NDA Shrinking

As India’s faceless aam aadmi (and aam mahila too) decisively humbled the ‘‘we-shall-get-300-seats’’ hubris of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA at the hustings, the BJP’s claim of a ‘‘feel good’’ sentiment in the country was at last evident.

On the faces of Congress workers who couldn’t stop celebrating their return from an eight-year-long exile from power in Delhi. In the beaming confidence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi who made it clear that she would soon be making the transition from Leader of Opposition to Leader of the Lok Sabha. And in the new sparkle in CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet’s eyes for his party (and the Left as a whole) had notched up the biggest Red tally since Independence.

Unmoved by the most ‘‘hi-tech’’ campaign launched by the ruling alliance in India’s first general elections in the 21st century, the Indian voter once again proved pundits and pollsters wrong. While pollsters had suggested ‘‘a worst-case scenario’’ of the NDA touching 230 seats, it became clear before noon that they would not get even 200.

And the BJP’s oft-repeated prediction that the Congress would not reach a three-digit figure came back to mock the party: the Congress alone got 145 seats and alongwith its pre-poll allies, got more than 215.

The voter also put paid to fears that a ‘‘close finish’’ would lead to a season of horse-trading, with both alliances wooing parties in the amorphous ‘‘others’’ category, chiefly the SP and BSP.

With the Left grouping crossing 60, the Congress-led alliance need not go abegging for support. But given the tendency to back the winning horse, unilateral support was offered by BSP chief Mayawati who had so recently spurned the Congress’s desperate plea for an alliance in UP.

Surjeet, the indefatigable architect of a ‘‘secular alternative,’’ was also confident that support would be forthcoming from Mulayam Singh Yadav’s SP, the Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular), and other ‘‘non-NDA parties.’’

The CPI(M) made it clear that though the numbers add up, the party was not in favour of an exclusive Congress alliance-Left combine and was keen on a ‘‘broad-based’’ secular front. Surjeet told The Indian Express: ‘‘I want Mulayam Singh Yadav to be there because you need wider support (for the next government) among the people and he has a very wide support base in UP.’’

Senior politburo member Prakash Karat added: ‘‘All the parties who contributed to the defeat of the BJP alliance should play a role in forming the alternative government.’’

Sonia Gandhi, whom Congressmen credit with single-handedly reviving the fortunes of the Grand Old Party through shrewd alliances and tireless campaigning, emerged triumphant after the CWC meeting to address a packed press conference.

Congratulating the electorate for its ‘‘strong rejection’’ of the NDA and underlining the ‘‘moral and ideological underpinning’’ of the Congress’s election campaign, she said the party will take the lead to prove a ‘‘strong, stable, and secular government at the earliest.’’

A meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) on May 15 would elect their leader. Asked if the leader would stake claim to be the prime minister, Gandhi said with a smile redolent with her new-found confidence: ‘‘Normally, yahi hota hai.’’

She said her first task was to ‘‘hold meetings with those parties who have worked with us’’ and after that consider issues such as a common minimum programme and the actual contours of the next government. On a question of seeking (or receiving the support) of ‘‘others,’’ she said, ‘‘We are open to working with all like-minded parties.’’

The CPI(M), which led the chorus for a Congress-led government and made it clear that Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin was no issue, is divided on the the key question of joining the government. The party’s politburo meeting on May 15 followed by a two-day central committee meet is likely to discuss threadbare the pros and cons of joining a Congress-led government at the Centre.

I couldn’t sense the mood of the people in 1957 when I was young and I couldn’t do it now: Vajpayee

Separated by two kilometres, two men who have been together for half a century spent a long and lonely day. The verdict was unexpected but Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and his deputy, L K Advani, had cleared all pending files in their offices on Wednesday.

While Vajpayee sat late last night to clear the files, his Principal Secretary and National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra held his last important meeting on the Kishenganga power project. The Prime Minister’s Office cleared the rest of the files today so that the new government could start afresh.

As the results started pouring in, Vajpayee conveyed his thoughts to the party around 10.30 am: ‘‘Agar aise haalat rahe, to hum government ke liye stake claim nahin karenge.’’ Sitting with the PMO staff at 7 Race Course Road, Vajpayee is learnt to have expressed his surprise at the peoples’ verdict. He said that he could not understand the mood of the people in 1957 when he was young and could not fathom it even now.

While Vajpayee was sharing snacks with his staff today and was asking them if he could help them in any way, Brajesh Mishra walked in. He is learnt to have told his principal secretary to look for an alternative assignment as he was no longer keen on active politics.

Later in the evening, Vajpayee drove down to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to submit his resignation. In an address to the nation at night, though, he said he would remain in active politics. But sources said he was contemplating retirement and had made up his mind not to become the Leader of Opposition in the 14th Lok Sabha though there was intense pressure from party.

In his address, he hopes that the peace initiatives with Pakistan and efforts in Jammu and Kashmir would continue. He referred to the strength of democracy in India which catered to a pluralistic, multi-faith and multi-lingual society.

At his Prithviraj Road residence, Advani too had a gloomy day. He had also cleared his files at the North Block office on Wednesday saying: ‘‘Results ka kya bharosa.’’ Distraught at the party’s performance and feeling sad for Vajpayee, Advani was quite shattered by the verdict. Later in the evening, the two leaders shared their thoughts at the meeting attended by senior BJP leaders.