Why not learn a lesson in political honesty too?

There is more than a passing similarity between last year’s general elections in India and the just-concluded UK general elections. In India, the Modi-led BJP won a majority on its own, putting an end to years of coalition governments. In the UK, the David Cameron-led Conservative Party won an overall majority on its own, stunning pollsters and pundits alike. In India, Modi’s overwhelming victory was widely seen as setting the stage for massive change. In the UK, these elections are also a precursor to some significant changes, from a potential exit from the EU to the revival of the Scottish independence movement.

But there the similarities stop. After their crushing defeat, the leaders of the parties on the losing side were quick to own personal responsibility for the rout of their respective parties. Labour’s Ed Milliband not only resigned from his party’s leadership, but even quit politics. Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats, also quit as party leader, though hanging on to his Parliament seat. Ditto for Ukip’s Nigel Farage, who quit as leader after losing his own seat. In contrast, despite its crushing defeat, there has been no leadership change in the Congress — not even a vocal demand for one. Most of of UPA’s ‘big leaders’ were routed, but have not uttered a peep about quitting. Even the BJP, which had made the Delhi State elections a virtual referendum on ‘Modi sarkar’ before the polls, blamed everything from Kiran Bedi to the media for its humiliating rout.

This is a familiar pattern. An election victory is immediately seized upon as the victory of the “leader”, and an endorsement for everything a political party says or does. Defeat, on the other hand, is an unwanted orphan.

We learnt democracy from the British. Why not learn a lesson in political honesty too?