Kolkata, Feb 16 (PTI) Veteran Congress leader and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram on Friday said he cannot predict the future of the INDIA bloc as he is not part of the negotiating committee of the national alliance, but asserted that the return of Narendra Modi and the BJP to power would cause an existential crisis to state-specific regional parties.
He said the Ram temple in Ayodhya could be a factor in the upcoming elections but “whether it will be a decisive one, only time will say”.
“I cannot say anything about the future of the bloc because I’m not part of the national alliance’s negotiating committee and also not part of INDIA bloc meetings. My information is only secondhand or even thirdhand. But I sincerely hope that all the remaining parties understand that the return of Mr Modi and the BJP to the Centre will cause an existential crisis to the state-specific regional parties,” Chidambaram told PTI in an exclusive interview here.
The veteran Congressman was recently in the city for a discussion on his new book ‘The Watershed Year-Which Way Will India Go?’.
Chidambaram also said if the BJP returns to power for the third consecutive time, then India will have a facade of democracy which is hollow from inside.
“It’s not hypothetical in my mind. If the BJP retains power, they will chip away at the edges of India’s democracy, undermine step-by-step democratic institutions, and we will eventually have a facade of democracy which will be completely hollowed out from inside. We will become like many other countries where the ruler or the ruling party declares overwhelming victory at every election,” he said.
Chidambaram said the Congress is attempting to forge the INDIA alliance with stable and deep-rooted political parties.
He drew parallels to the alliance of the BJP and called it “a gunshot marriage”, which is formed by splitting other parties.
“BJP’s coalition is formed by splitting parties. Its main partners are one faction of the erstwhile NCP, one faction of the erstwhile Shiv Sena, and possibly a faction of the AIADMK. It hijacked the JDU, although it’s possible that some members may desert Nitish Kumar… BJP is not allying with stable political parties.
“Their alliance is what I would call a gunshot marriage. You hold a gun and force someone to ally whereas Congress’ effort is to forge a more substantive alliance between parties which respect each other and are willing to give and take with each other. Congress is attempting to forge the INDIA alliance with stable deep-rooted political parties like the TMC, DMK, SP, and RJD. Therefore there is a qualitative difference,” he elaborated.
The septuagenarian said the BJP has “weaponised” the central investigation agencies to further their political interests.
“It’s a fact how the BJP succeeded in splitting the Shiv Seva and the NCP. It is obvious that they have used the central agencies as political tools,” he added.
On TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee’s decision of not getting into any alliance with the Congress in West Bengal for the upcoming general election, Chidambaram said, “I do not know. Mr Rahul Gandhi maintains that the alliance with TMC has not broken off. So perhaps, there are facts that I do not know. Why should I come to the conclusion that the TMC and Congress will not be part of the INDIA alliance?” Asked about his opinion about the ‘One Nation One Election’ policy, Chidambaram described it as “completely unconstitutional, anti-federal and a bizarre idea”.
“It’s a bizarre idea. It’s completely unconstitutional and anti-federal. Five Constitutional amendments have to be made even to implement it. Whether they muster that special majority to pass five Constitutional amendments I cannot say,” the Congress leader said.
“I do not put it beyond them (the BJP) to make structural amendments to India’s Constitution. Leave that apart, even under the present parliamentary democracy system, you can hollow out democracy in such a manner that only one party will win the election all the time. Absent an opposition, in my view, that country is no longer a democracy,” he said.
He wondered what would be the next step if a state government is defeated on the floor of the House in case the proposed ‘One Nation One Election to the Lok Sabha and 29 states take place one day.
“Suppose the collapse of the government happens in six months. Will you not hold the elections in another four-and-half years? Or will you ccording to me, electoral bonds is legalised bribery. For either favours done in the past or favours which will be done in the future or out of fear. Now, whether fear or favour is motivating a contributor to subscribe to electoral bonds and handover of the electoral bonds to the BJP is according to me a sledgehammer blow to democracydissolve all the 29 state assemblies and the Lok Sabha and hold an election in the seventh month?” Chidambaram questioned.
PTI SCH MNB
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