Strategy and credibility for success : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Strategy and credibility for success 
Strategy, credibility key to success in elections

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
Millennium Post, New Delhi (24-09-2018)

The Hans India (23-09-2018)

Elections to the Telangana State Assembly are due earlier than expected in view of dissolution of the House. Every political party is busily engaged in drafting its own strategy. While the party in power, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, is all set to contest on its own, without any alliance with any party, the opposition parties led by Congress are forming a united front on the name of Mahakootami-the Grand Alliance. All these parties that are diametrically differing with each other, with a one point program to defeat TRS are bonding. For them its not people’s interest that matters but their own political interest. Political analysts and number of surveys, however, predict a landslide victory for TRS notwithstanding the presence of a Grand Alliance.

Political Parties appeal the voters with typical slogans in their manifestos. In earlier national and state elections too we heard slogans like “Garibee Hatao”, Two rupees kilo rice”, “free power”, “democracy or dictatorship?”, “stable government”, “Total prohibition”, no matter whether they won them the election or not. After winning the poll and forming the government, they might or might not have fulfilled the promises made in manifestos.

Convincing the voter with credibility of slogans is very crucial and important. This presupposes a political strategy. Already for the forthcoming assembly elections, couple of parties have announced in advance their exorbitant promises that would form part of manifesto. Absurd promises like “River Krishan and River Godavari will be dewatered and drained to construct houses for poor” are also being made by some parties. They promise to waive the agriculture loans to a tune of Rs 2 lakhs, as a onetime payment and in one go, unaware of the burden of thousands of crores involved in it, which literally meant to do away with every payment either for development or for welfare and even deferring payment of salaries of employees for few months!!! Such promises, without considering the possibility and feasibility shall be checked and disallowed by the Election Commission. Voters however are examining keenly the credibility of promises and assessing the capability of parties to fulfil the promises.

Whether it is an individual or an organization or a political party or for any non-political activity, as long as it has an aim and objectives, to achieve them, it requires a meticulous action plan which in scientific terms is known as Strategy. For every political party, sometimes even unmindful of good or bad, strategically moving forward is a routine business. Even a smallest mistake may lead to severe hardship. Perhaps, as part of such hassled political strategy, on the name of a grand alliance, an unethical and unprincipled combination of political parties is in the offing in Telangana on the eve of elections. Quite ahead of announcement of schedule, the Congress party, the TDP, the Jana Samithi and CPI are forming into grand alliance against ruling TRS. Probably these parties and their leaders are ignorant that in elections one plus one is not two and they are wrong to conclude that the votes they polled in earlier elections if combined will make them victorious.

Every partner of this proposed grand alliance though explicitly want to contest together, have in their heart-in-heart, to outsmart the other and in the process benefit for itself. Which party will ultimately benefit, and which one will be the looser in this process is a difficult assumption. In addition, the thought process of leaders at the state level is totally different to that of the grassroot cadre and constituency level leaders wanting to be in election fray. Earlier when all these so called alliance partners, announced that they would contest all seats, leaders at the constituency level, in anticipation of a certainty of getting party ticket, have already begun their campaign. Now that the decision has been changed in favour of a grand alliance, the fate of these aspirants is in an ambiguous point. Most of them who are denied tickets due to the alliance may turn against and become dissidents and may even campaign against alliance candidates. This would certainly harm the prospects of grand alliance significantly.

Aspirants of party ticket normally tend to seek ticket from other party by defecting if they are denied by their mother party. This is a normal practice to any party and more so in Congress. The recent developments in Congress are an example of this. Often rates are also fixed in this party as is alleged by some senior leaders belonging to that party. Against this background, for the first time in the history of Indian elections, Chief Minister and TRS president KCR has announced party tickets to 105 persons, all but two sitting MLAs, far ahead of elections, and even before the schedule is announced. Making this announcement in a media meet is a new convention set by CM KCR. He has subtly and also explicitly made it abundantly clear that there is little chance to the defectors from other parties to seek party ticket. He wants them to remain only as loyal party workers after they join.

It may perhaps be apt if a rule akin to that of code of conduct is brought imposing restrictions on awarding ticket to the defectors who do so just couple of months before the conduct of elections. Election Commission instead of sleeping all through between election and election for full five years, should strive hard, to strengthen the democratic systems from time to time.  

As against all this, it looks like, in every aspect, TRS is much-much ahead of all the political parties that are in the fray and marching ahead towards victory. Ever since TRS won 2014 election and assumed power, the Chief Minister KCR by treating the election manifesto as a holy book and always keeping it by his side, conceived and implemented umpteen welfare and developmental programs, giving equal priority to both and in the process benefiting all sections of people. Name any scheme or project or program…be it the Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya, the irrigation projects like Kaleshwaram, Palamoor, Sitarama, the Aasara pensions, the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak, employees salary hike, round the clock power supply without cuts, sheep distribution, Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, KCR kits, basti clinics, Kanti Velugu and so on…the credit goes to TRS government. Every bit of promise made in the manifesto has been taken care of and in addition 72 additional schemes that were not mentioned in the manifesto were also implemented. There are 60 schemes that are implemented only in Telangana and no where in the country. In a way the manifesto is implemented 172%. All this gained the credibility among people.

TRS, in its manifesto, hence, may certainly include only such promises, that are implementable. Naturally when compared to other parties, the credibility of TRS is on the much-much higher side. TRS may announce in all probabilities many new schemes for the welfare and development of people besides opting for standardization, stabilization and consolidation of the good work done already in various fronts. Almost all the schemes that are in implementation shall continue in all likelihood.

It is only when a leader like TRS President KCR thinks differently, believes that he is different from others, dreams of bright future to the state, undertakes activities which none will be able to do, he is the real strategist. Hundred percent success will be with such leaders only. Strategy coupled with credibility will be the key to success in poll.