Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh were now fully aware that terrorism emanating from Pakistan had to be stopped at all costs. It was time to talk tough and rule out no option.
P. Chidambaram took over as new home minister and got down to the business of working out anti-terror measures and make sure that 26/11 would never repeated again. To combat and investigate terrorism matters National Security Agency was set up. Four anti-terror Commando force centres were planned near major metropolitan hubs. The intelligence agencies were streamlined and beefed up. Better arms and equipment for police forces were promised and steps were initiated to fulfil it. Information sharing modalities with US and British intelligence agencies in respect of terror were worked out.
Meanwhile, the relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated. Through the captured terrorists it became clear that the plot of 26/11 was hatched in Pakistanis, terrorists trained and dispatched to India through sea route. All the ten terrorists were identified as Pakistani. The plotters were also identified. The evidence mounted to show that Pakistan indeed was a breeding ground of terror. The relations became so tense that war like situation got created. The air forces of both the countries roared in skies. Both sides began counting their respective nukes.
It worried the world. India was able to create world opinion against Pakistan to create international pressure. Never before was Pakistan under such intense global pressure to move against terrorists breeding and flourishing on its soil with connivance. of ISI and degenerate military officials. Pakistan at last moved against terrorists who had planned 26/11 attack. Hafiz Saeed was put under house arrest. Zarar Shah and Lakhvi were arrested and chargesheeted on the basis of the dossiers provided by India containing evidence and material discovered in 26/11 investigation and DNA samples of surviving terrorist Kasab and 9 others dead. Then, in an international meeting Manmohan Singh and Pak PM Gilani met at Sharm-al-Sheikh. In softened attitude Dr. Singh agreed to reopen bilateral talks between the two countries. Pak PM, Gilani promised Pakistan would act against terrorists firmly.
But after going back to Pakistan Gilani made statement that sent wrong signals to India. Pakistan again appeared to be falling back into its habitual denial mode. India reacted sharply and made it clear that no talks were possible until the 26/11 terrorist handlers and motivators were punished and justice done.
Worries for Sonia Gandhi
The price rise was worrying Sonia Gandhi as it was spoiling their aam aadmi friendly image. Prices of commodities had hit the common man hard. The promise of 2008 later half crop bringing down the prices proved wrong. Food grain production had fallen. Sugar stocks were down. The global recession had made matters worse. Sugar and food grains and pulses in the international market were scarce and very costly. Imports could not help at the price front.
The recession in USA was affecting India also. Several sectors were feeling the pinch. Exports were going down.
Shortage of rains, floods or excessive rains were affecting the vegetable production and the prices were ever shooting up. There was no relief anywhere for the aam aadmi.
Sonia Gandhi understood the helplessness of the UPA government. It could do little because there was no practical solution to the problem.
The only consolation was that in assembly elections the Congress had gained victories inspite of price rise. Perhaps the people understood the helplessness of the UPA regime and still not lost faith in sincerity of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
2009 brought little cheers and more worries because Parliamentary elections were drawing closer. The term of UPA government was nearing its end and prospects were not rosy.
But the situation had to be faced. After presenting interim budget dissolution of Lok Sabha was recommended for early polls. But the Election Commission announced staggered polling in phases in the months of May and June, the hot summer months when the campaigning would be a challenging task. The Election Commission had its own problems as the massive electoral exercise needed a lot of preparations and logistic planning. An adequate security cover was to be worked out for peaceful, free and fair polling.
2009 Lok Sabha Elections swan song act of L.K. Advani
The announcement of Lok Sabha elections triggered off a flurry of political activities. Fanatic permutation and combinations began to be worked out. The situation looked very uncertain. Most of the political analysts predicted the return of Manmohan Singh for the second term as Prime Minister was impossibility regardless of the support of Sonia Gandhi. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had just undergone a bypass surgery.
Situation was so uncertain that even UPA partners appeared to be falling out. Sonia Gandhi declared that Manmohan Singh would be the next prime ministerial candidate of UPA and Congress would go to the people with that agenda. Some UPA leaders made noises and threw hints that anyone could be the PM once election results were out. Sharad Pawar thought he might stake claim to PM’s post in post-election scenario. Even Lalu Prasad Yadav was not forthcoming. NDA still existed and L.K. Advani got himself declared as NDA’s sole Prime Ministerial candidate. He strutted around as virtual PM considering Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and UPA to be already down and out. He said Manmohan Singh was the weakest PM India ever had and the country could not afford a clueless person like him. He claimed UPA had failed to deal with terrorism and terrorists were walking all over India.
The country needed a strong ironman like him as PM, L.K. Advani said. Some ridiculous acts he indulged in to present himself as a young man of 82 years. He started blogging and got himself photographed in a gym working at dumb bells. His war cry was ‘Get rid of the weakest PM, Manmohan singh’. Advani led a vicious personal attack on Manmohan Singh using uncharitable words. He challenged Dr. Singh to a public debate on national issues knowing fully well that a person just back from bypass surgery of heart could not engage in arguments or heated discussions.
L.K. Advani was impatient to be PM. It was his last chance to take a shot at it because he was at the fag end of his political carrier. Becoming Prime Minister was his all consuming dream. All through his carrer he had remained No.2 to A.B. Vajpayee. He was making a desperate attempt.
Meanwhile Mulayam Singh, Lalu Yadav and Ramvilas Paswan had formed a group and were hoping that their group after the elections would have enough numbers to act as king makers.
In UP the Congress had decided to go it alone hoping to cash in on the ground work done by Rahul Gandhi to revive Congress and attract youth. A seat sharing arrangements could not be worked out with Samajwadi Party as it was not accommodating. Rahul Gandhi and his faithfuls insisted on going it alone as they were certain of Congress turn around.
On the other hand Left parties were playing their own game. They along with some regional parties had come together and formed ‘Third Front’ and projecting ‘Mayawati’ of BSP as its candidate for Prime ministership. It claimed it was a viable alternative to Congress and BJP led alliances.
Far removed from realities they were.
On the above lines the campaigns were led.
The political observers were not betting on anyone. Most of them thought it would be fractured mandate and anything could happen in forming the government. The consensus was that mid term poll after a few months or years was a sure prospect.
Every one seemed to be beating one’s own drum. There were war cries of ‘change the government, change system’ etc.
Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi remained firm that Manmohan Singh would again be Prime Minister and shall continue to good work he was doing to make country an economic power. This time Rahul Gandhi led a sustained campaign attracting the attention of the youth. His visits to dalit homes and breaking bread with them had made positive impression. Congress party had given tickets to several young faces at the recommendation of Rahul Gandhi.
Priyanka did extensive campaigning in the constituencies of her mother and brother almost freeing them to do electioneering elsewhere.
The 2009 Lok Sabha elections were held in several phases. Leaders campaigned in scorching heat and dust of May and June. By the time the last phase was gone through all looked drained and exhausted.
The counting of votes began on 16th June, 2009 at 8 a.m. As trends began to come in political observers and psephologists sat stunned. The unexpected was happening. The Congress party was heading for a massive gain. The people did not want any change. They wanted Sonia Gandhi and her chosen man Manmohan Singh back again to carry on the battle against terrorism and the recession. The voters had forgiven UPA for its failure to check price rise.
For L.K. Advani it was a shock. He would never become Prime Minister. The people had punished him for being arrogant and uncharitable to the gentlemanly Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Something was badly going wrong for BJP. When in their rule price of onion shot up to Rs. 30 a kg the voters threw them out. In UPA rule the prices of all commodities had gone
up many times more, yet the people were ready to put up with it. What was the mystery?
The fact was that everytime BJP went before people their past sins visited them. Their communal face surfaced.
In this election just in the early phase of the campaign TV channels got hold of a cassette which showed BJP youngman Varun Gandhi making a fanatical speech against Muslims. That piece was played again and again by channels giving impression to the people that BJP had learnt nothing and changed nothing. The party did not expel him to make amends but appeared to defend him allowing benefit of doubt. Infact, what Varun Gandhi said was what everyone of Sangh Parivar would have liked to say but were not saying to avoid condemnation.
Then, L.K. Advani also had to pay some price for opposing India friendly Indo-US Nuclear Deal purely for political purpose. He had fought for the interests of Pakistan and China at the cost of interests of India. The people hadn’t forgotten that.
Similarly, Left parties paid heavy price for their rabid opposition to ‘Indo-US Nuclear Deal’ simply because they opposed it due to their outdated mindset, psychopathic dislike of USA and for the sake of the interests of China against the interests of their own country. Left was almost wiped out in the 2009 elections for Lok Sabha. Clear indications are that they will also lose their state bastions of West Bengal and Kerala when the assembly polls will held.
Left parties and extreme right like BJP have one thing in common. They learn nothing from their own experience and history. Both are prisoners to ideologies that belong to another era and both the outfits are cadre based. Their leaderships pay for the misdeeds committed by their cadres who operate like criminal gangs at one stage to the detriment of the common folk.
What ugly things Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, VHP, RSS etc do in the name of religion the Left cadres do in the name of communist ideology in their respective zones of influence. Their leadership can do little about it because they are dependent on the same cadres to do ground work during elections or for organising rallies to show their strength. The two extreme wings are in the same boat and the people are going to rock their boat. Pity is that they don’t know how to swim.
2009 Lok Sabha verdict was the victory of Sonia Gandhi, secularism, honesty of Manmohan Singh, silent work done by UPA for rural folks, NREGA, maturing up of Rahul Gandhi and youth power of Congress.
Compared to 143 seats in 2004 Congress party won 206 seats in 2009 Lok Sabha elections inspite of terror attacks and price rise. Voters seemed to have matured up. They realised that prime necessity of the hour was continuity and stability as the country was passing through a delicate period faced with recession and terrorism. To deal with recession economist like Dr. Singh was required to stay in charge and to deal with terrorism the voters felt what UPA was doing is adequate. Nothing less or more was needed. And for that voters decided they would pay the price, higher price of the commodities and hope for the relief in future. The rural votes went heavily to UPA for its work in rural sector through various programmes especially NREGA. Price rise did not hit rural folk hard. Infact it brought some money to rural area in the form of higher prices for agricultural products. The employment generated by various schemes also put some money in the pockets of the rural poor.
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