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Journalism of Courage
As politicians prepare to return to the people once again, any prediction about the composition of the 13th Lok Sabha is virtually impossible. Will there be early polls or will the Election Commission wait for the revised electoral rolls? Will the sweltering summer hamper electioneering and impact voter turnout? What about the rains? The World Cup? On such imponderables, it seems, hinges the shape of India8217;s next government. Yet, it8217;s not as if the political class is completely at the mercy of the Election Commission8217;s whims and climatic vagaries; electoral alliances and understandings sewn up in the run-up to the polls will play a critical role in this exercise. And if the nation is to be spared the spectre of the inner-contradictions that the Congress accused the BJP-led alliance of as well as the bargaining and the bedlam that followed in the opposition ranks after the fall of the Vajpayee government, political parties will do themselves 8212; as too a bewildered electorate weighing its options 8212; a greatservice if they give these pre-poll alliances an edge over post-poll shopping sprees.
It is no one8217;s case that if a group of parties have indulged in seat adjustment, they are obliged to stick together after the results pour in 8212; democracy accords them the right to do as they see fit. But given the fact that stability is bound to be a key concern in this 8220;mother of all elections8221;, a measure of respect for pre-poll alliances and caution while forging post-poll ties will not be misplaced. For, the last three years provide umpteen examples of the instability implicit in formations fighting each other at the hustings and then merrily doing business to conjure the requisite numbers. What inevitably ensues is a zero-sum game and any action that gives an advantage to a constituent of such a coalition is bound to invite a jittery response from the others. Why else, after 13 months of talk of rallying the 8220;secular8221; forces, did the Congress and the Samajwadi Party find it impossible to suppress theirdifferences?
