However, have the parties coming to power in the name of regional interests truly benefited the people of those states?
New Delhi
Maharashtra’s prominent leader Sharad Pawar and his party, as well as his family member Ajit Pawar, are making this claim. After repeatedly criticizing the Congress party, Pawar formed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nearly 24 years ago. Even the Congress has always claimed to be a nationalist, socialist, and secular party based on the ideals of Gandhi and Nehru. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has always worked on the principle of nationalism and the unity and integrity of entire India. Socialist parties or active parties under the name of Janata Dal in various states also advocate for nationalism and socialism. Hence, there is a need to deeply contemplate the true definition of nationalism and the politics surrounding it, 75 years after independence. Specifically, in recent years, regional parties in various states have increased their influence in the name of local interests and have restrained national parties from participating in power at the Centre. Meanwhile, the Congress and the BJP are also willing to form alliances with these regional parties. However, have the parties coming to power in the name of regional interests truly benefited the people of those states in the real sense?
In Indian democracy, there is complete freedom for the establishment of political parties alongside social, economic, and cultural diversity. However, in any other democratic country in the world, there aren’t hundreds of parties like in India. Even in the United States, with its 50 states, only two major parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, have been playing a dominant role for the past couple of centuries, while a few smaller parties represent certain ideologies and issues.It is likely that the framers of our Constitution did not envision the proliferation of so many parties and the increase in alliances, opportunism, and political uncertainty due to the weakening of national parties. It is a fact that in some states where regional parties have remained in power, local developments may not have progressed significantly, but their top leaders have become millionaires and billionaires.
The leaders who chant the slogan of socialism have also displayed the same tendency. Whether it is the family of Lalu Yadav, who emerged from the JP movement, or the Karunanidhi family with a dynastic pride, they have been embroiled in corruption allegations more than the development of Bihar and Tamil Nadu, respectively.
In recent times, the NCP has been facing more controversies and crises. Sharad Pawar was considered the prominent leader of Maharashtra, despite engaging in political manoeuvring for five to six decades. However, he did not receive significant popular support outside Maharashtra, and now he is in a weak position within his own family and party. He has betrayed his political mentor Yashwantrao Chavan, Congress regional leader Vasantdada Patil, Shankarrao Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde, as well as prominent figures like Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Chandrashekhar at various times—leaving them, despite having served as Chief Minister four times in the state and even as Defence Minister at the Centre. Despite this, they have not been able to become popular leaders at the national level, and their separation from many leaders in the state, including Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Praful Patel, among others, has left them only with the future of their daughter Supriya Sule for political prospects. They have been opposing the Congress or the NCP for years, seeking alliances with the Shiv Sena, a fragmented party led by Uddhav Thackeray, in an attempt to form an Opposition coalition.
There is no doubt that in a democratic system, the Opposition should be strong and struggle for the protection of people’s interests. However, leaders like Sharad Pawar, Lalu Yadav, Chandrashekhar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, Uddhav Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee, Stalin, Rahul Gandhi, and many others are primarily focused on removing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP from power rather than actively working for regional or social interests. They are hardly accepted at the national level. While they talk about nationalism, their politics revolve around communal, caste, and regional divisions. They are questioning Indian democracy in foreign countries. While they talk about freedom of expression, they make every effort to suppress dissenting media or Opposition voices when in power. Rahul Gandhi faced serious allegations of defamation, which led to legal debates in lower courts and the High Court for a couple of years, and he was ultimately found guilty. As a result, he lost his membership in Parliament. They are now trying to use this as a political sympathy and advantage-seeking tool. Those criticising are being persecuted in various states like Chhattisgarh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Kerala. Will this situation not be called political hypocrisy? Similarly, these so-called “nationalist” leaders are expressing objections to the proposals of the Modi government and the Law Commission for bringing equal laws for all citizens of the country as per the provisions of the Constitution.
The writer is editorial director of ITV Network—India News and Dainik Aaj Samaj.