Thumping win may be a bumpy ride

Municipal elections held in Baroda, Gujarat on last Sunday

We, Barodians had a peaceful election day on the 22nd instant, the turnout was almost 45 percent. It is the fact that the Patidar movement has caused embarrassing situation, which definitely erodes the BJP's base over here in Baroda. But, I still believe that the ruling party will emerge as the leader. The municipal election is an important yardstick to measure the present popularity of the party, particularly before the assembly election, which is going to be held in Gujarat in the year 2017.
As a political analyst, I feel that if the ruling party wants to continue its stronghold in this state, the guard at the helm needs to be changed. A very astute political administrator and shrewd  leader must take the responsibility ;otherwise, this party has to face difficulties.

My article published in Central Chronicle newspaper,Raipur

Don't think Modi is a gone case

People of Bihar celebrate in full vigor and showing their jubilation to elect Nitish Kumar as the next CM.  He is going to take an oath to the coveted post for the fifth time. In India’s political history so far, it is a record.  No doubt, the man is a suave and strategist.  After the humiliating defeat in the hands of NDA in the last general election, Nitish was all the while formulating a befitting strategy to trounce BJP and its allies.  He becomes successful on the 8th of this month.  Here are the three major reasons, which caused this debacle.  First, BJP could not understand the master mind of Nitish.  Second, Modi’s over dependence on Amit Shah and the third, Modi’s economic agendas, particularly, for creation of more jobs are yet to  produce any tangible results. In the past eighteen months, Modi has been struggling like anything, but somehow the dark cloud is still not disappearing from his fate.

Now, let us analyze all these three factors. No sooner, Nitish called Lalu and offered a friendship formula in the last year immediately after the defeat in the general election, Modi should have taken cautionary measures. May be, he took lightly and was very confident for his own charismatic image. No doubt, he is able to maintain his popularity even today, but definitely he made a tactical error to judge the political mind of Nitish.  He showed his solidarity on Amit Shah so much that he ignores the other functionaries in the party or in his coterie. For example, the man Prashant Kishore, who was so instrumental in his success, when he was CM and also one of the main strategists behind his massive victory in the last general election was more or less sidelined. He switched over his loyalty to Nitish’s party and JD (U), and Modi gets a set back. Modi has run pillar to post in the last eighteen months and he has done what best possible for him to do.  But the main outcome with respect to job creation is a total failure. The common proletariat does not understand much about the slogans of “Make in India,” “Swacch Bharat,” or “Black money retrieval.” They want simply bread, shelter and clothes. Despite Modi’s hurricane tour and conducting many election rallies, he could not give a victory to his party and alliance in Bihar. He could manage a huge turnout for each of his election rallies, but the same has not been translated into votes. Apart from the above three major reasons, there are many political reasons which support the defeat of BJP for example, Lalu’s acceptance of Nitish Kumar as CM, BJP’s inability  to pull out more votes of economically backward class, Mohan Bhagwat’s statement favoring the review of quota  alleging a fear that BJP is conspiring to abolish the caste based reservation, Muslims were persuaded to take almost back seat so as to reduce the cross-polarization in votes in favor of BJP, supports from the secular leaders like Mamta Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and finally, Modi’s volubility against Nitish Kumar’s DNA, which  backfired and also aroused the  sentiments of Biharis.

Modi has lost, but not out. In fact, Nitish and Lalu will now  try to take their friendship to a peak level and will convince Mulayam in their stride to dislodge the NDA government in the next general election in 2019. After all, what is wrong  in trying? May be,they  undermine Modi’s capabilities, which are yet to blossom in full petals?

Arun Shouri's loquacity targets Modi again

In any political rivalry, either you  make your opponent to keep quiet by  bonhomie  or kill them with invective words. Arun Shourie is acting on the second theory knowing well that Modi will remain nonchalant. The erudition of Shourie is a fact. The people are aware that he is one of the well acclaimed journalists, but by criticizing Modi what advantage he wants to bring in, nobody knows. Very recently, he says that our PM is acting more like a section officer of a homeopathy department and less as a Prime Minister, which is an intolerable statement. Through his volubility, he even cautioned Modi  not to act like a  head of a department. Had this insolent comment come from Manmohan Singh, people would have somehow digested, but no sensible person who is  politically motivated can bear the brunt of this statement.

In the recent days, Shourie has lashed out at the NDA government and the PM.  His objections starting from their failure to curb violence to the controversy over beef.  He named this government as “Congress plus a cow.” Many people are fully aware that why Shourie is so upset?  The  reason that he was not offered a post in the ministry and since then, he started to find out  loopholes of this government. Shourie even accused Modi that he is deliberately keeping quiet on a very sensitive issue like the Dadri lynching whereas his ministerial colleagues and BJP’s  other top ranking functionaries are keeping this alive just to win the ensuing election at Bihar.  

Further, Shourie’s deleterious comment that Modi in conjunction with Amit Shah is creating another community wrangling in Bihar is incorrect. Arun Shouri cited a Pakistani analyst’s comment to support his statement, which says that the neighboring countries when try to get out of the pit, India is slowly going down. It is true that India’s law and order situation are in a bit ruinous condition in some places, but on the whole, it is far better than Pakistan and other neighboring countries.

Apart from Modi, Shourie attacked Jaitley because of his blank support for the PM.  As per Shourie, he is one of the persons, tolerating all types of idiosyncrasies, since last ten years.

Shourie also supported the writers, artists and academicians for their returning the awards back.  He justified their actions, saying how these celebrities can adjust with this climate of “intolerance”. He supported these intellectuals as  they are the  knowledge torch bearers of the society and are conscious keepers.  Shourie praised the eminent scientists P.M. Bhargava and Infosys’s founder Murthy for their vehement protest against government’s inefficiency to curb the organized crime and atrocities. The former minister expressed his unhappiness for Jaitley’s comment for these dignitaries as “rabid anti-BJP”. 

The fact remains that today Shourie is screaming from the rooftop and showing his displeasure, but what significant contribution he made when he was a minister?  It is very easy and may be a fundamental right for citizens to criticize, but let it be a constructive one. Just by saying, Modi is communal, instigating the communal factors to win the elections, not mentioning anything on Dadri incident or stampede in Mecca, India’s overall progress will not get zapped immediately. At least, Modi is trying; he is showing his zeal to recover the fragile economy as well as making schemes for social upliftment.  What Arun Shourie had done, can anybody explain? To be  an erudite person is one thing; but doing something politically, socially and on economic front is another thing.