Saturday, January 4, 2014

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014 – A CURTAIN RAISER

With the general elections 2014 only four months from now political parties especially the ruling Congress and its allies and the main Opposition party Bharathiya Janata Party are getting ready for a showdown at the hustings. With BJP choosing Narendra Modi[Unlink], the Gujarat Chief Minister, as the Prime Ministerial candidate is somewhat ahead of UPA 2 led by Indian National Congress on the matter of plunging to the electoral arena. Mr.Modi is on a whirlwind campaign tour across the States trying his best to appease not only Hindus but the Muslims with his oratorical best. That BJP has turned out to be a cohesive unit after Advani, the architect of BJP displayed his dislike of Modi in public. The Sangh Parivar – BJP’s parent organization prevailed upon Mr.Advani and directed him to extend his support to Mr.Modi. Advani, the obedient disciple from the early days was left with no choice but to cow down. Soon after, he shared the same platform with Mr.Modi and showered plaudits upon the ‘Gujarat showman of 2002’ for whom pain and regret are something alien. Though he recently tweeted in his page even after courts have partly absolved him of omissions and commissions still his enemy parties continue to squarely blame him. Even then, uptill now, he has not pleaded to the victims of 2002 pogrom to forgive him.
Sangh Parivar’s confidence of Mr.Modi’s charisma, articulation and administrative acumen will enable him to fight alone without the support of even an ally or for that matter an alliance is nothing but a pipe- dream. It may be true that with the UPA alliance at its nadir BJP could bag highest number of seats, the chance of it snatching power is too dim.
So be it. Rahul Gandhi [Unlink], Congress Vice President, who is widely expected to be the UPA’s Prime Ministerial candidate - 2014 after a prolonged silence has jumped to the fore and has emerged a crusader against all evils including corruption plaguing the nation. Yesterday’s press conference held by Dr.ManMohan Singh, whose third press conference in India in ten years, has informed the media that he is not a candidate for PM for the third time and has decided to hand over the baton to Mr.Rahul Gandhi. He chose the occasion to state in no uncertain terms that he has no doubt about the credentials of Mr.Gandhi. Where was Mr.Gandhi until recently? A diffident Mr.Rahul Gandhi preferred to run away from taking up all responsibilities when his presence was badly needed. His explanations that he wanted to concentrate his time for strengthening the organization will have few takers. When the nation reeled under scams amounting to lakhs of crores of rupees draining away the exchequer, for example, the Common Wealth scam, 2G Spectrum Scam, Coal Gate, Adarsh Housing Society Scam etc etc, scandals after scandals tarnishing the image of the Govt, the rampant poverty, malnourishment, lack of sanitation facilities, scarce drinking water, communal clashes, sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities, inequitable distribution of wealth across India, Mr. Gandhi was not in the limelight when all these evils happened. Of late, the former six ministers, four of them former Chief Ministers involved in the Adarsh Housing Scam indicted by the two judges who conducted the enquiry were let off the hook by the Maharashtra govt under the Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan only when Rahul Gandhi took strong exception against the decision of Maha govt. The latter had no qualms in charging the bureaucrats involved in the scam. Mr.Gandhi was keeping mum when the ministers were freed of all charges. Now that enlightenment has dawned upon him and has taken up cudgels against the perpetrators of all maladies eating into the vitals of the society. About the reports pouring in about the involvement of Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Rahul Gandhi, in the reportedly ‘murky’ DLF deals amounting to crores and crores of rupees, Mr.Gandhi keeps away from voicing his opinion.
Musaffar Nagar riots, broke out in September 2013 which claimed more than 60 lives forcing the hapless to flee for life and these displaced ones still reel under biting cold which too continue to claim lives of the refugees, most of them children. Now that diseases too have spread among them threatening many more lives with none to extend assistance and necessary amenities to the hapless and helpless refugees. While they continue to suffer and breath their last, Akhilesh Yadav [Unlink], UP Chief Minister and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav [Unlink] one week before spent lakhs for partying which the national TV channels prominently displayed. Rahul Gandhi found time to visit the refugee camps inviting the wrath of people there nearly one month ago . He took the opportunity to blame it all on the Samajawadi Party govt of Akhilesh Yadav for not taking needed steps to reach to the help of the riot victims for not preventing the riots. Gritting his teeth in anger, he took the next available flight to Delhi. More than sufficient. (Nowadays Rahul is an angry young man even frightening Dr.ManMohan Singh, the PM).
Rahul’s reported press conference two months ago condemning the ordinance drafted by the govt to give exemption to the convicted candidates from contesting the elections and shouted at a press conference that the ordinance should be torn away forthwith. Remarkable.
About the Leftists the less said, the better. It is a sin to add insult to their injuries.
Those who are supposed to come out in flying colours are seeming to be the regional parties. Not all but a few. The emerging, victorious regional entities might turn out to be the king- makers.
On the whole the 2014 General Election results are poised to be in a fluid state.


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