As the panchayat elections approach in Uttarakhand, the political scene is hotting up with statements being issued by leaders of the major parties, as also smaller outfits seeking to find political space. While it is natural for the ruling BJP to feel confident about its prospects, there are quite a few reasons for it not to feel complacent. Being the cadre-based party that it is, there will have been feedback on public sentiment for it to be concerned about. This is because, with all the grand projects being implemented, and future plans being unveiled, there is a void being experienced by the common people in grassroots governance that has reached proportions difficult to ignore.
This shortcoming has to do with leadership at the top. Consider the fact that the Chief Minister handles thirty departments, even as three Cabinet posts remain empty in his council of ministers. Is this an acknowledgement that the BJP’s MLAs, despite having been elected with large margins, are incapable of looking after even a portfolio or two? Or is the leadership too paranoid to give an opportunity for others to shine? Whatever the reasons, it is definitely having an adverse impact on the ground. The shortcomings that have been revealed in the running of helicopter services to Kedarnath have also roots in the fact that inadequate attention was paid to the regulatory aspects. This impacted on the lives of ordinary people. Similarly, in other governance verticals also, the required quality of supervision is missing, whatever the reasons may be.
It must not be forgotten that the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections were won by the BJP mostly owing to the Modi factor and the inherent nationalism of the Uttarakhandi people. All that was required from local leaders was for them not to have a record that took away from these factors. However, over the three years of the present state government, the inherent contradictions have begun to impact people’s lives. This will certainly be reflected in the Panchayat elections.
The results will, however, depend on how well the opposition, particularly the Congress, harvests public sentiment. Unfortunately, it is making the mistake, once again, of targeting Prime Minister Modi in its everyday pronouncements. That would likely revive patriotic sentiment again, particularly after Operation Sindoor. This is lazy politics, but it emerges from the fact that Congress workers are scarce on the ground and have little knowledge of grassroots issues. It can only be hoped that a fresh crop of leaders emerges in the elections, as traditionally independents also do well at this level.
