On the march towards 2027 The days before the next polls
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In a year Manipur will go to polls and any talk on the next Assembly elections logically revolves around the question of where the BJP stands in the perception of the people. With a popular Government back in the thick of things, the saffron party will obviously be looking ahead to win over the confidence of the people, but this still may not answer the question of whether the return of the popularly elected Government will goad well for the party or not. The new Chief Minister and the four Cabinet Ministers (with the portfolios yet to be announced, except the post of Deputy Chief Minister) were sworn in on February 4 and even after more than a week, the Council of Ministers is yet to be expanded. To the discerning few and those who have been following the political developments with more than mere cursory interest, the question is why has it taken days to announce the names of the MLAs who will be inducted in the Council of Ministers ? Is it a case of there being a question of too many in the race and the new Chief Minister still working out the finer details to ensure that no one is left feeling being rubbed the wrong way or ignored unceremoniously or is it a question of waiting for the green signal from Delhi ? Will it be a case of Delhi deciding who are to be inducted in the Ministry ? If this is the case, then it may not go down well with the discerning folks of the land, people who believe in the line, ‘The Chief Minister is the first among equals.’ The logic is simple enough. A list drawn up by the Centre, with the Chief Minister not being given the opportunity to form his own team can erode the authority of the Chief Minister in the Council of Ministers, for this would surely send out the message that being a member of the Ministry is with the blessings of New Delhi and not necessarily the Chief Minister. These are questions which are doing the round amongst the more discernible people of the land and rightfully so, for it defies logic and sane reasoning that a popular Government is in place for over a week without the full Council of Ministers. What is stopping the Government from going in for the Ministry expansion ? Questions which only Imphal can answer and this is the primary reason why questions have been raised on whether here too a nod is being awaited from Delhi. Points which would not have blown over the consciousness of the Congress and something which can be exploited even as Manipur marches nearer and nearer to 2027 when the next Assembly election is due.
All these will sit heavy in the mind of the people when election time comes and the politics at play is indeed mind boggling. The ‘honeymoon’ over the return of the popular Government is over and it is time people start raising questions, questions which are basic to the understanding of the federal structure of the land and the fine line between the State and the Centre. The first priority is no doubt to put Manipur on the track of normalcy and while Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand appears to be reaching out to all sections of the people sincerely, it should not be forgotten that there is a State Government, a Government presently functioning without the full strength of the Council of Ministers. How long can such an arrangement carry on ? Remains to be seen how people respond to the evolving political reality of the day, but this is something which will not be allowed to be swept aside when election time comes by the other political parties, particularly the Congress. Does the BJP want to go to polls under such a climate ? The answer lies with the think tank of the saffron party but these questions are important. The voters may have a short memory and there could be strategies to wean the people away from the reality, but don’t forget there are other political parties, particularly the Congress waiting to pounce on the situation and deliver blows where it may hurt. Time is running out and surely the need to make the return of the popular Govt meaningful cannot be over emphasised here.
All these will sit heavy in the mind of the people when election time comes and the politics at play is indeed mind boggling. The ‘honeymoon’ over the return of the popular Government is over and it is time people start raising questions, questions which are basic to the understanding of the federal structure of the land and the fine line between the State and the Centre. The first priority is no doubt to put Manipur on the track of normalcy and while Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand appears to be reaching out to all sections of the people sincerely, it should not be forgotten that there is a State Government, a Government presently functioning without the full strength of the Council of Ministers. How long can such an arrangement carry on ? Remains to be seen how people respond to the evolving political reality of the day, but this is something which will not be allowed to be swept aside when election time comes by the other political parties, particularly the Congress. Does the BJP want to go to polls under such a climate ? The answer lies with the think tank of the saffron party but these questions are important. The voters may have a short memory and there could be strategies to wean the people away from the reality, but don’t forget there are other political parties, particularly the Congress waiting to pounce on the situation and deliver blows where it may hurt. Time is running out and surely the need to make the return of the popular Govt meaningful cannot be over emphasised here.