Bandh’s 'aam aadmi' appeal gives UPA the jitters

The clarion call for ‘Bharat bandh’ on Monday, July 5, given by the BJP president Nitin Gadkari, appears to be having its effect, as political parties, setting aside their ideological differences, have united under a common umbrella.

While there has been a consolidation among the opposition, cracks are beginning to appear within the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) ahead of the crucial monsoon session commencing on July 26.

Gadkari said in a statement, “The agitation against price rise is a people’s movement.” But political managers in the BJP point out, “There is a larger political design to split the UPA in the Parliament through street fights on price rise.”

The agitation will also help the BJP to refurbish its battered image, a senior leader admitted. “Our equations with alliance partners have been fragile. If the price rise issue can bring them all together with us, it will boost our image in public,” he added.

Whatever may be the final goal, it is distinctly clear that regional forces, namely, the RJD, the JD(U), the Trinamool Congress, the Left Front, the BJD, the AIADMK, the Shiv Sena, the MNS, the RPI, the SP et all have unanimously decided to support the agitation to display their political might.

In the backdrop of the Bihar and Bengal elections, the regional forces will have to distance themselves from the Congress’ economic policies, it is felt.

Sharad Yadav’s pro-active role in forming a pressure group by uniting the regional forces within the NDA and the UPA is a step forward, aimed at sending the Congress on the back foot.

A senior AICC functionary, on conditions of anonymity, said, “Prime minister Manmohan Singh’s pragmatic approach of justifying the hike in petrol and diesel prices is not good politics. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will have to intervene to undertake some damage control exercise.”

The AICC spokesperson Anil Shastri has already expressed his resentment against the price rise in the in-house Congress magazine.

The BJP game plan is to exploit the price rise issue to create friction among the allies supporting the Congress at the centre.

The Centre has already sent directives to the Congress-ruled states, asking the governments to be prepared for law and order problems.

The union railway ministry has issued circulars asking employees to report to work compulsorily. The political stage in Maharashtra can be equated to that of the Centre, with the opposition ranged against the Congress.

What makes the situation difficult for chief minister Ashok Chavan is the unrest within the NCP against the price rise.

The NCP top leadership is extremely upset with chief minister Ashok Chavan’s decision to approach the Bombay High Court against the opposition.

Much to the embarrassment of the Congress, the NCP has put up posters across the city against the price hike. The posters in Marathi read, “This price rise beyond our tolerance”.

The political managers in Congress said, “The NCP’s poster politics on price rise has two aims. By raising the issue, it wants to show they are voicing the concerns of the public. Secondly, they want to attack the Centre.”

However, senior BJP leader Madhav Bhandari said, “I am amused by the NCP’s double game. If they are so concerned about the common people, why are their ministers in the Democratic Front government in Maharashtra and in the UPA at the Centre not resigning?”

The political matrix in Mumbai is set change as individual leaders want to create a pitch for the 2012 BMC elections.

Although the Shiv Sena and the MNS are working at cross purposes in electoral politics, the price rise issue has bonded them together under the BJP’s leadership.

Similarly, the Republican Party of India (RPI), out of the spectrum since the 2009 assembly polls, is making efforts to regain its identity. The RPI president Ramdas Athavale said, “We represent the people’s movement. We are not aligned with any political forum.”