Political battle with interesting overtones |
There are many “firsts” to the credit of the current central dispensation, both in its governance and political formats. Mostly the “firsts”, for the purpose of claiming credit, are related to success and Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi leads from the front to claim credit and rightly too.
What about the “first” of a different variety, a failure?
The unfavourable outcome of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, related to the tricky issue of Women’s Reservation in the legislatures but focused on equally contentious delimitation of constituencies, in Lok Sabha has sprung surprise across the board. The Congress-led opposition, which has been at the receiving end both inside and outside Parliament for the last over a decade, suddenly tasted a victory and a sweeter one. However, the bigger story is about the strategy of the ruling party (read government) and its subsequent failure-behind the episode beginning with convening of the special session and subsequent fiasco on the floor of the Lower House, causing consternation in the BJP camp.
Although it is still to be seen how the Women’s Reservation issue in its latest manifestation unfolds in the ongoing set of assembly elections, it has given rise to a vital question about the veracity of strategy behind the episode. And also, who had planned the entire issue. Even if the BJP wins, dislodging Ms Mamta Banerjee in West Bengal (the mother of all contests in this phase), one must come to know about the real intent and name of the strategist or group of strategists. Surely and true to his style Mr Modi will lead from the front in claiming credit for victory against her.
However, the story will take a different........