In the end, no one was surprised and no one grieved....

Even the knowledge of its imminent demise did not stem the feeling of anger, disgust, revulsion among people.... There was not a wisp of sympathy for the fallen government, not an iota of consideration for the virtually intractable problems it faced.

Perhaps it has something to do with the enormous faith and hope people had reposed in V.P. Singh....

Even Singh's gambit of going to Parliament after an obvious loss of majority in a bid to reinforce his secular credentials does not appear to have washed with people. Says Mirza Ahmed, head of the department of social work in Lucknow: 'This government is neither secular nor principled. It simply acted on the vote principle'. It probably is a cruel indictment of a man who has risked losing the elite, middle-class and the fundamentalist Hindu votes to wear the backward and secular crowns, but no one is shedding a tear for him now. Not the backwards nor the Muslims.

...Opinion is divided on what issue - Mandal or Mandir-Masjid - precipitated the collapse... But one thing is certain: just as corruption was the major issue in the last election, Mandal and Mandir-Masjid will be crucial issues if an election is held now along with prices and stability.

...To the upwardly mobile sections, the Mandal issue is more important than the Mandir-Masjid...

To what extent the Ayodhya imbroglio has affected the people is difficult to fathom, but it has definitely surfaced as a major issue of the day—possibly to the detriment of the Janata Dal and the delight of the BJP. In Uttar Pradesh particularly, where the BJP has always played second fiddle to the Janata, the Hindu heart beats faster at the mention of the dispute....

Evidently, the BJP has won new sympathisers with its Rath Yatra gimmick and the hype it whipped up....

With no other political party having a nationwide grasp, the longing for stability naturally manifests itself with the public's renewed acceptance of the Congress...

About the only perceptible gain extracted by V.P. Singh from the current mess is his refurbished stature among the Muslims, following his strong stand on the Ayodhya issue despite attempts by his political rivals to dilute it. But even this gain has been partly forfeited by the parting of ways between him and Mulayam Singh Yadav last week. While the Muslims' fidelity to the Janata Dal is in little doubt, the developments could well split the vote...

So the face-off on the Ayodhya issue will fetch both Singh and the BJP support from their constituents old and new. But will the issue surpass the longing for a stable government?...

(Source: The Times of India, New Delhi 11 November, 1990)