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FLIPSIDE State-us Symbols By Dilip Bobb
It is clearly symbolic of the break-down, or rather break-up, of Indian political parties that the Election Commission has had to spend much of its time deciding on who gets which election symbol. There are wheels within wheels and splits within splits, so it is a full-time job. Of course, that also has to do with the fact that the Election Commissioner has to find time in between to attend cocktail parties, host press conferences and appear on talk shows. Finally, he has decided that parties, like the electorate, will get the symbol they deserve. Or one that best describes their current position. Here they are: The BJP: The V-sign. Has multiple implications. One, that victory in Kargil translates into victory in the electoral bunkers. It also suggests that twice its stint in office has been cut short and it deserves a longer office lease. It is also the sign made famous by Winston Churchill, thus projecting Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as soldier-statesman. Finally, viewed in reverse, it is the sign shown to the foreigners when they were asked to quit India. The Congress: Gandhi Topi. Also contains multiple messages. One, nothing can top it as being symbolic of India and being Indian. Also, a not-so-subtle suggestion that a Gandhi once again heads the party. And that she has officially thrown her hat into the prime ministerial ring. However, like the BJP's symbol, it also has a reverse meaning: the question of whether the cap fits. Or, as Shakespeare put it, topi or not topi. Janata Dal: Bow and Arrow. Once again, highly symbolic of the battle between the factions. The bow is for H.D. Deve Gowda who, as ex prime minister, wants the party to bow to his wishes. The arrow goes to the Sharad Yadav camp for aiming (a) higher than its limited resources permit and (b) usually at the wrong target. Bahujan Samaj Party: The Hangman's Noose. Ideal for the kind of politics practised by the party leader Kanshi Ram, which is based on having a hung Parliament. Has very little pull otherwise, but can, when push comes to shove, pull down coalition governments, as he did with the last one. Does not believe in the saying no noose is good news. Samajwadi Party: Anti-pasta. By using the famous Italian dish as his symbol, Mulayam Singh Yadav is displaying his main electoral strategy, which is to warn against a foreigner ruling India, as in the pasta. In this case, the foreigner is Sonia Gandhi, and Mulayam, contrary to his name, is taking a hard line against her and what she stands for, which, truth be told, is something of a mystery to most people. Nationalist Congress Party: The
Hand-shake. Shook up the Congress when Sharad Pawar bit the original hand that fed him.
The naming of his party as the NCP also projects him as the nationalist versus the videshi
and not one playing an underhand game. Could prove handy, post-election. |
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