End of the road

Jayalalitha continued to steer her confrontationist course and demanded a CBI probe into Enforcement Directorate chief M.K. Bezbaruah’s transfer on Tuesday to “know the truth behind it”, as she put it. This ugly exchange, it must be noted, was conducted largely through the media, indicating that ties between these two so-called political allies have now assumed an almost cold war status.

For far too long has the BJP clung to this difficult relationship, by first eagerly giving in to Jayalalitha’s quixotic demands in order to come to power and later by putting up with all manner of threats and abuse from her in order to remain in power. Going by its spokesperson’sobservations on Monday, it still seems disinclined to put an early end to it. What the BJP does not seem to realise is that every attempt it has made to appease its southern partner has undermined its own status as a significant political party which can provide a credible government. What’s more, Jayalalitha’s intransigence has robbed the Vajpayee government of the accolades that should have legitimately come its way. For instance, the AIADMK’s strident opposition successfully dampened any feelings of satisfaction that the Union government may have entertained for having helped end a rancorous litigation on the sharing of the Cauvery waters, which had gone on for six years. Of course, the departure of the AIADMK, with or without its allies, would greatly weaken the Vajpayee government in terms of numbers. But when an ally persists in behaving like an adversary, it makes far more sense for the party to end the relationship and concentrate on strengthening its own political base and its ties with allies whoare more accommodating and less manipulative.