Vote of anger
This is all the more worrying, as the Congress fared extremely poorly even in its traditional stronghold of Uttar Pradesh, which is the home state of the Gandhis. Even in the Rai Bareilly and Amethi constituencies, the family’s home base, the party lost eight out of the ten seats contested, even though all these were thought to be safe seats. The left-leaning Samajwadi party — led by the UP Chief Minister Mulayam, who is a Dalit— won in UP. Her political success is, of course, in itself a sign of major change in India. Many Muslim voters backed the party, essentially since it is seen as a key rival to the Bharitya Janata Party (BJP), with its strongly communal Hindu agenda. In Punjab, another crucial state in terms of politics, the Akali Dal, a Sikh party, claimed 56 out of 117 seats, leaving the Congress with 46 seats. The state of Uttarakhand in the Himalayan foothills was lost narrowly to the BJP, the latter also comfortably claiming Goa. The Congress was, however, able to hold on to the small state of Manipur.
The party has conceded that it has a lot of thinking to do. Much of it will need to be done by Rahul Gandhi, the man seen as a future prime minister and party leader, who had campaigned with great vigour by personally visiting constituencies across the country for these elections. The losses suffered by the Congress party sheds light on dynastic politics: has the Gandhi hold over India been broken?
Published in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2012.
Correction: An earlier version of the article incorrectly mentioned "Mayawati" as Samajwadi party leader instead of "Mulayam". The error has been rectified.
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To day the fact in India is that due to accelerating progress in all fields the income bracket of people is zooming. I live in a middle class city. I have four house maids helping in house holds. All of them are 12th. class pass and each of them have TV, Fridge, DVD at their home. With their husbands also working their children are studying in decent english medium schools. With this sort of economic affluence setting in; the leaders of all political party are having hey day. Leaders in tandem with government officers are amassing crore of rupees. This is true across political lines. However as the facts are coming in public knowledge various group movements are emerging. I am sure in times to come corruption, where it touches the common man will be eradicated. Only thing we appreciate in our democratic set up is that the mightiest are facing the heat and cooling their heels in jail. Slow but sure these offenders of corruption and communal forces will bite the dust. We hope Indian democracy will mature and election reforms will empower us more and more.
@ET Editors
"The left-leaning Samajwadi party — led by the UP Chief Minister Mulayam, who is a Dalit— won in UP. Her political success is, of course, in itself a sign of major change in India. "
Even after your so-called "correction", you still have got EVERYTHING WRONG!
Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajvadi Party was not the Chief Minister of UP, when he contested against Mayavati of the Bahujan Samaj Party, who was the CM! She has resigned.
Mulayam Singh Yadav is a Yadav, not a Dalit! YADAVS are a dominant group, cowherds originally, the same group amongst whom Sri Krishna took shelter and grew to adulthood. As such, they are a VERY CLEAN CASTE, very dominant, and the milk sweets prepared by this group are eaten by ALL groups throughout the North. SO, no question of their being BACKWARD, which is a term they have acquired purely for government benefits. Now the Jats too want such a Backward status!! This is called Reverse Mobility, under the Affirmative Action programs in India.
The Dalits are no more than clients and serfs under these very same Yadavs, and live on their sufferance in Yadav-dominated areas. Dalits are now dead scared of a return to GOONDA RAJ that is a hallmark of Mulayam Yadav & Laloo Yadav. Please refer to the many face-to-face interviews on NDTV & Outlook magazine to verify such.
Please get your facts right, and try to provide an accurate picture of what goes on in India; not what happens in your imaginary universe!
@VINOD: hey, i didn't write that article, i just corrected it.moreover i am not a journalist to start with and if i was one i wouldn't correct my articles in comments section
please correct the article. Mulayam Singh is cheif of Samajwadi Party not Mayawati.
@Reddy: “The left-leaning Samajwadi party — led by the UP Chief Minister Mayawati, who is a Dalit— won in UP. Her political success is, of course, in itself a sign of major change in India” FOOT IN THE MOUTH. Reddy you are joke. Mayawati is the leader of Bahujan Samaj Party and not Samajwadi Party and she has lost the election. How come you write articles for foreign press????
Now its high time for congress ruling party to realise the ultimate truth that they must change the strategy. you cannot en-cash the endeavors of Smt Indira Gandhi life long.People have come to know the truth and vision of congress, their ultimate goal and more over that the truth always surfaces out by itself. Do some really good jobs for the betterment of the country men. Stunts by Rahul by tearing papers and rolling up the hand cuffels cannot make his dreams comes true. He must leave his dream to become PM for his life time now. Endeavor pays not the cunningness.
"The left-leaning Samajwadi party — led by the UP Chief Minister Mayawati, who is a Dalit— won in UP. Her political success is, of course, in itself a sign of major change in India"
fmr CM of UP mayawati lost the election hands down, that itself is a change in India and Samajwadi party's cheif is not Mayawati ,get your facts right and straight .