[url="http://janamejayan.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/in-bihar-the-left-bastion-was-swallowed-by-the-bjp/"]In Bihar the Left bastion was swallowed by the BJP![/url]
November 25, 2010 by janamejayan
[size="4"]The Leningrad of Bihar has finally fallen.[/size]
The Left bastion of Teghra, earlier the Barauni Assembly seat in Begusrai district that was held by the CPI since Independence, was swamped by the NDA wave today with the BJP planting its lotus flag on this small township that had been equated with the Russian city that was the hub of the October Revolution.
The CPI, once a major Opposition force in Bihar, has been left with only one seat ââ¬â Bachhwara.
The CPI, in fact, will be the only Left party in the new Bihar Assembly to have a legislator with the other communist parties all drawing a blank.
In the just-dissolved Assembly, the combined Left strength was nine.
Ram Dev Verma, a veteran CPM legislator from Bibhutipur in Samastipur district, found himself pushed to the third place.
In a bid to revive its fortunes, the CPM had fielded Amit Sarkar, the Australia-returned son of Ajit Sarkar, the murdered communist leader, from its CPMââ¬â¢s traditional stronghold of Purnea. The ploy failed as the BJP won the seat, Amit trailing in third place.
The biggest blow has been dealt to the CPI(ML), considered the most vibrant Left party in the state which stood its ground even in the Lalu Prasad era by ensuring at least half-a-dozen seats. This time it has won nothing. Its bastion in Siwan has crumbled with the NDA surging through.
ââ¬ÅThe results are unexpected and we will be analysing the reasons behind the debacle. Our candidates have come second in five Assembly seats and got a sizeable number of votes in a few others,ââ¬Â said CPI(ML) office secretary Santosh Sahar. However, the votes of the party have actually gone down since the last Assembly elections.
The party put up a brave front though. ââ¬ÅOur political agenda will remain the same. We will struggle outside the Assembly,ââ¬Â insisted Sahar.
Analysts say the Left has itself to blame for its shrinking base. ââ¬ÅStudents and the youth are no longer attracted towards the Left. Issues such as land reforms no longer lure the youth. Itââ¬â¢s perhaps because of the cultural changes taking place,ââ¬Â conceded a senior communist leader.
However, it is perhaps the EBCs (Extremely Backward Castes) and the Mahadalit card played by Nitish Kumar which has hurt the Left the most. This segment which backed the Left parties the most.
In the run-up to the Assembly polls the JD (U) organised an impressive rally of Mahadalits at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. The CPI(ML) countered it with an equally large gathering. However, Nitishââ¬â¢s promise to give this section of Dalits special treatment ââ¬â- land, radio, education, healthcare and other benefits ââ¬â appears to have worked.
The Mandalisation of politics saw the Left marginalised. Today, with Nitish winning over more sections to his side, the Left parties have been reduced to have-beens in Bihar.
PATNA: One man's charisma could rarely be more magical. The minority community, which constitutes approximately 16.5% of Bihar's population, voted not only for secular Nitish Kumar's JD(U) but also for his "scary, saffron ally" __ the BJP __ in the state assembly elections.
In districts with Muslim concentration like Purnia, Katihar, East Champaran, West Champaran, Araria, Darbhanga, Siwan and Bhagalpur, the RJD and Congress were almost eliminated while NDA came out with flying colours. "Muslims have sent a clear message to the `self-proclaimed' secular parties that they should not take the community for granted," said prominent cleric and JD(U) leader Ghulam Rasool Baliavi.
[quote name='Mudy' date='24 November 2010 - 11:09 PM' timestamp='1290619888' post='109436']
[url="http://www.rediff.com/news/report/kiran-kumar-reddy-is-new-andhra-cm/20101124."]Kiran Kumar Reddy is new Andhra CM[/url]
[/quote]
[size="5"][url="http://janamejayan.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/in-andhra-it-is-now-a-hindu-reddy-vs-a-christian-reddy/"]In Andhra it is now a ââ¬ËHinduââ¬â¢ Reddy vs. a ââ¬ËChristianââ¬â¢ Reddy![/url][/size]
Congress is trying to play ââ¬ËMandalismââ¬â¢ to regain lost ground.
I think there will be split in AP-Congress. Jagan power comes from Evangelicals abroad. Currently, poor economy is hitting them, already mega church which was supporting him filled for bankruptcy and lot of cases are coming against them. Evan from South Korea are filling gap, not sure they will be effective.
Quote:I may be in minority but I think EVMs are tampered in Bihar elections. BJP supporters are just escatic that 91/102 but not understanding there may be a lemon in it. As I said after Hariprasad's revelation, in a multi-party system where a candidate does not need 50% of votes polled to win - you only need to do certain (not more than 4% ) selected booths.
Regarding Bihar - it is a well known conclusion that NDA will win. All the exit polls predicted 170-175 for NDA. Only the post poll "research" by CNN-IBN predicted that NDA will get 200+. Even in that prediction, they did not give BJP such a large number. The media's thoery was that Nitish can go alone and ditch BJP. One has to watch Bharka's unhapinees on NDTV when BJP's gain is more than Nitish's gain.
I say an attempt has been made to make Nitish alone gets comfortable majority.
EVM issues and problems are not solved. EC has to do a better job than what they did so far.
Here is my wildest theory:
Under the circumstances based on prior surveys, INC may have concluded that Bihar is not in their reach. However, it is in the interest of Congress party if Nitish could become independent either with their help or not. However, they definitely did not want Laloo to have any voice. Their best bet would be JDU-110, INC - 15, BJP -75 and rest does not matter. However it ended up JDU-115, BJP-91, INC-4. This is okay too but not that okay. BJP lost five more by less than 300 votes and imagine 96/102.
Couple of theories:
(1) INC wants to bring back credibility to EVMs so that the entire political setup does not jump on them so that there will be no room in future. Capturing 2014 is more important than stupid BJP's victory in Bihar. Biahr is not Maharastra or AP anyway.
(2) BJP got handle on the EVM tampering side and they are doing their own.
I have a feeling that (2) may have happened. I just cannot imagine Muslim voteshare more for BJP than even JDU or RJD or INC. Earlier indications based on available calculation are pointing that way. What is that BJP did to Muslims that they will forget everthing and vote to BJP? Another added pointer is in Gujarat municipal and panchayat elections where certain constituencies that has muslim majority are won by BJP. Again how in the world that can happen.
Important factor - INC folks in Gujarat actually alleged that Modi tampered EVMs. The central INC folks has fired/shut down that argument/folks coming from INC folks. For them EVMs are probably key to their 2014 bid.
Now BJP's methodology. It does not have and will not have handle as much as INC has across the country. To me it looks like their strategy is to make the rigging very obvious so that all the junk parties will fight and it can sit quite passively without involving. Hence the largescale victories in Muslim strongholds will put them strategically in that direction.
Quote:I have a feeling that (2) may have happened. I just cannot imagine Muslim voteshare more for BJP than even JDU or RJD or INC. Earlier indications based on available calculation are pointing that way. What is that BJP did to Muslims that they will forget everthing and vote to BJP? Another added pointer is in Gujarat municipal and panchayat elections where certain constituencies that has muslim majority are won by BJP. Again how in the world that can happen.
Bhagalpur scares hell out of Muslims in Bihar, during last leg that was the factor.
Ram Mandir was major factor for Hindus voted BJP ignoring caste.
Indian EVM can be tempered remotely. They should introduce paper trail printout.
In US, Reid was able to win after electricity outrage and maximum gain from Las Vegas. <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
[size="5"][url="http://janamejayan.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/challenges-facing-kiran-kumar-reddy-as-the-new-andhra-cm/"]Challenges facing Kiran Kumar Reddy as the new Andhra CM[/url][/size]
November 26, 2010 by janamejayan
First and foremost question is:
Will he be accepted as a Congress Legislature Party leader or will he be stuck with as being a planted stooge of Sonia Maino?
There is certainly an antagonism visible from Jagan Mohan Reddyââ¬â¢s camp and he has already used his Sakshi T.V. to despise Sonia and Raul. This is NOT going to vanish.
Will the Telengana issue be quelled by Kiran Reddy or will Telengana problem vanish into thin air on its own?
As the Speaker he accepted the resignations of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and rejected the resignations of the MLAs belonging to the Congress Party. That had infuriated the Telenganaites. Besides Kiran Reddy is from Royalaseema. He is against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Therefore his appointment as CM is perceived as anti-Telengana. He is 50 years old without experience or Charisma. He was never a minister. Thus an appointed new comer is sure to be surrounded by men weilding knieves behind his back.
Telengana issue is sure to stir when Srikrishna Commission submits its report next month.
What about development in Andhra?
The economy is in tatters and the cash flow is reduced to mere 100 crores a day. The IT sector suffered badly due to agitations and donââ¬â¢t forget natureââ¬â¢s fury in the form of the worst floods that hit the state.
Besides what development can there be under Congress?!
[quote name='Mudy' date='27 November 2010 - 12:54 AM' timestamp='1290798961' post='109474']
Any news from TDP ranks? Are they ready to come back ?
[/quote]
Nope! The opposition seemed to opt for spectatorship of the self-destruct of the Congress!
[size="5"][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jagan-parallel-power-centre-to-Kiran/articleshow/6997911.cms"]Jagan parallel power centre to Kiran?[/url][/size]
This reminds me of the fight between MGR and Karunanidhi when MK marginalised MGR in yester years
[size="4"][url="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nitish-landslide-leaves-no-qualified-opposition-party-in-bihar/716382/"]Nitish landslide leaves no qualified Opposition party in Bihar[/url][/size]
No party is qualified to get the Opposition party status in Bihar Legislative Assembly in the wake of a landslide victory of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA in the just-concluded Assembly elections in the state.
To get the opposition party status, a political party has to secure at least ten per cent seats of the total strength of the state Assembly in accordance with the Bihar Legislative Assembly rules.
This means to qualify for the status a party has to get at least 24 seats in the state Assembly which has an effective strength of 243. Neither Lalu Prasad's RJD with 22 seats and its pre-poll ally LJP with only three seats fit the bill.
The Congress with four seats and CPI and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) bagging a seat each do not qualify either.
"As per the constitutional norms, RJD does not qualify for the status of an Opposition party. Since such a situation has emerged for the first time in Bihar, the issue has to be settled as per the legislative traditions in other states and Parliament," said former chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council and senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.
[url="http://janamejayan.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/ttd-cancel-it%e2%80%99s-own-dharma-sadassu/"][size="5"]TTD cancel itââ¬â¢s own Dharma Sadassu ââ¬â Soniaââ¬â¢s orders[/size][/url]
[url="http://janamejayan.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/karunanidhi-is-jittery-that-the-tamilnadu-congress-might-split/"][size="5"]Karunanidhi is jittery that the Tamilnadu Congress might split![/size][/url]
[url="http://janamejayan.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/upa-divided-over-2g-probe-tmc-favours-jpc/"][size="5"]UPA divided over 2G probe, TMC favours JPC[/size][/url]
I used to say that the secularism in Indian context is nothing but anti-Hindu. The Hindus who are fifth column had prided themselves as secularists and cast our Gurus in prison and accused them as terrorists. Here is another example.
[url="http://expressbuzz.com/states/karnataka/yeddyurappa-supporters-are-%E2%80%98terrorist-swamijis%E2%80%99/226426.html"][size="4"]'Yeddyurappa supporters are ââ¬Ëterrorist Swamijisââ¬â¢[/size][/url]
[quote name='Savithri' date='26 November 2010 - 04:59 PM' timestamp='1290808315' post='109477']
JD(U) increased its vote share by 2.1% while the BJPs vote share grew by just 0.8% compared to the October 2005 tally.
[/quote]
That is one way to slice the cat. With Nitish being the poster boy, it was likely that JD(U) increased its share. BJP did not have that advantage. A good measure would be to compare BJP and INC.
That is one way to slice the cat. With Nitish being the poster boy, it was likely that JD(U) increased its share. BJP did not have that advantage. A good measure would be to compare BJP and INC.
[/quote]
Where is INC in Bihar, (where has it ever been in the last 3 decades,) to compare?!
[url="http://www.dailypioneer.com/299551/Prince-is-pwned-and-how!.html"]Prince is pwned, and how![/url]
Kanchan Gupta
To distract himself from the Congressââ¬â¢s miserable performance in the Bihar Assembly election despite his energetic campaign of slander and calumny, Mr Rahul Gandhi went on a three-city tour of Gujarat last Friday. But if he was looking forward to hordes of fawning supplicants gathering at Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Rajkot to pay homage to their Prince and swear undying loyalty to the Dynasty, he was in for a rude surprise. In each city he was baldly told by brash youngsters about Chief Minister Narendra Modiââ¬â¢s development agenda and how it had placed Gujarat on the fast track to rapid growth. So why was he cavilling against the man to whom credit goes for fashioning the model for effective governance? In Ahmedabad a young girl, disregarding the heir apparentââ¬â¢s exalted status, got into an argument with him. ââ¬ÅI challenge you to name Congress leaders who can measure up to Narendra Modi on development work,ââ¬Â she tauntingly asked Mr Rahul Gandhi. Obviously Indiaââ¬â¢s middle-aged Prince who fervently hopes the septuagenarian Regent will one day step aside to let him sit on the masnad of Delhi and not do unto him what the Queen has done unto Prince Charles, did not take kindly to such harangue. And so he snapped at those dazzled by Mr Narendra Modiââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëminimum Government, maximum governanceââ¬â¢ agenda: ââ¬ÅMao also developed China but he caused destruction to the country too.ââ¬Â The feisty young student, refusing to be put down by the Princeââ¬â¢s snub, retorted: ââ¬ÅYou are referring to the Gujarat riots. Both Muslims and Hindus died in that violence.ââ¬Â Stunned that a commoner should have the temerity to call the bluff of the scion of the Dynasty, he walked out of the meeting, muttering something to the effect that he was ââ¬Ågetting lateââ¬Â. We donââ¬â¢t know what transpired after that, but a fair guess would be the youngsters burst into raucous laughter and reached for their cell phones to text the story of how they had lyk, pwned da Prince. (No, the words are not misspelt; to learn what they mean, and to be uber cool, look up the Urban Dictionary. I am learning.)
This is not the first time that Mr Rahul Gandhi, the great hope of the Congress and therefore of the country, has had to face a rough time while playing evangelist. Earlier this year, on February 2, the Congress general secretary who can do no wrong and whose dismal failure is the stuff of which grand political triumph is constructed, had to offer a grovelling apology to the students of Lalit Narayan Mithila University at Darbhanga in Bihar after bad-mouthing Gujarat and Mr Narendra Modi. Addressing the students at the start of what the party faithful had billed as a two-day visit to the State to ââ¬Åshore up support for the Congressââ¬Â, the Prince thundered: ââ¬ÅFor India to be changed (presumably into the bhooka-nanga Bharat of his dreams) Gujarat needs to be changed first.ââ¬Â All hell broke loose in the hall as outraged students turned on him with remarkable ferocity. ââ¬ÅThis meeting is not a platform for making political statements,ââ¬Â one of them shouted. Another student caustically asked, ââ¬ÅWhat about the condition of Bihari youth in Congress-ruled Maharashtra and even under the Central rule of your party?ââ¬Â A third demanded, ââ¬ÅWhy are you involving Gujarat here?ââ¬Â A visibly rattled Rahul Gandhi sought to pacify the angry students, saying it was ââ¬Åjust a slip of the tongueââ¬Â and that he meant to say ââ¬ÅFor India to be changed, Bihar needs to be changed first.ââ¬Â That was an unambiguous statement: Bihar needs to get rid of the JD(U)-BJP alliance in power. It only served to make the students see red and bedlam followed. The Prince had to virtually flee the venue. That evening, news channels, including the ever-so-loyal NDTV and CNN-IBN, showed footage of the meeting released by the Congress in which the Prince was seen boldly denouncing Gujarat and by implication Mr Narendra Modi, with anchors approvingly nodding their heads. The rest of the tape had been carefully sliced off. To the horror of the Congress and its publicists, the full tape surfaced on YouTube, where it still exists.
But letââ¬â¢s get back to the Bihar Assembly election and the massive mandate for the JD(U)-BJP alliance which has swept the polls, demolishing both ââ¬Ësecularââ¬â¢ foes and ââ¬Ësecularââ¬â¢ myths. The RJDââ¬â¢s decimation ââ¬â Ms Rabri Devi was booted out of Raghopur by her kinsmen and lost in the other Yadav-dominated ââ¬Ësafeââ¬â¢ seat she contested too ââ¬â and Mr Lalu Prasad Yadavââ¬â¢s subsequent redundancy in Bihar politics were not entirely unexpected. Nor did anybody seriously expect Mr Ram Vilas Paswan to be sworn in as Chief Minister with an Osama bin Laden lookalike as his deputy. What, however, has come as a stunner is the rout of the Congress: Not only has the party managed to halve the seats it held in the last Assembly, it has also lost votes across the State. The bulk of the Congressââ¬â¢s candidates had been carefully hand-picked under the supervision of the Prince if not by him and if Akbar Road gossip is to be believed each of them was paid a fortune towards election expenses. Mr Rahul Gandhi, sleeves rolled, led the Congressââ¬â¢s campaign from the front with Ms Sonia Gandhi providing him with covering fire. He addressed 19 ââ¬Åmammothââ¬Â rallies covering more than a hundred constituencies. And his recurring refrain was that the JD(U)-BJP Government had squandered all the money given by New Delhi instead of putting Bihar on the path of development. People gawked at his helicopter and baulked at his bare-faced lie. And voted with their feet.
Meanwhile, in the studios of news channels in Delhi, disbelief and horror ran high as the enormity of the Congressââ¬â¢s defeat emerged the day the results were declared. As my friend on Twitter @zenrainman tweeted, anchors and ââ¬Ëexpertsââ¬â¢ desperately looked for ââ¬Åthe dark lining to the silver cloudââ¬Â. When they couldnââ¬â¢t find it, they came up with the startling suggestion that this was the BJPââ¬â¢s opportunity to disown its own and embrace Mr Nitish Kumar as the NDAââ¬â¢s choice for the Prime Ministerââ¬â¢s job. The Delhi commentariat, in its profound wisdom, believes that a national party should concede the top job to a regional ally to prove its ââ¬Ësecularââ¬â¢ credentials. Sophists pompously declared it was the BJPââ¬â¢s Clause IV moment. Nobody spoke of how Mr Nitish Kumar, for all his dislike of Mr Narendra Modi, has adopted the Modi Model of good governance and tough administration; how path-breaking schemes introduced in Gujarat have been adapted in Bihar; how he has tapped ââ¬ËBihari prideââ¬â¢ to his advantage; and, how he has fashioned himself as Biharââ¬â¢s sole leader after the leader the secularists love to hate.
India deserves far better than a Regent who prefers silence over staunching corruption and under whose watch the country has been looted and sacked again and again. India definitely does not deserve a Prince who wants to recast the country as bhooka-nanga Bharat where Government will be an aid handout agency dependent on foreign donors. India deserves a leader who can make Indians, irrespective of faith, community and caste, proud of their ability to scale new heights of achievement. And that leader is Mr Narendra Modi. If there has been a seismic change in political discourse and the crafting of a political agenda that focuses on governance and delivery, the credit goes to him. Call him ââ¬ËMaodiââ¬â¢ if you must, but donââ¬â¢t grudge him his due.
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