Do us a favour Soniaji, don't dream about UPA III

Bangalore, Aug 24: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's statement made on Saturday that she is cent per cent sure about the UPA's coming back to power for the third consecutive term reflects, more than overconfidence, an arrogance which is disconnected from the ground. Or did the twin by-poll victories in Karnataka on Saturday made her hopeful? After all, the southern state has proved to be a reliable asset for the party at a time of distress.

Mrs Gandhi said the ruling coalition's aim is to go to the very end, ruling out possibilities of early polls. While interacting with journalists at the inauguration ceremony of the National Media Centre in New Delhi, Gandhi proudly announced that the government led by her party has given the countrymen crucial rights like those to information, education and now those to food. What a simple gesture of greatness, Madam, you are speaking about rights? The rest of India is struggling to come to term with the wrongs!

The overconfidence could also be a last-minute effort to boost the colleagues on a sinking ship. As a leader, that is understandable. But what is not understandable is that why this same leader was hardly seen speaking openly to clear the air on various issues whenever the countrymen sought an explanation?

She let her loyalists do the talking but their mindless use of the words most of the time did more harm to her coalition than not. Isn't it too late to expect a hat-trick, Mrs Gandhi? Do you have anything fresh to offer to the country other then more slump? Another five years with the same state of affairs, India may disappear from the face of the earth.

Has Mrs Gandhi taken note of the state of the economy and does she have any solution to fix it? The most qualified economist in her team, who also happens to be the prime minister of the country, has failed to mend things and there is a clear confusion prevailing. Nobody knows who is in charge of what even as the country moves in an auto-pilot mode. Do you think that the nation of over 1.2 billion can risk its future by permitting your party to stretch things further, Mrs Gandhi? We doubt.

The problem with today's politicians is that they don't know to retreat, even when the condition is adverse. Sonia Gandhi could have made a move to call early elections, sensing that the prevailing confusion won't help the nation, so that a fresh leadership could take on the issues head on.

In 2004, she had heard her inner voice to baffle her opponents. In 2013, she perhaps has no inner voice to show her the right direction. Is a popular opponent leader too big a mental block for the Congress top leadership now, preventing it even from making any reasonable remark?

OneIndia News