Dear Editor,
Politicians are always busy in predicting the future of their rival politicians. Their prediction-spree level reaches its crescendo on the eve of elections. Overestimation of seats for their parties and underestimation of seats for their rival parties are quite common. Politics is the seat of sycophancy of their leaders to curry favour and it is also the seat of hate speeches. Mudslinging has been integral part of politics. Today’s political friend may be tomorrow’s political foe and vice versa. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal predicted his own arrest even long before he was arrested. His ‘prediction’ came true. He says “Mark my words: If BJP wins on June 4……. next year Modi will turn 75 and so will retire (as per the rule he himself set)”. Wins or loses, Modi turning 75 when time comes cannot be halted. Victory on June 4 or on anyday has nothing to do with the continuance of life journey. Kejriwal predicts that Amit Shah will be made the Prime Minister and Yogi Adityanath will be removed as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. Further, he says that Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Auditya Thackeray will all be sent to jail. When he predicted his own arrest, it came true because probably Kejriwal knew that the gravity of his crime would land him in jail. If he predicts the arrest of others, probably he is knowing the gravity of the crime committed by them also. AICC President Mallikarjuna Kharge predicts that BJP won’t cross 200 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He further adds “Dalits, tribals will again become slaves if Modi, Shah get third term”. What does he mean for ‘again’? Are the Dalits and tribals slave now? Governments irrespective of the parties in power are not denying any benefits to the weaker sections. Kharge needs to be reminded that a tribal has been made the President of India and a Muslim was made the President of India by the BJP-led coalition government. Is Congress prepared to make him the Prime Minister if INDIA bloc comes to power? Is Siddaramaiah prepared to give up his seat in favour of dalits when there are many many efficient and competent dalits to give good governance? He further says that if I.N.D.I.A. block stays united, BJP will be nowhere to be seen. Instead of staying together and then falling apart, it would be better if all the constituents of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc come together under one umbrella and fight the BJP if the BJP in power is troubling them so much. Too many parties with different ideologies can hardly stand and stay together. Even if I.N.D.I.A. bloc wins and forms the government, the stability of the government cannot be guaranteed and all the constituents of the bloc may pull in different directions and ultimately cause the fall of the government if the chink develops. Karnatka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has views that BJP may not win more than 200 seats whereas INDI alliance would cross 300 seats. While Rahul Gandhi predicts 150 seats for NDA, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ‘gives’ 200-220 seats to NDA. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been dreaming of AAP being a part of the government at centre on June 4 if INDI alliance wins. But he has not used the word ‘if’. Understandably, Mann is under impression that I.N.D.I.A. bloc has already won the election but only the official announcement is awaited. There are no permanent alliances but only permanent interests in politics. “Modi won’t be the Prime Minister after poll results”, says the Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh predicts that Modi is outgoing Prime Minister. This is true. One day or the other anyone holding any post must go. Not necessarily it should be now. Election strategist Prashanth Kumar sees clean sweep for NDA in Lok Sabha polls. In 2019, Congress leader Janardhan Poojary had said that Modi would rule for another two terms. If that is to happen, BJP has to come to power in 2024 election also. The time is fast approaching to know whether the prediction of Poojary comes true. It must be recalled that the Congress leader late Sheila Dixit had said that Manmohan Singh was no stronger than Modi. In February 2019, Congress leader Sushmita Dev had ‘foreseen’ the formation of Congress government in that year. But it did not happen. Politicians’ predictions are like trains running without rails under the wheels.
Yours faithfully,
K.V. SEETHARAMAIAH
