Dear Netaji,
Zahid sharaab peene de masjid mein baith kar /
Ya wo jagah bata de jahan par Khuda na ho
Ya wo jagah bata de jahan par Khuda na ho
(Priest, let me sit and drink inside the mosque /
Or tell me that place where God can't be found)
Or tell me that place where God can't be found)
Let's be real honest. People laugh at your jokes out of sheer politeness, few actually understand them. After your press conferences, journalists and analysts always need a ‘Netaji expert’ to decipher your underlying message. Do I need to remind you of Soniaji’s letter? In this climate of mistrust and misinformation, her message was loud and clear. Candidly speaking, you seem like a person with an uncanny predisposition to bite the hand that feeds.
Yesterday, I had a chance to meet a jholawala pandit. And, his calculations based on the position of the stars reveal that you are the newest prime ministerial candidate on the block. And -– hold your breath -- the astrologer voiced a note of caution to those who would like to place their money on your chances based on the starry predictions. “I am not God, so even I can go wrong,” warned the soothsayer.
The idea of jugaad — which refers to the ‘anything goes’ attitude — has acquired a new meaning in political circles. Why should the Gandhis worry about Samajwadi Party’s movements in Uttar Pradesh? Privately, Congress loyalists say if they do not reach a tacit understanding with the SP, the going could be tough for Sonia and Rahul baba. The Centre played Santa Claus before and after Christmas so that the father-son duo (Mulayam and Akhilesh) could redeem their pre-poll promises.
The Congress and the Samajwadi may need each other after the 2014 general election. Netaji, you will be the ultimate gainer in case a fractured mandate enhances the possibility of a third-front government. It’s high time to get inspired by the humble farmer’s son. True, if Deve Gowda can become Prime Minister, then why can’t you? Yours truly does understand that it’s natural to crave for the country’s top job because no politician is a saint. Unless you quickly intervene, (read Durga Shakti Nagpal case), the ‘alliance’ could unravel even before it has properly firmed up.
People who matter in the corridors of power say that Sonia views Mulayam as a long-term and volatile ally. She feels if the former wrestler cannot be defeated, he can be co-opted. On the political ground, she plans to keep him away from the third front consisting of the likes of Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik and others who will matter in 2014. In Sonia's scheme of things, the Congress will leave no stone unturned to wrest power even through the “backdoor”.
Netaji should realise that his prime ministerial dream will steadily evaporate into fantasy if he continues to defy madam’s diktat. The “unreliability factor” attaching to Mulayam seems to come in the way of a wider front.
It’s a well-known syndrome in Indian politics known as the Dhritarashtra syndrome. Mulayam at the moment appears blind to his son’s total inability to perform as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. In the past, heavyweights suffered from what is known as 'son stroke'. If P V Narasimha Rao's sons were dubbed brokers, Indira Gandhi was flayed for Sanjay Gandhi's dictatorial style, Morarji Desai's son Kanti Desai slammed for his wheeling-dealing and V P Singh's son Ajeya framed in the St Kitts affair. The list is endless.
If we connect the dots correctly it appears that with every passing day, our Netaji is moving away from the top job.
