Rajat Sharma

My Opinion

Maharashtra, Jharkhand : Will exit polls prove right this time?

akb Maharashtra recorded 62.05 per cent polling, while Jharkhand, in its second phase, recorded 68.01 per cent voting on Wednesday, according to Election Commission of India, which described these figures as “approximate trend”.

The Commission said, this “approximate trend” does not include data of postal ballot voting, and that the trends were approximate because data from some polling stations take time to reach. EC said, final data for each polling station is shared in Form 17C with all polling agents.

There were no reports of violence in both these states.

All eyes were on exit polls from Maharashtra and Jharkhand, which hinted at advantage for BJP-led NDA in both the states, while some pollsters predicted neck-and-neck contests. The results will be known on Saturday November 23 (Counting Day).

Credibility of exit polls has taken a nose dive after pollsters were proved wrong during the Lok Sabha and Haryana assembly elections. In the United States too, while most exit polls had predicted a tough contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the pollsters were proved wrong, and Trump recorded an emphatic win, even in the swing states.

Exit polls for Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra were proved wrong because Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi won more seats than the NDA. When electioneering began for assembly polls, BJP leaders were worried about the trends, but Eknath Shinde’s government brought in welfare schemes to change the wind in its favour. If the results go in favour of NDA, the pollsters may be proved right this time.

In Jharkhand, chief minister Hemant Soren was sent to jail and this led to experts predicting that BJP took a wrong step, because Soren would be getting sympathy votes. But this has not been reflected in Wednesday’s exit polls.

If exit polls are proved right this time, then it will be established that the anti-incumbency factor against JMM government worked. Secondly, BJP forged a strong alliance in Jharkhand and all the constituent parties fought together. The results may prove this right, but all these are speculations. On Counting Day, people will know who won and lose.

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Maharashtra : Behind the scene, game is on

AKB As the curtain fell on high decibel electioneering in Maharashtra, top leaders used cuss words and threats against their rivals, but it is the common voter which will take the last call on November 20. On the last day of campaigning, Uddhav Thackeray threatened to put “traitors” in jails who have cheated Maharashtra. In response, CM Eknath Shinde said, “traitors” were those who abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology in order to grab the throne of power.

Sharad Pawar reminded rivals that he never forgets those who betrayed him, but his nephew Ajit Pawar said, it is the “janata which will do hisaab baraabar” (square up the account). Mallikarjun Kharge labelled BJP-RSS as “a poisonous snake”, while Rahul Gandhi brought a safe at a press conference to explain his view about Modi’s slogan “Hum Ek Hain Toh Safe Hain”. In response, BJP leader Sambit Patra dubbed Rahul as a “Chhota Popat”.

Let me explain in a nutshell what I think about these jibes and counter-attacks.

I will not be surprised if leaders who describe others as ‘snakes’ or ‘traitors’, may seek the help of the same political rivals after November 23 (Counting Day). The last five years of Maharashtra politics have witnessed several instances of treachery, tricks and backstabbings.

BJP fought the assembly elections in alliance with undivided Shiv Sena five years ago. The people of Maharashtra voted for Devendra Fadnavis to lead the new government, but soon after the results were out, Uddhav Thackeray ditched BJP and insisted that he be made the CM.

Sharad Pawar entered the scene, and a late night meeting was held with BJP, with Amit Shah attending. Fadnavis was sworn as CM and Ajit Pawar as Deputy CM, but it was a cunning move by Sharad Pawar, who later pulled out. He showed the BJP bogey and convinced Congress and Shiv Sena to ally with his party NCP.

The new government led by Uddhav was now under his remote control. Uddhav became the CM, but his trusted confidante Eknath Shinde brought the government down, after breaking away with his MLAs. Shinde became the CM in alliance with BJP. The revenge against Uddhav was complete and now it was time for teaching Sharad Pawar a lesson. Ajit ‘Dada’ was roped in to grab the party from uncle Pawar’s control. Ajit ‘Dada’ got the NCP symbol.

For five years, almost all the top politicians of Maharashtra were engaged in deceiving one another. The trend continues even today. Nobody knows what will happen after the election results are out. Nobody can say definitely who will go with whom after the elections. Uddhav may join hands with BJP, Ajit may do a homecoming. Shinde can go and take shelter in Matoshree. Anything can happen.

The sad truth is that Maharashtra politics, during the last five years, witnessed splits, treachery, deceit, political cut-and-thrust, on a massive scale. It is now difficult to trust any top politician in this state. The electioneering may have ended, but the rounds of treachery and deceit will continue.

Everything will change after the votes are cast. There will no “traitors” left, no “poisonous snakes” left, no “dakus” left, no “chor” left. It will be a “you go ahead, I will follow” (Tu Chal, Main Aaya) routine. The doors will reopen. As the political durbar begins, leaders may be drawn to one another like magnets. In Hindi, there is a proverb “Oont Kis Karwat Baithega” (which way the wind will blow), nobody knows. It is really difficult to predict.

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Yogi to Kharge : Why silence on killer Razakars?

AKB30 Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday, at his Akola, Maharashtra, rally, launched a direct attack on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. He mentioned about how Razakars owing allegiance to the then Nizam of Hyderabad had burnt his ancestral village, Warwatti, in 1946, killing his mother and sister.

Yogi said, “Kharge Ji is unnecessarily getting angry with me. I respect his age. He should express his anger with the Nizam of Hyderabad, whose Razakars burnt his village, mercilessly killed Hindus and took the lives of his mother, sister, and family members. He should bring this truth before the nation and the world. Only then people will know the meaning of my slogan, ‘Bantogey Toh Katogey’. He is refraining from placing this truth before the nation due to vote bank compulsions. He is deceiving the nation. I am only a Yogi. I have learnt only one thing. Do whatever is good for your country. For me, there can be nothing greater than my country and Sanatan Dharma.”

Yogi was only quoting from history. Kharge, while addressing a Congress workers’ convention at Delhi’s Talkatora stadium on August 17 last year, had said, “It is my misfortune that I could not see my mom, my brother, sister and uncle, because our home was burnt during the riots that led to Hyderabad liberation. Only my father and I were alive. It was in 1946, as riots went on from 1946 till 1948. My father and I fled the village and we later settled in Gulbarga.”

Yogi was responding to Kharge’s criticism that he made at his Maharashtra and Jharkhand rallies. Kharge had said, “A true yogi cannot use language like ‘Bantogey Toh Katogey’. Such language is used by terrorists. Yogi is the head of a mutt, wears saffron robes, but believes in ‘Munh me ram, Bagal Mein Chhuri’ (a wolf in lamb’s clothing).”

One must understand why Yogi raised the Hyderabad Razakar’s atrocities while replying to Kharge’s charge. The Congress President has often disclosed how he and his father fled their village during the 1946 riots and their family members died at the hands of Razakars. But Kharge never mentioned the Razakars or Nizam in his speeches.

It was Yogi who grabbed this point and put a poser to Kharge. Yogi alleged that Kharge was avoiding mention of Nizam and Razakars because his Congress party was concerned about keeping its Muslim votes intact. One BJP leader remarked, how can you call it secularism, when Kharge lost his family to jihadi Razakars and yet he speaks about Hindus as terrorists.

Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot hit back saying, “BJP leaders are intimidating the public. They brought the “Ek Rahengey, Safe Rahengey” slogan later, to control the damage, but their original slogan was ‘Bantogey Toh Katogey’. This is a dangerous slogan. Is this not at attempt to intimidate people? This is a clear indication of the way they want to do politics in the name of religion during elections.”

Hindu sadhus have openly lent support to Yogi. Jagadguru Rambhadracharya said, “despite many sects, Hindus must remain united. Only then nobody can harm us. United we remain strong. Saffron is the colour of Bhagwan. It was this saffron flag which Shivaji used to unite Maharashtra. Bhagwadharis should remain in politics, not those who are suited-booted.” It was Mallikarjun Kharge who had questioned Yogi’s saffron robes.

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Maharashtra, Jharkhand : Modi, Yogi Slogans Game Changers ?

AKB30 Opposition parties in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections are foxed by two slogans given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath. They are unable to work out a proper response. It was Yogi who coined the slogan “Bantoge Toh Katogey” (Divided, You Will Be Finished). A few weeks later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Jharkhand and Maharashtra rallies, coined the slogan “Ek Hain, Toh Safe Hain” (United, We Are Safe).

Both these slogans have become main issues in the assembly elections in both these states. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP founder Sharad Pawar, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other top Congress leaders are busy trying to chalk out a proper response. While some leaders are abusing Yogi in public, others are cursing the UP CM.

Let me cite some examples: Congress President Kharge said in his Nagpur and Jharkhand rallies “A true yogi cannot use language like ‘Bantogey Toh Katogey’. Such language is used by terrorists. Yogi is the head of a mutt, wears saffron robes, but believes in ‘Munh me ram, Bagal Mein Chhuri’ (a wolf in lamb’s clothing).”

BJP leaders promptly demanded apology from Kharge for making such remarks. Kalki Dham Peeth chief Acharya Pramod Krishnam, who spent most part of his life in Congress, said, “leaders who oppose saffron robes, are anti-Hindus, they cannot be patriots and the people will teach Congress a lesson this time.”

In Maharashtra, BJP published front-page ad displaying PM Modi’s “Ek Hain Toh Safe Hain” slogan, but Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut objected to the ad. He said, the ad shows people of all sections wearing headgears, but the caricature of a Muslim wearing ‘jaalidar topi’ was missing. Raut alleged, BJP has only a single cap, and that’s the RSS black cap.

Some Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders, however, hold a different view. They feel that since BJP is trying mobilize Hindu votes, it will definitely have a backlash and may result in polarization of Muslim voters, which will surely help the anti-Modi bloc. Already Muslim leaders are active.

On Monday in Jaipur, qazis, moulvis and other Muslim leaders, including a Congress MP, gathered at a convention to demand the withdrawal of Waqf Amendment Bill, which is presently before a Joint Parliamentary Committee. The convention was named Tahaffuz-e-Auqaf, meaning ‘protection of Waqf properties’. The convention gave a ‘Chalo Delhi’ call on November 24 to all Muslim organisations.

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Elections, women and indecent remarks : Stop it now

AKB30 The use of indecent and derogatory remarks about female candidates by some male politicians in Maharashtra and Jharkhand is a matter of concern for all right-thinking Indians. On October 25, Congress minister in Jharkhand Irfan Ansari, contesting from Jamtara, described his BJP political rival Sita Soren as a “rejected maal”. BJP leaders lodged a protest with the Governor and demanded that he be dismissed from cabinet and barred from contesting elections. Ansari, on his part, did not apologize, but said, he did not use the words against Sita Soren, but used it in a general colloquial sense (“bolchaal ki bhaasha me use kiye the”).

Sita Soren is the wife of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha founder Shibu Soren’s eldest son Durga Soren, who died in 2009. She is the estranged sister-in-law of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. A tribal woman, Sita Soren broke down at a public meeting when she narrated the incident.

In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and a close confidante of Uddhav Thackeray, Arvind Sawant, made an “imported maal” remark about Shaina NC. He faced an immediate backlash and Shaini NC filed an FIR against Sawant at Nagpada police station on Friday. The reason for using this indecent remark, according to Sawant, is that Shaina NC changed her constituency to Mumbadevi.

In his defense, Arvind Sawant says, he considers Shaini NC as “my friend”. Sawant said, “I never mentioned her name, I only said that an outsider is an imported maal, and will not able to work here.”

The fact is, his allusion was clearly towards Shaina NC, who promptly reacted on X saying, “I am a woman, not a maal” (Mai Mahila Hoon, Maal Nahin). She said, the women voters of Mumbai will surely give a befitting reply to such leaders. Shaina NC said, she would not forgive Sawant until and unless he comes to the police station and beg for pardon.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on whose party ticket Shaina NC is contesting, said, the women of Maharashtra will reply to Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi for this indecent remark. Arvind Sawant, instead of tendering an apology, indulged in whataboutery, mentioning the parade of women in nude by a mob in Manipur to Janata Dal(S) leader Prajjwal Revanna’s sexual acts.

Arvind Sawant knows well what he said and for whom the remark was intended. By obfuscating, he is multiplying his mistake. It would have been better if had he not tried to justify his remark. By describing Shaina NC as “imported maal”, he has insulted womanhood. He could have apologized by saying it was a slip of tongue and the matter could have ended there.

Nobody becomes a lesser mortal by tendering apology. The sad part is that some of our male politicians view women as second-class citizens. Use of indecent remarks like ‘rejected maal’ and ‘imported maal’ about female politicians cannot be justified. It is shameful.

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Maharashtra Elections: First Families At War

AKB There was a flurry of nominations by close kin of top political leaders of Maharashtra, as filing of nominations for assembly polls closed on Tuesday. Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi and BJP-led Mahayuti were still locked in consultations to iron out differences over the remaining seats.

On Monday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, former CM Prithviraj Chavan, former CM Ashok Chavan’s daughter Srijaya Chavan, MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit Thackeray, Nawab Malik’s daughter Sana Malik, Late Baba Siddiqui’s son Zeeshan Siddiqui, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi and several others filed nominations. NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar himself accompanied his grandson Yugendra Pawar in Baramati, who is contesting against his grand uncle Ajit Pawar. There were reports of local rebellion in several parties.

As of now, Congress expects to field more than 105 candidates, though it has announced names of 102 candidates, while Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced 84 and NCP(Sharad Pawar) 82 candidates. 18 seats are still left undecided in MVA.

The most spectacular contest will be in Baramati, where Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar will be facing Sharad Pawar’s grandson Yugendra Pawar. Ajit Pawar has been consistently winning this seat since 1991, and he has been an MLA for 33 years. Ajit Pawar admitted that he made a mistake by fielding his wife Sunetra to contest against Supriya Sule during the Lok Sabha elections, but this time people will ‘punish’ Sharad Pawar for committing the same mistake.

Yugendra Pawar is contesting elections for the first time in his life. After filing nomination, Yugendra described his grandpa Sharad Pawar as his ‘guru’ and ‘markdarshak’. Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule said, the fight in Baramati is between ideologies and not between members of a family.

But the real fact is: the fight is in the family and it could be a tough and close contest. It was Ajit Pawar who trained the NCP cadre in Baramati for 33 years, and this time, he has the support of BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. That is why Ajit Pawar looks confident, but he also understands that his uncle Sharad Pawar has been doing politics in Baramati since 59 years and he has proved his mettle during the Lok Sabha elections.

The Baramati result will prove to be a gamechanger for Ajit Pawar’s political career, and as far as Sharad Pawar is concerned, the result from Baramati will decide to which camp the real NCP belongs.

The second most interesting battle will be in Kopri Pachpakhri seat of Thane, where Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will be facing Kedar Dighe, the nephew of his political guru Anand Dighe. Kedar Dighe has been fielded by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who accompanied Eknath Shinde on his roadshow on Monday, said, “mere blood relation does not make anybody a successor. A successor emerges only by dint of his work and thoughts and Eknath Shinde is the real successor of Anand Dighe”.

Eknath Shinde has been consistently winning this seat since 2009 and in the last election, he got more than 65 per cent votes. Thane is considered the citadel of Eknath Shinde, and his party candidate Naresh Mhaske had won this year’s Lok Sabha elections.

The third interesting battle is in Mahim, Mumbai, where Raj Thackeray’s son Amit will be testing the electoral waters for the first time. He is facing Mahesh Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT). Uddhav’s son Aaditya Thackeray is contesting from Worli, where MNS has fielded a candidate in a tit-for-tat action.

Overall, people will be witnessing interesting intra-dynasty battles this time. It was Ajit Pawar who was fielded by his uncle Sharad Pawar from Baramati 33 years ago, and now the tide has turned. Sharad Pawar has fielded his grandson to defeat his nephew Ajit this time. Sharad Pawar wants to tell the people of Maharashtra, who is the real ‘Dada’ of Pawar dynasty.

Similarly, Anand Dighe had anointed Eknath Shinde as his successor in Shiv Sena, but now Anand Dighe’s nephew will be challenging Eknath Shinde. Raj Thackeray used to consider himself the real successor of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, but now he has fielded his son to defeat his cousin Udhav Thackeray’s candidate. So, one would be watching a battle between brothers in Mahim.

Baba Siddiqui’s son Zeeshan is going to get the sympathy vote after the murder of his father, and he is going to claim his father’s legacy. For Sana Malik, his father Nawab Malik’s cases can pose problems. On the other hand, Anil Deshmukh is seeking votes for his son by telling voters about the cases filed against him. In Maharashtra politics, sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, grand sons and grand daughters are all in the fray. It is a situation where nobody will be raising the issue of dynastic politics this time.

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Maharashtra: Seat-sharing is a facade, the real fight is for the CM’s chair

AKB The BJP-led ruling Mahayuti alliance on Thursday ironed out its differences over seat sharing in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. BJP has agreed to leave some more seats for NCP (Ajit), and all the three allies have made a joint pledge to prevent party rebels from contesting.

BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Chandrashekhar Bawankule, NCP(Ajit) leaders Praful Patel and Ajit Pawar, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had a marathon meeting at Amit Shah’s residence, where the Home Minister asked all three allies to ensure that rebels do not enter the election fray.

Shah said, it will be the responsibility of party leaders to convince their rebels not to contest. Most of the differences between the three allies are over seats in the Greater Mumbai region.

Ajit Pawar’s problem is that he has several heavyweight leaders in his party who want ticket for their kin, and if his party fails to get those seats, they may contest as rebels. It will be difficult for Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar to stem rebellion in their parties, but they have a good advantage as far as the election symbols are concerned. Both Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit’s NCP have the original party symbols with them.

Maha Vikas Aghadi is yet to iron out its seat sharing problem. Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aditya Thackeray told India TV’s daylong conclave ‘Chunav Manch’ that the decision about the chief ministerial face will be taken only after the seat sharing arrangement is finalized. At the same time, he reminded that the people of Maharashtra still remember Uddhav Thackeray’s rule.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, SS(UBT) spokesperson said at the conclave that Uddhav Thackeray leads in popularity ranks compared to other leaders, but NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has consistently said that the question of CM’s face be kept on hold till the elections are over.

Already, BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has decided to bombard the state with election rallies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing election rallies in Maharashtra from November 5 till 14, for eight days. He will be seeking votes not only for BJP, but also for alliance partners.

On the other hand, the Maha Vikas Aghadi is yet to come out of the woods as far as seat sharing is concerned. Seat sharing is not the sole issue. The main issue is who will become the Chief Minister if Aghadi comes to power.

For now, Uddhav Thackeray is the first claimant for the CM’s chair in Aghadi and there are others waiting in the wings. In Mahayuti, there are three claimants for the chief minister’s post. Eknath Shinde continues to be the CM, but if BJP wins more seats than Shiv Sena (Shinde), then Devendra Fadnavis will surely say that he is going to make a comeback. Ajit Dada Pawar is also dreaming to become the CM.

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Haryana and J&K: Modi Pass, Rahul Fail

AKB30 The voters of Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir have given historic verdicts. They have given clear mandates, but the results have surprised everybody. Neither the BJP, nor the Congress, nor psephologists had any inkling of the results that were going to come in from Haryana. One point is now clear. Narendra Modi is BJP’s biggest strength. He fights elections with fervour and toils hard. The historic hat-trick in Haryana will fire up Modi to prepare his strategies for Jharkhand and Maharashtra elections. It will instill new confidence and energy among BJP workers in both the states. BJP’s bargaining power in Maharashtra’s Mahayuti alliance will increase.

The biggest message from Haryana verdict is that the narrative created by Congress and other opposition parties about caste reservation, by creating a sense of fear in the minds of Dalits, has now been nullified. In the coming weeks, one may find Modi trying to fix other problems, one by one. He has already reconfigured the pension scheme and brought unanimity. Problems relating to farmers, employment, youths will be resolved. This, in short, is Modi’s roadmap for the next few months.

And now, an analysis about Haryana and J&K assembly elections.

HARYANA

For the first time in 57 years, a party has got a third consecutive chance to form a government in Haryana. Even BJP leaders were surprised when the party won 48 out of a total of 90 seats, a clear majority. Congress bigwigs had to cancel their celebrations as trends came in. By evening, the party started alleging that EVMs (electronic voting machines) were tampered with. But Kumari Selja, the Dalit Congress leader, said there was no point cribbing and the party high command should find out the real reasons for the defeat.

Narendra Modi’s victory in Haryana will work as a ‘sanjeevani'(life-giving medicine) for the BJP. Those who were speaking about Modi’s waning popularity have been given a clear reply by the electorate. Congress leadership is now demoralized after having created a big hype about the possibility of winning Haryana polls. Those who were projecting Rahul Gandhi as having the Midas touch, will now find that his ‘herbal medicines’ have failed.

The Congress used all its fire power in Haryana, and the debate in the party during electioneering was not about how many seats it was going to win, but who would become the Chief Minister. For Rahul Gandhi, who was dreaming of ‘conquering’ one state after another, the Haryana result has come as a huge setback. Rahul used to say at his rallies that Modi’s shoulders have drooped after the Lok Sabha polls, but now he must be seeing Modi’s 56-inch chest in his dreams. The defeat in Haryana will surely reduce Rahul’s strength in the INDIA bloc. Already, one alliance partner (Shiv Sena UBT) from Maharashtra has remarked that Congress always finds it difficult to win, wherenever there is a straight contest between Congress and BJP. For Congress leaders, it will take time to find out the exact reasons why the party lost. They are yet to recover from the impact.

Narendra Modi is right when he says that whenever Congress loses, it questions EVMs and blames the Election Commission. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said, Congress lost in Haryana because of overconfidence. Congress leaders had taken victory in Haryana for granted and they had briefed Rahul Gandhi that the farmers, women, Jats and youths were against BJP. They were citing Agniveer, farmers’ agitation and Delhi women wrestlers’ agitation as examples. An atmosphere was created to project that Congress return to power was certain.

The result: Infighting began over who would become the CM. Randeep Singh Surjewala did not move out of Kaithal, Kumar Selja stayed at home for most part of the electioneering period, and the party had to bear the brunt. The voters of Haryana have given a clear message that they would support only those leaders who would work on the ground.

Secondly, the decimation of regional and small family-centric parties like INLD, JJP, shows that the days of dynastic politics are almost over. The voters have ruthlessly defeated the members of Chautala dynasty, and rejected Bahujan Samaj party and Kejriwal, too. It is true that in the early days of campaigning, the wind was blowing against the BJP because of the anti-incumbency factor after 10 years of rule. But Narendra Modi silently prepared his strategy.

The entire focus was shifted to project that this election was not about Haryana, but about picking the right choice between BJP and Congress. The message was sent that this was an election against dynastic politics and casteism, a fight between what Modi frequently says, ‘naamdaar'(those belonging to dynasty) vs ‘kaamdaar’ (those who work). Modi’s formula clicked and the voters of Haryana made history.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

The results of Jammu & Kashmir have also suprised many. National Conference won more seats that its leaders had expected, while Congress’ performace was poor. The NC-Congress alliance has got a clear majority of 48 in a House of 90. Out of this, Congress has won only six seats, while NC has won 42. Out of the 90 seats, 47 are in Kashmir Valley and 43 in Jammu region.

The interesting point is, BJP won 29 out of 43 seats in Jammu region, but could not open its account in Kashmir valley. The biggest setback was for Mehbooba Mufti’s JKPDP, which won only three seats. As the picture became clearer, NC leader Dr Farooq Abdullah describes the results as a people’s mandate for bringing back Article 370. He declared that his son Omar Abdullah will be the new CM. Omar has won from both seats, Ganderbal and Budgam.

BJP’s win in Jammu region is not a big achievement. The surprising part IS that in Kashmir Valley, though the common voters admitted that life has returned to normal after revocation of Article 370, with cinema halls reopening, stone throwers vanishing, yet they said clearly on camera that they would not vote for Modi. The gainer was National Conference. Though BJP did not get votes, at least it has the satisfaction that common people in the Valley have appreciated Modi’s work during the last five years.

Farooq Abdullah and his son will now be facing a Catch-22 situation. They have promised to bring back Article 30, but they know it quite well that it is the Parliament which has the power to take such a big decision. So, till the time the NC government stays in power, its leaders would still be searching for answers on this point.

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Polling in Kashmir : Refugee dream realized after 75 years

akb full I have been observing elections in Jammu and Kashmir for the last 40 years. For the first time, on Tuesday, I watched voters beating drums outside polling booths and dancing to drumbeats. Such a scene was never witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir in the past, during polling. Those celebrating the festival of democracy are termed by officials as ‘West Pakistani Refugees’. They got their voting rights for the first time in 75 years, after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. West Pakistani Refugees, Valmiki Samaj and Gorkha community people were never given rights in the past to vote for Assembly or Parliamentary elections. They were entitled to vote only for Block Development Council and District Development Council elections. I remember, seven years ago in 2017, Dr Farooq Abdullah was contesting Lok Sabha elections from Srinagar. There were 12,61,315 names in the voters’ list, but only seven percent voters reached the polling booths. Dr Farooq Abdullah got only about 48,000 votes and won. Contrast this with the polling figures on Tuesday, when Jammu and Kashmir recorded 65.65 per cent voting in the third phase. This itself is indicative of a sea change that has come in Kashmir politics. During Partition, 75 years ago, those who had to leave their homes in West Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, and settle in Jammu and Kashmir, had to live as refugees in their own homeland, devoid of the right to cast their vote. For 75 years, there were being addressed as ‘Pakistani’. But these were people who had crossed over in 1947, when India was undivided before Partition. Nearly 22 thousand families had to live in their own homeland as ‘refugees’ for 75 years. More than three to four generations died without realizing their dream to be called a ‘Bharatiya’ or a ‘Kashmiri’ one day. On Tuesday, they looked ecstatic, having their fingers inked by polling officers before casting their precious vote. The tears of happiness on the faces of women cannot be described in words. These are people who realize the true meaning of abrogation of Article 370. We can only realize their level of happiness, but cannot gauge the magnitude of their pain. They had to bear the cross of ‘Article 370’ for 75 years. On Tuesday, there was hundred per cent polling among these families. They were openly saying they would vote for Modi, because the Prime Minister gave them their voting right. They are unhappy with National Conference which has promised to bring back Article 370 in its manifesto. Congress is in electoral alliance with National Conference in this election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, rubbed wounds into the opposition, by telling an election rally in Haryana that Congress leaders have never spoken about reoccupying Pak Occupied Kashmir, even till this date.

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One Nation, One Election : What’s the game?

AKB30When the first general elections in India were held in 1951, after our nation became a republic, both Lok Sabha and assembly elections were held simultaneously. The ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea is not new. Probably, the makers of the Constitution had no premonitions about break-up of political parties, leaders changing parties, governments collapsing, followed by mid-term elections. The reality now is: governments at the Centre and states collapsed so many times and subsequently elections were held.

We have now arrived at a situation where assembly elections are held in states after gaps of almost every six months. Because of frequent holding of elections, neither the Centre nor the state governments can undertake reforms and take hard decisions, out of fear that they might lose their vote banks, or face dissatisfaction from voters. The idea of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections is a good one, but it may be difficult to implement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intentions may be bonafide, but it has now become a habit for the Congress to oppose every major decision of Modi government. Congress leaders smell conspiracy behing every major step that Modi takes. Other political parties, instead of accepting the merits, will rather opt to weigh whether the decision will be useful or harmful to their interests.

To expect political parties to rise above politics on the issue of ‘One Nation, One Election’, is to ask for the moon. At the ground level, some opposition parties feel that if simultaneous elections are held, they may not have adequate resources to counter Modi. Their second fear is that they do not have a strong national level leader like Modi who can sway voters when elections are held across the country. But these parties are unwilling to admit this in public. That is why, these opposition leaders are giving diverse reactions.

Some allege that Modi is trying to weaken state governments, some allege an RSS agenda behind this, while some say, Modi wants to bring presidential system of government. All such apprehensions are baseless. I have already disclosed the real reason. Opposition leaders feel that even if all of them join hands in a ‘One Nation, One Election’ battle, they cannot match Modi. They apprehend that Modi has opted for ‘One Nation, One Election’ because he may be having a big plan in his mind which he wants to implement. This fear and suspicion will prevent most of these parties from coming forward to support this decision.

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Is Kejriwal’s release a worry for Congress?

AKB30 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came out of Tihar jail on Friday after 177 days. The Supreme Court granted him bail on conditions that he would not attend his office and sign any official file, nor shall he contact witnesses or speak about the liquor policy case in public. Coming out of prison, Kejriwal told cheering AAP supporters, “it is God which gave me strength and my resolve never weakened. Instead, my resolve multiplied 100 times.” The actual battle is going to be fought in the Haryana assembly elections. The court battles are over for the moment, but the case will linger on. Kejriwal’s release from jail will start a new battle on the political front. The fight is about perception, about creating a narrative.

Kejriwal claims that allegations of bribery made against him and his party in the Delhi liquor excise scam are false and the entire case is fake. This is the reason, he says, why he got bail from the highest court. BJP is going to tell the people that getting bail does not mean he has been acquitted and has been given a clean chit. BJP leaders point out to the SC verdict in which it has been said that his arrest by CBI was legally valid. AAP leaders allege, BJP misused ED and CBI to harass Kejriwal, but their plan has been foiled by the apex court. BJP leaders remind of the conditions under which Kejriwal cannot function as a Chief Minister. He cannot go to his office or sign official files.

There is a political twist to this case. While opposition parties expressed happiness over Kejriwal’s release from jail, Congress maintained silence. The reason: Haryana assembly elections, where talks of alliance between Congress and AAP failed over seat distribution. Congress leaders fear that if Kejriwal goes all out to garner votes for AAP in Haryana, its vote base may be hit. The fear is reflected in Congress stalwart Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s speeches, where he is telling Haryana voters that the battle is only between BJP and Congress, and people should not squander their votes by supporting any third party. In his Haryana campaign, Kejriwal is naturally going to take Congress to task, and this can cause problems for the party in the near future too. One must understand that AAP came to power in Delhi and Punjab by dislodging Congress.

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From wrestling ring to political arena : Respect Vinesh’s decision

akb Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia will now be seen in the political ring. On Friday, both of them joined the Congress. Vinesh Phogat will contest the Haryana Assembly election from Julana in Jind. Bajrang Punia was appointed the working chairman of All India Kisan Congress. Indications of joining Congress party were clear when both of them met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Both quit their jobs in Northern Railways hours before joining the Congress. Vinesh Phogat said it was the Congress which stood by the female wrestlers when they were fighting for their dignity.

She alleged, it was the BJP which orchestrated efforts to defame the wrestlers. Vinesh said, her fight against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his cohorts in Wrestling Federation, for the honour of daughters will continue.

However, another female wrestler Sakshi Malik, who was part of the protest against Brij Bhushan, said both Vinesh and Bajrang Punia have taken personal decisions without consulting her, and it would have been better if they had stayed away from politics. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, while speaking in Gonda, UP, said, he has been proved right and the entire nation now knows who was behind the Jantar Mantar wrestlers’ protest. Haryana BJP leader Anil Vij said, he always respected Vinesh for being a ‘champion daughter’, but now that she has opted to become “Congress’ daughter”, it is now clear Congress was behind the wrestlers’ protest. In reply, Bajrang Punia said, the wrestlers during their Jantar Mantar protest, had written letters to all women MPs of BJP seeking their support, but BJP, instead of extending support, defamed them.

I think, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has no right to speak about Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia. It was because of his questionable behaviour and threats that the wrestlers had to hit the streets to stage protest. Even after Brij Bhushan’s removal, the attitude of Wrestling Federation office-bearers has not changed. The wrestlers even went to court, but Brij Bhushan got them in a legal tangle. Ultimately, the wrestlers had to enter the political arena. I think, for the wrestlers, entering the political ring is less of a choice and more of a compulsion, because a heavyweight politician like Brij Bhushan did not leave them with any other options.

Both Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat brought laurels to the nation in the field of wrestling, they won medals and their decision to join politics must be respected. The courage displayed by Vinesh in fighting for the honour of daughters, the manner in which she rose from the streets and reached the semi-finals at Paris Olympics, has made her a youth icon. If Vinesh wants to fulfill her political ambitions by contesting elections, it is her right. At least those leaders should keep their mouth shut, who had to lose their Lok Sabha tickets because of the female wrestlers’ protest.

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