By Patricia Mukhim
That Dr Mukul Sangma, Meghalaya’s former Chief Minister and an astute politician had been hobnobbing with the Trinamool Congress in the last few months was no secret but he did spring a surprise by taking along with him twelve MLAs of the Congress thereby leaving the Party which has until then been the main Opposition party, bereft of any clout in the Assembly. The Congress is today reduced to a Party of five legislators. Vincent Pala’s arbitrary appointment as the Party chief by the AICC has really done in the Congress. The infamous moniker ‘grand old party’ seems hell bent on committing political suicide from Punjab to Meghalaya and elsewhere too where old loyalists have been sidelined and, in some cases shown the door.
The Congress in Meghalaya has been in a state of churn ever since VH Pala’s taking over as MPCC Chief. But what does ‘churn’ really mean? In business churn refers to a scenario where a customer stops buying a product or service and discontinues future payments. Churn is also refereed to as an attrition when a customer stops patronizing a company and the revenue lost from that eroding customer base. That’s exactly what has happened to the Congress in Meghalaya. Those leading the Congress party are so unimaginative and stuck in a rut that they believe that people invest in Congress ideology because they have sufficient antipathy against the BJP to stick on to it as an alternative. But the Congress is no longer the only alternative today.
In Meghalaya, it is obvious that Dr Mukul Sangma was not going to play second fiddle to VH Pala. Besides, while the Congress MLAs have only now left their party to join the TMC, the fact is that younger aspiring politicians have already joined the TMC and are readying themselves for the 2023 elections from different constituencies. These young aspirants feel that the BJP is not yet acceptable in Meghalaya. If at all it gets votes then those are only from the largely non-tribal localities like Laban and Pynthor Umkhrah in Khasi Hills and one or two constituencies in Garo Hills. These have been the BJP’s stronghold and not beyond that. This time for the three bye-elections held, the BJP could only find a candidate for Rajabala. There were no takers for the BJP tickets from Mawryngkneng and Mawphlang both tribal dominated constituencies.
The TMC is emerging as the only party that can give the BJP a run for its money with politicians joining it as a national alternative to the BJP. This implies that hardcore politicians who understand the stakes in politics know that the Congress is no longer the alternative to the BJP. It does not have the gravitas and the weft that is needed to counter the saffron party. Even its firm loyalists have begun doubting whether the Congress can upstage the BJP in 2024. The Congress party has unfortunately been handcuffed to a slavish deference to the Nehru-Gandhi family. There is no inner-party democracy at the top. That top-down approach has started to stink because people at the Blocks and Primary Units know better who would make a good President at the state level but they are not given the right to elect that leader.
I am no divine crystal gazer but of the five remaining Congress MLAs, one of them if sure to join the NPP. No prizes for guessing who that person is. If the NPP gets all the five it’s a bonus but those who jump into the NPP ship will have to deal with anti-incumbency of the MDA Government in 2023 and there are many issues that they will have to explain before the electorate about why they chose to join the NPP.
Those of us in the media of course watch these political goings-on with weary cynicism. In Meghalaya parties hardly make a difference. They are uniforms to be worn before the elections and the manifesto is just a piece of paper. The electorate hardly reads the manifestos and elects people on the basis of (a) their ability to pay money for votes (b) their personal charisma (c) because they belong to the same religion (and let me state this upfront but religion plays a big role in elections in Meghalaya). But there is one problem with Meghalaya as is also with the six other North Eastern states. Political parties that form the Government have to be on the same side as the party/parties ruling Delhi. There is a constant need for resources and a friendly government at the Centre is easier to deal with than an antagonistic one. Although in a federal structure the Centre has to compulsorily deploy resources to the states for socio-economic development and infrastructure creation. But that is easier said than done. The Centre knows how to create situations to make the states toe the line. That’s the sad reality.
As far as Dr Mukul Sangma’s choice of the TMC is concerned, he really had no option other than forming his own political party. Aligning with the BJP is not an option because there is place for only one leader in the region. That space has been taken by Himanta Biswa Sarma who is Mukul Sangma’s beta-noire. Himanta would make it difficult for Mukul to emerge as a strong national leader to contend with from the region. And Mukul Sangma has the potential to be a national leader. In the TMC he has the leverage to emerge as strong tribal leader from the region at the national level.
There are critics who feel that the TMC is in fact destroying all chances of Opposition unity in the country to take on the BJP, by moving forward alone instead of aligning with the Congress. But when the Congress refuses to sit back and take a hard look at itself and honestly address its organizational problems then few other parties can work with it.
However, the roots of political dysfunction also lie deep in our society and polity. Politics is embedded in the social context. But politicians don’t even think it is important to consult their electorate before joining another political party. The electorate is taken for granted and that’s because voters do not question the elected. And yet people put politics at the centre of their psychological, emotional and even their spiritual life. That’s the paradox that defeats us repeatedly.
Politicians who have joined the TMC expect the electorate to join forces with them although for all of the 12 politicians the stakes are more personal than political. Politics is just a means to attaining power so let us not deceive ourselves that the 12 who joined the TMC are doing it out of a spirit of public service. Each one is working towards enlightened self-interest because they believe (a) that the MDA Government has taken more than its share of political benefits in these last four years and (b) will continue to leverage on the fact that it is in the government until 2023 arrives.
This is the age of social media and much of this present political churning is being avidly discussed even as many soak in the discourse without views of their own. That’s what happens in an election too. Candidates come and bombard the electorate with a laundry list of “what we will do if we win this election.” Some of the electorate who are not in the habit of selling their self-respect by taking money believe these glibly made promises. But social media is also awash with conspiracy theories about what will happen if Political Party A or B wins and whether their identities and resources will not both be eroded by the advent of a new Bengal-based political party. It’s a paradox but conspiracy theories have also become the most effective community bonding mechanism in the 21st century. Conspiracy theories are very effective emotional tools because they provide agency to those that feel powerless. Then paranoia sets in which also revolves around identity, land, resources and employment. And it is difficult to argue people out of their paranoia.
Hence between now and 2023 it will be interesting to watch how the new TMC MLAs are going to explain their actions to the electorate. Sure, they all came together under the leadership of Dr Mukul Sangma but when they go to their electorate it will be a lonely journey. Rebuilding people’s trust sometimes takes a generation!