From NATO to National Alliance It's all about politics in Rajneeti!

Non-BJP States such as Maharashtra and Bengal have been shouting from the rooftops that they have been meted out step-motherly treatment by the Centre. The latest in the State Vs Centre battle is the Enforcement Directorate action against Minister Nawab Mallik who has been openly criticising the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede

China has promptly sided with Russia in this NATO politics. China is already facing global isolation in the Corona pandemic backlash

Political Gameplan!

- The world is looking for China+ options for imports, as seen in the research reports in the offer documents filed with the SEBI for s series of IPOs

- There was no direct naming of the Russian aggression. But its subsequent comment during Modi's interaction with Ukraine President was that India offers all help in restoring peace

- Vaccine shipping was without syringes and does with about-to-expire dates. Though WHO Director General has been stressing that 'nobody is safe until everybody is safe', the highhanded nations have delayed the vaccines for the low income nations

- The heat-and-dust raised during the Bengal election, the campaign in UP with stress on double-engine governments and the current developments in Maharashtra are few examples of what politics should not be

A senior Congress leader used to jokingly remark that "there is a lot of politics in today's Rajneeti". That leader is no more but his words with a cynical laughter reverberate in my ears whenever I come across dirty politics.

From Covid care to Ukraine to current scenes in India all speak volumes of the 'Politics in Rajneeti' which may sound pleonasm but the fact remains that politics has become a dirty word.

The US and the capitalist part of Europe wants Ukraine to be part of NATO which Russia obviously opposes. Russia is energy rich and thinks that any number of sanctions by the rest is not going to affect it. Following the age-old saying Enemy's Enemy is The Best Friend, China has promptly sided with Russia in this NATO politics. China is already facing global isolation in the Corona pandemic backlash.

The world is looking for China+ options for imports, as seen in the research reports in the offer documents filed with the SEBI for s series of IPOs. And China has a long running hide-and-seek with India and the Communist major needs to balance its business interest as well as the geo-political situation. So, what does India do? It is a tight-rope for the country. The initial response from Modi in chat with Putin was that India is concerned over the "violence". There was no direct naming of the Russian aggression. But its subsequent comment during Modi's interaction with Ukraine President was that India offers all help in restoring peace. Meanwhile, we have Germany sending its anti-tank grenade launchers to Ukraine.

Historic truth is that the rich nations play dirty tricks with the poor nations, be it the dumping of banned drugs in the third world and calling strict environmental norms while the west violates all rules of the games. The so-called rich with a thorough downgrade mentality have been playing dirty politics with the poor nation during the pandemic as well. This has prompted the UN health body to criticise the rich nations for "stockpiling" Covid vaccines and pharmaceutical companies for not sharing knowhow. "Covax's ambition was compromised by hoarding/stockpiling in rich countries, catastrophic outbreaks leading to borders and supply being locked," the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. "And a lack of sharing of licenses, technology and know-how by pharmaceutical companies meant manufacturing capacity went unused," it said.

What is more, the vaccine shipping was without syringes and does with about-to-expire dates. Though WHO Director General has been stressing that 'nobody is safe until everybody is safe', the highhanded nations have delayed the vaccines for the low income nations and the result is there for all of us not only to see but experience it – Omicron.

Dirty politics have not spared even science. Pointing out that politics is undermining science, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said science must guide policy, not the other way round. Delivering the Robert McNamara Lecture at Harvard Kennedy School on War and Peace, Dr Tedros said science has given us valuable insights into how this virus spreads, how it causes disease, and how to stop it. Dr Tedros regretted that in some countries and communities, and on social media, the marginalisation and politicisation of science has impeded the response to the pandemic and cost lives. "My point is not that science should be the only consideration in decision-making about public health. My point is that science should be the central and guiding consideration," he stressed. Dr Tedros is not wrong.

We have been seeing muck-raking in the ongoing poll campaigns despite the model code of conduct trying to discipline our leaders. The heat-and-dust raised during the Bengal election, the campaign in UP with stress on double-engine governments and the current developments in Maharashtra are few examples of what politics should not be.

Non-BJP parties say that the talk of double-engine government – the rule of the same party at the Centre and the State – goes against Federal principles. This amounts to a direct threat to the people if they vote against the party in power at the Centre. The ruling party has already plenty of air time to showcase that the double-engine government resulted in the unprecedented progress and allocation of central funds to the State.

Non-BJP States such as Maharashtra and Bengal have been shouting from the rooftops that they have been meted out step-motherly treatment by the Centre. The latest in the State Vs Centre battle is the Enforcement Directorate action against Minister Nawab Mallik who has been openly criticising the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede. Earlier, former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has been arrested by the ED. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar calls it "dirty tricks" by the centre.

All these come after BJP leaders such as former CM Devendra Fadnavis vowing to expose the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government. It is no more the case of 'between the lines' it is about the printed lines of political games.

The formation of the MVA government itself was preceded by plenty of Politricks that saw Sharad Pawar's nephew walking out the NCP and hobnobbing with Fadnavis to form a government that lasted just about 80 hours. The Junior Pawar was back with his uncle that led to the formation of the MVA government. Fadnavis who had vowed to come back (Mee Punah Yeyeen) during the last elections of 2019 has been sulking and screaming.

Did someone say marriage of convenience? Yes, there is nothing new about it. NTR had once united all non-Congress parties to form a front against Indira Gandhi. After NTR's death, we saw his legacy TDP 'committing the blunder' of joining hands with the Congress in the last AP Assembly poll. Then we see moves from different regional party leaders to forge a national front against the BJP with the key ambitious players being Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee and of late KCR. With the Shiv Sena clearly saying that its ally Congress cannot be kept out of any alternative alliance to BJP, it will be interesting to see how Mamata and KCR will react. We will continue to see the continuation of Politics in Rajneeti.

(The author is a Mumbai-based media veteran now running websites and youtube channel known for his thought-provoking messaging)