Friday, November 30, 2012

Opposition Surrenders to Modi ahead of Poll.


Congress and Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP)  seems to have taken pre poll surveys carried out by news channels and newspapers very seriously.  They have fielded  candidates  who can get some votes on sympathy and not on the strength of their party or their own socio-political strengths – a clear walkover.

Walkover Candidate
Sweta Bhatt
All the pre poll surveys have predicted  a whopping comeback for Modi. These survey have forecasted more percentage of votes and seats for Modi this time than the year 2007.   Then 47% votes were polled in favour of BJP and 117 candidates had won  legislative assembly seats.  This time about  50% votes and around  125 seats are projected.

Even after such a favourable predictions Modi went back on his image and  theory of no repeat of maligned ones. This  time he has given tickets to controversial leaders  like Amit Shah, Purshottam Solanki,  to make sure that factors of Keshubhai’s  GPP and dissidence within party does not harm the poll prospects.
But the opposition parties do not want to take advantage of it and  are fielding candidates who do not mind losing in the return of short time publicity.  Congress has  fielded Shweta Bhatt, wife of suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt  against   Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi  from  Maninagar constituency.  Her candidature will  spice up the contest  and get more bites on visual media but can she pose any serious  threat to the CM ?

"It is not a fight between equals, I agree...but I am fully confident that I am going with a true heart to say the truth, so people will support me...I don't have false promises to make," Shweta told reporters after getting the ticket.

This will only help Modi to reinforce his claim that congress is misusing CBI to tarnish image of his government and fabricating false cases.  Indirectly Congress has extended benefit to          Controversial former Gujarat home minister Amit Shah who is contesting from Naranpura. Shah is one of accused in the  Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsi Prajapati alleged fake encounter cases and is out on bail.

Another  disadvantage to Congress in Naranpura constituency is  disgruntled former Deputy Chief Minister Narhari Amin  who is denied ticket by the party. Amin has threatened to join hands with Modi openly. Senior leadership of state is now busy in doing fire fighting.

GPP has given ticket to  Jagruti Pandya, widow of former home minister Haren Pandya.  Jagruti  is challenging  BJP's Rakesh Shah in a triangular contest  in Ellis Bridge. Haren Pandya was shot dead on March 26, 2003, near Law Garden area of the city when he had gone for a morning walk. Haren’s  father  and later  his widow  has been blaming governmrnt conspiracy in murder and pitching against Modi  for past eight years. In past three elections their cry has failed to garner any support.

The survey had shown that  the intensity of Muslims hating Modi has reduced. The surveys say, the drop is almost half.  Percentage of Muslim respondents  who say that they will never vote for Modi has come down from 44% to 23%.  This change of heart is more because the young generation is getting participative opportunity in the growth story of the state.  But still, Modi has missed the opportunity to bridge the gap with the community by not giving ticket to any Muslim candidate.

What does this all mean?  The elections this time are one sided, only over confidence can defeat Modi in December.   However,  I  foresee  atleast  three of his ministers definitely losing the election. There are not going to be any shocks to Modi,  but for BJP yes.

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Bihar CM in Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers list


Three  Indians including  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar find place in the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine among its top 100 global thinkers.   The top position of the list is shared by Myanmar's democracy icon Suu Kyi  and her military ruler. ,They  together chart out a non-military future for their country- Myanmar.
Citing Myanmar as "one of the most remarkable and unexpected political reversals of our time," the magazine writes about how the country -- long counted among the world's most repressive dictatorships -- has begun to reform under the leadership of "two very unlikely allies". 
The second  spot also is grabbed by political game changer from  new democratic country Tunisia. Tunisia's president Moncef Marzouki  is placed at second spot for providing 'vision and wisdom' since assuming office in December 2011, and ensuring that Tunisia remains the Arab Spring's "most promising success story".
The 61-year-old Chief Minister of Bihar  Nitish Kumar Kumar figures at the 77th spot and finds the place for his achievement of "turning around India's poorest state" through an array of innovative programmes to address crime, corruption and lack of development.
The list of 100 also features India's chief economic advisor Raghuram Rajan at 80 and writer Pankaj Mishra at 86.  Harvard University's young Indian American economist Raj Chetty also figures in the list at number 74 for his mathematical research on a range of issues in the US including economic policy.

Teenage icon Malala Yousufzai, perhaps is the youngest person to figure in the prestigious list.
 
15 year old Malala, who is recuperating in the UK after being attacked by Taliban militants for her advocacy of education for girls is credited for "standing up to the Taliban, and everything they represent".
 

US president Barack Obama features at seventh position,  a spot behind Pakistan's Malala Yousufzai.