Political Circles Abuzz - Eastern Mirror
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Editorial

Political Circles Abuzz

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By The Editorial Team Updated: Jun 24, 2021 11:41 pm

The Lok Sabha election may be three years away but the gathering of prominent leaders from eight political parties, activists and scholars at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s residence in Delhi on Tuesday ignited speculation of the formation of a third front to confront the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA in 2024. It turned out that the Rashtra Manch meeting convened by the Trinamool Congress leader Yashwant Sinha discussed some pressing national issues like the rising fuel price, unemployment and to create an alternative vision for the nation, though political pundits may still like to think that it could be the beginning of a possible third front without Congress and against BJP, something that has been speculated for a while now. While the entry of NCP chief, one of the most experienced leaders in Indian politics, added weight to the political action group that was formed in 2018, non participation of the Congress and several other regional parties in the recent meeting was a setback. Rahul Gandhi may not be leading the party at the moment but he has been in the forefront of attacks against the ruling government on almost every issue, from management of Covid-19 crisis to the unemployment problem. The cross-party platform will be stronger with him.

If the Rashtra Manch meeting culminates in a third front without Congress, as believed by some political observers, a huge challenge lies ahead of them though not unachievable. The possibility of the Congress engaging with other smaller parties can’t be ruled out for the 2024 general elections if circumstances push the party to the edge. The recent elections saw the triumph of regional parties such as the TMC, the DMK and the Left, sending out a message that no party is invincible, but a clearer picture will be seen only when states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, Manipur, Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat go to polls next year. The Opposition parties will have lots of issues like handling of Covid crisis by the government, economic crisis, fuel price, farmers’ issue, unemployment, etc. to talk about ahead of the assembly elections in several states next year but they also need to chart out proper plans if they are to fight elections together as they are adversaries in various states. While absence of a charismatic leader and inexperience in national politics will be a challenge, the opposition front should develop a shared political plan much ahead of the general election. In fact, the next three years will be a testing time for the opposition parties as well as the ruling government. The opposition parties need to draw a clear road-map to be implemented before and after the general election, and not just to garner anti-BJP votes for political gains as the road ahead will be crucial for the nation after the colossal damage caused by the ongoing pandemic. This applies to the ruling NDA government as well because unhealthy political marriage doesn’t last long and an unstable government can cost India big.

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By The Editorial Team Updated: Jun 24, 2021 11:41:19 pm
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