Decisive defeat for India's conservative government

The overwhelming defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 
government adds to the number of countries that have recently 
thrown out conservative governments and elected more progressive 
ones. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist 
Party of India congratulated the people of India for inflicting a 
decisive defeat on the government of the BJP and its allies.

A statement by the leadership of the Communist Party of India 
(Marxist) welcoming the election outcome says: "The six-year rule 
of the Vajpayee-led (BJP) government has come to an end. The 
verdict is a rejection of the naked communalism [anti-secularism] 
of the BJP regime, the pro-rich economic policies which were 
glorified in the 'India Shining' campaign and the pro-imperialist 
foreign policy."

The statement went on to say that it was "an historic success for 
the CPI(M) and the Left parties as they have won the highest 
number of seats ever in Parliamentary elections since 
independence. This is a recognition of the firm and consistent 
role played by the CPI(M) and the Left in defending secularism, 
anti-imperialism and opposing the harmful economic policies."

These sentiments are echoed in a statement issued by the 
Communist Party of India (CPI).

"The need of the hour is to set up a secular coalition government 
without any hassles and based on a Common Minimum Programme 
relating to the immediate basic needs of the people. There should 
be no doubt about the stability of the government and the 
stability of the country in international and economic circles."

India is the world's second largest country after China and has 
Asia's third largest economy.

The BJP Prime Minister Vajpayee called early elections thinking 
that his party and its allies could successfully sell India's 
surging economy, good monsoon rains, and their peace prospects 
with Pakistan, to win them another term in office.

That did not happen. Pramod Mahajan, chief campaign strategist 
for the BJP cynically remarked before the election that "The last 
person from the Gandhi family who won elections for Congress was 
Mrs Gandhi's dead body in 1984". He went on "I'm afraid this time 
they may not even get the three-figure mark."

Jason Overdorf, writing in the Far Eastern Economic 
Review, (April 2004) predicted that the BJP "is tipped to do 
even better this time out. Vajpayee, a 50-year election veteran 
and brilliant orator, leads India at a time of political ditente 
with Pakistan and with the economy booming".

What they overlooked was that the economy was not booming for the 
hundreds of millions of people who were not fooled by statements 
about India Shining.

Thousands of peasants have starved to death and many suicided 
during the BJP-led government's six years in office. The economy 
has been opened up to artificially cheap agricultural products, 
forcing Indian peasants to sell their produce at dirt-cheap 
prices.

Peasants starve as grain is exported for consumption by cattle in 
Europe and the US at low prices. The consumption of food staples 
such as cereals and pulses has fallen to dangerously low levels 
reminiscent of famine years.

There is little work for agricultural labourers and what growth 
there has been in the manufacturing sector has been jobless.

The number of registered unemployed is over 40 million (a 
conservative figure from the government). Privatisation and 
public sector cutbacks have only compounded the situation.

Congress and its allies, including Communist and Left Front 
parties that have pledged to support it, were leading in 282 
seats in the 543 seat parliament as counting continued at the 
time of going to press. A party must have the support of 272 
parliamentary members to form a government.

Mr Vajpayee conceded defeat and has resigned.