Flipside: People's Pulses

India Today
November 9, 1998

FLIPSIDE
People's Pulses

Dilip Bobb

The prime minister has said that the coming elections should not be viewed as a referendum on Central rule. Which is understandable since very little of Central rule has been in evidence so far. Electoral rhetoric aside, when push comes to shove in the polling booths, the results will determine whether his Government will receive an eviction notice or not. Here are the pluses and minuses.

Minus Points
Too Many Broths Spoil the Cook: The prime minister's recipe for good governance has been soured by the constant battle between his allies and the ruling party. So much so that it has now become impossible to tell which parties are still supporting the BJP Government and which are in the Opposition. Though likely to cause considerable confusion among the electorate, the bottom line is that the BJP has been dogged by the issue of being wagged by the tail.

In the Vegetable Soup: The prime minister's optimistic insistence that the coming polls will be decided on local issues clearly does not take into account the sharp rise in prices of vegetables. Though this will ensure that no one throws tomatoes at BJP candidates, the common man's anger is on the boil which puts the ruling party in a stew. In fact, pollsters have complained that it is impossible to predict the pulse of the people since even pulses have been fluctuating in price. All in all, a gut issue.

State of Ministers: With one or two honourable exceptions, the Cabinet remains fairly bare and anonymous now that Sushma Swaraj has joined the ranks of Delhi's fire-fighters. With Khurana in a sulk over Sahib Singh who is in a sulk over Swaraj, and Advani in a sulk over Vajpayee, the public face of the Government grows longer by the day.

Parde ke peechhe kya hai?: Also known as The Hidden Agenda. Critics of the Government claim it is trying to thrust Hindutva down 900 million reluctant throats, a charge it denies. Now if only they could keep Murli Manohar Joshi hidden, the agenda may be less visible. Same goes for the Shiv Sena. And the RSS. The minorities are understandably upset since their minority status is the same as that of the BJP Government.

Plus Points
Don't Worry, Be Happy: The most prominent characteristic of the present Government is its cheerful optimism in the face of adverse publicity. Yashwant Sinha is a prime example of the BJP's attempts to exploit the feel-good factor even when there's very little to feel good about. The prime minister comes in a close second, confirming the theory that it takes two hands to clap. Full marks for believing in the maxim that he who laughs, lasts.

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