A THIRD ALTERNATIVE

BIKASH CHOUDHURY


A regular visitor of restaurants for dinner would know the three emotions that are usually written on the face of people coming out of restaurants; happy, confused and dissatisfied.
The first one for being offered limited but good choice of food with distinct taste; second, for too many recipes on the menu with no knowledge which one would bring a refreshing feeling and the last one offering limited alternative with questionable quality and taste. Just like Indian electorate in the National politicking; being spoiled for choice between two groupings, either UPA or NDA. A third alternative is deserved by Indian electorates of 700 million; third alternative has been tried before many times but summarily failed due to lack of Ideas, Ideology and common program holding them and some for being cobbled together opportunistically against either one or the other political formation on the basis of vaulting political ambitions of some leaders which comes into being just before parliamentary election and melts away just like a flake of butter soon after (Janata Dal & United Front Govt. remain classic examples of failed attempts of third alternatives) General election in 2014 is expected to throw up its own dynamics; therefore, a third alternative political options should be ready by then for the electorate in national interest to offer the country a stable, strong and dynamic administration for Governance;
of course, in a value based partnership with any one of the leading political alliance of the day. But, this alliance should be developed on the basis of Idea & Ideology to be able to offer long term solution to the country and not to capture power alone.

A Social Democratic Alliance can be formed keeping in view the current political dynamics. Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), The Left (CPI & CPI-M & others), Telgu Desam, AIADMK and JDU of Karnataka can make this alliance comprising the north, east and southern belt of the country responsible for returning fifty percent of members of parliament in the lower house and which could turn the electoral arithmetic’s of 2014 on its head if it is able to capture sixty percent of the seats in the region (170/543). Looking at the formidable social coalition, the alliance would come to represent- The middle class, The Labor class, the bottom of social & economic pyramid and the minorities; the numbers would not be very difficult to achieve if this alliance strictly restricted to the National Electoral Politics alone and leaving the politics of the states to the respective stronger partners keeping a decent opportunity for collaboration in State & Local Electoral politics to further strengthen the alliance.

Social Democratic Alliance could be based on strong, prosperous India with equity among its people and happiness which can only happen if our Governance model wish to solve six basic problems of a large majority of our countrymen; i.e., Roti, Kapada and Makan & Bijli, Sadak and Pani in a time frame of ten years. These issues once targeted systematically by a political alliance, will ensure socio economic & political empowerment of a good chunk of people living on the margins of society and also would be able to hold the group together for long long time. The alliance also could pitch for a robust foreign policy on the premise of closer economic union of Indian Confederation and still closer South Asia. As always, a higher national purpose inspires the leaders, the leadership and followers alike. Can our leaders rise to the occasion and sacrifice political ambition for a larger influence over the policies of governance that would drive and shape the destiny of India in this century?