India: Elections 2014

apurv · February 5, 2014, 6:30am

We might be a nation where 60% of population is below poverty level, where malnutrition is rampant or where 26% of population i.e. 310 million people still can’t read or write but when it comes to political awareness we leave behind every single c…

honeybhushan · February 7, 2014, 3:58am

We might be a nation where 60% of population is below poverty level, where malnutrition is rampant or where 26% of population i.e. 310 million people still can't read or write but when it comes to political awareness we leave behind every single country in this world. Take the example of Bihar, It lacks even the basic necessity of decent life but Biharis are supposed to be one of the most politically cognizant people, they might not know what 2 + 2 yields but they know all rajnitik mapdand.

So what is it? What is it that makes political awareness inversely proportional to the level of development in India when case is otherwise around the world?

We have heard of phrase “Food for Thought” but what applies in India is “thought for food”. When chilling winter of North India strikes every sphere of common man life, hot political debate at every nook and corner of small town is what keeps people and atmosphere warm. Irony seems ubiquitous but when, as a country, have we stopped being ironic?

When we got our independence in 1947 we had nothing but Gandhi, Nehru and Patel. Our forefather could not ensure 2 times meal for every Indian but a robust political system was established successfully. Democracy was our pride then and it is our pride now, we couldn't build anything else to be proud of. That's the reason party politics has seeped into our very central nervous system.

We face thousands of election in our life time. Loksabha, Vidhansabha, Panchayat, Municipal, elections in our institute work place etc etc. Political awareness is the one area where we usually have a glimpse of empowerment. When I see my mom pitching for AAP and my dad for Namo, it gives me sense of hope, a hope for better India with its empowered masses. Different political parties, their politics despite of how dirty those are, they all are manifestation of this hope. Hope on which concept of India was built upon. I don't believe direct participatory democracy to be some westernized concept. It's was always there in our blood, right from Mahajanpada system to Maurya dynasty to Gupta dynasty and it will always be there.

So let's get politicized, let's jump into Mahakumbh of Election-2014. Let's hope, lets vote J .

Jai Bharat

wrik23 · February 17, 2014, 8:20pm

2014 general elections are going to be the most intense elections in the history of india. the elections this time has a new party and two old parties battling each other. the UPA 1&2 has been the most corrupt government anyone has ever seen. so every people of india this time will be voting for a change. and the alternative seems to be the other corrupted party i.e. BJP. but there is one another party this time ,AAP,which has been formed only 7-8 months before. but only in this time they have pulled off a major upset in the delhi assembly elections by cornering the cong. govt. after 15 years. so for a change this time for the betterment of the people of india i think we should come forward and vote for the party that deserves to win and that can govern india to a better position. speaking of the bjp's p.m candidate narendra modi he's a good leader and has a governence power. as a chief minister of gujarat he's brought development in the state but in 2002 riots he was the only one to be blamed in which many people died. the AAP has the capability if winning the elections and mr. arvind kejriwal is a very respectable person and most of all he's a very clean speaking person. kejriwal and his AAP must be given a chance this time for a good change in the country because in nowadays every person is fedup with corrupt policies and the corrupt ministers. the prices are rising, extreme inequality between the rich and poor, increase in crimes day by day, and the misuse of power in every step of life. these are the worst conditions that a country and its people could face.

USE THE RIGHTS AND VOTE SENSIBLY FOR A BETTER GOVERNMENT

skks · February 28, 2014, 6:39am

With the battle almost lost, the UPA government seemed to have played a master stroke; and this in combination with NAMO's protestations and claims might play spoilers for NDA when the two alliances face each other again in 2019. With the 2014 elections surveys claiming the BJP to sweep over 200 seats in the Lower House of the Parliament, the chances of UPA3 seems miniscule; and barring a surprise the BJP seems all set to become the leading party of the Assembly.

The Vote on Account presented by Mr. Chidambaram acknowledges the fact that even UPA have accepted defeat in the coming elections. The budget which was expected to get the masses some sweeteners and freebies did not meet the expectation by any stretch of imagination, and this shows that even Congress is expecting a defeat in the next elections, however after claiming that they have been successful in keeping the deficit under check and by making sure that the fiscal deficit is only 4.6% which is below the projected 4.8% of the GDP, Mr. Chidambaram has pulled a trick out of the hat.

To obtain this figure of 4.6 when the projected rate was 4.8 is nothing short of a miracle (considering the existing financial condition ); but if we look at things from close quarters, we will realize that it is misleading. The deficit has been kept under limit by procrastinating the expenditure on the subsidies, which eventually will have to be paid the NDA government if they come to power; and this would push them on the backfoot even before they enter the fray. More important than keeping the rates under check is how has the target been achieved; as cutting down on the growth conducive factors might be counterproductive, and this is exactly what the outgoing Finance Minister has done, moreover the ever increasing CAD is doing us no good. Mr. Chidambram has tried to paint the picture rosy but the reality is a far off.

The reduction in the excise duty has come as a welcome step and it bodes well for the manufacturing sector however the incoming government will be overburdened by the rollover subsidies (which the current FM has deferred). The introduction of bills such as the “one rank one pension” bill and the “food security bill” will add to the miseries and make life difficult for the next FM. Mr. Chidambaram has manipulated well to save India from the JUNK STATUS but things do not appear bright at the other side of the tunnel.

Mr. Modi is all set to win the upcoming battle of the lower house but keeping the finance ministry stable under his tenure would be nothing short of a war for him. His problems will be aggravated by the fact that NDA do not have an able finance minister waiting in the wings. With the likes of Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha who are already past their primes and have been out of action for quite some time now, it will be interesting to see who NAMO confides in to become the next FM.

The next five years will be very crucial for India, and with the growth outlook not looking optimistic, Mr. Modi will do himself a huge favor if he is able to replicate Gujarat on a large scale. This will not be easy, especially with the greasy surface that he has been given to walk on but if he manages to meet his proclamations, he would have done enough to keep INC away from the power at least for a decade.

India has long walked the crawling turtle way, now is the time to become the crouching tiger; and hopefully the next government will be able to provide the much needed impetus.

arun_jaitley_pgy_user · February 28, 2014, 5:32pm

Shri Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party has decided to ally with the BJP and be a part of the NDA. Additionally, a large number of political leaders, eminent citizens and political groups are extending their support to the BJP either by coming to the party or aligning with the NDA. The groundswell in support of the BJP/NDA and Narendra Modi is clearly visible.

When certain political groups identify themselves with the NDA their area of influence may be confined to a particular State. However, their joining sends a larger political signal. When the BJP announced Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate the first reaction of some friends in the media and political observers was that the party would now find it difficult to get allies. They felt that the party would be politically isolated. When there is a groundswell of support, a party can even live in a 'splendid isolation'. However, that was never to be. A strong BJP has capacity to attract more friends and allies than a weaker BJP. This groundswell of support which is visible in the BJP rallies is the game changer. It sends a message loud and clear of which way the wind is blowing. Today, those who had left the BJP in States like Gujarat and Karnataka have all returned adding to strength of the party. In states like Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar and Tamil Nadu we have significant allies. There are several states in which electoral tie-ups before the elections or political tie-ups after the elections are both possible and probable.

I had always believed that a strong BJP will lead to a stronger NDA. How to strengthen the NDA requires a lesson from Atalji's book. A three party NDA in 1996 became a 24-party NDA in 1998. To attract regional allies, one has to accept and respect India's federal and diverse character. What is significant today is a combination of popular support, increasing number of allies and the social character of the expanding alliance. All this signals a new change.

arun_jaitley_pgy_user · March 2, 2014, 4:53pm

Narendra Modi's rally in Lucknow today drew an unprecedented response. The road to Delhi is via Uttar Pradesh. It is the largest state in the country, sending eighty members to the Lok Sabha. In the 1990s when the BJP gained strength Uttar Pradesh held the key. In 1991 General Elections the BJP won 52 out of 85 constituencies in the undivided UP. In 1996 the figure increased to 58 (+2 for the allies) and in 1998 it was 50. Since then the BJP's strength had consistently declined. The BJP got 29 seats in the Lok Sabha in 1999. In 2004 and 2009 it was a paltry figure of ten. If the BJP is to form a government in Delhi it has to attain the strength of the early 1990s. Will that be possible?

The electoral contest in Uttar Pradesh is predominantly between the BJP, SP and the BSP. The Congress in 2009 returned with a surprise figure of 22 wins. Current indications are that it is being marginalized. The Aam Aadmi Party is generating news and catching attention. It is unlikely to have a significant electoral impact in U.P.

The BSP and the SP have a questionable track record of governance. The Samajwadi party's governance is disastrous. When it is in power the law and order of UP collapses. The social and communal tensions have increased. Uttar Pradesh has seen innumerable communal riots. BSP's track record was extortionist. It ran a despotic regime. Both these parties in the last 10 years are responsible for keeping the UPA in power. Their strategy In supporting the UPA was reciprocal. The quid pro quo was to get support from a pliable CBI for the cases of corruption pending against the leaders of these two parties.

There is a visible change in the popular mood of Uttar Pradesh. Caste polarizations are taking a back seat. The impact of these social polarizations will be relatively lesser though not entirely eliminated. The eight rallies which Narendra Modi addressed have drawn an unprecedented response. The issue in Uttar Pradesh today is governance. The desire for aspirational politics is now visible in UP. There is a complete change in the ground chemistry of Uttar Pradesh politics. When Modi finished his speech by reciting a Prasoon Joshi poetry today I was reminded of the election rallies of 1977 General Elections where speakers would conclude by reciting Dinkar ji's famous lines “Singhasan khali karo Janata aati hai”.

hets83 · March 6, 2014, 12:47pm

The new age Gandhism perhaps is more then 'ahmisa' i.e. it includes violence too, at least for Aam Admi Party. AAP's so-called gandhismwas exposed after party's leader Arvind Kejriwal was detained on Wednesday by Gujarat police for violating 'achar samhita' or the model code of conduct. AAP allegedly was conducting roadshow in Radhanpur town without having taken permission from the police for doing so. After the Aam Admi party's leader Arvind Kejriwal was detained and questioned by police, party's officials in Delhi congregated outside BJP's head quarters. AAP members started protest outside BJP's office with the provoking slogans like 'Narendra Modi sharam karo' etc. The protest was soon converted into stone bombarding*. AAP members also tried to break the main gate and also tear apart the hoardings outside the office. Police finally used water cannons to impede the unrestrained crowd that to of no avail. The only question AAP members kept on asking is 'why their leader was detained?' and that this is scared Modi's chicanery. The so-called law adherent AAP members couldn't understand that their leader has violated the law and for which he was detained. The intransigent AAP members instead of accepting their fault were engaged in violence. This alone unmasks the so-called new age gandhi's true selves. No matter how much you pretend to be something, time has its own way of exposing you. AAP's question why Arvind Kejriwal was detained (for breaking a law) is really immature. On one hand they demand for the proper enforcement of laws and on the other hand they protest and gets violent if it is done. AAP please get your ideology right.

READ MORE AT

http://titanhets.blogspot.in/

cuttinged · March 13, 2014, 10:10am

Considering how paranoid politicians are about their public image, it's rare for them to show their irreverent side on TV in front of the entire state or country. Which is why this video is special and worth its weight in gold.

Former deputy CM of Maharashtra and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal loosens up on a TV channel and mimics Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. One must say, he is so fine at this!

Original video here

haryanvi · March 13, 2014, 6:07pm

Democracy vs Technocracy

Technocratic Approach

the search for a rational solution agreed to by experts and requires solutions to "display both technical efficiency and economic rationality".

Democratic Approach

seeks to maximise participation in decision making and argues that a redistribution of power is just as likely to achieve a favourable outcome as anything the experts will come up with; humane and socially just solutions are sought.

Authority vs Argument

In an ideal world evidence would be necessary to persuade us of what is right but in a complex technological society we all depend to some extent on the authority of experts, without questioning their credentials or the soundness of the arguments.

ALL WE KNOW IS THAT ,WHAT KIND OF POLITICIANS( MOSTLY ELECTED IN SO CALLED DEMOCRACY) ELECTED BUT AFTERALL FROM WRITING A SPEECH TO MEDIA CELLS ,POLICY MAKING TO DEALING WITH FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVE ,DEALING ARMED DEAL TO TESTING MISSILES , DISCOVERING DRUGS TO MARS MISSION, SOCIAL ETHICS TO SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY WHO IS DOING THESE JOBS FOR POLITICIANS,NON OTHER THAN "EXPERTISE" ,SO WHENEVER I ASKED A QUESTION TO MYSELF - TO WHOM I ELECT ,,ANS IS "TECHNOCRATS"

PROMISES BY POLITICIANS :

1.JOBS: aggressive privatization policies are need of hour ,bt who will frame it expertise.

2.24hours power & water: how did we get them ,a strong road map by expertise .

and many more.......

for all politicians need expert advice.now lets come to definition of democracy,slightly modifying, we elect them for 5 years after that when they made policies with the help of experts ,,did they consult us ??? no, bills for developement of INDIA in parliament , craved totally by expertise, passed within 5 minutes and in what politicians interfere on the sake of vote bank # FDI ,stucked and then passed with dirty tricks.

so when game is played by expertise and winning tropy ll b awarded to politicians and we do so after, all ,policy paralysis due to lack of decision making on the name of politics of cast ,creed,federal structure.

"Engineers" may never be completely apolitical, but they may be less political than those who went into politics to become politicians. What if technocrats are just politicians without much charisma or without expensive PR? "Mediocrity in politics is not to be despised," the German writer (and EU-sceptic) Hans Magnus Enzensberger once wrote. "Greatness is not needed."

A demonstration of this case would be of China. It's political system is headed by the Politburo, a group of nine people whose significant decisions affect China's billion population. Out of the nine members, eight have engineering degrees. I would argue that having the skill of an engineer in dealing with macroeconomic problems lead the Chinese government to effectively construct modern infrastructure in a span of less than two decades: the high-speed rail network, the National Trunk Highway System, and the Three Gorges Damn, and a myriad of buildings, bridges, and roads that can act as a catalyst for economic development. Having set out to build modern infrastructure, they also embarked on getting people from the rural provinces to live in the big cities, and as a result millions were lifted out of poverty.

WE HAVE HIGHEST POPULATION OF YOUTHS ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND FOR BECOMING WORLD'S SUPER POWER WE NEED TO ENTER IN THE ERA OF TECHNOCRACY(DEMOCRACY CUM TECHNOCRACY)

uddalak · March 14, 2014, 8:02am

With around one month remaining for LS polls it is high time to look into the strategies of different parties to woo voters so as try to extra polate who among them seem to have a higher chance to win parliament?. As is already known to the readers of this article( obviously interested in politics) the frontline candidates for the throne at delhi are BJP and Congress .The other contenders are AAP and Third front. As is evident from the election manifesto and the advertisements released in social media , it is mostly interested to project itself as development oriented party and dissociate itself from its former image of hindutva and Babri masjid demolition. Well the strategy of the party is very practical and given Narendra modi s good record as CM of Gujrat in the field of development will aid it .However , what perhaps has aided this strategy the most is that its primary rival that is Congress is itself afflicted with numerous slurs of corruption , lack of development and communal tensions . The 1984 riots during congress regime once again put Congress at a difficult spot as it blunted the traditional congress weapon of puting communal image on BJP so as to consolidate Muslim vote bank which is pivotal for a party to win the elections .

Before going further into discussing other parties strategies and how effective they might be , first lets look at who the voters are. India as a whole is home to 123 crore people out of which 16.5 crore are scheduled castes and .7 crore are scheduled tribes and OBC forms around 52% of the population. The entire population is divided into 35 states and union territories. Muslims being 13.4% of the population mostly play a make or break role for most political parties ambitions . Now if u add up OBC , Muslim , SC/ST vote banks then it comes out to be around 70% of the indian population hence is the chunk which all political parties seek to woo , some via quotas and some via representation and talks on empowerment. In this election unlike unlike ever before the number of parties competing for this segment is very high . It includes SP , BSP , TMC , AAP , Congress , BJD , TDP and so on . As a result there would certainly be a lot of divisions of the votes among this categories. Upper caste vote bank usually votes for BJP and the trend is unlikely to change . Maybe AAP can eat into that vote bank to some extent but then significant amount would still be retained. In general for a party to emerge winner around 37% vote share is needed . So to put it straight as of now chances for BJP seems strongest given Narendra Modi's OBC background and BJP is traditional vote share of 25% ( mostly among upper castes) . Since TMC has put candidates in delhi and other regions too alongside Congress and other regional parties the Muslim , SC/ST vote bank is bound to split.

Now coming back to AAP to Strategy , AAP as a party became popular on the ground that it was resembling common people and portrayed an image of being a speaker from among the people further accentuated by a social activist as its supremo . Now for a start up it was doing really well but the strategy does not hold water for a prolonged period of time as india has multiple issues like safety to women, illegal mining , terrorism , high food prices , divide between rural and urban voters , lack of education , lack of jobs , lack of industrialization , sick PSU s apart from corruption which is the primary issue AAP seek to address. The problem of this strategy of doing an issue based politics is that the party becomes redundant after that issue is fulfilled hence things like development (which have a broader ambit ) are much better and more beneficial . The stint that AAP had as part of government and the dharnas it did during its rule along with numerous unplanned speeches which were widely criticized in media ( Specially the one that Kashmir was not part of India) , the special incentives to people who participate in dharna brought out a bad image of the party , the way it quit the government showed instability too .As its last bid , Kejriwal s public tirade with Mukesh Ambani was more of market signaling towards its depleting base of workers who were losing interest in the noise created around the party. Be it BJP Congress joining hands to not let AAP pass Jan lok pal ( although it was considered controversial bill with multiple flaws) or Be it AAP failure to put forward a progressive image of the government from a developmental angle or job creation angle leading to resentment among the masses , the chariot of 2014 elections seems to have drifted away from AAP for the time being . Numerous Surveys have already seemed to indicate BJP being single largest party followed by Congress and TMC .

Although surveys need not necessarily prove to be true specially due to the vote splits that would result and influence the election results .Besides sample size of surveys are limited , in election it will be multiple times larger set , the trend in one set need not reflect in the other sets too. But it is more or less evident that the student section are more influenced by need for jobs and development than by the Congress's focus on holistic development and reservation politics. Result of all this maybe hidden in the recent past which has witnessed multiple scams from congress. While BJP s past of hindutva and Congs past of corruption seem to be the most critical hinges that has hold back a road to absolute majority on the contrary a past less AAP is suffering from self afflicted unrealism. Hence I feel regional forces may be the deciding force for next elections Mamta Banerjee or Jai lalitha or Mulayam Singh as PM cannot be discounted . However , it is NAMO who is leading !

uddalak · March 16, 2014, 6:48am

Before writing anything i must say i am apolitical by nature but regularly follow news of all parties . As such all parties have flaws and multiple issues. This article is aimed at TMC just because they are in position of power and can with little earnestness make necessary changes to bring in more industries , generate more jobs and help uplift the state of bengal which badly needs industries and jobs. Given that many of my relatives in villages of bengal still are searching for jobs and see no change inspite of change in government . Their state and as a mba student myself I find this attitude of the government very alarming and not ideal for the state at large. Although yes TMC has come after a prolonged rule of CPIM and hence perhaps deserve a little longer time to prove itself . However ,this article is more or less aimed to point out follies of the parties manifesto.

In general ,the difference between verbal assurance and reality can be very stark at times , more so when party leaders themselves fail to realize the gross difference between what they promise and the logical contradictions that underlying those promises . The biggest problem that westbengal as a state is quite frustratingly facing for quite some time now is precisely the after effects of the afore stated syndrome. The poll promises from TMC has always been the following : holistic development of the state , upliftment of aam aadmi (mango people) , fight price rise , ensure a large number of jobs, to take action in case of corruption , to protect labour from exploitation . Well if u look at the ambit of these promises it more or less covers everything Now starts the contradictions. To ensure holistic development one needs FDI , FII and state investment from its public exchequer as well. The problem with Westbengal (which some attribute to Maxist mis management and corruption)is that the state exchequer is almost empty ( as quoted by Mamata Banerjee herself in one of her election rallies in 2014 ) . Now that leaves us with FDI and FII . Now for FDI or FII to happen the business climate has to be conducive which is again far from reality as there are continuous threats of strike and a bulk of it supported by the state as part of its election poll manifesto.

In Westbengal unlike many states the education sector too has been politicized by various parties through their student federations like SFI , TMC Youth Congress. Apart from having active TU federations of various parties like CITU and INTUC there is TMC federations too. Now it is job for TU to protect the workers in case of any faulty action by the employer but because of large scale competition between TUs to maintain its base of workers ,it often uses its ambit of powers for making unfair demands like raising daily wage rates , asking for holidays and threatening employers with strike in case of non conformance to their demands. The youth federations also add to the climate by organizing road rallies ( causing transport blockages)and call for general strikes on working days causing losses to industries and trade and commerce in general . The violence during these strikes is also an active deterrent for many to actually fulfill their daily job responsibilities even if he or she is wiling. Now all this is perfectly all right and is a color able exercise which perfectly goes with the wide ambit of the election manifesto but then it fails to actually project the state as an industry destination.
Unlike in case of developed states like Gujrat where strikes are a rarity ( although labour laws may not be that strong ) leading to preponderance of industries and generation of jobs in mass scale, here in WestBengal the problem persisted and the wind of change nullified to nothing . The wind of change that the residents expected by voting the communists out of power unfortunately lost its air and dashed against the rocks of self conservative political consciousness wherein the party does undertake those policies which helps protect its base even though it may not lead to development of the state or generation of jobs.

What is very very disappointing is that the direct and obvious contradiction of ushering in investors and enforcing labour laws is completely unnoticed by TMC think tank. It blatantly fails to realize that you cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hound. Anti industry comments , the singur episode are not just slurs but are active deterrent for any who wish to come here. Given that the vote bank is heavily loaded with workers and students , the TMC is obviously turning a blind eye at this contradiction however as a poll manifesto speaking of development to blunt the weapon of other political parties under the premise that see we also are providing development and that is more sustainable. However , in effect net rate of growth is too slow , most projects unfinished and effect job creation near 0%. While there is no ideal way to run a state .Recently the news of Mamata wanting TMC to be a national party came to light alongside Anna Hazare deserting her. Well i think being national and having national ambition is not bad but one should develop the state first. One should understand that given the depleting wealth status of bengal and it being now compared to poorest states like orissa is badly damaging for the people of state themselves. They all want change . They want true change rather. They want that change to touch them. They want that change bring new dimensions in their lives. They want leaders who can decide and take active tangible steps . They want those people to be logically sound and come over this contractions. They want a truely holistic development. But apart from the criticism i would definitely accolade her for her progressive role of enhancing art and cinema through various steps . Mamata Banerjee's corruption free image true is rare in politics .

arun_jaitley_pgy_user · March 18, 2014, 8:15am

Some look good only when the going is good. If the going is tough they collapse. That appears to be the UPA and Rahul Gandhi story. Faced with odds, even senior leaders have decided to desert the sinking ship. Some are refusing to contest. Others are feigning ill health for not contesting. The blame game is about to begin.

Faced with odds, Rahul Gandhi has decided to talk up the morale of his party. He claims that opinion polls are jokes and that the Congress would improve upon its 2009 tally. If this is sheer bravado in order to lift the sinking morale of the Congressman, it is understandable. However, if he genuinely believes this to be true then surely he is completely cut off from reality.

The election agenda is loaded against them. Desperate attempts to create an agenda out of well meaning concepts such as empowerment, putting systems in place etc is not working. Abstract slogans only displayed at hoardings all over the country are difficult to comprehend. The message is blurred and not clear. The voters are worried about price rise, economy and corruption. They want a leadership which is decisive and inspirational. The Congress Party and UPA are failing to set the agenda. They are at best responding to the agenda set by their opponents.

The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party after being pampered for almost for ten years have decided during elections to distance themselves from the Congress Party. Others are deserting them. The Trinamool Cogress, the DMK and the LJP have all deserted the Congress. No new ally is going to join them. A large chunk of the seats that UPA got in the last election came from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. In Tamil Nadu the Congress is isolated with a single digit percentage votes. It barely expects to pick up any seat. In Andhra Pradesh it played the Telengana Card not out of conviction but out of vote bank strategy. It has simply become a liability for its candidates in Seemandhra. In Telengana, the TRS has turned its back on the Congress.

The BJP had an option to go back on its commitment for Telengana. We refused to do so. Instead we played with a straight bat. We fulfilled our commitment to the people of Telengana and got additional economic package for Seemandhra. We can go to both the regions with our heads held high. We earned goodwill not only amongst the people but even amongst a section of the regional parties in the State. Today we have a positive prospect of our alliances in both Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

For the Congress even its leadership is proving to be unacceptable. It lacks the charisma and the appeal which is required today. At the end of the day the Congress goes into the poll without an agenda with inadequate allies and without an effective leadership. If things can go wrong they surely will go wrong.

arun_jaitley_pgy_user · March 18, 2014, 2:34pm

Is 2014 General Election becoming the reverse of 1971 Election?
Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party claimed that they came into existence to fight corruption. The strategy was to image themselves as Anti-corruption crusaders and occupy the space of a change agent. The anti-corruption tag could earn them some advantage against the Congress but not exactly against the BJP. The party has now changed track. In the past few weeks the issues of corruption, real or fictional, have taken a back seat .In any case AAP's issues were never the 2G spectrum allocation or the Coal Block allotments. They concentrated on retail corruption issues in day to day life. The AAP has switched gear from corruption to an Anti-Modi emphasis. The AAP leaders now defy the Economic reality to argue that Gujarat has not progressed. The farcical drama being enacted with regard to contesting against Modi at Varanasi is being done in order to ensure that AAP can at least partly occupy the Anti-Modi space.

The Congress and Rahul Gandhi hardly had an electoral strategy. Abstract slogans and theoretical concepts can not be easily translated into a politically comprehensible logic. Having failed to strike a cord, they have also gone back to the Anti-Modi theme of 2002 Gujarat Riots. The 2002 Riots were investigated by the Gujarat Police, an SIT of Police officials and finally a Supreme Court appointed SIT. An Amicus curiae expressed his opinion on the SIT report. The Supreme Court monitored the investigation. Finally, a court accepted the SIT Report. We now have Rahul Gandhi, with not even a nodding acquaintance with law, who opines that the case was not adequately investigated. What was his intention in doing so? Since other political cards are failing Anti-Modi position is the only alternative left.

Narendra Modi is in the meanwhile allowing these two gentlemen compete for the Anti-Modi space. He continues to address mammoth rallies almost by each day. His primary agenda continues to be India and its Development.

arun_jaitley_pgy_user · March 20, 2014, 2:17pm

After my candidature was announced for the Amritsar Parliamentary constituency, I reached Amritsar on the morning of 18th March 2014. I have been extremely familiar with the city ever since my childhood. The city was home of my maternal grandparents and the family. My mother was born there. I spent some part of my childhood school vacations along with my mother at Amritsar. Family weddings were subsequently the occasion to visit the city. No visit was complete without paying obeisance at the Golden Temple and the Durgiana Temple.For the last two decades my political responsibility took me to Amritsar frequently. As in-charge of Punjab BJP, I used to headquarter myself at Amritsar during the elections to the State assembly. This time there was a difference,-my first visit to the city after announcement of my candidature.

A very large number of political leaders and workers of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP had arrived at the airport. A truck was converted into a moving platform with several political leaders. The electoral culture of Punjab is a league of its own. From drum beats to the Bhangra and showering of rose petals were expressions of welcome and joy. There are nine assembly segments in Amritsar parliamentary constituency. Within each Assembly segment receptions had been organized at various places. Senior Akali Dal minister Bikram Singh Majithia and BJP's Kamal Sharma and Anil Joshi were in complete control. The route of the convoy was so organized as to pass through all the nine assembly segments. Gas balloons were loaded at places. Crackers were being burnt. A freak accident took place when the fire of a cracker touched the gas balloons. It created panic and minor injuries to some participants. I suffered a minor burn sensation but there was no significant damage.

The prime destination was the Golden Temple where we went to pay our obeisance. The majesty of the Golden Temple and the manner of its management adds to the environment of religiosity and emotion. Thousands of devotees were involved in rendering service. The Langar (lunch) was simple but delicious. After praying at the Temple, we left close by for the Jallianwala Bagh.

The Jallianwala Bagh is a memorial of the 1919 massacre of the then regime. There are still a large number of families who are descendants of the victim who lived close by. Many had come there to meet me and submit a copy of their memorandum of expectations. During the course of the day, I visited the Durgiana Temple which is styled in architecture similar to the Golden Temple. The Ram Tirath, a temple of Bhagwan Balmiki exists at a little distance from the city. I visited Ram Tirath temple in the evening. The devotees there were extremely grateful to the Chief Minister Shri Parkash Singh Badal for having sanctioned adequate funds for a grand temple to be built in the midst of a pond. After meetings with different groups of political supporters in relation to electoral process, I met all the elected representatives of the two NDA parties. Elected representatives of the municipal bodies and Panchayats were all there.

Amritsar itself is a city with buoyancy. Its manufacturing had suffered but the trade has picked up. The city is looking forward to the opening of Indo-Pak trade which will make it a hub of border trading. Tourism has picked up in a big way, thanks to the historical and cultural importance of the city. Hotels are doing well. The international flights to the airport need to be increased. The city's infrastructure has improved over the years and a lot more needs to be done.

The USP of the city still remains its extraordinary food. I regard Amritsar as the Food Capital of India. Having been brought up in Amritsar culture by my mother with language accent, attitude and eating habits of the same tradition, I realised that I had gone back to my roots.

paps3535 · March 24, 2014, 11:12am

This is neither my first election as a rightful voter nor the first time that I am facing a dilemma about choosing a candidate to vote for. But this time, my alternatives are different: a) None of the above (NOTA) and b) Abstain from voting

The analysis in the following table explains why I am compelled to choose from above two choices only. The last weekend, a regional TV news channel aired a segment where all the candidates for my constituency were asked a few questions by both the programme host and the studio audience. I thought that this was an effective platform for the candidates to share their ideas and the manifesto with voters. I decided to size the candidates up on the basis of their performance in that programme and their past profile to draw up the following analysis.

Going to press the 'None of the above' option at the voting booth will cost me Rs 1,200 in travel expenses for the return journey to the constituency where I'm registered. What should I do? Should I abstain from voting? It will save me money but at the same time I don't want to miss the chance to participate in democracy.

PS: I believe in parliamentary democracy. So I would prefer to vote for a candidate instead of NOTA. I would have zeroed in on one had there been an exceptional PM candidate, but that is not the case this time.

adityaknsit · March 25, 2014, 2:54pm

Since day one of their election campaign in the Delhi Legislative elections, the AAP seemed firm on not forming the government without an absolute majority. This made sense. The very reason of the formation of AAP was existence of political rot. How could they, then, align with the parties responsible for this rot. After the declaration of results they finally decided to avail the support of Congress MLAs. They cited respecting popular sentiments conveyed by the election results as the reason behind their decision. Their rationale made it seem fine. The AAP volunteers, most of whom had no political ambitions, empathized with the anti-corruption sentiments of the AAP. They saw in them a great hope. These volunteers worked really hard and ensured a great door-to-door campaigning and fundraising. Dropping the chance to form the government would have wasted all the efforts. So when AAP took this decision, I was still very much in their support. But then when after a mere 49 days they decided to quit, I lost all hope in them.

I have been a Delhihite for 20 of the 23 years of my life. Though in some aspects Delhi is better than most of the other places in India, there still are serious issues that Delhiites face in their daily lives. AAP had a golden chance. Instead of implementing superficially populist schemes, they could have worked to make things better. In his IAC days, Mr Kejriwal used to talk about decentralization of democracy. He used to cite examples of some European cities where allocation of resources for infrastructural development is carried out through public deliberation at locality levels. AAP could have tried to implement such novelties in Delhi and craft out a model democratic state. They could then, in the longer run, mobilize national support to stand out as a viable alternative. These people claimed to harbor no political ambitions, this could have made them immune to the troubles of coalition politics. Any withdrawal of support would only have vindicated their claim of the lack of political will in political parties of India. It was a win-win situation. I understand that the whole IAC movement was centered around the ideals of the Lokpal bill, and the Jan Lokpal bill was the fulcrum of AAP's election manifesto. I just don't understand the hurry that AAP seemed to be in. Through good governance they could created such an atmosphere in Delhi where any party which opposed the novel aspects of the bill would have drawn public flak. They could have waited for the change in the government at the centre to table the bill in the assembly. This could have clarified the stand of the new government on the bill. Instead they showed immature impatience and chose to dump a golden opportunity. I was heartbroken when I realized that my hopes of a government that actually wanted to serve the people were smothered.

The current election campaign has further propelled my disillusionment. It is fine that they have chosen to target the BJP PM contender but it seems that they have chosen to ignore the current incumbents. They are not clarifying their stands on the various issues of public interest. They have rather chosen to target one man. What is their opinion on poverty eradication? What about education, law and order, healthcare, rural upliftment and urban infrastructure development? Why didn't they put these things on the centre stage of their campaign? They seem to be no different than other parties, which focus their campaign on the shortcomings of others.

Many Indians have found hope in Mr Modi. He is a charismatic man. And despite all the allegations of incompetence during the Godhra riots he seems to have emerged as the choice of the upper class Hindu demographic. He has successfully built a brand out of himself. He is seen as a one man army who would miraculously usher in an era of economic transformation. Fine, but what about the other candidates fielded by his party. 35 percent of BJP's candidates have criminal charges against them. 17 percent have charges as serious as murder and kidnapping.

BJP and Congress are the product of that very political rot that we complain so much about. The BJP candidate seems to be banking on the Modi wave and has found it convenient to not clarify his stance on the various public issues. I acknowledge the fact BJP is the younger party and it is INC which is largely responsible for the wayward strategy India has had in all spheres post independence. This still does not absolve the BJP of their contribution in the institutional disarray caused by political apathy. When I think of BJP and INC I don't think of two political rivals, I rather think of brothers in arms jointly fighting to rule atop the masses. This is the reason I have decided against voting for any of them.

As far as NOTA is concerned it seems to be only of statistical significance right now. Why then should I incur expenses to travel to my permanent place of residence when I can very well assume minuscule statistical significance by being a part of demographic which conveys its faithlessness in the current system by not voting? If NOTA had an actual political significance I would have surely endured all travails to impinge my opinion. As of now, I lack the necessary motivation to do so. I had big hopes in AAP. All shattered now. As of now I don't seem to have any choice. All claims of impacting decision-making by voting once in five years seem hollow to me. I believe that I have absolutely no say in most of the processes I am impacted by. My opinions do not actually matter. Those at power expect me to continue living in the illusion of democracy. A mere ink dot on my finger isn't what I am looking for. I have thus decided to abstain from voting in the upcoming LS elections.

v.jay · March 25, 2014, 3:07pm

दुकानें सज गयीं आओ देखो लग गया बाज़ार

चुनावी मेला आया है लेकर वादों की बौछार

मायूस दिलों को फिर उम्मीदें बाटी जाएंगी...

बिकेंगे फिर वही सपनें हुए न अब तक जो साकार

टी०वी०, रेडियो, इंटरनेट या कोई अखबार

हर जगह अब दिखेंगे बस इनके ही इश्तेहार

नये-नये ऑफर नयी स्कीमें परोसी जाएंगी...

नये-नये तरीकों से करेंगी पार्टियाँ प्रचार

कोई रिक्शेवालों, मछुआरों से रिश्ते जोड़ रहा इस बार

कोई किसान तो कोई चाय वाले का निभा रहा किरदार

कि, आम आदमी दिखने की तो सब में मची है होड़...

पर असल में आम आदमी बनने को कोई नेता नहीं तैयार

बड़े-बड़े बंगले हैं इनके महँगी-महंगी कार

हवाई-जहाज में उड़े कभी, कभी हेलीकाप्टर में सवार

देश की दौलत लूट-लूट कर इन भ्रष्ट नेताओं ने...

विदेशी बैंकों में अपने भर लिये भण्डार

निज-स्वार्थ के आगे मुद्दे अब हो रहे लाचार

राजनीती बन गयी है मानो कोई कारोबार

हैँ दल-बदलू नेता कहीं तो मोर्चा-बदलू दल...

आदर्शों से नहीं किसी का रहा है सरोकार

न मर्यादा ही बची किसी में न बचा है शिष्टाचार

नित-दिन ओछी राजनीती से लोकतंत्र हो रहा शर्मसार

कि, खुद को यहाँ पे गाँधीवादी यूँ तो हर नेता कहता है...

पर गाँधी के आदर्श किसी को अब नहीं रहे स्वीकार

अब देखें ज़रा ये राजनीती किस हद को करेगी पार

किस तरह फिर इक-दूजे पर नेता करेंगे वार

कैसे-कैसे रंग सियासत फिर दिखलायेगी...

कैसे पल-पल बदलेंगे यहाँ राजनितिक आसार

खाद्य-सुरक्षा, आर०टी०आई, मनरेगा, आधार

जहाँ इनको ढाल बना रही है मौजूदा सरकार

वहीँ कोलगेट, सी०डब्लू०जी० और २-जी जैसे बम

चुनावी जंग में फोड़ने को विपक्ष खड़ा तैयार

मोदी, राहुल, माया, मुलायम और नितीश कुमार

और न जाने कितने हैं यहाँ पी०एम० उम्मीदवार

जीत के दावे भरते यूँ तो दिख रहे हैं सब...

पर देखें मिलती जीत है किसको, किसे मिलेगी हार

गुंडा-गर्दी, रेप और दंगे और ये बढ़ता भ्रष्टाचार

इस वक़्त देश को बदलावों की है बड़ी दरकार

मिलकर बदलें हम सब आओ इस मुल्क का मुस्तक़बिल...

आओ देकर वोट बनें हम भी इस बदलाव में भागीदार :)__vjay

arun_jaitley_pgy_user · March 27, 2014, 8:09am

At the release of the Congress Manifesto, Rahul Gandhi was optimistic that the BJP's “Balloon will burst”. The Congress President was equally affirmative that the opinion polls will prove wrong. I have repeatedly commented that opinion polls may not be accurate but the ones conducted by credible organizations indicate the broad direction of the public opinion. What is to be concluded from the broad direction indicated by the Opinion Polls published so far is that the Congress is nose diving southwards to a two digit figure and the BJP can hope to reach its highest tally in post-Independence history.

What are the indications available with Rahul Gandhi that he has to call the groundswell for Modi a 'balloon that will burst'. Can he compare the size of Modi rallies with his own? Can he compare the enthusiasm of candidates wanting to fight on a BJP ticket and the reluctance of many to fight on a Congress ticket? He has still not seen the reality in the fact that the DMK, TRS, LJP, TMC, PMK and MDMK have all deserted the Congress. He believes that his allies are intact. The largest representation that the UPA got in 2004 and 2009 was from Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. This time in these two States the Congress figure may nose dive.

The Congressmen are living in denial. The Finance Minister, P.Chidambaram, has commented that the FIIs are re-investing in India because of the steps taken by the UPA government. World over the analysis is that a likely political change with the possibility of Modi led Government at New Delhi is creating a new hope in the investors. The UPA government can only be credited with inheriting an 8.5 percent GDP growth rate and on the eve of its departure they have brought down the growth rate to 4.5 percent. The problem with those who imagine themselves to be the King is that they see success in their failure and a silver-lining in each disaster.

More on the Captain

I am back in Amritsar for the campaign. Being faced with arrogant comments each day from my opponent I have started reading up on his performance and achievements. I went through the details of a charge-sheet filed by the Vigilance Bureau in relation to a 2005 project in the city of Ludhiana where all rules were flouted by the then government. The Chief Minister had directed the removal of the Chairman of the Improvement Trust so that a more pliable gentleman could be appointed. Bidding documents were prepared without the necessary approvals. Work was undertaken flouting the rules. The bids were rigged in order to favour a particular bidder. Construction was allowed despite the authorities knowing that the agreement signed with the bidder was illegal and the construction was based on an unapproved design. Official position was abused in order to show benefits to a private party.

Worst still the charge-sheet mentions that payments were made by the beneficiary to the Chief Minister and his family members and the money trail led them to a particular middleman with whom the monies were parked. The charge-sheet does not make out a reading which may flatter anyone. The Charge-sheet states that the then CM kept the vigilance report in his custody without taking any action and did not hand over the original report to the authorities after demitting his office. So much for the Congress party's commitment to probity.

Everyone in public life must be honest. Most certainly the rulers and Maharajas should display greater probity and transparency than lesser mortals.