Anything but positive!
There is much cynicism and also much anger to give a jolt to sweet dreams!
Will it be Rahul Gandhi or Rajnath Singh?
The new BJP President has tough task ahead!
Rajnath Singh’s “farmer face”!
BJP has a new president and says
Rajnath’s farmer friendly politics may help the party!
What does this mean for farmers and farming?
Rajnath Singh got elected, surprisingly, in a unanimous vote by the BJP top brass and this has surprised everyone, both inside and outside the BJP.
BJP is the main national party and as such what happens to the BJP is what matters most in Indian politics. As it is, the national political scenario gives the picture of a highly polarised state with major parties, from the Congress to the BJP and to other main regional parties like Sharad Pawar’s NCP to Mamata’s Trinamul and also Naveen Patnaik’ Bikujanata Dal to others in the Punjab and TN, gives a picture of great many contradictions.
As on date the Congress has just past 200 and odd MPs, a clear minority tag to its many claims to the contrary. What keeps the UPA-II going so far is the glue of power and pelf, the offices of profit and privileges to make money and accumulate more power, money and followers?
Let us admit that in most parties there are no basic ideological clarities, all that remains is simple calculation of power, how to get it and retain it by hook or by crook!
That is why so many of the corruption scandals didn’t get so much attention and any action on the part of the Manmohan Singh-led leadership.
Everyone knows that both Sonia Gandhi and Dr.Singh know how weak they are, politically and morally.
They are living with the devils and many evils in the form of scandals, the less we mention them, the better for our own sanity!
Such is the state of affairs. So, we all know and we, as a people, as a voting contingent also know that when it comes to election time, all is fair!
The moneyed class is only too happy to part with any amount of money, both legal and illegal; everyone also knows how to convert the illegal funds into legal ones!
So also, there is no intent to do anything more than simply lip service to all reform! From electoral reforms to party reforms to all other reforms.
Every sane person knows that there is much heavy ideological reform agenda with the incumbent government, any incumbent government.
There are in fact some of the long-lasting basic fundamental Constitutional reforms, there is a huge volume of reform report and from it flows other reforms.
So, why blame the poor Dr.Singh when he simply refuses to take cognisene of the need for Lokpal, or any other agenda of reform that could clean the political system.
The great Constitutional lawyer, F.Nariman says there are more number of MPs in the Lok Sabha with criminal records and he asks how can anyone expect to get some of these bills dealing with corruption can be passed?
So, the BJP, as the main opposition party is now facing with its greatest challenge to its own survival.
Mr.Rajnath Singh, the UP strong man is elected as the new chief and it would be anyone’s guess work how he would fare and whether the BJP-led Opposition ranks could give the country a viable alternative.
The short answer is yes and no!
The task if much more complicated than the task with Rahul Gandhi, who, in parity terms is the near equivalent to Rajnath Singh.
The outcome of the next general election to the Parliament in 2014 could be anything. It could be a total; surprise too.
The electorate is a particularly difficult mood right now.
There have been many bruises in the public mood and the public opinion and also in the public perceptions of men and matters.
UP with its number of MPs at 80, the state could turn the fortunes of any party.
The Congress in the UP is in the fourth place.
First the Samajwadi party. Second the Mayawati party. Third the BJP and only at the last comes the Congress.
So, it is anybody’s guess and the game is not easy for any new gladiators, so to say to jump into the rings!
Now, the UP state’s caste and communal complexities give Mulayam Singh as on date an advantage. Next come Mayawati whose caste re-engineering stood her well for so long. This time too she might come out with some new combinations, let us call it might be any new deadly combination!
The caste factor is so strong in UP.
As for the BJP, its one advantage is its some of its fundamentals. It has a dedicated cadre, unlike the Congress.
The RSS backup could be a positive factor. Then comes the Hindi language, the very Hindutva ideology. Babarmasjit, Ram temple, Muslim vote, the Ayodhya case all there. We don’t know at this distance of time and space how the issues, the very communal issues might shape up.
The Muslim vote might be wooed heavily and we don’t know how the mood is in that section of the vote bank.
But the BJP is very strong in the number of local leaders who are four in number, mainly. There is the Kalyan Singh factor.
He might be an asset or prove to be a liability. Then there are others, swamis and Kalraj Misra and others.
It is said that Rajnath’s immediate task to bring his home turf under control.
Some crucial data:
Singh as the president in the past presided over the BJP’s defeat in 2009.
Now in 2014 he has to lead it to victory!
Can he dot it? This is the question being asked.
There are four states, Karnataka, MP and Delhi where Assembly elections are to be held in this year.
Rajnath Singh is a former UP Chief Minister and a Cabinet Minister under Vajpayee government.
Singh has criticised the UPA for its poor economic management and also for its anti-farmer polices.
He observes India is a big agricultural power and only agri growth can lift India to achieve the status of a world super power.
Why not give him the credit for speaking for the Indian farmers?
We should.
He believes in a “swadeshi ideology”.
“India should become the agri capital of the world” He said in a recent rally in New Delhi.
We salute him! We wish him all success.
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