow or the other capture power, they are willing to take any opportunist stand. It exposes the opportunism of the two major parties of the bourgeois-landlord camp. Both of them are on the same wavelength as far as economic policies are concerned. Now one more dividing line, secularism will also be compromised, once the alliance in Bengal is clinched.