Why regional parties are on rise

[veeru_rocks]

Till advent of Janta Party and Morarji Desai there was virtual single party rule. Even after Janta Party's elevation there was bipolar polity. So when and how regional parties started becoming relevant. me thinks single most reason was total lack of intra-party democracy in Congress and atocratic streak of Indira Gandhi created all these regional satraps. She could never tolerate any popular leader inside her own party. Some of them died ( allegedly killed like Lalit Narayan Mishra of Bihar) in dubious circumstances when they were aboout overshadow Indira Gandhi.. So when these congressmen figured whatever they do there is a ceiling beyond which they can;t aspire to go they broke off from the parent party. These satraps gave voice to the aspirations of local people. Every reaosn wants their leader to be elevated to the top post if he she shows competence but that was not possible under Nehru family thumb. APeople started voting for regional parties because they saw their leader being treated with utmost disrespect with so caleld high-command raja-rani of nehru family. So if today you are anguished over ever-increasing frtunes of regiona parties then blame congress and autocratic congressi culture bereft of any intra-party democracy. MAnmohan Singh ecclaimedthese regional parties are weakening cntre. Well that actually was the idea in first place when Gandhiji asked for gram-swaraj it was to be total decentralization of polity. Instead what we got is more centralization than what we had during British. So Manmohan can cry in pain over his helplessness in catapulting his mentor a to the PM post single-handedly but unless Manmohan keeps his family adulation streak intact regional parties are here to stay. not everyone can have fawning worshipping streak towards a family people do have self-respect. If that mean voting for likes of Mayatai or Mulayam or even laloo so be it. So my mesage to congressi change your ways bring some semblance of intra-party democracy start respecting leaders other than nehru family naturally polity will turn bipolar. Till that happens due to your sin even BJP has to suffer due to regional satrap's influence. Regional parties can't be wished away you willhave to earn that through proper democratization of the party and please take your tongue off Sonia's slipper. It's embarrassing, doesn;t behoome a PM of a nation of 1 billion people.

[veeru_rocks]

some people are wondering why regional parties are eating into mandate of national parties.. isn't it obvious

[veeru_rocks]

Btw I am loving it at least laloo seems to eb in a lot of troubles ..While being in bed with congress is accusing congress for not being able to save Ram temple wiht babri mosque structure.. Rahul baba has very simple answer for all this.> HE chimed few years back since someone from his family was not in power that;s why it happened.. You see Nehru family has to be inpower otherwise no godo comes to India.. That chump is totally oblivious of the fact thatthat temple was locked and for good reason but his daddy decided to unlock in order to pacify hindus after Shah-bano drama.. Congressi are saying Laloo orchestrated Bhagapur riot.. stuppid me all these years I was fed by laloo and sonia that RSS did all that.. Anyway congress was in power both in Bihar and in delhi so question is wheoevr planned it what was congress doing.. BTW congress charge of laloo's involvement may not be true but the main cuplrit kameshwar Yadav is from laloo's party and laloo saved his ar$e just like Tytler's ar$e was saved by cbi.. BTW same lallu actually castigated in parlimane tin after 1990 election for failing to check riot in bhagalpur.. Since then laloo have had nirvana where even EMERGENCY BECAME DESIRABLE.. Laloo's disconfiture is understandable.. In our constituency congress whihc was never in contention this time is running second against NDA candidate and laloo is distant third if opnion poll has to be believed.. SO congress basically is replacing laloo...... Expect more vitriolic from laloo directed towards congress...........

[triam]

Atleast in the south, the regional parties hold sway because the issues that are relevant to the masses in the south is completely unknown and irrelevant to the national big wigs. For example in tamilnadu it is about Cauvery, persecution of tamils in lanka etc, which are complete non issues at the national level and nobody really cares about the nuclear deal etc in the south.

[Lurker]

Atleast in the south' date= the regional parties hold sway because the issues that are relevant to the masses in the south is completely unknown and irrelevant to the national big wigs. For example in tamilnadu it is about Cauvery, persecution of tamils in lanka etc, which are complete non issues at the national level and nobody really cares about the nuclear deal etc in the south.

Or, South Indians are far more removed from National mainstream issues than they would like to concede perhaps?? Cauvery is a non-issue at National level? Says who? I would bet an average Bihari knows more about Cauvery issue than a Tamilian/Kannadiga knows about Kosi/Gandak issue. The latter pretty much causes loss of 1000's of life every year. You seriously think that is not as big a issue as Cauvery which is pretty much water distribution issue between two states(or broadly all the 4) and doesnt exactly cause loss of life, at least not until political angle takes over?? As for Nuclear deal, if South Indians dont care about it then they really should. I wonder why that even needs to be explained. xx

[veeru_rocks]

I nearly lost my friend yesterday in thsi north south debate.. he was insistign on voting for YSR REddy I kept saying YSR reddy has no say in what policy matter is taken in centre but he wud not buzz.. at last i had to say you southy always reamin diconnected with delhi.. Even when Indian GAndhi murdered democracy it was from south her party salvage some pride.. all 100 odd seats for indira's party even after as flgrant a step as emergency came from south.. he was so offended

[triam]

Or, South Indians are far more removed from National mainstream issues than they would like to concede perhaps?? Cauvery is a non-issue at National level? Says who? I would bet an average Bihari knows more about Cauvery issue than a Tamilian/Kannadiga knows about Kosi/Gandak issue. The latter pretty much causes loss of 1000's of life every year. You seriously think that is not as big a issue as Cauvery which is pretty much water distribution issue between two states(or broadly all the 4) and doesnt exactly cause loss of life, at least not until political angle takes over?? As for Nuclear deal, if South Indians dont care about it then they really should. I wonder why that even needs to be explained. xx

When did I say I dont care Lurker, this is the prevailing situation in the south like it or not.

[Lurker]

When did I say I dont care Lurker' date=' this is the prevailing situation in the south like it or not.[/quote'] I didnt mean to say you did not care Triam. What I was ascertaining to was that it does appear that South Indians, atleast a large number, is quite cut off from mainstream policies. If you would check the history South India is one area where regional parties have been traditionally strong. Now I dont see anything wrong with that except when I hear a Karunanidhi burn Constitution on Marina Beach or call Prabhakaran a friend who is misunderstood. I am not gonna buy this South Indians think local parties address their issue better. Most states suffer from a local issue, Bihar flood was an example, but I dont quite see similar developments in other part of the nation. I am not having a go at South India mind you, want to go on record before Coffee Rocks go bananas at me :giggle:

[triam]

Why are regional parties which have agendas which are very different from the mainstream parties successful in some parts of India, is a very very tough question, I have read some articles in the past about this, let me see if I can find them.