Kesri toppled Gowda because he had a bad dream. Then Sonia brought down Gujral because of the 24 selectively leaked pages from the Jain Commission report, and we have heard nothing of it since. Today, it would seem that Vajpayee paid for mishandling the Bhagwat issue, for that is why Jayalalitha says she pulled out of his government. Fortunately, madam, the voter was never so innocent or gullible. He understands the motives that drive you, and your ilk. He probably is waiting to punish you, and anybody who now leads the next coalition with your support. Is it any surprise at all that through the entire debate leading to the vote today, the Bhagwat issue was hardly mentioned ? So much for the seriousness with which our leaders are supposed to pursue their politics when this, indeed was an issue where the government had erred disastrously and wherethe political system needed to intervene and restore sanity.

Sonia Gandhi's problems begin only now. This isn't quite the script she would have written. She would have preferred if the BJP stumbled along until this winter which was her obvious choice for a general election. But Jayalalitha's desperation, and the BJP government's own ineptitude in handling the Bhagwat issue have brought her moment of truth much earlier, and she is not ready yet. She may have made some shrewd political moves in the past. Beginning with Bihar, she has also made some blunders. She is still aloof and isolated, opening out neither to her partymen nor allies and certainly not to the media. She now has to rig up a coalition with the likes of Mulayam and Laloo, besides, indeed, Jayalalitha and even probably Bahujan Samaj Party. Think of what this coalition faces as its immediate challenges, even presuming the existing budget is passed. A decision on signing the CTBT and continuing the dialogue with Pakistan. Cleaning up the debrisin the defence ministry. Holding the reins of an economy struggling to come out of depression. Passing the Companies and Insurance reform bills. Also, taking a decision on the Bhagwat issue. We have nothing on record as yet to indicate that she could take charge of the nation in so difficult a situation, and as the head of so unnatural a coalition. The world will not take her, particularly at the head of such an arrangement seriously.

One more rag-tag coalition, a few more months of deal-making and blackmail, another period of indecision. At this juncture, India deserved better than this. This parliament is genetically constructed to give us no more than instability. It is time, therefore, to give the voter a chance to rectify this. Now, or in the winter, an election this year, is an inevitability. So why prolong our agony? The mandate of the last election was not for Sonia. Jayalalitha can't gift her a mandate the people didn't. If Sonia wants power, she must spell out her programme, declare who herpartners are, and seek a real mandate. There is no guarantee that the next parliament won't be as imperfect as this. But why underestimate the voter? Who knows, he may get it right this time? Who knows he may just be waiting to settle scores with the Jayalalithas and the Chautalas of our system?