We have entered a year that promises to be one of intense political action. With national elections due around April-May, I have picked nine political personalities who, in my opinion, will influence the course of events in 2009. These nine will be the newsmakers of 2009 in the political arena.
Sonia Gandhi
Five years ago, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhizealously pursued the goal of stopping the National Democratic Alliance’s return to power by sewing up alliances, marking a departure from the Congress party’s stated preference for single-party rule. Under Gandhi’s stewardship, the Congress party has become a smart practitioner of the coalition politics it once loathed.
The Congress’ recent electoral successes in Delhi, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Jammu and Kashmir have infused fresh dynamism in the party in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. Thanks to these electoral successes, the Congress-led UPA, which looked like a government on its way out in the wake of a surge in inflation (which has been easing) and incessant terror strikes last year, is back in the reckoning. Watch Gandhi’s moves in the new year as she lays out a plan to return the UPA to power at the Centre.
Also Read G.V.L. Narasimha Rao’s earlier columns
L.K. Advani
The leader of the rival National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and its prime ministerial candidate, L.K. Advani, has the seniority and political stature that can’t be matched by most claimants to the top job. In the 1990s, Advani scripted the ascension of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power at the Centre by leveraging his organization-building skills, forging smart alliances and pitching the right issues.
Recent electoral defeats in Delhi and Rajasthan have shocked the saffron camp and the party has gone into introspection. These defeats might prove to be a blessing in disguise for the BJP if the party were to put its house in order in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. As the BJP-led NDA has no presence or pre-poll partners in battleground states such as Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala—which account for 143 seats in the Lok Sabha—Advani’s alliance-building skills will be key in post-poll government formation. The seasoned campaigner is a man to watch out for in 2009 as he fights what probably will be the biggest political battle of his life.
Manmohan Singh
Five years ago, fortuitous circumstances led Manmohan Singhto become India’s prime minister. By pursuing the Indo-US nuclear deal zealously and parting ways with Left parties that opposed it, Singh has shown that he is no pushover and will stay in office only on his own terms. What is significant is that even after five years in the most exalted position, Singh continues to enjoy the complete trust of Gandhi.
Prakash Karat