The evening of last week of June.
In glittering Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Sonia Gandhi sat triumphantly on a front seat in the august gathering of political leaders and newly elected MPs, dignitaries and Rahul Gandhi.
Her sacrifices had bore fruit again. The Congress and UPA was back in power.
Manmohan Singh, the chosen one of Sonia Gandhi took oath of the office of prime ministership for second term to the thunderous applause. With folded hands he greeted Sonia Gandhi gratefully.
Alongside Dr. Singh other ministers were also sworn in. P. Chidambaram retained home. Pranab Mukherji became finance minister.
L.K. Advani sat glum faced wondering what went wrong with their strategy? The weakest Prime Minister had dealt him the hardest blow. Perhaps it was a mistake to call him the weakest man because people had seen once before the same man standing up boldly in parliament landing a knockout punch to his opponents during ‘Indo-US Nuclear Deal’ voting.
The people had taken note of that.
This time Lalu Yadav and Ramvilas Paswan were left out of cabinet. They rued the day when they had decided to part ways with Congress. Sharad Pawar’s roar had turned into mew. Rahul Gandhi refused to accept any ministerial post. Several of his young lieutenants became ministers.
Rahul opted to continue to do the party work.
In the later half of 2009 assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal became due. Again price rise was the irritant for Congress and UPA. Maharashtra was the base of Congress ally NCP and it held the ministry of agriculture in the central cabinet. It was feared that the people would hold it responsible for rise in prices of food items.
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul campaigned extensively in all three states reminding people of the work they had done in rural areas, the loan waiver, NREGA, the continuing fight against terrorism and communal tension free life. The psephologists predicted Congress-NCP would get humbled by BJP-Shiv Sena combine. Yet again the people’s verdict was surprising. In Maharashtra UPA (Congress-NCP) stormed back to power with improved tally. The people had preferred to live with high prices provided the peaceful life in secular atmosphere continued, terrorism was contained and educated governance was carried on. In this election. too several young faces chosen by Rahul Gandhi romped home.
In Haryana and Arunachal too Congress won. Thus Sonia Gandhi had scored three out of three. The 2009 year proved that there was no match for Sonia Gandhi in political arena of India. The public support to the opposition parties continued to dwindle. They were refusing to change with the changing times. On the other hand the Congress under Sonia Gandhi was constantly adapting to the changing situations and making ideological adjustments.
With a massive popualtion of youth India is a very young nation and the young population increasingly would matter more and more. Congress and Sonia Gandhi have promising young brigade marshalled by Rahul Gandhi and they have their fingers on the pulse of the youth. They understand the aspirations of the youth and the way young minds think and work. Hence Youngistan is for Congress. Most of the other parties are saddled with old leadership whose minds are buried in bygone era. They can’t understand the changed times or know the language of youth. They refuse to come into the present from the past. Hoping against hope these old men keep their dead horses of the outdated ideologies flogging to make it rise and start galloping which is not going to happen.
Irony is that the power hungry old generation won’t make way for their young second or third rung leadership. By the time the second rung gets chance it would already be old.
Setback for Sonia—Telangana challenge
Soon after Lok Sabha election victory a setback came for Sonia Gandhi and Congress when Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Reddy died in a chopper crash. He had earned handsome victories for Sonia Gandhi and Congress in Andhra. His death resulted in succession war. Congress High Command gave the charge to old experienced Rossiah.
There was revolt as a large number of ministers and MLAs wanted YSR’s son, Jagan Mohan be made chief minister but Sonia Gandhi did not want an immature person in charge of the state. The inexperienced youth could bungle and wreck his own political career besides the fate of the party in state. YSR was an able and immensely popular leader. A tactful politician he was. His departure put the state in a flux and taking advantage of it Telangana leaders pushed for separate state. TRS (Telangana Rashtriya Samiti) leader undertook ‘Fast unto Death’ demanding Telangana. As his condition deteriorated progressively pro-Telangana mobs went on rampage. To save the situation home minister promised Telangana. Then anti-Telangana agitation broke out and situation worsened.
2010 and future years will see how Sonia Gandhi and her team tackles Telangana issue. The creation of Telangana would lead to agitations, fasts and violence in demand of dozens of new states that respective people of various parts want. It will test the political craft and statesmanship of Sonia Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhi—A decade as congress mascot
Sonia Gandhi has passed a decade milestone two years ago as the President of Indian National Congress. It is a very long period, remarkably in a democratic setup. On March 14, 1998 she answered the prayers of the Congressmen who had been at it for a number of years since the death of Rajiv Gandhi. The party could not survive without some one from Nehru-Gandhi family taking charge of it. The party indeed was in bad shape. Self destructive factionalism and groupism was ravaging it.
Upon receiving positive signal from Sonia Gandhi the Congress Working Committee asked the incumbent president Sitaram Kesari to resign and make way for Sonia Gandhi. In the same evening Sonia Gandhi arrived at All India Congress Committee headquarters at 24, Akbar Road, New Delhi. She accepted the CWC invitation to take charge of the party and redeem it as a tribute to late Indiraji and Rajivji whose legacy it was.
In 1998 just before the above event Congress had lost the 1998 Lok Sabha elections badly at the end of Narsimha Rao’s tenure as PM. The party was facing a bleaker prospects ahead. A Nehru-Gandhi legacy heir was needed to change the fortunes of the party. The communal forces were on the ascendance. Only a revived and rejuvenated congress could stem the rise of communal elements. A long drawnout ugly tussle between Sonia loyalists and their opponents had preceded the March 14, unravelling. Sitaram Kesari was charged with the failure in keeping Congress tradition going.
The party was disintegrating under him.
Sonia Gandhi had arrived at AICC with a mission of redeeming the Nehru-Gandhi legacy and to wage a war against communal forces. Some leaders who did not like her entry had to leave. Sharad Pawar and Sangma were amongst them. The loyalists had full hope Sonia would prove electoral talisman as every member of Nehru-Gandhi family had proved so far. Her arrival did prove lucky for Congress. The infightings stopped and discipline got infused. Sonia seemed to have galvanised the party. Within nine months of her take over Congress scored a hat-trick, winning assembly elections in H.P., Rajasthan and Delhi. Delhi still remains firmly in the hold of the Congress. Sonia magic was working.
In 1999 when Vajpayee government was voted out mid-term poll became necessary.
But in between Kargil happened. War frenzy took over the minds of the people. Vajpayee managed to present himself in the image of Kargil war hero. The 1999 Lok Sabha elections followed in communally charged atmosphere. The BJP succeeded in whipping up communal sentiments. As a result Congress fared badly even worse than 1998 tally. The opponents claimed the Sonia magic was a non-existent element, a total fiction. But it was wrong. The magic had got overshadowed by temporary communal passion.
The sobering experience of 1999 defeat taught many lessons to Sonia Gandhi and it showed how communalism destroyed common sense of the folks. The electoral setback did wonders for Sonia Gandhi causing her evolution into a mature political persona. She developed healthy scepticism of all the sycophants and yes people. A thinking politician Sonia Gandhi became. She now knew the real worth of her political legacy, political estate of the party and challenges it faced.
With a fresh mind and devoid of all prejudices Sonia began to reach out to non-Congress parties who were originally bred by anti-Congressism in the period when Congress was a big banyan tree that won’t allow any other growth under it. Other political groups only saw Congress as a big danger to their existence and prospects. Sonia Gandhi knew old bitternesses had to be buried, friendly accommodating attitude adopted, and with forgiveful mind others approached softly. That was the way to go in the era of coalitions. Secularism should serve as a common platform and fight against communal forces the battle cry.
With that policy in mind and displaying acumen Sonia was able to roll back the old legacy of mistrust and bitterness, forge an alliance of secular parties called UPA. That paved the way for the Congress to return to power at centre. Under her Congress was not a dreaded dragon. It become a friendly and accommodating party.
After 2004 victory Sonia continued the policy of friendliness and began to emerge as a benign force every party wanted to be aligned to as it proved mutually beneficial. Even arch enemies admired this change over. She was no more Sonia Gandhi but friendly Soniaji for other leaders of the alliance camp or opposition.
Then, she dramatically renewed her moral authority by voluntarily renouncing prime ministerial crown. It shut up her ‘foreign origin’ detractors and made them look sheepish. In that act she raised herself to the stature of a ‘Queen Supreme’ admired and adulated by others. Then, came the stunning success of 2009 Lok Sabha elections inspite of price rise and a host of other negative factors. To some extent it defied any explanation.
The massive victory made even allies squirm. Was Congress again on the path of becoming monolithic giant? Her position became more secure after Rahul Gandhi began to evolve into a political force with bright future. Sonia now has no worries about her legacy.
A bright star is on the horizon. The Congress is happy under her, eagerly looking forward to 2014 electoral battle for Lok Sabha with aces up its sleeve.
Women’s reservation bill
One of the dreams of Rajiv Gandhi that Sonia Gandhi wants to realise is enacting a law to reserve 33% quota of seats for women in parliament and assemblies. Currently 50% of the population of India constituted by women are grossly under represented. 33% representation would bring in a revolutionary change in the empowerment of women politically which will translate into all other fields of life. The woman will get a much much bigger say in legislative bodies, political and social forums and transform the status of women in the country.
In 2010 Budget session of the parliament Sonia Gandhi pushed for the passage of the bill with determination through Constitution (108) amendment During the passed 14 years earlier bids had failed due to the rabid opposition by narrow minded leaders who saw devils in it. When unfair means were resorted to by opposition, at the behest of Sonia Gandhi Congress acted firm got the bill passed in Rajya Sabha by landslide (185-1) votes. This time BJP and Left parties firmly supported the bill. The women folk rejoiced country wide. If the battle in Lok Sabha for the bill is also won it would be a historic achievement for Sonia Gandhi.
SONIA back as NAC CHIEF
The National Advisory Council is back with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at its head, promising to give a strong fillip to the UPA government’s social sector agenda that is at the heart of the party’s political strategy to consolidate its aam admi base.
The revival of the NAC, that had folded up following Sonia’s resignation after the office-of-profit controversy, has been on the cards since the Supreme Court gave its assent to the Centre’s new law on the offices that MPs can hold.
As head of the NAC, Sonia, with the status of a cabinet minister, will be leading a team of domain experts and civil society activists who as members of the elite body will be a separate think tank outside of ministries and the Planning Commission.
The NAC is expected to propose laws and make interventions to strengthen the string of entitlements UPA has crafted—from NREGA to the proposed food security bill.
During the first term of UPA, the big initiatives—that are now seen to have been a success—from rural employment guarantee to the right to information, were initiated by the NAC.
The rebirth of the NAC comes at a time when Sonia has asserted herself with regard to the government’s agenda with initiatives like the women’s reservation bill and the food security bill. The tussle with the opponents over the women’s bill brought out her willingness to stake her political capital on social security initiatives she deems significant.
The NAC’s sharp focus has ensured that key programmes are not only not diluted but, as in the case of NREGA, expanded through the country. It can be expected to deal with development issues in areas like Bundelkhand which also coincide with the Congress’s political priorities.
The tenure of the NAC members will be for one year, showing that the chairperson wants to keep elbow room for changes in view of her previous experience. The chairperson’s term is expectedly co-terminus with the panel itself.
The notification issued on March 29, 2010 took ample care to clarify that MPs on the NAC panel would not be entitled to draw any “remuneration, allowances or perks as such member from the NAC other than the compensatory allowance as defined in clause (a) of section 2 of Parliament (prevention of disqualification) Act, 1959”.
Sonia had quit the NAC after the opposition alleged that she had violated the ‘office of profit’ principle, like SP MP Jaya Bachchan who lost her Rajya Sabha seat. The Congress chief had then resigned from Lok Sabha.
FOOD SECURITY BILL
The Congress manifesto for 2009 elections had promised to enact “a right to food law that guarantees access to sufficient food for all people, particularly the most vulnerable sections of society. The party pledges that every BPL family either in rural or urban areas will be entitled, by law, to 25 kg of rice or wheat per month at Rs 3 per kg.” It also promised subsidised community kitchens for homeless people and migrants.
Within days of taking over the reins of the National Advisory Council (NAC), Congress President Sonia Gandhi has stepped in to make Food Security Bill more effective for the poor.
She has already conveyed to government managers that the Food Security Bill should provide 35 kg of food grain to families below the poverty line (BPL) per month instead of the 25 kg proposed earlier. She is also in favour of including the Above Poverty Line category in the ambit of the landmark legislation.
The National Food Security Bill aims to remove hunger and malnourishment, but the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said that the Government should make sure that the facilities reach the poor.
