Political stability eludes world's biggest democracy
One week after the Indian election results, the world's most populous democracy is yet to have a new government.
That alone is sufficient evidence of the convoluted and complex political picture that the results produced. A hung parliament was not unexpected, as recent parliamentary elections in India have shown how the political landscape, once dominated by the mighty Congress Party, has become increasingly fragmented.
As expected, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with a manifesto that questioned the fundamental secularism of the Indian nation, emerged as the largest single party. However, it lacked the parliamentary strength necessary to form a government on its own, hence the delay in announcing the new government.
The BJP is still negotiating with some of the smaller parties, particularly those representing minority ethnic and religious groups, in the hope of persuading them to join in a coalition. The Congress Party and its allies appear to have all but given up on cobbling a coalition together ahead of the BJP and presenting the Indian president with a fait accompli.
The resignation yesterday of Congress president Sitaram Kesri seems to confirm this suspicion. Even then, the task of forming a government is still not an easy one for the BJP. The BJP election platform was viewed by many as being strongly Hindu nationalist. If its critics are to be believed, it is trying to turn India into a theocratic state. The BJP would do well to moderate some elements of its manifesto if it is to attract those smaller political groupings into its fold.
Since the BJP has now been presented with its best ever chance to hold power, it will probably do so. But later, if it tries to assert itself and impose some of its stronger sentiments upon its coalition partners, India could well find itself returning to the frustrations of a fragmented government that cannot provide the political stability that the country so desperately needs.
-- The Hong Kong Standard