Letter: Convulsions of a dying leader

The fact that the MPs did not walk out of the caucus with Panday is perhaps the watershed of his clinging to power.

I am sure he has gotten the message – his days are numbered. He must now resort to more desperate measures or admit defeat.

Like the walk out, each confrontation that he does not win only serves to make Kamla stronger. And it is this step by step, and inch by inch, strategy of hers, that added up to the catastrophic defeat that Panday had to face in the internal election.
Perhaps the MPs are lulled into the feeling that Kamla has not started fighting yet. Little do they realize that they are in the middle of the battle, and the longer this continues the closer they are to political oblivion – the same political oblivion that they are shell shocked to see engulf both Panday and Ramesh.

They never imagined that could happen, but then it did. They will soon wake up as the wave washes over them as it did both Panday and Ramesh.

I am sure by now the MPs are beginning to feel the cold shivers as she smiles and says she is in no hurry to be appointed as the Opposition Leader – by them of course.

Perhaps they foolishly believe that and are hoping to use that later as their excuse. Maybe Panday in his glib talking misled them into thinking he will do this, and he will do that, and he would some how overpower her and overturn the election decision.

Well, step by step, and inch by inch, it sure seems to be heading the way of the recent election.

The MPs must now accept the responsibility that they allowed themselves to be misled by Panday who should have immediately tendered his resignation, and allowed Kamla the grace of granting him a transition period.

And failing that, they should have immediately taken the initiative of supporting the new leader, and asking for a grace period for Panday.

And having failed both those, they should accept they are now at the mercy of the new Political Leader and not seek to add insult to injury, but attempting to impose preconditions on her, hoping to make her look weak if not stupid, for their support.

I am almost certain that Kamla will not bargain with them for a position that she won fairly, decisively and squarely, against the insults, machinations and manipulation of the elections by they themselves.

For Panday it has been a long goodbye, for Kamla I hope it would be a shorter welcome.

But Kamla will take of business in her own way, quietly, step by step, and inch by inch.

Ravi Balchan