More Mileage for Less

Sonia Gandhi's decision not to become Prime Minister has resulted in different kinds of reaction from the two sides of the house.

While the Congress and its allies are putting up a "we-cant-believe-it-dont-do-this-to-us-or-we-will-start-crying" kids show, the NDA has discovered that Sonia Gandhi is fickle-minded. (whoa!)

For me, if this decision of her's comes to stay, it was made just on the basis of one question - Mileage!

Congress's melodrama, though stupid to watch, will obviously increase Sonia's image among the masses and that is something that the party would do well with. And the decision itself, will go well with the different factions of the party. One has to admit that, even though everyone in the party agreed to her PMship, there would have been little differences here and there. Now this decision, could very well help a lot in uniting the party into one under her leadership. So far, Sonia Gandhi's leadership had a credibility question to it. This is a good step towards answering that.

If the plan was to achieve as much mileage as possible for the advantage that the election results gave them, it is working like a charm.

And if the BJP thought that it could keep fueling the foreign issue / incapability issue on her Prime Ministership and destabilize the future government, it has just received a serious jolt to that plan. And a jolt, when they least expected it. They had already started the hate propaganda spearheaded by second-rung leaders (and other RSS folks) and they have nowhere to go now. They have got themselves into a situation from where there is no statesmanly exit. It is like the situation of the child shouting unfair that his elder has got more candies than him and the elder, after letting him do all his catcalls, finally just handing him the candy.

So now that they have got the candy they cried for, they are blaming Congress and Sonia for being fickle-minded. Now this is not only stupid to watch/hear, but is outright stupid from whatever angle you look at. All this will do is anger the melodramatic Sonia-supporting crowd and distance those that are just watching what is going on. George Fernandes should realize that he had done the act of spoiling-the-party-by-mouthing-off exercise so many times now that it is hightime to try being different (and quiet)!

He argues that if Sonia had announced this earlier, we wouldn't have gone this far! Well, Mr. Fernandes, if you dont understand even now, that was the whole idea. To bring you this far. To let you cry out loud and make the nasty comments that you would. To let you make your threats of boycott and resignations. To let you try and dig up nationalism. And then, after you do all the buffoonery, give you the parting kick by handing over the candy.

That is a very simple and sound political strategy.

It would be a good idea for the party (BJP/NDA) highcommand to issue a whip-like statement asking party leaders not to react to this decision of Sonia with statements like this and make a fool of themselves and the party. It only shows the party (and NDA) in really bad light (in which they already are).

Congress leaders (Sonia in particular) will only smile for all such reactions. If BJP continues to react the way it is doing, things are going well according to their plan - an increased mileage for the little-advantage that poll results gave them.

And the question that I said that needed to be answered in my last post, has been answered by Sonia herself. And I admit, I am surprised - in not only that it came, but by its perfect timing.