All is not well with BJP six months ahead of the assembly polls. One after another embarrassment awaits the poll bound party. From big dam to land boundary, rolling red carpet for Bangladeshis to internal bickering, the party has many hurdles to be crossed to reach the people. Same scene is clear in Congress. Riddled with revolt and alleged corruption by a section of ministers, the party hopes against the hopes just at the threshold of the assembly polls after the end of the third consecutive terms. With a slew of questions we approached Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) founder leader Prodyut Bora for an assessment of the state’s pre poll political landscape. Have a look....
Assam Times: Delhi and Dispur are trading charges and counter charges against each other over the central assistance for flood. Whom do you blame for it?
Prodyut Bora: I blame both the Centre and the State for the current impasse over flood relief. I blame the Centre because they have failed to come up with a comprehensive solution for the flood problem; they are content handing out annual doles. I blame the State because they have consistently failed to give proper accounts of relief funds. The perception is that most relief funds are pocketed by an unholy nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and contractors.
Has the Centre really reduced the amount of funds to the North east? How will it impact the process of development?
The Northeast has 4% of India's population, but has 10% of the budgetary allocation. But this is only an allocation; it is up to the states to deploy these funds. If the states are unable to spend their budgetary allocation, it is their fault, not the Centre's. Secondly, all Central funds are handed out in tranches. Almost all Northeastern states fail to give proper accounts of the initial tranches, as a result of which further payments are withheld by the Centre.
There is no dearth of excuse for the Centre for inordinate delay in the completion of the Gas cracker and Bogibeel project? Is it a political calculation of the NDA government?
It may not be a political calculation, but definitely an example of incompetence. If the Narendra Modi government spent half as much time in following-up delayed projects that it spends in sloganeering and propaganda, a lot more could have been achieved. Narendra Modi needs to talk about Kaam Ki Baat rather than Maan Ki Baat.
Will the economic decisions of the Centre help Congress brighten the poll prospect as it has been opposing the suspension of the NEIIP.
It would adversely impact the BJP, but given the Congress' record it is unrealistic to expect that they would benefit from BJP's failures. My guess is that people would look for other alternatives.
What is your assessment on the one and a half year performance of the 7 BJP MPs from Assam?
In word: hopeless. The people of Assam had given such a decisive mandate to BJP with a lot of hope. Now a year down the line, they have seen all their hopes belied. Worse, BJP did a U-turn on all major pre-poll promises. But our MPs kept quiet. Now even when a devastating flood has denuded Assam, they have been able to get no relief from the Centre.
Only 6 months are left. With these economic perspective in mind, will it be easy for BJP to wrest power from Congress
Not at all. BJP would definitely increase their number of seats, but they are a long shot from power. In our view neither the Congress or the BJP would get a decisive mandate.
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