How 2G scam verdict may impact RK Nagar bypoll, Modi-Karunanidhi equation

mangaloretoday News Network

New Delhi, Dec 21, 2017 : The verdict given by a special CBI court today in the 2G spectrum allocation scam could not have come at a more opportune time, particularly for the DMK and Congress.

 

Though the 2G spectrum allocation scam is related to business and economy but its impact has largely been political. The scam was one of the prime reasons of the Congress-led UPA government’s defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The 2G scam was projected by the BJP and its alliance partners, who were in the Opposition, as a symbol of Manmohan Singh government’s alleged corruption.

The BJP had clubbed the 2G scam with irregularities in others such as the coal block allocation, Commonwealth Games and Adarsh Housing Society to build a public perception against the Congress and the UPA government ahead of the last general elections.

The public perception did have its impact. The Congress suffered its most humiliating defeat by getting restricted to just 44 out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats.

The scam also impacted the Assembly elections which were held after the last Lok Sabha elections. The Congress lost in all but one (Punjab) of them while the BJP won most of them except in Delhi and Bihar.

Today’s court order will affect the national politics as well as the political equations in Tamil Nadu, which is considered as the epicentre of the 2G scam. The two main accused - former Union telecom minister A Raja and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi - are leaders of the DMK, which is a leading regional party of Tamil Nadu.

RK NAGAR BYPOLL

The crucial verdict was delivered just in time as far as the DMK is concerned.

The 2G scam verdict will have the first and immediate impact on the ongoing bypoll in RK Nagar in Tamil Nadu. The DMK, which is the main opposition party, is likely to be the main beneficiary of the 2G scam case verdict.

The two factions of the AIADMK, led by TTV Dhinakaran and EPS-OPS, are pitted against each other. This may help the DMK to some extent. The 2G scam case order will give a boost to the image of the DMK and it may stand to gain out of today’s order.

TAMIL NADU POLITICS

Since 1984, power had been alternating between AIADMK and DMK in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK had won the 2011 state polls. Its defeat and replacement by DMK was a probability going by the established trend till then.

However, AIADMK breached that trend and came back to power for the second consecutive term in 2016.

The 2G scam case had played one of the most roles in the DMK’s defeat. Its senior leader A Raja and DMK supremo K Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi had served a jail term. The DMK stood defamed.

However, with both A Raja and Kanimozhi getting acquitted in the 2G scam case, the DMK will play victim and work for reversing the public perception against bit. The DMK will have an advantage in the next Assembly polls.

NATIONAL POLITICS

The Congress has already started crying foul after the 2G scam case verdict came. Manmohan Singh and other Congress leaders are going to town claiming that a "vicious campaign and propaganda" was launched against the UPA government back then ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress will seek to refurbish the party’s public image. The verdict gives the Congress a golden chance to call itself an honest party which was wronged by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

2019 LOK SABHA POLLS

The 2G scam verdict may have two repercussions on the alignments between the political parties at the national level. The BJP has been seen getting close to the EPS-OPS (Chief Minister E Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam) faction of the AIADMK.

The ruling BJP has been avoiding the DMK because of the latter’s impression due to the 2G scam. However, today’s verdict gives an opportunity to the BJP to align with the DMK. The two were alliance partners during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime. The two may come together once again.

During his visit to Chennai last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called on Karunanidhi, giving rise to speculations of a possible bonhomie between the BJP and the DMK.

On the flip side, today’s development may strengthen the bond between the Congress and the DMK. As both the parties had suffered together, the two may join hands to bear the fruits of the CBI special court’s order.

From immediate till 2019 and from the RK Nagar bypoll to the next Lok Sabha elections, today’s 2G scam case verdict will certainly have implications.




courtesy:Yahoo