A faltering PAGD

As the cab whizzed past the barren paddy fields, the atmosphere inside the vehicle became thick with despair and uncertainty. Two strangers occupying the rear seats were lost in the fervor of political debate.

Their exchange was interspersed by the occasional jolts of the cab. I was silently listening to them (or say eavesdropping) through the entire journey that went on for a good three hours. They were unable to decide whether the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) was over or not. And if it is already six feet under, who should be held responsible for its immature death.

The PAGD, a multi-party alliance, comprising NC, PDPD, CPI (M), CPI and ANC, has been struggling to survive in a post-ideological era where political parties usually come together to serve their own interests. The ideologies or principles are relegated to a second position.

The historic track record of both the PDP and the NC, the key components of the PAGD, serves as a glaring example of this phenomenon. They did not shy away from stitching alliances with their ideological opponents to enjoy political power.

The bickering over the seat sharing process for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has nearly put paid to the 4-year-old alliance. However, this discord did not stem only from the NC’s choice to go solo in Lok Sabha elections. Everything has not been fine within the alliance for a while now. The PAGD allies, if my memory serves me right, did not meet even once this year. The alliance also steered clear of issuing statements on politically crucial issues.

The PDP’s frequent emphasis on 1987 riggings during its public rallies and meetings has not been well-received by the NC leadership. The leaders, lower and middle rung, of both the parties pulled out all the stops to upbraid each other on social media.

The NC’s recent decision to field candidates on all the three seats only laid bare the stark fault lines within the PAGD. The NC’s claim that PAGD’s purpose extended beyond mere electoral collaboration and has broader mandate is well-founded. The alliance was formed to defend the special constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir.

However, after it fielded joint candidates in the District Development Council (DDC) polls, it raised hopes for the future electoral adjustments. Additionally, both NC and PDP have joined the INDIA alliance.

Now, to save the faltering PAGD, CPI (M) veteran Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who served as a unifying force within the alliance appears to be the beacon of hope for those who want PAGD to sustain at least until the Assembly elections.

Although being the least beneficiary of the alliance in terms of electoral gains, Tarigami in a recent press conference said that he would try to address the gaps within the alliance.

Back to post-ideological politics, it is ultimately the power that breathes life into political parties. A political party could not survive for long without power.

It would be sheer naivety to say that the parties like the NC or the PDP do not want power or they could sacrifice power for their political beliefs. However, the cab conversation also reflects that the people want to see the PAGD constituents together.