Advani’s “withdrawal” may come back to haunt BJP
As soon as former Bharatiya Janata Party president and political veteran Lal Krishna Advani announced that his role in the party and the Sangh Parivar “is much more than the post of prime minister” — he made it pretty clear that he may not be the preferred BJP candidate for the prime minister’s post in the 2014 general elections.
And soon the media and most political analysts made a pretty safe guess that the party would back current Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its next PM candidate. Yet others named Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley as strong contenders.
But a lot may happen between now and 2014. And as things stand currently, our next PM may be a coalition leader from one of the regional parties. Let us examine why.
Both the Congress and BJP seem leaderless now in a way. Modi is seen as just too controversial and the burden of the 2002 riots will follow him wherever he goes in his political career. Arun Jaitley is just not perceived as a mass leader. And while Sushma Swaraj may be a good “dancer” and is very popular, she just does not have the same political clout as Advani or Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“The party anyway and the RSS were uneasy about Advani’s rath yatra … He has had to deny that he was in the race … If his decision stands, I think it will be a negative for the BJP, as the party doesn’t seem to have anyone else,” said political commentator Amulya Ganguli.
It is the same issue with the Congress party. It is unlikely that Sonia Gandhi will put forward her candidature and Manmohan Singh will be PM for a third time running. Palaniappan Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee are more bureaucrats than mass leaders and Rahul Gandhi seems determined not to win any brownie points among the general public at all.
He is increasingly being seen as reclusive and uncomfortable with the mantle of Congress’ “crown prince”.
How should we ‘celebrate’ the Kargil war?
Sunday was the tenth anniversary of the conflict between India and Pakistan in Kargil.
The fighting ended with a ceasefire on this day, ten years back.
As a college student I witnessed Captain Manoj Pandey’s body being brought into the Command Hospital in Lucknow cantonment before his cremation later.
He died a war hero while recapturing the Khalubar ridgeline, a dominating feature, and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest gallantry award, posthumously.
That day driving by the place I had little idea of what was happening, but the solemnity and the silence of the crowd and passers-by peering over the walls of the hospital on a busy road invited a second look.
Ten years on, Sunday was the first instance of the UPA government, in office for five and more years, participating in the celebrations.
I wish to request Indian Military to put pictures of those who have died fighting for the country since our independence (or before). Currently we only have names of the soldiers there which is not enough in my opinion. People feel more connected to a picture than a printed name. I also wish defense budget would have a provision of hiring professional PR firms (I doubt if we have that in place already).
Is Rahul Gandhi prime minister material?
He’s been called the “Quiet Revolutionary“. And India’s prime minister-in-waiting. But does Rahul Gandhi, a virtual novice in the rough and tumble of Indian politics, have what it takes for the country’s top job?
He didn’t exactly set the house on fire during his first five years in parliament. And until this election, Rahul’s only USP was that he belonged to India’s first family, the Nehru-Gandhi family which has given the country three prime ministers.
He’s only 39, and has no experience with complex subjects such as Pakistan or the economy.
But after the recent election, Rahul has emerged as a savvy politician, a grassroots activist with a finger on the pulse of the real India.
His strategy of not allying with any of the regional parties in northern India despite pressure from party officials paid off big time.
The Congress party’s decision to go it alone in northern India helped it more than double its seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Initially, based just on his political strategy for this election, there was much speculation over whether he would join the cabinet, and if he did what portfolio he’d get.
Dear Rahul
I’am writing this open letter to you and sincerely hope that this letter reaches you. I’ll be too optimistic to hope that you will reply this letter, but it is man’s nature to dream and so be it.There has been a wide spread belief in the country(read Congress workers) that you are the wind of change that will sweep the country and pull the rug under the opponent. They firmly believe that you will bring Congress back to its glory days( I sincerely does not mean emergency days)and it will come back to power on its own , without support of nagging allies( Mamtas and Laloos) , like your father did in 1984( thanks to sympathy wave generated). But before to fulfill the wishes of your followers, iwould like to pose few questions for you:-
1. What are you going to do to introduce democracy in the largest political party of the world’s largest democracy? The party in which the party post are nominated and not elected. The party in which it is the name of the father and not the sweat that you lose is your qualification.
2. What are you going to do to end the dynasty rule in your party? Your so called youth brigade is just a bunch of dynasty children , born with silver spoon in mouth.
3. You keep on emphasizing the power to youth . Can you highlight any one of your achievement, which has reduced the misery of the youth in this country? If you can’t remember any of the misery of the youth ( Off course you can’t because as you have never undergone any of that), then I’ll help you. It’s like Un-employment, Lack of quality education, lack of equality in opportunity, etc. And please these are not all, I’ve not included generic problems like poverty, in-human living condition, corruption, caste system, high inflation, etc because they ar common for everybody.
4. The austerity drive taken you and your party has been highly appreciated by the media. And off course it should be . You have been travelling along the country side in air conditioned SUV’s , taking chopper to places where SUV can’t go ( in this you have been taking high risk ,by flying beyond the stipulated timing all this just for the welfare of the people..!!) and obviously travelling by aircraft. Oh I ‘am sorry, I did not mention that you travelled in poor Indian railways in I’st class AC of Shatabdi Express(in which you got stoned remember) , which was a nightmare for your security staff.
5. It is also appreciated that you travel ( In AC SUV’s) to dalit homes and take meals them and even sleep there( Off course Mayawati ,who supports you in the center, alleges that you take bath with special soap after that). What real actions have you taken for the upliftment of the dalits? ( Cleanliness begins at home) ). None of congress CM is dalit; there are very few dalit in your party holding high post and your youth brigade does not have a prominent youth face (I can’t remember anyone now). How about the idea of giving your party president post to a dalit…!!!!
6. Your visit and its reference in parliament in your speech, to Kalavati residence in vidharba has been a lot talked about in Indian media. I would like to ask you who is responsible for the present state of Kalavati and millions other like him in Vidharba? She lives in a state which has been ruled by your party most of the time since independence( barring a small patch of SS-BJP rule) and at the same time your party was at the center too…!!!
7. Your party proudly takes credit for bringing liberalization in this country and taking it to the path of progress. I’ ask you that why was liberalization brought in 1991 and not in 1951? Why was the country denied opportunity that it has today? Was it the lust of power hungry people who wanted to keep the strings of power with then(red tapeism)?Or was independence just the extension of British rule, with now brown ruling instead of whites. Or is it because the foirst Pm of the country was of socialist ideology. So the country run based on the likes and dis-likes of only one individual and not based on what the country needs. Now the irony is that the liberalization was initiated by a PM who does not belong to your dynasty. Although Rajiv Gandhi could have done wonders , if he wanted , because he had the greatest majority ever in parliament.
8. Isn’t it pitiful that a person who was born in this country , suddenly realizes that he should know his motherland and starts his “discovery of India” after 30 years of having fled and bled in this country?
9. Isn’t it ironic that you spend a night in dalit home in a full media glare and you celebrate New Year in a five star resort in Jaiselmer with no media flash lights…!!!
10. Why are you afraid of conducting press conference? But it seems that your party is more afraid of you conducting press conference, because whenever you conduct press conference, the aftermath is that the entire congress party is on the media giving clarification on your statements . And the same applies to your party president also.
11. You give impression that you believe in social justice and equality . But your party follows feudalistic culture. What steps you intend to take to reduce sycophancy and feudalistic culture in your party? Isn’t it shameful that when you visit Mumbai the CM of the state waits for you under the sun for three hours( time which he could have well spent in the welfare of the people) and the Minister of state for home lifts your ‘chappals’..!!!!Is it just because you belong to the dynasty? You say that you don’t like people calling you “ Yuvraj”, but you don’t mind getting the treatment..!!!!(action don’t confirm your words)
12. Nowadays you have been repeatedly saying in UP that the funds send by center are not being spend by the state government. Can you just tell what happened when it was your government at the Center and in the state? Why was nothing done then? By the way very few of the states ruled by your party appear in the top ten best states , according to the survey by India Today, so what is happening to center funds there?
14. You have been travelling around the country meeting people from all sphre of life, but did you visits the house of any of our brave soldier who has laid for the country . Or is it just that they don’t for a formidable “Vote bank” and are therefore insignificant and expendable.
13. You have very willingly embraced the perks of your dynasty . But why aren’t you equally willing to accept the blame for 1984 Anti-sikh riots, Bhopal gas tragedy( and shameful fleeing of Anderson) , Kashmir problem, and countless other?
I expect you to answer above question and come clean so that the people of this country know the truth before you rule them.
By a Common Indian
for more details, comment and contribution http://lettertorahulgandhi.blogspot.com
Advani is an indicted and charge sheeted accused of the genocide case hanging for the last almost three decade in Indian supreme court for trail.
Indian Government is leaving no stone unturned to get him off the case but so far they could not. It is reported that had the Chairperson of Human Rights commission not been from India the case would have long ago been on the table of ICC for reviewing and questioning as to the reason why such delay to take up the case for trail.
Advani is the prime charge sheeted accused of the case for politically sponsoring the committal of the genocide.
He should have retired from politics long back. He is only holding on to politics to get the favor of the government to get him off the case.
Some aggrieved people wants the case to be transferred to Hague for immediate trail. But at the same time fears severe retaliation by the Indian government.