New Delhi: The Congress is gaining confidence. Recent assembly election results once again prove that it need not turn to opportunistic and caste-based forces to stay in power. If, in the days to come, this new confidence emboldens it to strictly abide by the Constitution rather than pursue populist policies then it augurs well for the nation and its people.

Any ruling party is forced to accommodate conflicting interests in its efforts to retain power. The Congress party, in the process, has often sacrifices principles of justice and equality. Blind ideologues like the Karats and selfcentred casteist leaders like the Mayavati’s and Karunanidhi’s and pseudo-nationalists like the Advani’s had indirectly affected the Congress party’s ability to adhere to Constitutional principles. Rahul Gandhi’s determination to set the Congress house in order and Sonia’s mature decisions are paying dividends. They are now able to withstand the pressures from whimsical elements in Indian politics. This must bring hope to the minorities who have suffered by the wayward ways of the Congress in the past.

The assembly election results in the three states of Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh and Haryana indicate the peoples’ growing confidence in the UPA government’s ability to meet both internal and external challenges on its own.

The good performance of the Congress is a matter of great satisfaction to those who want the integrity of the nation protected against the rising threat of regional and communal forces.’

Of particular satisfaction is the voters’ success in bearding the lion of Maharashtra—the containment of the Shiv Sena. What the might of a whole government could not achieve, the ballot has.

The results of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections notwithstanding , the Congress had scored the victory against heavy odds in the Maharashtra assembly elections: anti-incumbency, farmers’ suicides , price rise, presence of rebels in various contests, last year’s Mumbai terrorist attack and so on. During the past decline in its fortunes, the party seems to have learnt some lessons.

The manifesto of the Congress party is the minorities’ best bet for a fair deal; the party has repeatedly proclaimed loyalty to the Constitution which among other things seeks to protect the rights of everyman irrespective of his religion, caste or creed. Members of the minority groups enjoy the same rights and prevelieges.

Yet, impelled by vote politics, it has compromised on principles ;it had not always been fair to the minorities owing to such compromises. The minorities are particularly happy that national aspirations has gained over narrow parochial and communal considerations While on the one hand the decline of the Shiv Sena is a welcome trend the rise of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Samity must be viewed with concern. Its ‘sons-of-the-soil’ agenda and tirade against non-Maharashtrians could help polarize the local population for narrow political ends.

The last Lok Sabha poll saw the decimation of a few whimsical individuals like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bola Paswan, Amar Singh and few others who sought to gain personal ends by hard bargaining. The weakening of these hard bargainers which often compelled the Congress to deviate from a path of justice and righteousness now stand weakened.

There is a new confidence within the party that it can face the poll single handedly without aligning with opportunistic forces. The BJP’s successive routs in the polls should compel some self examination. This is a secular nation and its concept of cultural nationalism is not acceptable to the people. It is time for it to shed its animosity towards religious minorities and give up its misguided ‘Hindutva’ ideology because the majority of Hindus do not buy the antagonistic attitude towards the non-Hindus.

The defeat of Praja Rajyam party and the Telugu Desam party which had emphasized on regional agenda in the Lok Sabha elections could be considered a laudable achievement of the Congress. Most of the regional political groups promote regional interests and end up creating conflicts and disunity. Several instances can be pointed out when regional aspirations conspired to undo the well intentioned national programs and even violated canons of justice and fair deal. The unwillingness of certain states to implement certain anti-communal measures is a recent example.

The goal of India becoming a superpower by 2020 is well advertised .What is important is to make this country safe for democracy and orderly development so that each citizen could lead a life with dignity and equality in an atmosphere of peace.