Jai Ho indeed!!

No, this is not about an Oscar-winning movie. Rather this was the song that was played and sung outside 10, Race Course Road, New Delhi, as Congress party members and supporters celebrated yet another glorious victory in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. It was a historic mandate for both the Congress, which emerged as the single largest party, as well as the UPA, which is set to form the next Indian government. It was a victory in the face of adversity on the national stage, as the NDA and the Third Front looked to take advantage of the twin issues of terrorism and the economic crisis to build credible campaigns. Alas, for them, the Indian voter entrusted his/her faith in the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh and the mother-son Gandhi duo for the next 5 years. 

Firstly, thank God the voting took place on a weekend, as I wouldn't have wanted to miss the drama unfold for anything! At 8 am I was propped up in front of the idiot box, switching between my favourite news channels, as the numbers started to trickle in. Uttar Pradesh set the early trend, with both the UPA and the NDA posting huge gains and presenting quite a few surprises and raised eyebrows. The SP managed to catch up, but it was Mayawati's BSP who ended up as the big losers in the battle. Kerala and West Bengal posted staggering figures, as the Left was completely wiped out in both states. No real surprises in the other states, although the Congress posted some really huge gains from the last election in states like Rajasthan, helping their numbers surge higher. Ultimately, it was the Congress-led UPA that stole the show, proving most of the exit poll projections right (which the news channels proudly stated). The NDA was left with the hopeless task of introspection and the review of a pretty disastrous display at the Lok Sabha polls for a second consecutive time. 

Where did the NDA and the Third Front get it wrong, is the question on everyone's mind. Well, according to the general view of experts on major news channels, both alliances banked heavily on the anti-incumbency vote, which never turned up. Quite a fancy term that, ain't it - "anti-incumbency"? Basically they played to much on the flaws and follies of the existing government, rather than highlight their own achievements and vision with much more vigour. Calling Dr. Manmohan Singh a "weak PM" was never going to work, as the results emphatically show. To an extent, it could be true that the electorate was left with no alternative -- apart from the Congress and the BJP, all other parties concentrated on regional issues rather than pushing forward their national agenda. Regionalism seems to be the core issue that political parties need to address while forming alliances and fighting elections, and a change at the centre can now come about only if either of two scenarios occur - (a) If a third party emerges on the national stage as a strong contender, which is highly unlikely in the current political environment, or (b) If the Congress-led UPA government messes up really badly on key issues, in which case the NDA and the rest of the opposition will be at their throats. Either way, the average voter is left with little choice on the national front, forcing him/her to look at the smaller picture i.e which candidate/party would be beneficial for his/her constituency. 

Anyway, at the moment, it's time for Manmohan, Rahul and Sonia to take centre-stage yet again. Will Rahul Gandhi be offered a post in the cabinet? And more importantly, if he is, would he be willing to accept it? If he does, this would definitely be viewed as his first step in the direction of the arguably the biggest job in India. All the best to him and the UPA, deliver us on our faith in you, and make the nation proud!!

Until the next...

P.S: On a side note, like the NDA, I, as a Liverpool fan, congratulate Manchester United and all their supporters, and humbly accept defeat in the race for the Premier League crown :(