From being mainstream, Congress is becoming a fringe party: Jaitley

As the Congress is rejoicing its political move that helped it form government in Karnataka along with JD(S), BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Saturday said the Congress party has moved into a 'fringe' party from a mainstream one.

"The Congress is in desperation without the perks of office. From the dominant party of Indian politics, it is moving towards the "fringe", its political positions are not of a mainstream party but one usually adopted by "fringe" organisations. Fringe organisations can never hope to come in power," said Jaitely in a Facebook post even while recovering from a kidney transplant in AIIMS, where he was shifted out of the ICU on Friday.

"Its best hope lies in becoming a supporter of regional political parties. State level regional political parties have realised that the marginalised Congress can at best be either a junior partner or a marginal supporter. Karnataka had witnessed a telling example of this," he said.

"A regional political party whose base at best is confined to a few districts was able to extract a Chief Ministership of the Congress to which the Congress meekly surrendered. It had even lost its bargaining capacity. It is today putting on a brave face in Karnataka where the losers are masquerading as a winner," Jaitley said.

He said the last few days had witnessed a discussion about a "fictional alternative".

"A group of disparate political parties are promising to come together. Some of their leaders are temperamental, the others occasionally change ideological positions. With many of them, such as TMC, DMK, TDP, BSP and the JD(S), the BJP has had an opportunity to share power. They frequently change political positions. They have supported the BJP claiming that it is in larger national interest and then turned turtle and oppose it in the name of secularism. These are ideologically flexible political groups."

Jaitley said stable politics is far from their political track record of these parties.

He also explained that a federal front is a failed idea for India.

"It was experimented under Charan Singh, Chandrasekhar and by the United Front Government between 1996-98. Such a front with its contradictions, sooner or later, loses its balance and equilibrium. Remembering 1996-98 as perhaps one of the worst period of governance, the aspirational India which today occupies the high table in the world shall never accept an idea which has repeatedly failed. History teaches us this lesson. Aspirational societies with vibrant democracies do not invite anarchy."

A strong nation and the requirements of good governance abhor anarchy, the minister said.

"The political agenda for the debate this year appropriately will be Prime Minister "Modi versus an anarchist combination". The 2014 election conclusively established that in the New India chemistry will score over arithmetic when it comes to deciding the country's destiny," he added.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi created transparent systems through legislative and institutional changes which have given this country a scam-free governance.

"Unlike the UPA, the Prime Minister is the natural leader of both his party and the nation. We have witnessed a journey from indecisiveness to clarity and decisiveness," Jaitely said.

He said the country's mood from despair has transformed into hope and aspirations. "Good governance and good economics have been blended with good politics."

Jaitley exuded confidence of winning future elections. The country will go for next general elections within a year's time.

--IANS

ag/hs