The three-day monsoon session of the Uttarakhand Assembly began in Gairsain on Wednesday, and it is hoped that it will function smoothly in line with the stated objectives of the various parties. While the government’s primary interest is to get its supplementary budget demands passed, the Opposition is hoping to create a positive environment for the coming Kedarnath constituency bypoll, building upon its successes in Badrinath and Manglaur. While the Congress will pursue national level issues currently hitting the headlines these days, such as women’s safety, caste census, Agniveer, etc., it has also declared its intention to draw attention to proper compensation for those whose lives have been severely disrupted by the devastating landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains.
Hopefully, the focus will be on state level issues, particularly having to do with law and order, as well as general administration. The failure of government departments to regulate ordinary functioning, such as the recruitment of staff in the Transport Department without proper verification, as has emerged after the gangrape case in Dehradun’s ISBT, indicates how severe is this malaise. The opposition, while raising these issues with the necessary vigour, should also cooperate with the government in finding remedies. This requires a deeper interaction than the mere formality of posing and answering questions on mundane subjects.
The ruling BJP must seriously consider whether it can make an impact on the state without depending upon the inherent support among the people for PM Narendra Modi. Hindutva, daily temple visits and Modi may help win parliamentary seats, but local politics requires effective leadership at the state level. The past decade has brought Uttarakhand to the cusp of prosperity, but, if it is not handled properly, it may well slip away. This precious opportunity will not become available again. It may be argued that the Badrinath and Manglaur constituencies had not been held by the BJP before, but should good governance not have swung them in the party’s favour? If the Rudraprayag contest also proves difficult for the party, questions will be raised, rightly, about the present set-up in government. Following upon what emerges from the ongoing session, the state unit of the BJP needs to undertake a SWOT analysis regarding its government’s performance. There is no room for complacency as those not prepared can be overcome by sudden changes in circumstances. Words have to be followed up with action, otherwise the hold over power becomes unsustainable.
