1.       Common men slog all their lives to raise their ambitious children, to build a house of their own, and to accumulate some wealth to leave behind for their family. Many a times, they fail and die without leaving anything behind except some loans and hospitals bills to be paid off. Building a career from a poor background always seems like a Sisyphean task for common man in India. Narendra Modi has broken this myth. People know that he rose to the heights of Indian politics from a lower middle class family so they believe; Modi would understand their plights and would do something good to change their fate.

2.        Modi is considered pro-business. NaMo as PM means that industries will grow. People in significant numbers believe in trickle-down theory. That means if the rich will become richer that means more job opportunities and the wealth will trickle down to the poor.

3.      Gujarat Model of governance was a well-scripted ad campaign or a success story; it is to political pundits to decide. Whatever, it gave hope to the people of the poor states that Gujarat model of governance can change their lives for good. It is remarkable that BJP performed well in poor states like Bihar, UP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh but Odisha.

4.       The days of decisive politics are over. Modi did not raise any controversial issue during campaigning. His focus remained on development, economic revival, ending corruption, and job creation. Though, he let his lieutenant talk about Hindutava agenda of the BJP.

5.      \Modi has established himself as a tough commander. He may take right or wrong decisions but he ensures people that the government would be decisive under Modi as it was not seen in Manmohan Singh’s government.

These reasons are good enough to make people believe that good days are ahead. 

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By Abhishek Pandey

Price rise, series of scams, corruption in ministries and bureaucracy during UPA tenure, and lack of an appealing and visionary leader in the Congress party cost them this huge debacle in the general elections 2014. But no reason can take away the credit of Narendra Modi for this stupendous victory. He extensively campaign all over India and sold golden dreams to Indian electorates. And, it was well taken. Here are few other factors that helped BJP win—

 

1- Anti incumbency of 10 years worked against the UPA government. The government came to power promising a lot but could not deliver to the poor and the needy. Though, they were given chance twice by the Indian electorate. The UPA government formulated many welfare schemes and introduced right based acts but their benefits did not reach to the poor. The schemes were not implemented effectively or were allocated fewer funds than required.

2- Congress party has not developed state leaders over a period of time those could rise in need and woo voters. People were bored of Gandhi family and wanted a charismatic leader who could turn their dream of a better India into reality. Rahul Gandhi has always been reluctant to take any responsibility in the government and people lost faith in him. Very few top leaders in the congress party have direct people connect while BJP nurtured many such as Shiv Raj Singh Chauhan, Raman Singh, Manohar Parikkar, Vasundhara Raje and many others. While Congress lack big leaders in the state.

3- Polarization of votes in Uttar Pradesh helped the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP). Samajwadi Party could not manage communal riots in Western and Central UP. Hindu votes consolidated and helped BJP to do it’s all time best in the most important political state of UP where the BJP won 71 seats that is bigger that the congress’s all India tally. The polarization of votes in the state also disturbed the caste politics in UP resulting in the party like BSP losing all seats. The party still claims that the election was fought on development plank. On the contrary, the party did not initiate any action against the leaders who spewed venom during campaigning. And, fielding Modi from Varanasi was a tactical move by the party for connecting with people in UP and adjoining Bihar. In both the states, the party performed really well and won 93 seats. 

4- BJP had a great charismatic leader in Narendra Modi. He had a good track record of running a state government for last 12 years. The flamboyant Modi boasted of his achievements better that any one did. People believed that Gujarat model of development can change the face of the nation if replicated. 

5- Use of technology in this election played a significant role. Narendra Modi who is 64 communicated with the young generation using social media on a regular basis. Neither Rahul nor Sonia use social media platform.

6- Series of corruption cases in the UPA I and II antagonize Indian voters. The anti-corruption movement and reluctance of the government to introduce an effective Lokpal Bill was accepted as the government lack political will to fight corruption.  

7- It was an open secret that the PM office has a little role to play in running the government and people disapproved the Congress for bringing down the authority of the PM to such a low level. PM always looked toward 10 Jan Path for decisions. And, the PM Man Mohan Singh hardly communicated with the media.  

8- Crumbling economy and shrinking job opportunities impelled people to find an alternative and decisive government that can bring jobs and weave a better future for a young India.

9- The disappearance of Rahul Gandhi during crucial times was not accepted by the country. Whether there was an upsurge against Delhi gang rape or calamity in Uttarakhand, Rahul was not available. 

10- The last but not the lease. Congress helped BJP in making the Brand Modi. The Congress party indulged in fear mongering, communalism, the age-old talks of ‘secularism’ and pushed back the agenda of development. That was not well taken.

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LK Advani resigns from all the posts he held in the BJP. The news comes as a shocker for the BJP leaders and workers who were celebrating Modi elevation as the chief of poll committee. The decision taken at the Goa meet was being considered historic and many believed that it was the beginning of a new era. A day after ‘the historic decision’ an era ended in the history of the saffron party when LK Advani’s resignation reached the BJP headquarters. 

Advani, who has been the part of the BJP since its inception, was member of the national executive, parliamentary board and the election committee. He, who had been instrumental in making the BJP powerful in the nineties, felt short off supporters within his own party and had no option left but to resign to avoid denting his image further. 

In an emotional letter to the BJP chief Rajnath Singh, he said that he had been finding it difficult to reconcile either with the current functioning of the party, or the direction in which it is going.  He complained that most leaders of the party are concerned just with their personal agendas. His resignation indicates that the BJP is party with differences and is unable to handle its affairs. 

It is ironical that his resignation came a day after Modi was elevated. As political pundits are saying the resignation is his way of expressing dissent over the elevation of Narendra Modi. Modi met him first in 1975. Advani supported him climbed the political ladder in Gujarat. But he did not have a faint idea that Modi will become ‘indispensible’ for the party and party workers will choose Modi over him. 

The resignation sends a message across clearly that Advani’s voice of dissent did not matter in the party. Advani, who always had major say in party affairs, even during the Vajpayee reign, felt his hold on the party affairs insignificant. He had never criticised the party functioning in open as he was the sole authority to take big decisions and he was whose voice always matter. His harsh words about the party affairs shows he became really upset and weak within the party.  

He had always been the number two and he was hopeful that after the retirement of Atal Bihari Vajpayee he could become the number one in the party. Undoubtedly, he was the senior most and the powerful leader after Vajpayee. He tried his luck in 2009 elections but failed miserably. His resignation expresses that his hopes of becoming the PM or say number one in the BJP was dashed by the popularity of NaMo among party workers and others those are BJP fans. 

Advani must have thought that he can be the prime minister of the NDA if the alliance wins enough seats to come to the power after 2014 general elections. He knew NDA allies would have never supported the nomination of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. His chances were bright but ‘the historic decision’ taken at the party meet in Goa humiliated him to the core. Perhaps, it was evident that NaMo would be elevated that’s why he preferred to stay away from the meet on health grounds. 

However, his resignation letter has been rejected by the BJP chief Rajnath Singh and it is uncertain what would be the next move of the former deputy prime minister.

His resignation indicates that the BJP is party with differences and is unable to handle its affairs. 

It is the high time that party get over its inner conflicts as it will not gain even if Congress loses at centre owing to incumbency factor, poor governance and failed economic policies. They should always keep in mind: people are watching.

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Abhishek Pandey

BJP wants to take the power ride. Ram temple issue is too old to win this ride. Party needs fresh ideas and newly appointed president of BJP understands this well. He has presented the ‘old wine in new bottle’ and this wine does not seem to be deleterious for nation’s health, as Hindus and Muslims, both, would find it yummy.

Since the inception of the Ayodhya issue, the right wing never tuned its tone as soft as national president of BJP, Gadkari did during recent national conclave at Indore. He said, BJP is committed to the cause of temple construction at Ayodhya. Nothing new in this idea but Gadkari went one step further.

He asked Muslims to be generous to not oppose the construction of grand temple at disputed site. Even, he allured them saying that the party would facilitate the construction of mosque beside the temple. The tone is new and has never been heard by anyone, at least from the saffron brigade.

I think, he is trying to find out the practical solution of the problem and the plot to erect BJP’s building. He mentioned that the litigations are pending in the court for the resolution of the dispute and the verdict would not serve the purpose because one party would win and other may lose.

The visionary Gadkari is also aiming to hit the two birds from a single stone. As his proposal would neither annoy the ‘moderate’ Hindus, those are looking for the resolution of the dispute, nor would it send a wrong message to the Muslims that injustice has been done to them.

I used the moderate world because the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Shiv Sena have already registered their protest. The supreme of these parties, Ashok Singhal and Bal Thackeray, have said that “Ram temple is religious issue not a political issue. BJP or for that matter any party must refrain from taking any decision of its own, as it would bring dishonor to the several Karsevaks who sacrificed their life for the cause of Hindus.

Why the hell they don’t understand that the days of decisive politics are gone and they are gonna get nothing from such politics. Except, killing or maiming some innocents and making the life of their loved one’s hellish.

He knows and also understands it well that the developmental politics is the future and the construction of temple would alleviate the stature of the BJP among the parties supporting Hindu cause.

Though. in his complete speech of 7993 words, he spoke only 103 words on temple issue, mere 1.3 percent of total speech, but all the media, print, electronic, web, blew its as it was the core of his speech. Whatever, media know well what sells. Gadkari also knows well what sells and he is selling what is in trend, as he is a businessman turned politician.

Even, his vision is politically correct also. I too share the view of Nitin Gadkari, “This initiative would herald a new amity and reinforce the bond for a resurgent India.”

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By Abhishek Pandey

Mohamed Ali Jinnah again the reason of division, this time in Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP). Jinnah’s jinx formed factions of different ideologies in the party, which claims to be a party with a difference. Last week, Jaswant Singh was expelled from the party for writing against party’s ‘core ideology’ in his recent book ‘Jinnah – India – Partition – Independence’, which applauded the role of Jinnah and criticises Nehru and Sardar Patel for their role in the partition of the country in 1947.

Jaswant is under fire from with in the party and outside for his comments over his controversial statements on the partition of the country. This is not the first time that Jinnah has created problem for saffron party. In 2005, Advani has suffered a lot for tagging Mohamed Ali Jinnah as a ‘secular’ leader. Mr. Advani had to resign from the post of party president.

Aiming to not upset the vote bank, BJP president Rajnath Singh announced that Jaswant Singh has been expelled from the party for uttering words against Sardar Patel which is against the core belief of the party. The book has been banned in BJP ruled Gujarat. BJP did not mentioned Jinnah as the BJP stalwart Advani had praised him in past and naming him can backfire BJP itself.

Jaswant Singh who is saddened by party’s decision said that he used to be the Hanuman of the saffron party but he has become Ravana now. He urged that the party must read the whole book and then it should come to a decision. According to Singh, Patel was the person who imposed ban on Rastriya Swayma Sevak Sangh, soon after the death of Mahatama Gandhi. Mr. Singh stood by Advani in 2005 but Advani’s comments on the episode – ‘It was painful but mandatory decision’ – shows that he has very short memory.

Jaswant Singh was not given even show cause notice to defend himself. The saffron Party is of the view that his views in his book are against party’s core belief and an immediate stern action was needed. A party with a difference, BJP, forgot that a even a hardcore murderer like Ajmal Amir Kasab, who killed many people in Mumbai attack, is given chance to defend himself in Indian court but party forgot the process of justice in the case. At least, the party leadership must call upon Jaswant for an explanation before punishing him.

Singh raised the Kandahar issue mentioning that all the ministers including Advani were aware of the decision of releasing terrorists with exchange of 166 Air India passengers. He clarified that he spoke a lie in past for defending Advani, who said that he was not aware of the decision, in the time of election because it could have adverse effect on election results for the BJP.

In this drama, Jaswant Singh’s book has become the best seller and is very much in demand. Literary and artistic work should not be banned. Like Jaswant book, BJP government in Chhattisgarh has banned the late Habib Tanveer’s play Charandas Chor. BJP or for that matter any political party must ponder over the lines of former Prime Minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee that the answer to a book is a book, not a protest or a ban.

It is the general idea in India that Mohamed Ali Jinnah was the person who proposed two-nation theory and caused partition of the country in 1947 after a blood bath in which millions of people were killed, injured and many more were displaced. Though, there are several known and unknown facades of Jinnah exist in Indian and Pakistan’s history books.

BJP leaders are aware of the core beliefs of the party but the then party president Advani praised Mohammad Ali Jinnah for his ‘secular’ speech after the partition. BJP and Sangh leaders were fumed at Advani and he had to resign from the post of party president. But, this time party can not afford to give lesser punishment because BJP stalwart has not only praised Jinnah but also showed Sardar Patel and Nehru’s role in partition of the country in negative light.

Following incidents after Jaswant episode have created a crisis in the party. Sudhindra Kulkarni reigned from the party for not having freedom of expression with in the party. Kulkarni was questioned for his newspaper articles in which he suggested to revamp party’s ideology. Arun Shourie has also called the shots against the party top brass and said a jhatka (quick) change in the party is needed. He expressed his view that party has lost its direction and called party president Rajnath ‘Alice in blunderland’. He also said that Rastriya Swayam Sevaka Sangha (RSS) should take party’s command in its hand.

Madanlal Khurana, Uma Bharati and Kalyan Singh like leaders have left BJP in last couple of years. In recent days, Former Rajasthan Chief Minister (CM) Vashundhra Raje, Arun Jaiteley, Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha, Bhairo Singh Shekhawat and former Uttarakhand CM Bhavan Chandra Khanduri have raised their voice against the party for different reasons. All thses incidents are sprinkling salt on the festering wounds of BJP, who is recuperating after second continuous defeat in parliamentary elections.

There is no unity of command in the party. Any leader in top brass, including Advani, does not seem to have stature and qualities like Atal Bihari Vajpayee to unify the party members. Atal Bihari was liberal and secular leader with clean image. He enjoyed confidence among the party leaders and allies during his political career. Party has felt his absence in the last elections and missing his presence in the time pf present crisis. BJP has to find its sailor, who can sail the party in the right direction easily with all the members intact despite differences. Party has to modernise itself by revamping its ideology and character as per the demands of the present time. It is in national interest that Indians should have two national parties otherwise the one national party, whether its Congress or BJP, would become irrepressible by the democratic process.

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By Abhishek Pandey

Poll dates for 15th Lok Sabha elections have been announced. World would watch the election of largest democracy of the world in five faces from April 16 to May 23. The 15 Lok Sabha elections would decide the fate of six national and 224 regional parties. A total of 740 millions voters would decide the next ruling government of India.

Election commission has given the details of the young voters which amounts 24% of electorate this time. The contradiction is that India has more than 40% MP aged between 50 to 90 years of age. All the parties are planning to woo the young voters to get the maximum number of seats in the next parliamentary elections. We can only hope that parties would also increase the seat share for the young politicians. But it does not seem to happen. All the parties want votes of youngsters but for oldies only.

Congress has Rahul Gandhi as the young face of party. Rahul has been seen visiting slums and villages of the different states for elevating himself as a ‘real’ politician. BJP prime ministerial candidate LK Advani has also showed that he is a tech-savvy with a vision of a youngster by lifting dumbbells at the age of 78. Advani has taken the support of online advertising to attract the young Internet users. Advani is also planning to visit college campus across the country to propagate his ideology ahead of LS polls. He is asked for volunteers to support in his college campaign and many have come ahead to support him.

India has some young turks in both houses of parliament. Rajesh Pilot’s son Sachin Pilot, Madhav Rao Scindhias’s son Jyotiraditya Scindhia, Indian National Congress also have Former MP Jitendra Prasad’s son Jatin Prasad, Union minister Murli Deora’s son Milind Deora, Actor cum politician late Sunil Dutt’s daughter Priya Dutt, Former Andhra Pradesh CM NT Ramarao’s daughter D Purandeshwari and few more.

Other parties also have young faces like Former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma’s daughter Agatha Sangma, Former CM of Tamilnadu M Karunanidhi’s daughter Konimozhi and NCP president Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule are few examples of the leaders who are carrying forward their political lineage. Samajwadi party has Akhilesh Yadav, son of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Kalyan Singh’s son Rajbir Singh, Bhajan Lal’s son Kuldip Vishnoi, Prakash Singh Badal’s son Sukhbir Singh Badal and few others have put their feet in their parents’ shoes.

It seems that we are having many young leaders in Indian politics. But another side of this coin is not as bright as it should be. All the aforementioned young leaders have not come from grass root level. Most of them are won just because of their political background. They have not gone to the process of making a politician. Despite of this fact, their capabilities can not be questioned. But the dependence of all these leaders to the senior politicians in the party for almost all the important decisions show that they are memo-queen of their political party.

This is not a good sign that young politicians have not been accepted unless they have any political background. We need young politicians those can understand the need of youngsters which amount 24% of registered voters or approx 180 million youths. Indian youth need the good professional institutes, good educational and health policies, good job opportunities, better life style, good roads, availability of all the brands in his/her city, corruption less society, proper security in public places, comfortable transport facilities and many more. Youths are more demanding than other ‘aam aadmi’. They are looking for an ‘Obama’ to happen in India. Their demands are not too much. They know the capacity India and ready to extend their hand for the incredible change in India’s future. But who is ready to hold their hand.

If they can prosper the Silicon Valley in USA then why cant they do the same magic in Bangalore. If most of the well trained Indian doctors and engineers are working for western countries to make sure the proper running of research institutes and health centers. Why can’t they do this in India? They can do it but they need something in return.

After watching complicated political strategies, young generation of India wants to know about the reality in the promises of the politicians, young or old. The need the government which don’t play the political tantrums by raising caste, religion, regional and other trivial issues in their manifesto. The young voters would definitely look for the government which would be able to solve the problem of economic slump. They would vote for the government which would create jobs for them in the time of crisis.

We can only hope that next government would listen to these issues and surely, they would not ignore this voice and if they would do, it would be at their own peril. Is any one listening?

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By Abhishek Pandey

Lal Krishna Advani would advertise his poll campaign on 2000 website, according to one of the news agency report. The poll campaigning on the net is a new trend in India. Advani is likely to become the pioneer of this trend.

BJP is having five official websites. Advanis’s website is the most popular among its all other websites these days. Narendra Modi and Shivraj Singh Chauhan also have their own website. BJP stalwart Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi also started his website and blog recently to address the issue of global warming and other environmental issues, though political issues are there. BJP has its own official website and also own one more website which is called friends of BJP’s website. BJP is also present on Orkut and Facebook; both are well-known and very popular social networking sites among netizens. Internet has been chosen as one of the best medium for campaigning in next LS elections by the India’s most ‘traditional’ party.

Narendra Modi has 4966 supporters on FaceBook group far more than 297 of LK Advani. He is first among all the Indian in largest supporter base on FB. Manmohan Singh is on second position with 2590 members in his FB group. Rahul Gandhi is on third with 1982 supporters followed by his mother Ms Sonia Gandhi, who is having 988 supporters. Atal Bihari is also there only with 158 net supporters. There are some other leaders of different parties with nominal supporter base.

Social Networking sites are there. Online forums are there. There are not less than 1000 online groups, forums on Indian political parties and their leaders. Most of the national and regional parties have their online presence with poor layout and design of their websites, except few of them are designed well.

Internet poll advertising and fund raising was one of the innovations of US President Obama in the US elections this time. There are ample numbers of ways today to advertise on the Internet. There are websites like Adsense/Adword, Netclix, Bidvertiser and lots more to provide facility to advertise anything on the net. YouTube is there to upload the election speeches online. Congress is also trying to follow the trend and have started uploading the speeches of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders on YouTube.

Internet penetration has increased in India and this has become the best place to attract the audience which has no time to go to attend the public meetings or gatherings of the political parties. It will surely attract the software engineers, NRIs, industrialist and other elite class people, who can get the access of leaders’ speeches inside their air conditioned office cabins or in their bed rooms by the click of a mouse.

Internet has changed the lives of millions. This Lok Sabha poll will tell us, how it can affect the political career of the Indian leaders in the country, where 60% population still lives in village and most of our people are not having access to Internet. Forget about Internet and computers, they are not even having proper electricity supply for irrigation or lighten their house with CFL. Proper roads are not in many villages for daily commuters. Students are dropping out after primary classes. Farmers are committing suicide. Migrants are beaten up in other states because they are going away from their home to get jobs.

In such kinds of unpleasant situation, Internet is best medium to keep your eyes closed from all these problems. Because in the virtual world of web, Politicians need not to go and listen the problems of the people on the ground. They need not to feel the plight of the people by standing beside them; those are not having even basic facilities. In India, Internet will not be as success as it was in US because we are India not US. Most of the US citizens have easy access to computer and internet but every Indian does not have even access to two meals a day. My dear Politicians of the great nation called India; choose the technology to empower the vote bank but empower the people first, so they can get access of it.

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