Start of big talks ahead of Assembly polls Confidence Vs brashness

Big talk and something very, very characteristic of the big political parties to indulge in ahead of any Assembly election. This is exactly what seems to be happening to the State unit of the BJP as it has started rolling up its sleeves ahead of the next Assembly election scheduled to be held in the early part of 2022. That the BJP seems to be in a comfortable position is in no doubt, and not surprising for remember it is the party which is in power at New Delhi and Imphal but one wonders how well the tall talk it has been indulging in would go down with the more intelligent section of society. It was no one less than the Chief Minister who announced that the saffron party is looking to bag at least 15 seats out of the 20  seats from the hill areas and at least 40 seats overall. Its partner in Government, the NPP too had once said that it is looking to secure a majority on its own. All these tall talks no doubt make good press for it is always a delight to report on such loud claims, but it is another matter how well this would have gone down with the people, the people who actually matter, for they are the ones who will decide who wins and who is sent packing. The Congress on the other hand has been keeping a studied silence, letting the BJP do all the talking. Perhaps this is a well thought out strategy or it could be taken to mean that it has more or less decided to play second fiddle. If the latter is the case, then it is a case for worry. As always maintained by The Sangai Express whichever party comes to power, it is imperative that there is a strong Opposition in place. It is another matter that the Congress, from its initial days of trying to fulfil the role of an effective Opposition, soon found itself groping in the dark following the infamous desertions by some of its members. One only hopes that the circus after the 2017 Assembly election is not repeated after the 2022 polls. The BJP did claim that it is a party with a difference, but the manner in which defection and party hopping has happened right under its nose is starkly reminiscent of the days when the Congress was on a roll here at Imphal.
With the BJP seemingly on a high note, it is therefore not surprising to see so many in line for the party’s ticket and the interesting question is, what happens when the ticket allocation is announced. Will those who miss out on getting nominated by the BJP just step aside in the overall interest of the party or will they jump onto some other political party to nonetheless contest the election ? This is a rhetorical question but a very likely possibility and given the understanding of politics here, anything is possible. This is what has made the days ahead of the coming Assembly election all that more interesting. The presence of so many intending candidates will also undoubtedly add more colour to the coming Ningol Chakkouba festival and many may see this as the opportune moment to play their cards right to win more people onto their side. Interesting days are surely ahead and this is where all would need to come to their senses to ensure that violence should have no place in the biggest democratic exercise that comes once in five years. Let all intending candidates too come together and make a solemn proclamation that they are against any poll related violence.