History Revisited: How political parties fared in 2009 Lok Sabha election.

NewDelhi: When the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi turned down the post of the Prime Minister in 2004, former finance minister Manmohan Singh ‘humbly’ took the mantle to lead the United Progressive Alliance government. Though Singh, who is credited for the liberalisation of the Indian economy, had never won a Lok Sabha election, he was widely respected for his clean image in politics. 

Singh led the UPA government from 2004 to the completion of the 14th Lok Sabha in 2009. During his tenure as the Prime Minister, the Indian economy continued to remain on the upward curve and even touched its highest GDP growth rate in 2007. Several projects taken up by his predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government in the previous term like the Golden Quadrilateral and the highway modernisation program were taken forward by the UPA government. He also continued the peace process with Pakistan that Vajpayee had initiated.

One of the biggest takeaways from the term was the signing of the nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States under which India would gain access to US civilian nuclear technology and fuel. On the other hand, India agreed to place its civil nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. “It is an Agreement between two States possessing advanced nuclear technologies, both parties having the same benefits and advantages. The significance of the Agreement lies in the fact that when brought into effect, it will open the way for full civil nuclear energy cooperation between India and the United States,” Singh had said while briefing Parliament in 2007. 

As the Lok Sabha term was nearing completion in 2009, the Election Commission seemed to have been split over the poll dates. This was the only election which was held under two Chief Election Commissioners. While the first phase was held under N Gopalaswami on 20 April 2009, the remaining four phases were held under his successor Navin Chawla. 

The coalitions that were formed before the 2004 election continued for the 2009 election too. While the Congress steered the UPA and the Bharatiya Janata Party led the National Democratic Alliance. 

Projecting itself as a secular party, the Congress said in its agenda that the party has “been the bulwark against the four ‘isms’ that threaten to tear our country apart — communalism of all kinds, linguistic chauvinism, regional parochialism and casteism.” It argued that it has an inclusive vision as against the BJP’s “narrow and communal nationalism” which it claimed denied equality and equal rights to large sections of our people. It had also called the Third Front to be “a grouping of opportunistic parties which neither have consistency nor clarity. They have neither competence nor commitment. This Front, grounded in the politics of convenience, is nothing but a platform for personal ambitions,” the Congress had said its manifesto.

It also brought to people the achievements of the UPA government in the last five years. Congress said that it had fulfilled the promises that it had made in 2004 like the creation of more jobs, economic growth, primary education; brought legislations like Right to Information Act, 2005, enacted National Rural Employment Guarantee Act; launched National Rural Health Mission.

There were speculations that the then Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will be the PM candidate of the UPA after Singh underwent a heart surgery. However quelling all rumours, Sonia announced that Singh will yet again be the face of the UPA.