A continuing saga of ideological infidelity

Jitin Prasada's desertion from Congress to BJP and Mukul Roy's ghar wapsi or homecoming, a euphemism for defection from BJP to TMC smack and stink of political opportunism at its worst. Both these self-seeking and self-serving politicians are marginal players without any mass base of their own to make any difference to the political fortunes of the parties they joined. They have shown themselves to be men without ideological fidelity. For them self-promotion is the name of the game. They profess public service for self-advancement!

One fails to understand how it becomes possible for a young sophisticated politician like Jitin Prasada who understands that secularism is antithetical to Hindutva represented by the BJP to join the Hindutva-oriented saffron party. Maybe, he has been a supporter of Hindutva at heart.

There could be many more Jitin Prasadas in the Congress, but certainly not to the extent of deserving the communal tag. The Gandhis cannot be faulted for their loyalists and aides jumping ship. Jitin Prasada is a lightweight to be placed as a counterweight to Yogi Adityanath, widely perceived to favour Thakur domination in UP politics, though he, as the party's new Brahmin face may fit in with the caste equations in the state.

Mukul Roy's return to TMC has nothing to do with principles and everything to do with the lure of power. It may be a setback to BJP in Bengal. Perhaps this loss in Bengal cancels out the gain in UP.

But clearly it came about as a result of the lower and higher positions in which he and Suvendu Adhikari held within BJP. It would not have materialized if the TMC had not returned to power. Mukul Roy claimed that he was back where he belonged – the TMC family.

But then by contributing to BJP's growth in Bengal before wisdom dawned on him, Mukul Roy did all the damage that he could. We have difficulty in accepting that dumping BJP makes Mukul Roy a saint.

Defectors are without moral fibre; they are political chameleons (no disrespect intended for those beautiful fauna that adds to the kaleidoscope of nature) who deserve no place in the political sphere as they are a shame to democracy.

— G.David Milton, Maruthancode,Kanyakumari-Dt

II

As the recent assembly polls in five states throwing surprises also made it abundantly clear that Modi and BJP is dispensable provided opposition is organised and take its fight unitedly in the assembly polls due early next year. As already fresh rumblings within BJP Bengal unit and Congress started with Jitin Prasada, an important congress face from UP switching loyalty to BJP and Mukul Roy who joined BJP in 2017 to save himself from Narada scam returning to TMC is a clear revelation that in politics, there are no permanant friends or enemies and that self-interest above all matters most.

Even as infighting in Congress party in Rajasthan and Punjab on the centre-stage, there is likelihood of splits and defections in the coming days and months due to the grand old party's waning influence over its rank and file. Obvious, the entry of Rahul and Priyanka could neither change the electoral fortunes of the party nor able to give the much-needed fillip to rejuvenate and enthuse party workers to change the fortunes which it badly needs to survive in the choppy waters of politics.

In the constantly changing political scenario, the trouble with congress party is that it lacks foresight and capacity for readjustment which the changing situation demands due to division in the party between old guards and youth power. With one group vociferously supporting Rahul Gandhi blindly even when his leadership was disfavoured by the electorate repeatedly. Even Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appointed as General Secretary not able to make any impact on the party had only increased the woes of the party and dented its image further. Thus with no clarity of thought in the party, congress only remains a non-starter. As a result the party cutting a sorry figure at every poll leaves none in doubt that 'cocktail approach' adopted by the party is the cause for its repeated failings. Similarly, BJP riding on one-man Modi's popularity is at present appears far from being confident to take on regional parties which have grown stronger over the years are posing a formidable challenge to BJP.

There is not an iota of doubt that second wave of covid battered the economy taking away many lives and livelihoods has raised doubts about centre's capability about governance but at the same time, one cannot say that non-BJP ruled states were paragons of governance. However, oppostion blaming the Centre for all the ills the nation facing in these troubled times, Modi mellowing down by reversing the vaccine policy need to take more proactive measures quickly in order to soothe the tempers of the electorates before the five states including UP, the decisive state go to polls next year and the nation for Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

The fact that more and more leaders likely to come out of the party and rejoin another for one reason or the other is not ruled out. in the final analysis, the fact that Thus as the truth has come into the open that congress in the present avatar cannot take on BJP, the latest meet of political strategist Prashant Kishor meeting NCP supremo Sharad Pawar fueling speculations that a new front comprising of non-BJP regional parties will be best bet to counter BJP's influence in future hustings after seeing congress on a sticky wicket and continuing to shrinking will not only put BJP on the backfoot but compel it to change its stance on national political strategy in order to be in the reckoning, otherwise it may find extremely difficult to counter the might of regional parties both in assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

— K R Srinivasan,Secunderabad

III

Rats always desert a sinking ship. Pre-Bengal elections, barring Didi and her nephew, a bunch of rats joined the Ganges Party. Now that the Ganges party has been literally pushed into the Ganges, the rats are trying to get back to terra firma and go back. Does Didi have a large heart? Is she going to be playing the role of Ma and getting her wayward children back into her fold?

Or is she going to be a dictator and punish the errant wayward children and leave them neither in the Ghats nor the Ganges! Remains to be seen. It should be interesting.

Meantime, in another state, another Rat has left God's gift to India Party and joined the Ganges Party, in the largest state of the Country. Will more rats move from Congress?

— Gundu K Maniam,Coimbatore