By Chandrashekhar Sahu from Raipur
EXCLUSIVE and rigorous methods of forecast claimed to be based on public opinion, had not suggested a fall of NDA. The 2004 election verdict resulted in a fractured mandate with the ouster of BJP and return of the Congress.
Unseen, unnoticed and unrecognised public emotions worked surreptitiously in bringing out a change in the political scene.
In Chhattisgarh, the results of the 2004 Parliamentary Elections may be encouraging in terms of statistical facts because the BJP gained by losing only one seat. The state BJP in Chhattisgarh must learn from the defeat of the BJP in Centre that this may be a situation of ?feel good? for the present but any careless attitude may result in an unhealthy situation rendering the party severely sick. While reviewing the political situation, one must not lose sight of the fact that the BJP won in the 2003 Assembly elections more because of the anti-incumbency factor and not because of the positive attitude of the electorate towards the BJP.
Today one must not ignore the same bureaucracy may any time result in causing severe damage to the party'sstatus and existence. Placement of officers of doubtful integrity in key positions, will one day give rise to the same situation where the previous state Congress government landed in. Officers on important posts not found trustworthy were initially removed by the BJP government but probably realising their capability, they were assigned the same responsibility by ignoring their loyalty. The inexperienced team of ministers are in fact puppets in the hands of the bureaucracy.
Timely recognition and careful management are necessary to prevent precipitation of the critical situation in the state or else it may lead to an inevitable fall in the popularity of BJP.
