Economics and not politics was the guiding factor in the recent polls. The Indian electorate has elected a government that is more experienced to handle the effects of recession and ride out the crisis. Dr Manmohan Singh is the clear winner over LK Advani.

Perhaps even the Congress Party did not think it would be voted with such numbers! The UPA has been voted to power for stability and for its proven ability to perform.

Now Dr Singh need not have to bother about a Prakash Karat or L K Advani blocking the remaining part of the nuclear deal or on unveiling long pending economic reforms.

The people have given the government of Dr Singh a clear mandate. The UPA musters the support of 263 which includes 206 of its own, 19 from Mamta Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, 18 from the trusted ally, DMK nine from National Conference, three from JKNC and two from JMM plus a few Independents.

The most interesting feature of the elections is that the third front and the fourth front have virtually crumbled. As if this was not enough, BSP’s Mayawati, who saw visions of becoming the prime minister with Left support, has suffered massive erosion in her support base.

Both the SP and BSP have come out with unconditional support for the UPA led by Sonia Gandhi, who has played a subtle but strategic role in the election victory. She first outsmarted alliance partner NCP Sharad Pawar, who had visions of becoming the next prime minister: she preempted his ambitions by announcing Dr Singh as UPA’s candidate for the post of prime minister. She struck another blow by reportedly asking Chidambaram not to extend support for the IPL 2 to be staged in India when elections demanded all the attention of the para military forces.

With 322 seats under its belt, including outside support, and no Left to bother about, one expects the UPA government to persue with its unfulfilled agenda of reforms on the banking, insurance, civil aviation and infras-tructure sectors including power, oil and gas, roads, highways, ports and other sectors.

If the UPA has a comfortable majority to work on further reforms, it also has great responsibility to deliver on its promises to steer the country safely out of the devastating effects of recession – large scale unemployment still looms large in several sectors. The worst hit sectors such as property development and real estate, BPO operations, large sections of manufacturing, exports and infrastructure cry for attention. Banks and other lenders are shy of lending and thus further retard the development process. Now that it has the numbers, the government should strive to bolster business confidence and attempt a repeat of the revolutionary reform phase of 1991.

Tamil Nadu, a key factor in the elections, elected the DMK and the Congress candidates in good numbers. The people did not vote for the Third Front in which AIADMK’s Jayalalithaa was a prominent leader. The DMK candidates have won with higher margins than the Congress’. DMK was voted for its delivery on its assembly poll promise of ‘a rupee a kg rice,’ free colour TV sets and other liberal financial packages. Entertainment and food are key factors in Tamil Nadu.

It is time for UPA and the allies to ride out the recession and deliver to the people results in terms of jobs and job security, higher rate of economic growth and spread of prosperity.