Political Parties & Investigating Agencies have lot to do!

Over the last two weeks India witnessed several dramatic political events that in all likelyhood are set to cast their shadow in years to come.
First, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pulled off a record sixth consecutive win in Gujarat despite a spirited challenge from the Congress. BJP managed to regain Himachal Pradesh, again overcoming the incumbent Congress. With these two states in its kitty, BJP now has government in 19 states and claims to be inching closer to its target to have a “Congress Mukht Bharat”-“ An India without Congress”. Also, last week, the special court of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pronounced a verdict in the 2G scam. It absolved the 17 accused, including former telecom minister A. Raja, of any criminal wrongdoing. The verdict brought back the belief that conviction of politician in corruption cases is rare in India but soon the former Chief Minister of Bihar Laloo Prasad Yadav was behind bars in a case dating back to 1994. Laloo Yadav was found guilty of fraudulently withdrawing over 8 million rupees from government funds meant for buying cattle feed.
Together, the fallout of these events are likely to influence the political narrative in India, the confidence in judiciary which in turn will have a bearing on the 17th general elections due in 2019 and the other parliamentary elections in five states in 2018. Since 2014, the BJP has mostly had the upper hand in the various electoral contests, barring the elections in Punjab where the Congress under the leadership of Capt. Amarinder Singh returned to power. BJP managed to wrest power in Goa despite not getting majority by managing few defections. In Bihar it played a master stroke, when the chief Minister Nitish Kumar broke its alliance with Laloo Yadav’s party and joined hands with BJP. This had come has a setback to Congress since it was instrumental in forging the alliance among Congress, Nitish Kumar and Laloo Yadav. It also jeopardized any attempt to forge an all opposition alliance. Hence, in the two states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, BJP didn’t have to do much of work post results. The leaders of BJP had gone all out to protect the baston of Prime Minister Modi and BJP Chief Amit Shah. 34 rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all central ministers and Chief Ministers of the BJP rules states were camping there in Gujarat to seek votes. Since both BJP and Congress ran so close, it would be tempting to see Gujarat as a beckoner for elections to follow. Congress lost despite a perfect anti-incumbency brewing against the incumbent BJP; and BJP registering this victory with 16 seats with a margin of less than 3000 votes. The big take away from the Congress point of view is that in some ways the party managed to set the agenda and resurgence can be gauged from the fact that despite losing it got a pat on the back from other political leaders but voters too.
At such a juncture, the verdict in the 2G scam may has come as a shot in the arm of the Congress, but is a poor reflection on the bureaucracy and investigating agencies that the special CBI judge O P Saini was forces to say, “I may also add that for the last about seven years, on all working days, summer vacation included, I religiously sat in the open Court from 10am to 5pm, awaiting for someone with some legally admissible evidence in his possession, but all in vain.” Congress party has launched a campaign on social media and in the parliament too accusing the BJP of misrepresenting facts. It is not that there was no wrongdoing as the Supreme Court ruled in 2012; in the process of allocation of spectrum. Instead it is that the CBI court did not find any evidence to prove the criminal charges that were levelled. BJP finds itself in quandary as I can’t say that the CBI didn’t do its work well in the CBI court. Also the Comptroller and Auditor General whose report formed the basics for registering the case, Vinod Rai is facing tough questions. With each question poised to Rai, BJP has even more to answer as Rai was given a plump posting as the chairman of Banks Board Bureau (BBB), the body that advises the government on top-level appointments at public sector banks and way to address the bad loans.
Laloo Yadav’s sentencing comes as another quiver in BJP’s armour, as its fight against corruption. It’s clear that when the electoral hostilities are resumed between Congress and the BJP, both parties would a lot more to share with the electorate and a lot more to explain. Both parties face five direct contest, and how the parties stack up ahead of a big showdown in 2019 would be interesting to watch.