Well, it’s really been a long time since my last post. All thanks to our wretched exams and last minute preparations!!! . Well the exams are behind me now and I’ve got 6 exam free months so hopefully I’ll keep posting regularly.
Continuing from where I left off in my last post, the Lok Sabha results are out today and I’ll be the first one to acknowledge that my predictions were way off the mark. The 3rd front threat has been neutralized to a great extent, with the grouping winning just 70 odd seats, much lesser than my expectations. The NDA is somewhere close to what I predicted, at 159 seats. The UPA numbers are really a pleasant surprise because it will finally ensure some stability for our country.
The Indian voter seems to have voted decisively in favour of the UPA, in fact the Congress has really come into its own in this elections, notching up 200+ seats, a whopping 55 more than the 2004 tally. Uttar Pradesh with 80 seats has been one of the success stories for the Congress as it has taken 21 seats, putting it at par with Mulayam Singh and Mayawati in a state which was considered to be its nemesis.
The best thing about such a decisive verdict is that the Congress does not have to go with a begging bowl to any party. A strong majority at the centre ensures that the UPA can now pursue its agenda, unhindered by millstones like the Left Front which created a lot of trouble in the 2004 elections. Talking about the left, it seems to have lost the plot completely, winning just 24 seats. In fact now a lot of parties (the SP and RJD for instance) could come to Congress to include them in the alliance. So the Congress is actually in a position to pick and choose the best allies according to its convenience. It may even dump Lalu and go with Nitish Kumar in Bihar, rubbing salt into the NDA's wounds and also shutting out the SP since Nitish’s JD(U) has won 21 seats, equivalent to SP’s 22.
So that’s it, lets hope that the UPA gives cabinet ministries to competent people and pursues a pro- reform agenda in the next 5 years.
very much ..finally we will have a stable govt at centre ,,,,,no left, rjd.
ReplyDeleteand all those wannabe pm's(maya, jaya, pawar,) who were called the kingmakers are going to keep their mouth shut for the next 5 yrs....lets hope we have competent people like shashi tharoor, montek in key cabinet positions and also rahul, milind, sachin and jyotiraditya scindia taking some other portfolios like education, IT, .....
ya i'm also hoping Shashi Tharoor gets External affairs and Jyotiraditya Scindia gets Education. Lets not forget Rahul Gandhi as well. So we'll have young dynamic leaders in key cabinet positions
ReplyDeleteyes...the results have surprised me...but the outcome is welcome...no more anti-development communists to listen to, no more behenji ka naatak (I swear to God - I'll fleece this lady in my writings)....but one thing which hasn't left my radar is the fact that the 'youth' in Indian political scenario (an assorted scindia, pilot or gandhi), which we hear so often about consists of youn ones of established politicians...a classic case of being born with a silver spoon...what about millions others who are young, qualified and educated, but don't have any moolah or big name to push themselves around?...Why don't political parties absorb such a talent?...
ReplyDeleteFirstly very well written articles both the parts...i dint see ur last post and hence dint c ur exit poll before but nw as i c i find its very much near to the actual results...i wont say m a big supporter of congress but one thing is good that it has won in majority hence now we will be able to see some stable actions from a stable government. I felt India needed a change but its good dat now though there isn't a change in government but there will be no lefts...
ReplyDeleteya vishwas, thr's a strong dynastic tinge to the victory. I think that the media is to blame for that. It creates such a hype over these young "babalog" that other equally capable youth are overlooked and given very less coverage. For instance this time all the 6-7 youth leaders handpicked by Rahul Gandhi have won in their constituencies, some of them against experienced politicians. That hasnt been highlighted in any major newspaper, apart frm HT.
ReplyDeletei think the best thing to come out of this election is the no.of younger MPs, finally, i think, the congress has decided to put a youthful face on politics, n hopefully, that bodes well for us.
ReplyDeleteInteresting point u make about picking and choosing its allies, as today, it seems that the SP,BSP,RJD...the whole lot of 'also-rans' have given 'unconditional support' to the secular govt. Lets see how this plays out, hopefully, the next 5 years will be better than the last.
Karan, that's because they have no choice, SP and RJD are now out of power at state level and at the centre. This is the only way they can make themselves feel important, that they are part of the ruling coalition.
ReplyDeleteUPA government now faces it real test! Dr. Singh is now a chosen PM, there is no Left to be blamed if there is any delay in pro-reform measures! Indian voter has brought upon more responsibility on the cabinet that may get formed!
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