Photos of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar inspecting the progress of the new Mandovi bridge and the ongoing Zuari bridge works made headlines, and it completely took the Congress off-guard. This has come at a time when they seemed to be running out of ideas and were banking heavily on the fluctuating health of the Chief Minister. It is rather baffling or rather amusing that the Congress is so engrossed in proving that administration is hit badly due to the ailment of Parrikar, that they have failed to spell out the specifics of governance failure. And instead of taking up core issues that affect the common man, the grand old party is meandering aimlessly like an autumn leaf, focusing only on this emotive issue.
Agreed, Parrikar’s photos cut a sorry picture, especially because he is going through a serious health issue. More than anything, he would require all the possible rest he can get at this critical juncture. It cuts a sorry picture because Parrikar has endured all pain and discomfort, and stood using support with even a tube passing through his nose. This is a call he has taken for reasons best known to him, and to prove this point he even had his family members in tow. The message is loud and clear to the Opposition that he was not forced into this exercise. This is not the first time he has made appearances like these. Let’s not forget the first time he took a flight to make an appearance in the Legislative Assembly from a Mumbai hospital where he was undergoing treatment.
Photo-ops showing the CM on his feet can’t be defining moments to conclude that the administration is up and moving. It could have been effectively used as a barometer to measure the failures of governance. The Congress failed to do its homework and kept engrossed in throwing fitness challenges. What is the Opposition trying to prove asking Parrikar to unfurl the tricolor on Liberation Day? What has unfurling of a flag got to do with administration failures? Is this all about scoring brownie points and one-upmanship?
It appears that even a feeble-looking Parrikar has effectively handled a clueless Opposition. Every time a photo is released, the Congress has either reacted saying it is “stage-managed” or “morphed” and ended up throwing more challenges. This only shows that it’s a story of all bark and no bite.
If there is a collapse of governance, it’s the duty of a responsible Opposition to bring to the fore where the governance has failed in minute detail. The focus should have been putting the government on the mat over its failures, rather than devoting all energies to the CM’s health. In the current political scenario, the Congress should be going to the people and making a strong case of an administration collapse and getting their backing. Sadly, this is not to be. The Congress script is a bizarre mix of misdirected adventurism and political surrender.
