Maharashtra crisis: Looking back at Pramod Mahajan's anecdotal take on democracy
His observations especially ring true in the face of the current political stand-off in Maharashtra
In a relatively light-hearted twist on the recent events concerning the political crisis in Maharashtra, we are travelling back in time to look at a particular comment by the late BJP politician from Maharashtra, Pramod Mahajan, who had a humorous anecdotal take on democracy, and some of the situations of predicament that it might sometimes make political parties in India face.
His observations especially ring true in the face of the current political stand-off in Maharashtra, where the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress, and Shiv Sena are currently at the crossroads of indecision, - notably, the very institutions of democracy often delaying the attempts by the political parties to timely form a government in the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party - the single-largest party in the state - are at the sidelines despite having won the largest vote share in the recently conducted assembly elections in the state. The rest of them were bickering over a convenient deal to form a government, till the President's Rule was imposed in the state.
The statement is part of a 1997 speech made by the late BJP from Maharashtra, Pramod Mahajan, who belonged to the second-generation of BJP leaders. He shared the anecdote in 1997 at the Parliament, after the Vajpayee-led BJP government fell after 13 days of rule, failing to show a majority in the floor test of the House, despite being the single-largest party.
Pramod Mahajan explained that he came to the realization regarding some of the humorous predicaments of electoral democracy while explaining India's political system to a Chinese MP.
Mahajan, he said, himself belonged to the single-largest party, yet was in the Opposition. Chintamani Singh, belonging to the second-largest party was "outside the government, supporting the government." Another member, belonging to the third-largest party, was "inside the front but outside the government." Finally, Ramakant Khalap was "the only member of his party and he is the government."
The current political scenario in Maharashtra faced the same scenario. The BJP, despite being the single-largest party in the state yet again, failed to form the government due to disagreements with its pre-poll ally Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena pursued its own ambitions and took its chances to form the government with the help of pre-poll foes Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress. However, they too failed to produce letters of support from the two parties due to not having enough time for forming the government.
Now when the President's Rule has been imposed in the state and the parties are mulling over which unconventional decisions they took, much like the poet Robert Frost does in his seminal piece 'The Road Not Taken', it is an interesting watch for the entire political scenario in the state.