Letter to BS: Will Opposition's Karnataka celebration last till 2019?

The recent rejoicing of the combined Opposition after the Karnataka “victory” and the results of about 11 by-elections is akin to counting the chickens before they are hatched. Remember the Karnataka alliance was post-election and involved only two parties. Similarly, the by-elections were largely two party combines in disparate constituencies. The 2019 Lok Sabha election involves more than 540 seats. Can these more than 12 major parties come together in each of the 29 states and Union Territories? Can they tell us who their Prime Minister will be before the elections?

The present ‘Mahagatbandhan’ euphoria was enacted first in 1977 when the hotchpotch Janata Dal was formed. We all know how the PM was elected, how many deputy PMs he had to appoint and what happened in just three years.

So let the Opposition not get carried away but reflect what really can be structured. And choose a leader who can enthuse the people and pose a challenge to the present PM. Such a person appears to be a mirage today. Except the Dravidian parties and the Left, all others are nothing but offshoots of the Congress which they left because of disliking the then leader. How ironic that they claim to get along again. Even Hans Christian Andersen could not have scripted a better fairy tale.

T R Ramaswami  Mumbai

Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to: 

The Editor, Business Standard

Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg 

New Delhi 110 002 

Fax: (011) 23720201  •  E-mail: letters@bsmail.in

All letters must have a postal address and telephone number