Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'BJP should maintain good relations with its allies' that was published in Newsband

BJP should maintain good relations with its allies

The Bharatiya Janata Party has three disgruntled allies. They are Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh, Shiv Sena in Maharashtr and Shiromani Akali Dal in Pujab.

Now allies are made in peace time but they are needed most in wartime. The BJP need all the help it can get in 2019 for the next Lok Sabha election.

The TDP in Andhra Pradesh is painfully aware that the old relationship notwithstanding, the BJP may see the YSRCP as a potential ally, a party that it can do business with if the circumstances so demand. As things stand, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is reluctant to snap the tie. In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena has been on a confrontation course for some time now, and in Punjab the Shiromani Akali Dal has recently turned just short of hostile. The reasons for the strain in each of the three States are of course very different.

In Maharashtra, both parties prefer a post-electoral tie-up. If in Andhra Pradesh the BJP has a choice of allies and if it is better off without one in Maharashtra, the situation in Punjab is different inasmuch as the Akali Dal remains its best bet.

The BJP might need the allies to head a strong coalition of forces in 2019. There are no true friends and enemies in politics; friends become enemies and vice versa especially in election year. It happens all the time in politics. BJP needs to keep better relation with its allies till 2019.

The latest Budget has shown how NDA has attempted to tackle the basic issues of development of the majority of our population: 67 crore poor Indians share just 1 % of the wealth created in 2017 (Oxfam India). Neither is the UPA elite capable of reversing the trend of accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few. Introduction of electoral bonds will further tighten the grip of "corporate control over politics & corporate capture of government policies & decisions" We, the electorate,need to take a more comprehensive view of "corruption" in terms of how national wealth is being grossly, unequally redistributed by the oligarchic-political elitist rule. A United Front of the common people headed by a leader like Mr Manik Sarkar, the poorest CM, under whose administration Tripura has achieved one of the highest HDI among the 30 states in India, could provide a real alternative rule for India's majority voters.

The BJP doesn’t need any allies as far the number is concerned in the present scenario but it may have detrimental impact for 2019 election. Almost every second regional party is against the BJP, more precisely it’s against Modi. It may have severe impact in South India where regional politics is dominated by regional wave vis-a vis regional political parties.

Alliances are many times compromises. But still they are compulsory in present day politics. That is because of power of regional parties that keep spirit of regionalism on high note in leaders' interest to bring themselves on national political stage. BJP or Congress, both these national parties need to strengthen their stake with the help of allies. It is to be seen who succeeds in amassing support of allies and their own voters. It is voters who should shape democracy in their own interest of equal welfare.

The open revolt by BJP-led NDA alliance partners like Shiv Sena, Siromali Akali Dal and TDP against the Narendra Modi government proves that the cracks have already developed before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections

The criticism of Arun Jaitley by Chandrababu Naidu for ignoring the state of Andhra Pradesh in Budget has alarmed the BJP and the FM has indicated to help the state in some other way. In fact the Union Government is duty bound to help the state in building its new capital and provide for its other infrastructural needs. The BJP may not require support of its allies to run present government but it might be required after 2019 general elections if BJP does not get absolute majority on its own. So the BJP must strive to keep the allies in good humour, be it TDP, Akali Dal or any other smaller party. It should not also burn all the bridges with Shiv Sena which has already declared to go alone in view of its shrinking base and electoral compulsions.