The media—electronic and print—has become an important part of election campaigns. Social networks too are flooded with messages covering all aspects of electoral campaigning. Political parties straying into the many folds of the media is not something new. Like many democracies, most political parties have their favourite media players who are made Rajya Sabha members, given commercial or real estate benefits. There is nothing wrong in this; it is like rewarding any other professional who helps and assists a party like, say, a chartered accountant, an eminent lawyer, a filmstar, a sporting icon. But it is only a matter of time when the parties concerned tire of all this and establish their own media outlets, from where credibility is compromised. But who cares?
Mamata Banerjee recently ushered three members of the local media into the Rajya Sabha, and if rumours are to be believed, will add another from the national media to the Upper House. The Trinamool chief also plans to have her own TV channel. States like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh already have this arrangement. As I said, it is inevitable that political parties will stray into the media space. Like the US and other Western countries, TV will be the preferred electoral battleground. The televised debate between President Barack Obama and Republican hopeful Mitt Romney was a high-quality debate. I dare say that the US contest may be closer than we think. Romney did rather well; the results show 67-25 per cent in his favour, and this was only the first of three debates. US presidential elections are won and lost in these debates. It is very educative to watch debates of this nature and the political analyses that follow.
The facts remain central, however. The Gujarat chief minister has made a terrible mistake in making false charges and will only make matters worse by justifying this. This is not about a win or loss in Gujarat but about personal credibility and attitude. Mistakes do take place and an apology harms nobody.
This `1,880-crore travel bill will haunt Narendra Modi as he aspires for positions in the future. The BJP has several headaches of its own already. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the JD(U) have their own plans. Former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa is on the warpath in the state and a new regional party is on the cards. I think the BJP is looking at a possible disaster in the state. In Bihar, the JD(U) won 20 seats to the 12 won by the BJP. In Karnataka, the BJP’s score was 19, but how many seats will they win without Yeddyurappa? We are looking at a new alliance structure in Karnataka. The Congress and the JD(S) will get an unexpected bonus. Even with a small number of MLAs and MPs, Yeddyurappa’s relevance at the Centre and in the state is assured. The same thing will happen in Rajasthan if former chief minister Vasundhara Raje is obstructed by hidden pressures, for there is little doubt that she was defeated by her own party dissidence.
The reform bandwagon rolls on, and Jantar Mantar will be kept busy by political rallies. We were sorry to miss Baba Ramdev on October 2, as he was busy burning imported goods at a village near Haridwar. The markets have responded positively to the reform process. It is good to see the rupee go from 57 to 52 against the dollar and crude prices slip from $116 to $108 per barrel. All this creates a favourable cushion. We have a long way to go but there is light at the end of the tunnel. We have to stay calm and positive.
arunnehru89@yahoo.in