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Journalism of Courage
By placing the NCP-Congress coalition in a position to form the government, the voters of Maharashtra seem to have captured the national mood. At the moment the political momentum is clearly in the direction of the Congress and its allies. This momentum is sufficient to give the alliance the authority to govern, but it is by no means an overwhelming mandate. The fact that an incumbent state government manages to retain power is itself a creditable achievement. In an election that was fiercely contested but marked by the absence of any dominating issues, the results are a tribute to Congress-NCP8217;s intelligent political strategy. Sharad Pawar has once again demonstrated his formidable political skills. By being measured in its demand for power at the state level, the NCP has leveraged resources from the Centre to reconsolidate its base in Maharashtra. The Congress, too, has learnt to give space to its allies to in order to consolidate its own position. Sonia Gandhi8217;s unchallenged authority has kept leadership squabbles at bay, and her campaigns have given the alliance new energy.
The performance of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance also reflects their current national standing. Although they ought to be chastened by a second successive defeat, they are by no means a spent force. But this election has exposed the deep strategic dilemmas they face. Both the BJP and Shiv-Sena have a leadership deficit. This was the first major state election in which the BJP8217;s elder statesman, A.B. Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, did not play a major role. Pramod Mahajan and Varun Gandhi are poor substitutes; and the next generation of Thackerays does not quite measure up to the popularity of Bal Thackeray. The extremely parochial nature of the Shiv Sena8217;s 8216;Mee Mumbaikar8217; campaign did not help in a metropolis like Mumbai, with its increasingly cosmopolitan profile. In some ways the alliance can take heart from the fact that it performed as strongly as it did in spite of the obvious credibility deficits it suffered from. Whether five more years out of power will enable the BJP-Shiv Sena front to fill the emerging power vacuum within the ranks remains to be seen.
