The Great Debate (India)
from India Insight:
Women wield power in election wrangling
With the wrangling for allies in earnest ahead of election results due Saturday, women leaders hold an inordinate amount of power in deciding who will form the new Indian government.
Women leaders have always had a role in the rough and tumble of Indian politics, from Sarojini Naidu and Annie Besant in the independence struggle to Indira Gandhi, the second woman in the world to become prime minister.
Women leaders are perhaps at the peak of their influence now, with Gandhi's political heir regarded the most powerful of them all -- indeed, the most powerful political leader in the country.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is credited with energising the party and leading it to a surprising victory in the 2004 election, and she looks to have the lead this time around too, according to exit polls.
Gandhi, once voted the world's sixth most powerful woman by Forbes, walked away from the prime minister's job in 2004, but her influence over party allies and even with the on-again off-again left is unquestionable.
Her influence though, doesn't extend to Mayawati, the feisty and controversial leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party and chief minister of the potentially swing state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends a whopping 80 seats to the lower house.
Mayawati, hailed as queen of the lower-caste Dalits, is part of the Third Front, and a prime ministerial aspirant whose ambition mirrors her party's elephant symbol.
Who will be India’s PM?
As election fever reaches its peak amid the counting of votes on Saturday, all eyes are now on which party will cobble up a majority and stake claim to form the new government. And who will be India’s new prime minister? Will it be –
MANMOHAN SINGH
The father of India’s economic reforms, Singh’s image of a compromise prime minister opened him up to criticism that he took orders from Congress party boss Sonia Gandhi and he has been criticised as a weak and directionless leader.
He regained stature by pushing through a civil nuclear deal with the United States, despite opposition from his left allies.
Singh, 76, takes a keen interest in economic issues — a rarity in India where prime ministers focus mostly on foreign affairs and domestic politics.
LAL KRISHNA ADVANI
Variously described as a hardliner, a hawk and a wily politician, Advani is a leading advocate of his Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) trademark Hindu revivalism.
In this time the situation is more typical. Because the polling of vote’s is very low.But if the congress govt. is coming in India then india is so poor country in all word and the most “THE INDIA BECOME PAKISTAN” .In seen of present situation the present age of mom duns in our country is more then Hindu’s in next 10 year’s and then they are ………………….So we decide the future of INDIA
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The Wall
Jayalalitha is still immature in the politics. Her accompanies are not good and she is not encouraging or respecting the second level leaders in her party. After all she expects everyone in her party to fall on her legs to get the so called “blessings” even though many of them are much much older than her.
She learns only by doing mistakes at heavier prices. Tamilnadu state knows her history of spending millions of tax payers money to lavishly celebrate her so called adopted son’s marriage. She later jailed the same “adopted son” on false charges.
Her policies with Srilankan Tamil issue is also not clear.
Jayalalitha should change her attitude and policies like Sonia Gandhi if she want to survive in the tough Indian/Tamilnadu politics.