The Opposition’s strategy to oppose the NDA is made very clear in the Tharoor editorial : It’s going to be all about Federalism over the next 5 years… if the coalition of Narendra Modi lasts the journey.
Tharoor in laying out the broad contours of the Opposition’s grand strategy, seems to be arrogating to himself the role of a Chanakya of “INDIA” —- a position that quite ostensibly has become vacant after P.Chidambaram, who had held it for so long now in the Congress Party is now nearing political superannuation; and Jairam Ramesh is likely nearing the end of his useful political shelf-life there.
Tharoor’s Chanakyian blueprint for the Opposition’s political strategy going forward the next 5 years — or fewer maybe, who knows? — revolves around two principal pivots:
Go on exploiting to the very hilt the twin leverage of (a) Delimitation and (b) Tax devolution to try and succeed in sowing the seeds of deep discord within the coalition until one or more of its constituents— TDP or JDU or both — find themselves utterly at odds with BJP.
The fissure points to be applied in accordance with the above strategy, as I see them developing and emerging quickly over the next 6-12 months, are likely to be the following:
1. Timing and scope of the conduct of national Census overdue since 2021. (Will Caste census be included ?)
2. Finding a consensus formula for fixation of Delimitation of electoral constituencies based on Census results …. And a formula that effectively gives no quarter or concessions whatsoever to northern Indian states at the expense of the southern states.
3. Timing of Statehood for Kashmir. Embarrass the government over possible delay in meeting the stated objective of statehood given sudden increase in terrorist activity seen recently there .
4. The use of the Interstate Council as a battering ram against the Home Ministry to besiege and beleaguer it with a constant barrage of demands for decentralisation. In this forum create an unwritten code of cooperation between INDI Alliance and NDA allies of BJP to foment and arouse passionate centripetal forces in the country all in the name of Federalism.
5. Use the Interstate Council to exert influence on the new Finance Commission Report due in 2025 to deliver a formula for greater tax-revenue devolution to the States.
6. Oppose CAA implementation.
7. Oppose UCC .
8. Oppose Hindi.
9. Oppose NEP.
10. Dysfunctional use of GST Council aimed at subserving main objective in 5. above.
As against the above offensive strategy outlined above, it is quite probable that the following secondary but disruptive strategies to weaken central rule will also be pursued by Tharoor and his comrades, all in the name of, yes again, Federalism:
1. In the area of Foreign Policy, step up the narrative over the Government’s pusillanimous handling of China aggression in the north and north east. Bemoan loudly in Parliament and in the public square over the betrayal of the rights of Kashmiri and Arunachal state citizenry.
2. In the area of Interstate River Waters sharing, continue to drag Centre into intractable regional quagmires through the Court and Tribunals. Make the Centre look utterly inept and derelict.
3. In the area of reforms other than economic , frustrate all attempts to implement One Nation One Vote .
4. In the area of economic reforms, oppose privatisation, labour laws and land acquisition for industrialisation.
5. Oppose Hindi vociferously and go soft on the bashing of Sanatana Dharma that INDI Alliance partners might now and then indulge in the name of cultural federalism.
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I would like to sincerely wish Shashi Tharoor-Ji all the very best for having moved so quickly after the elections to don upon himself the mantle of “INDIA’s” second-coming of Chanakya with a famous message from Kautalya “sastra”:
Sudarshan Madabushi