During its last term in power in West Bengal, a complacent Left provided the Opposition with a range of issues, thanks to its high-handed actions. Having come to power, Ms Mamata Banerjee seems to be emulating the previous government, all too soon. For the last couple of months, opposition politics has flourished on public outrage against her actions. The last in this list is the arrest of a professor for circulating an innocuous cartoon. And, like a near re-run of the last days of the Left period, it is her coalition partner, Congress, which is being most vocal against the actions of the government.
Sugar-coated pill
Politicians know how to sell you a bitter pill with a sugar coating. The case in point was the announcement of a king-size bailout package for the national carrier. The Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Singh, gave all the details, and justified them too. But he didn't forget to add that the Government cannot pump in taxpayers' money indefinitely. Interestingly, money has been promised for the next eight years. On reducing the mammoth wage bill, Mr Singh is relying more on retirement than reducing incentives. The incentives are for employees operating an airline with nearly Rs 27 crore losses. So, taxpayers need to ponder over how their hard-earned money is being used.
For the TDP Chief and former AP Chief Minister, Mr Chandrababu Naidu, Mr Jyoti Basu was a political role model in terms of longevity in ruling the State. Mr Naidu, who had a tenure of nine years, often alluded to emulating the CPM leader. The comparison went a step further last week. Mr Naidu said the tie-up with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) during the 2009 elections was a ‘historical blunder'. It's another matter, that the TDP Chief had called it a maha kutani (Grand alliance) to defeat Dr Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy then. Likewise, when the CPM Polit bureau decided not to project Jyoti Basu as a Prime Ministerial candidate in 1996, it was termed a ‘historic blunder'. Will Mr Naidu return to power without making further blunders?
Karnataka's leadership decision
The Karnataka Cabinet has 11 vacancies, and they have not been filled for while. Reason: the continued uncertainty regarding the leadership issue. Chief Minister Mr D. V. Sadananda Gowda doesn't know how long he will continue in his post, nor is he being allowed to expand his cabinet. His predecessor, Mr B. S. Yeddyurappa, doesn't know when he will be reinstated as the chief minister, or whether he will be reinstated at all. With so many vacancies, government work has suffered. But the BJP High Command is apparently caught up in its own squabbles, and hence has less time for state units. Fortunately, for the BJP, rival parties in Karnataka don't have any mass leaders who take advantage of the situation.
Raj's green signal
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supremo Mr Raj Thackeray on Friday eased his stand against the ‘Bihar Diwas' celebrations in Mumbai and gave the green signal to Bihar Chief Minister Mr Nitish Kumar's arrival in the city. Mr Thackeray said the programme will only be a cultural event. Senior Janata Dal (United) leader and key organiser of ‘Bihar Diwas', Mr Devesh Thakur, visited Mr Thackeray, and assured him that no politics was involved in the celebrations.
Mr Thackery had said that he was against the North Indian show of strength in Mumbai. He had challenged Mr Kumar to enter the city for the celebration of ‘Bihar Diwas'.
(Contributed by Pratim Bose, Shishir Sinha, M. Somashekar, K. Giriprakash and Rahul Wadke)