Pioneer-Dilli-Billi-29th.May.2011-"FALLING SHORT ON PERFORMANCE"

"FALLING SHORT ON PERFORMANCE"

As the UPA completes two years in power, an analysis throws up a host of imperfections and problems

The UPA-II has completed two years of governance. Questions are being raised about the performance of the Government. Actually, the review is not encouraging. The UPA has announced several schemes thereby fuelling the expectations of the poor. Will these schemes see the light of the day? Will the dreams turn into reality? Today, the public does not easily forgive and forget. This is apparent from the results of the Assembly elections.

The UPA-I was a success story. It was a success story because the governance was good. We had the Left who scrutinised every move and action of the Government. I can’t recount one instance where the Government passed anything that looked a little suspicious to the Left. There were no scandals. No one dared to think of anything which could help them make some easy money. They acted as watchdogs and hence, they did not make many friends. In my view, the absence of a watchdog in UPA-II is the reason behind the loss of Government’s credibility.

In the UPA-II regime, the Congress members are lost and speechless. The allies of the Government have made many mistakes — DMK in Tamil Nadu or the NCP in Maharashtra. Only Mamata Banerjee has had a clean and clear vision of winning West Bengal. With the victory in West Bengal, the UPA-II has become stronger. With DMK losing power in Tamil Nadu due to corruption charges, the Congress will have to look for new like-minded allies if they want to win the 2014 General Elections. The Congress is not naive enough to be happy with the fact that they have got power in several states. Actually, their allies have won and which will eventually cut into their cadre base. Mamata Banerjee, Jayalalitha, Mayawati and the BJP-ruled States have hardly any Congress grassroot cadre left. If they had, then we would have had a jail bharo in every State when Rahul Gandhi was arrested in UP. Everyone knows that cadre base in UP is nil. The Congress would have given Mayawati regime a headache everyday if a Congress grassroot worker or leader was there, not leaders who are hand in glove with the BSP, the SP and the BJP. One must remember when Indira Gandhi was arrested, the jails were filled with Congress party workers.

The Congress has had to deal with allies who are troubling it, increasing corruption charges, price rise and uncontrollable inflation. To top it all, the Congress leaders are unavailable to the workers. The pie is being eaten by the hardworking grassroot regional parties while the Congress has had to satisfy itself with crumbs.

The ‘real’ Congress worker is amazed at the apathetic attitude of the top brass. They are not bothered about the plight of the worker who has dedicated his life to the party. New faces are cropping up with flop ideas while the old people are praying that good sense prevails.