The loser as the winner

Gujarat was never about winning or losing or who would form the next government

When the waiters in Parliament went around flagging Gujarati cuisine menus, tongues started wagging whether Gujarat would be the new thing. Another was that following BJP Chief Amit Shah’s election as an MP whether his minions were  bending over backwards to make available a cuisine that pleased Shah’s palate. He is, after all the next important person after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the BJP’s scheme of things and therefore to do what may please him is in order. Food is important to Gujaratis and therefore a reworked menu would be the best way to herald Shah’s entry in Parliament as a member.

 Food served in Parliament comes under the purview of Railway Ministry and with the BJP ruling the Centre, it is the domain of the saffron party, in this case headed by loyalist Piyush Goel.

But as it turned out, there was more to the story that was neither about Gujarat nor Amit Shah. It was about introducing different cuisines of which Gujarati was one among them. That it was the first among others like Oriya, Kashmiri and Bangla is another matter. So Shah or no Shah, food in Parliament is set to get better, more palatable and varied.

That notwithstanding Gujarat is the flavor of the season. All eyes have been on it for some weeks now and even after the election results are out, it remains a talking point.

Gujarat was never about winning or losing or who would form the next government. It was about numbers and how many seats the Congress would wrest and BJP give. It was about Rahul Gandhi and whether he would shine or like in the past remain a non starter. And more importantly it was about whether Modi’s home turf will be  breached and the unhappiness of the people spill and take a toll on his supposed invincibility.

The Congress lost Gujarat and the BJP is all set to form the Government there. But even in its loss, the Congress has won and the BJP even while winning has lost.

This is the sum total of the dichotomy of the results that have thrown up significant pointers and important lessons. More importantly, it has stopped the BJP in its tracks and given it a jolt that it was clearly unprepared for. So even while BJP’s band of men kept saying jo jeeta wohi sikander, one who wins is king, the reality has hit hard and somewhat irreparably. Therefore, when senior ministers conceded that they expected “a few more seats” than the 99 that BJP got, it indicated how deep the wound was.

A wound it surely is and one that has cut deep. For starters, it has demonstrated that it is no longer a free for all for Modi and his team; that the electorate can never be taken for granted and Indian democracy can throw up surprises and pull the rug from under one’s feet even when one feels one is firmly entrenched.

While it is true that Gujarat has voted in the BJP for the sixth time, equally it has delivered a verdict that is dipped in disenchantment. It has allowed in the BJP but with a warning that it should tread with caution and beware from riding rough shod even where it stood firm in the past. It is for this reason that this election is more about the Congress than it is about the BJP: even as a loser Congress is making news more than the BJP.

The significant indicators are that Rahul Gandhi is the man to watch and those who wrote his political obituary post 2014 are now licking their wounds. Ofcourse his challenges are immense but they are not insurmountable. If he works, he would get on top of them and send his critics running for cover. With Gujarat he has made a beginning. Several states will go to polls next year and therefore, his work field offers multiple opportunities. Therefore, even while Modi and BJP has bagged both states, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, and added to their kitty, it is Rahul Gandhi who has made headlines.

That it is not a pro Congress vote is clear as is the fact that people’s anger against the BJP spilled over and gave them a run for their money. Nitty-gritty apart, BJP’s arrogance, their vanity and will do what we want spirit cost them heavily.

The Congress gained because there was no other Opposition worth its name but Rahul Gandhi did come out on his own and displayed a mettle that till now was alien to his persona and personality. Yesterday’s baba or pappu as he was till recently seen, has come of age and displayed that he, if he works hard, can deliver.

Rahul apart, the BJP needs to do course correction. The results have shown that the going is not good and some course correction is required by way of policy and delivering on promises that Modi has rashly made to the electorate. They also indicate that the GST and demonetization and their pains were mere talking points and the distress was elsewhere. Credence is lent to this by the fact that the BJP did well in urban areas where GST had an impact and in rural areas failed to make a dent therefore reiterating that farmers distress took its toll.

The new year is therefore crucial: for the Congress which needs to put its house in order and for the BJP which needs to rework its strategy and suit policy to impact the people positively.  Rahul Gandhi’s emergence has also signaled his mother’s loyalists that their time is up and the restructuring that will naturally follow will infuse enthusiasm, fresh ideas and young blood. Therefore, when mediapersons asked Sonia Gandhi her future role and she said “it was to retire” she was speaking the truth. For one her health is a matter of concern and having done it all, she is likely to take a back seat. Also having entrenched her son firmly in the top position within the Congress she can sit smug that watch events unfold. Whether Rahul Gandhi will match and catch up, remains to be seen. As for now, all eyes are on him.

The writer is a senior Indian journalist, political commentator and columnist of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected])  

 

The loser as the winner

Gujarat was never about winning or losing or who would form the next government

When the waiters in Parliament went around flagging Gujarati cuisine menus, tongues started wagging whether Gujarat would be the new thing. Another was that following BJP Chief Amit Shahs election as an MP whether his minions were bending over backwards to make available a cuisine that pleased Shahs palate. He is, after all the next important person after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the BJPs scheme of things and therefore to do what may please him is in order. Food is important to Gujaratis and therefore a reworked menu would be the best way to herald Shahs entry in Parliament as a member. Food served in Parliament comes under the purview of Railway Ministry and with the BJP ruling the Centre, it is the domain of the saffron party, in this case headed by loyalist Piyush Goel. But as it turned out, there was more to the story that was neither about Gujarat nor Amit Shah. It was about introducing different cuisines of which Gujarati was one among them. That it was the first among others like Oriya, Kashmiri and Bangla is another matter. So Shah or no Shah, food in Parliament is set to get better, more palatable and varied. That notwithstanding Gujarat is the flavor of the season. All eyes have been on it for some weeks now and even after the election results are out, it remains a talking point. Gujarat was never about winning or losing or who would form the next government. It was about numbers and how many seats the Congress would wrest and BJP give. It was about Rahul Gandhi and whether he would shine or like in the past remain a non starter. And more importantly it was about whether Modis home turf will be breached and the unhappiness of the people spill and take a toll on his supposed invincibility. The Congress lost Gujarat and the BJP is all set to form the Government there. But even in its loss, the Congress has won and the BJP even while winning has lost. This is the sum total of the dichotomy of the results that have thrown up significant pointers and important lessons. More importantly, it has stopped the BJP in its tracks and given it a jolt that it was clearly unprepared for. So even while BJPs band of men kept saying jo jeeta wohi sikander, one who wins is king, the reality has hit hard and somewhat irreparably. Therefore, when senior ministers conceded that they expected a few more seats than the 99 that BJP got, it indicated how deep the wound was. A wound it surely is and one that has cut deep. For starters, it has demonstrated that it is no longer a free for all for Modi and his team; that the electorate can never be taken for granted and Indian democracy can throw up surprises and pull the rug from under ones feet even when one feels one is firmly entrenched. While it is true that Gujarat has voted in the BJP for the sixth time, equally it has delivered a verdict that is dipped in disenchantment. It has allowed in the BJP but with a warning that it should tread with caution and beware from riding rough shod even where it stood firm in the past. It is for this reason that this election is more about the Congress than it is about the BJP: even as a loser Congress is making news more than the BJP. The significant indicators are that Rahul Gandhi is the man to watch and those who wrote his political obituary post 2014 are now licking their wounds. Ofcourse his challenges are immense but they are not insurmountable. If he works, he would get on top of them and send his critics running for cover. With Gujarat he has made a beginning. Several states will go to polls next year and therefore, his work field offers multiple opportunities. Therefore, even while Modi and BJP has bagged both states, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, and added to their kitty, it is Rahul Gandhi who has made headlines. That it is not a pro Congress vote is clear as is the fact that peoples anger against the BJP spilled over and gave them a run for their money. Nitty-gritty apart, BJPs arrogance, their vanity and will do what we want spirit cost them heavily. The Congress gained because there was no other Opposition worth its name but Rahul Gandhi did come out on his own and displayed a mettle that till now was alien to his persona and personality. Yesterdays baba or pappu as he was till recently seen, has come of age and displayed that he, if he works hard, can deliver. Rahul apart, the BJP needs to do course correction. The results have shown that the going is not good and some course correction is required by way of policy and delivering on promises that Modi has rashly made to the electorate. They also indicate that the GST and demonetization and their pains were mere talking points and the distress was elsewhere. Credence is lent to this by the fact that the BJP did well in urban areas where GST had an impact and in rural areas failed to make a dent therefore reiterating that farmers distress took its toll. The new year is therefore crucial: for the Congress which needs to put its house in order and for the BJP which needs to rework its strategy and suit policy to impact the people positively. Rahul Gandhis emergence has also signaled his mothers loyalists that their time is up and the restructuring that will naturally follow will infuse enthusiasm, fresh ideas and young blood. Therefore, when mediapersons asked Sonia Gandhi her future role and she said it was to retire she was speaking the truth. For one her health is a matter of concern and having done it all, she is likely to take a back seat. Also having entrenched her son firmly in the top position within the Congress she can sit smug that watch events unfold. Whether Rahul Gandhi will match and catch up, remains to be seen. As for now, all eyes are on him. The writer is a senior Indian journalist, political commentator and columnist of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected])