2024 polls: TINA, TITA, or Modi vs AK, RG, MB, KCR
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, August 20: In another 19 months, India will have its Lok Sabha elections to pave way for the formation of the next government at the Centre.
After former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, none of his successors have got more than two successive terms.
Manmohan Singh completed two full terms of five years each in the office of the prime minister.
Narendra Modi will complete two full terms, and thus match Manmohan Singh’s record in 2024.
India in August 2022, with just 19 months for the finale, is at the politically most crucial phase to throw glimpses of the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections.
At such a stage in 2012, Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had begun floundering.
The Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council (NAC) had almost suffocated the prime minister’s office.
The National Food Security Bill was pushed several times by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) K V Thomas for Cabinet approval.
But the prime minister wasn’t impressed.
After one such Cabinet meetings, Thomas, who regularly supplied fresh fish to 10, Janpath, had rushed to Sonia Gandhi, sobbing like a boy who had just been slapped to complain against the prime minister.
Closest aides of Thomas in Krishi Bhavan would say that an angry Sonia Gandhi rang up the PMO, and “ordered for the Cabinet to approve the National Food Security Bill”.
That was done, and the nod of Parliament too was taken.
Jantar Mantar had already become a war zone and the most fertile ground for the television crews to pass their 24-hour shows.
The NAC is dead, and so is the Planning Commission.
Jantar Mantar is most peaceful.
Even the AISA activists of JNU have deserted Jantar Mantar.
Ram Lila Ground is also peaceful wrapped in dust and smoke.
The food subsidy bill of the Central government is now at jaw-dropping scale, several lakhs crores sucked.
But there’s one signal that suggest that the politics of the country can take dramatic turns in a short span of time.
The investigative agencies have turned into mercenaries.
The people largely have distaste for abuse of power by the ruling class.
The investigative agencies have so far laid its hands on the leaders of the Trinamool Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Shiv Sena, the Aam Admi Party and the Congress.
Among the large political parties, DMK, TRS, JD (U), YSR Congress are so far out of the net.
Law of nature says the best in the men and women come when they face existential threats, and that moment may have arrived for the opposition parties.
If that happens that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections wouldn’t be about TINA (there is no alternative) or TITA (there’s terrible alternative)
It could be Modi versus AK, MB, KCR, RG and so on.
It could also be possible that none of such abbreviated leaders be joining their hands before the polls.
It could be very much possible that such leaders may be directed by the people to sit together and decide on the next Manmohan Singh.
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