The Dynamics Of An Opponent

The most talked about 2019 Lok Sabha Elections got concluded last week and as usual, there could be only one winner!

After months of giving one's blood and sweat to campaigning vigorously all across the country, if one wins the people’s mandate, then it gives such an ultimate satisfaction. On the other hand, if one equally struggles for several months battling unfavourable weather conditions thinking that one has given his or her best to echo the grievances of the people and yet loses, then it does become quite demoralising.

While election pundits and political analysts and many other experts would have clear reasons to justify why someone lost or won, the fact remains that with an Indian population of one hundred and thirty-seven crores, no one can really know what runs on each and every voter’s mind while performing the clandestine act of voting through the electronic machine.

Analysts would talk about the source of the election outcome until the new set of cabinet ministers are sworn in to start the new government. After that, all such talks would be lost completely. What, then remains to see is how the losing side re-works on its strategy to give a befitting response during the Assembly polls starting this year until the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

It’s unimaginable how shattered a losing side feels after putting in innumerable hours of hard work. However, the process needs to start from scratch once again and there is no room for seeking sympathy. After all, if such parties need to reclaim power, then there can be no looking back and there is no time to lose. There would be very difficult decisions to be taken such as suspending or demoting people or replacing someone with a more deserving individual for a particular post.Basically, the losing side has to first bring reforms within the party or parties and thereafter brainstorm on the way forward for the party. The losing side also faces severe defections. It is the intrinsic nature of Indian politics and such defections actually showcase the feeble or invisible loyalty of candidates to any of the parties it originally belonged to. A losing side knows it’s real worth in the aftermath of such defections.

Nonetheless, being in the opposition is a very crucial responsibility and they have the golden opportunity to highlight the wrongdoings of the government in any of the matters concerning the nation. At the end of the day, no ruling party can be consistent in their performance patterns. Non-adherence to poll promises or any kind of criticism needs to be communicated in a very constructive manner and with a lot of conviction by the opposition. However, if a government in power wishes to pass a new bill which is progressive for the nation then, the opposition should review it rationally and if they find substantial merit then they should support such initiatives so that the bill sees the light of the day. After all, the entire 542 members of the parliament need to work together and debates are essential but it should ultimately lead to a flourishing future for the Indian citizens.

All said and done, an opposition has a Herculean task of reinventing the wheel when it comes to gaining people’s confidence. As I said, it’s not easy to gauge the psyche of a voter unless he or she is very open enough to announce their choice and of course by telling it truthfully. The question remains where do you start and how much do you deep dive into the realities faced by the citizens? In my view, complacency is the biggest enemy. The day you think you have done enough to get people’s love it would be suicidal. In a vast country like India, there are billions of acute problems arising every second. So, the dilemma would be to either to focus on being visible to the seventy per cent population residing in villages or concentrate in thrusting intellect opinions onto the minds of the middle and upper-class population related to failures in the Indian economy or the rise of unemployment successfully. Ultimately, the ideal situation would be to become ubiquitous across all corners of the country and carry a very careful and balanced act.

More importantly, the opposition today needs to come together and decide on their supreme leader. Whoever he or she may be, that person should be unanimously approved by all the stakeholders. It is extremely important to give a face to the opposition to have a level playing field. Today, we do not have an elected leader of the opposition as the distant runner-up missed the mark by two seats.

What fun do we have in a democracy when there are no visible leaders or a supreme leader in the opposition. We definitely do not want peaceful monologues in the parliament sessions. Although, they are the ones mainly dejected by the people, the irony is that that a strong opposition is our only ammunition in keeping the government in check.

Who knows what will happen in the next elections. Till such time, the people of India have devoted five long years of their life in the hands of the winning side and whether we citizens will prosper or suffer, only time will tell.

So, in hindsight the losing side has a long way to go. They have all the time in the world to do a padyatra, meet villagers, meet farmers, consult economists/subject matter experts, make public speeches, hold press meetings, participate in debates, campaign during state elections, show a strong presence in the parliament and above all work honestly in all the constituencies in their respective capacities.

Every party or individuals contesting elections should not just run after their personal victory but work towards making India win its age-old battles in whatever capacity possible. If such thinking arises, then the people of India would actually have several choices to choose their prospective leader and then it would not matter whether one contender loses to the other. There would always be a ray of hope for the losing side too.

​

​