STERILE APPRAISAL

Summary

This Statesman editorial, titled “STERILE APPRAISAL,” evaluates the Jana Sangh’s poor performance in the mid-term elections and the party’s participation in the Lok Sabha opposition alliance. It argues that the alliance’s electoral failure should not be explained through mutual recrimination, and cites Atal Behari Vajpayee’s view that the verdict should be accepted “in a sporting spirit.” The editorial instead attributes the result partly to the alliance’s lack of a coherent common programme and to the damage caused by associating with Congress (O) and the Swatantra Party.

Key points

• The editorial criticises the unproductive and bitter discussion following the Jana Sangh’s electoral failure.
• It reports Vajpayee’s call for accepting the electoral verdict in a sporting spirit.
• Minoo Masani is quoted or paraphrased as arguing that an alliance can work only when its partners share a common programme.
• The piece says the opposition alliance was not a genuine alliance and that its weaknesses should be examined.
• It argues that the Jana Sangh’s decision to proceed alone may strengthen its independent identity but could also lead it toward greater radicalism.
• The editorial questions whether the Jana Sangh’s appeals on Bangladesh and refugee resettlement reflect public readiness to accept the consequences of its proposed interventions.