Combination lock

The Centre is adrift,can the verdict from the states change this.

As Kerala,Tamil Nadu and Puducherry cast their votes in a single decisive day and as voters in West Bengal prepare to cast their ballot,the UPA has much at stake. It is always unwise to second-guess the Indian voter,and the only near-certainty is that the Left will take a hit in West Bengal and possibly Kerala,though the extent of the loss is unclear. The campaign has for weeks cast a shadow at the Centre,with Parliaments budget session being wound up prematurely so that parties could concentrate on the elections. So,how may this clutch of assembly polls impact the national government?

More importantly,can the elections pull the UPA government out of the perceptible drift its slipped into? It depends on the Congresss capacity to see the looming eclipse of the Left for the opportunity it is. Because of the Congresss reluctant embrace of coalition politics,the UPA still lacks a unified sense of self,and treats its alliances as provisional,rather than outlining shared interests and a common logic. If it managed to use the political ballast provided by its partners to push through its policy agenda,these assembly elections could mark a real change.

In Tamil Nadu and West Bengal,the Congress is not a significant player. Seen nationally,however,it is the glue that keeps various parts together,and that is a liberating position,if it manages to articulate a cogent politics for this alliance. Its been a mystery why UPA-2 looks so directionlessness,despite its political heft. It has let important bills languish,even as it pleads for consensus over the insurance and GST bills. Executive authority has been enfeebled,and scams of all sizes have undermined the governments credibility. Its own missteps over the CVCs appointment,and the oppositions relentless attacks have further sapped the coalitions will. Which is too bad,because this battery of scandals comes at a crucial juncture,when the government was poised to push for wide-ranging reforms,especially in the financial sector,but also including important legislation like the womens reservation bill,the food security bill,and the land acquisition bill. If these elections work out well for the UPA,as they are widely expected to,then it must learn to work what its got,and use its numbers to give greater coherence to its policy agenda. It needs to know how to use the combined strength of its partnerships to assert itself at the Centre.