When the People Spoke -Analysing Elections 2011

With the results of the State elections out last week, the political landscape of the country looks as different as ever. With the thumping win for the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and Congress itself in Assam, the UPA has gained some ground, which it lost after the Bihar and Jharkhand assembly elections last year. At the same time , the South looks anti-UPA as never before.

With the crushing defeat in Tamil-Nadu and Puducherry, the UPA looks to be struggling in the whole region. Even the win in Kerala was unimpressive and feeble to say the least.Come 2014,the UPA will be facing a 10 year anti-incumbency wave in Andhra Pradesh, the phenomenon called Jagan Reddy, and the discontent over the Telangana issue as well. If we were to consider classical psephology, the UPA is all set to lose a chunk of their Lok Sabha seats in the South in 2014.

However , The scenario in the East is remarkably different. The Left looks jaded and tired, and TMC is going ahead all guns blazing. And with Assam proving to be a Congress bastion,the East looks to be secure for the UPA. But the point to ponder upon is that whether The Congress has just rode on TMC's back in West Bengal, and whether change was so inevitable that policies did not matter? Maybe 34 years proved to be a bit too much for everybody in Bengal.








But what did these results bring for the BJP? Sadly nothing.
The NDA still continues to be a pale shadow of what it used to be. Unless and until it expands and brings in more regional parties into its fold, its sadly going to be a story of an opposition which never opposed , a challenger which never challenged.

The NDA desperately needs AIADMK and TDP in the south, and the BJD and the AGP in the East. Without more regional parties as its allies, The BJP wouldn't stand a chance in 2014. And the people of India will be left with only one choice for a stable government that could last 5 years.

With the illusion of the Third Front well and truly gone, lets hope that common sense prevails, and that these regional parties join hands with the BJP to give the Congress a tough fight, and a viable option to the people of India.

As Far as Mayawati's concerned, she can build her own statues all across Uttar Pradesh for 8 more months. The people of UP will take care of her next year. And to think that she was considered a Prime-Ministerial candidate just 3 years ago (July 2008, Nuclear Deal Confidence Motion).

Democracy truly has a way of surprising us more often than not.

SHE RULES.

As Bengal turned Green and 'Jaya Ho' became the chant in Tamil Nadu this morning , the political terrain of India has

changed significantly. Suddenly, a country known for its patriarchal male-dominated society now has four women chief ministers.This change is the result of the evolution of our democracy.Although it has taken a long time coming, but "HER RULE" has finally arrived.

Just a brief look at India's political landscape as of today,and we realise that that its our women who rule the country. India's most important political personality (Sonia Gandhi , some would call her the De facto Prime Minister as well) , the Leader of the Opposition (Sushma Swaraj , most probably NDA's Prime Ministerial candidate in 2014) , Speaker of the Lok Sabha (Meira Kumar) ,Nirupama Rao as India's Foreign Secretary, Mayawati as the Chief Minister of the largest state of India, Sheila Dixit as Delhi's eternal leader and , now , Mamata "Didi" Banerjee in Bengal and Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu.

And as Mamata changes "WASTE BENGAL" to "WEST BENGAL" in the next 5 years, and while Jayalalitha cleans up the mess left over by an octogenarian leader, more women leaders will have a chance to stake claim to power. Vasundhara Raje Scindia has more than a chance to turn the tables on the Congress in Jaipur in 2013.

So, how did this astonishing change take place? Sucheta Kriplani and Pandit Vijaya Lakshmi were independent India's first major female political personalities. And then came the era of Indira Gandhi, arguably India's best Prime Minister ever , and maybe the worst as well. But after Indira Gandhi, the late 80s and the early 90s were a period of drought, as far as women leaders were concerned. But with economic upliftment, came the ambition and the recognition of the right to political power.

The change over the past 15 years has been unbelievable. And the result of this change is a country which is ruled by women leaders, from Delhi to Chennai to Kolkata. For years , we have been told to look at America and other

western countries and their democracies as examples. Its high time they learnt a few things from us about democracy. For all its prestigious democratic heritage , America has never had a women at the helm. Neither a female Vice-President ever.

Even though the Women's reservation bill remains stuck in the parliament , and even though the percentage of Women MPs is less than 20% in the Lok Sabha , it is a fact that almost all the political power, be it at the centre , or in key states, lies with women leaders. And this can only be good for our democracy.

With today's results , The Dominance of Woman Leaders in Indian Politics has been finally established, and the "ERA OF HER RULE" has finally arrived. Long Live India. Jai Hind !