Filling in the Idle Days

Filling in the Idle Days WITH ELECTION RESULTS having begun to pour in, all attention is focussed on the prospective changes in the composition of the country's Parliament and State legislatures and the new alignments that are emerging. The final position will be known only by the end of the week, but indications point to significant changes in political life in the country. The Congress which has ruled with the overwhelming support of the people since independence will have to reckon with substantially reduced majorities both at the Centre and in the States and at least in Kerala it has been reduced to insignificance. The loss of the Congress is both to its Right and Left wings, but considering the pre-election assessments of the formidable nature of the Right-wing challenge, the success of the Swa- tantra party and the Jan Sangh may not be as impressive as was earlier expected. Also, the left parties and groups, in spite of the division among the communists, may do much better than had been conceded before the polling.