BEHIND THE NEWS. Royal Challengers of Bengaluru

Motu was dancing down the corridor flashing the day’s newspaper when he ran straight into Chotu.

Kya hua Motabhai? You’re looking flushed with happiness and excitement.

Aur kya , Chotu, didn’t you see this picture on the front page today?

Motu, I only read the sad news from Thoothukudi…

Haan , that’s really sad Chotu. But I’m talking of the one where twelve of our worthies are holding hands in a show of strength?

Oh, you mean the other sad news… from Karnataka?

From Karnataka yes, but why sad, Chotu? I feel the opposite. We’re finally seeing an alternative developing to the BJP and Modibhai.

Haan , I would have felt happy too had this been a genuine alternative, you know. But it isn’t.

Chotu, you’re usually smart but I think you have not figured this out too well. Here are twelve leaders from different parties, including arch rivals Mamata Di and Yechury Garu, Akhilesh Bhai and Mayawati Didi, standing shoulder to shoulder with Sonia Madam and Rahul Bhai.... isn’t this significant?

I wish I could say you’re turning intelligent Motu, but you aren’t. This is significant for just one reason — these worthies have realised that the only way they can take on Modibhai is by putting up a united front.

That’s exactly what I’m saying too, Chotu.

But Motabhai, that’s where it begins and ends…

What do you mean? They can have a Common Minimum Programme like the United Front of the 1990s or the UPA and take the fight to the BJP.

I can see you’ve done some research, Motu but for this motley gathering of our worthies in Bengaluru the CMP is a single-point one…

Which is?

Get rid of the BJP and Modibhai…

Yes Chotu, that’s the main point but they can certainly present a united front. Didn’t we see it happen in 1977 against Indira Gandhi, 1989 against Rajiv Gandhi and in 1996 against the BJP?

And what happened each time after they vanquished their common enemy, Motu? You should read history in full, not in convenient parts.

Oh yeah, I know… they didn’t last their terms, but this time is different…

Yes, Motu, you’re right. This time there are possibly a dozen or more Prime-Ministers-in-waiting….every worthy you see in that picture today is dreaming of making it to 7 Lok Kalyan Marg come 2019.

So what, nothing wrong in being ambitious, Chotu…

True, except that in this case the ambitions will lead to conflict. Can you imagine Yechury Garu supporting Mamata Di for PM or Akhilesh Bhai voting for Mayawati Didi as PM…. Or best of all, can you imagine Sonia Madam and Rahul Bhai allowing any of the others to even take a shot at the PM’s chair…

You have a point there, Chotu, but hasn’t Rahul Bhai agreed to play second fiddle to Gowda Tau in Karnataka? He can do the same in Delhi with someone else…

Motabhai, to understand politics your brain needs to grow sharper which it can only if you stay off all that panneer , desi ghee and jalebis .

Stop acting smart and answer my question, Chotu.

Rahul Bhai’s supporting Gowda Tau only because he needs to be in power in at least one major State to fund his party’s electoral machine for 2019….being out of power means the cash registers will stop ringing.

Oh, like that?

Precisely, Motabhai.

So if Rahul Bhai can’t win by himself and will not accept anyone else as PM, and if anyone will not support anyone else for PM, who’s the opposition to Modibhai then?

Modibhai himself!

COMMENT NOW