Bull's Eye

Rajinder Puri April 13, 2009 00:00 IST Bull's Eye -0001-11-30T00:00:00+05:53

BJP leader Sushil Pandit reportedly said: "Winnability is the most important criterion while picking candidates." He probably reflected the views of all parties engaged in the election fray. But what is a win? If you win a seat and lose the plot, is it a win? If you win the immediate and lose the future, is it a win? Some leaders and some parties may pay a heavy price for selecting "winnable" candidates.

Ironically, the politician who might suffer most for ignoring this truth is the much vaunted ideologue, Prakash Karat. The CPI(M) leader had built a media reputation of favouring Marxian ideology over political expediency. But look how the scales are falling! Karat is self-destructive not because he opposes the popular policies of his opponents. He is self-destructive because he seems to be rubbishing his own policies. And he is committing this political harakiri in his home state, Kerala!

Karl Marx was passionately opposed to exploitation. Can governments practise corruption without the most blatant exploitation of people? Rooting...