Election Results

The Left is gone the Left is gone. My flu is still here but the Left is gone. And if I had to choose between tolerating a fever for a few more days or tolerating the Left for a few more years I would choose the former. Here are some initial thoughts on the results, the winners, losers and the lessons we learned. I would love some comments here, because I could be way off the mark in my assessments and would love to get your perspective. Here we go 

  • Yay for Stability- As I mentioned in my last blog I was alright with either the UPA or NDA coming in to power, but was only concerned about the partners they would have to choose. The Congress' performance took that concern and flung it out of the window. We will now have a stable government. And with no Left holding a gun to their head every time they want to do anything progressive, the UPA will be able to govern freely and hopefully implement some economic policies that the Left would not let them.
  • The Congress- Whether you like the UPA or not, you have to tip your hat to the Congress party. Such a performance in the election was unexpected and unbelievably impressive. Kudos!!
  • The BJP- The party seems like it is in shambles at the moment. There seems to be very little inspirational leadership, the campaign strategy turned out to be all wrong and they made some gross mistakes along the way. I mean can someone explain to me how the BJP allowed Varun Gandhi became the center of attention through the campaign? Too much press was wasted on him rather than focusing on the party overall. Anyways, it seems that besides the Varun factor there are plenty of other areas where the party needs to get focused. The BJP will be back though, I don't doubt it
  • Nitish Kumar and Naveen Patnaik- The power to win that these two demonstrated in their respective states showed that they are major forces to be reckoned with in India's political circus. Nitish Kumar is definitely one to keep an eye on, he is going to influence a lot in the years to come
  • The Left- You have to love what happened in West Bengal. So long and farewell Mr. Karat
  • The BSP- After all the panic she caused in our minds of what would happen if Mayawati became Prime Minister, I am glad she was shut up and put in a powerless non-influencing place.
  • Lalu- How embarrassing are his results? I am finding it hard to judge if his performance or the Knight Riders performance in the IPL is worse. Please help me out with this one. 
  • Shashi Tharoor- What a thumping victory for this first time candidate. Hopefully he will play a role in India's external affairs, he surely has the knowledge and could be a great asset for our country
  • South Mumbai-  Let me be the first to admit that my analysis of the south mumbai race was completely off. Although I don't know if I was the only one, I think some of the candidates may have analyzed the situation incorrectly as well. How could we be so wrong? All we talked about was the impact that Meera Sanyal and Mona Shah would have on Milind Deora's votes, how these independents were going to ensure a Shiv Sena win and how the BSP candidate would eat in to Milind's votes as well....Man, how wrong were we....Meera Sanyal and Mona Shah lost their deposit, Milind Deora won by over one lakh votes and Mohan Rawale came THIRD. 
  • MNS- Whether we want to admit it or not and whether we like it or not, the MNS has arrived. Their showing in this election was tremendously strong. The party managed to split the BJP/Shiv Sena votes in Mumbai and ensured a Congress sweep in the city. If the votes were not split and if you actually add the votes of the MNS and the BJP/Shiv Sena candidates the results would have been different. In such a situation, with the exception of Priya Dutt no Congress candidate would have won. Their impact has been felt. What impact this will have in the state elections in a few months remains to be seen.
Photo Credit Nitish Kumar- http://images.businessweek.com
Photo Credit Shashi Tharoor- http://nirmukta.com

Comments

  1. Congress: How can you deny the promise of Dr Singh at the helm not playing an important role. I absolutely agree that people have voted for a stable government and a non-fractured mandate but I believe that people have also shown their confidence in Dr Singh. That is why I think people voted for Congress.
    I cant wait to see what Dr Singh is like this time round. I really enjoyed the way he took on Advani's personal attacks on him and gave such fitting replies.

    BJP: Did a lot wrong and I think that things are going to get far worse before (and if) they get better. I think succession is a BIG problem. Projecting Modi might actually have backfired. Gujrat did not see a mauling of Congress. States where Modi campaigned for BJP there was no real impact and intrestingly, the only state he did not touch at all was Bihar where Nitish Kumar swept (BJP ally). So now who? Advani quits there will be a huge scramble for who next. Sushma Swaraj who cant think of a world devoid of Advani; MM Joshi who has volanteered himself; Rajnath who wants to take over but does not share confidence or Mr Jaitly who got the campaign strategy ALL wrong. With Congress I can without skipping a beat name 7 next-generation leaders. Now if Advani does not quit still a problem BJP is likely to be percieved as a party that does not a. learn from mistakes b. someone childishly holding onto power. However, succession least of their issues can someone tell me what the BJP stands for? and while doing so, trying doing it without saying Congress (even in opposition to something Congress) even once. They say they will be a constructive opposition -lets see how that plays out.


    Lalu: does he still keep railways due to closeness with Sonia G or if true, is Mamta going to get it? Speaking of allies, DMK should not be given any rent seeking ministries with the mess they made of telecom I believe. What portfolios do you think they should be given?

    Portfolios & Agenda: who is given what will be very very very intresting. Thats what your next post should be about. Tharoor was told to come back after a lok sabha win so lets see external affairs yes absolutely. Clearly thats the portfolio i am most excited about. But this is a good lesson in politics, type of government and what to expect.

    Rahul: I do not think he will or should join cabinet this time round. He is doing a very good job reviving the party as evidenced by his ballsy (?) move to go solo in UP and Bihar (?). He should do what he is doing (Democratizing Congress, Youth Congress or more wholistically, encouraging youth to join politics. App. in Gujrat 8 lakh youngsters have joined the Youth Congress) and keep at it. Cabinet/PM whatever - he has enough time besides, I prefer that candidates earn it. In my opinion he is earning his right to be there.

    S. Bombay: Your so right! All we talked about was independents eating into M Deora's vote bank but I guess the Congress new along and probably why they didnt do anything to deter/control the MNS wave. Scary nonetheless. They have come third by a VERY small margin and in some case, second. Rawale - shocking.

    Independents: Overall actually they seem to have done well. 9 and to think they will not be sitting alone but have a chance to be part of government. 3 independents seem to be in the bag.

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  2. Dee While I admire your passion, I must say that your knowledge is surface knowledge at best.I get the feeling you don't have any indepth knowledge. I am not trying to be rude here, I am really not. But your comments just seem to reflect that.

    I think you are living in a dream world if you think the country has as much faith in Dr. Singh as you do. I think he is an honorable statesman as well. But you think he is an election winner??? Come on lets be real here. It was the search for stability, the work put in by Rahul and the fact that the BJP was in a mess.

    Few more points on your comments

    You seem to hate the BJP so I wont waste time talking about them.

    Lalu getting railways because of his closeness to Sonia? Have you not been around for the past 3 months?

    You dont think Rahul is going to join the cabinet? Or Should? He is going to be running for Prime Minister in 5 years, you dont think he should have some cabinet experience by then? Also you are living in your own world if you think he is not going to get a portfolio...

    Agree with you on independents...

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  3. Dee- Seriously? Rahul should continue doing what he is doing? So basically you dont think at any point he should stop working for his party and actually start working for the country. Because all the things you mentioned only help the COngress, they do nothing for the country.

    So what happens in 5 years when YOU want him to be PM without ANY cabinet experience?? Then what? Then I suppose it will be ok for him to be PM, but trust me, with no cabinet experience our country will suffer.

    At one end you talk about youth and at the other you talk about "earning" your position. You are bipolar.

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  4. Sam you are getting too emotional sweety. Bipolar? Calm down its the only way to have a rational discussion

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  5. I agree with you Sam, what a waste if he just does what Dee suggests.

    Anyways, lets not pick one stupid comment. I think Rahul gets HRD or Rural Development...

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  6. Fine Fine, may be bipolar was a bit harsh, I apologize. But I stand by my view on Dee's Rahul Gandhi comment which I think was made without any thought to it...

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  7. PG - Couple of comments.

    1. I am really disappointing with anyone being comfortable with the NDA coming to power. The BJP is a communal party. No educated person should support a communal party no matter what amount of development they offer.

    I dont mind considering supporting the BJP as long as they guarantee being a secular party and not a communal party. Now I know people will say that the Congress has also indulged in non secular acts - but we have to realize this is India - and no one is completely honest. The Congress is forced to restrict its non secular acts in order to maintain its position as a secular party. If the BJP converts to secularism - then just imagine the competition between the Congress & BJP in being truly secular. And then only our country will get rid of issues related to religion.

    2. Regd your comment that the BJP will be back - I know we have discussed this in context with Modi as PM - if BJP continues positions Modi as the next PM candidate - let me predict this - with almost certainty - that the BJP will do even worse than this time - no Muslim in India will vote for the BJP - and there will be a substantial decline in support from the educated lot outside of Gujarat / Bombay. It does not matter what good Modi is doing in Gujarat. Every educated person outside of Gujarat only sees Modi as a mass murderer.

    3. Having said all this I do hope the BJP is back - only because there should be some competition - in order to keep the Congress honest - but I would rather see an arrogant Congress rather than a communal BJP.

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  8. It's actually quite funny how people blindly follow what the Congress says.If they say BJP is communal,then they obviously are communal.
    If the Congress has deprived people one thing,it is the ability to think.I mean come on,why are the gujarat riots called the post-godhra riots?
    Have you ever thought of that?No.Beacause the Congress said Modi was solely responsible for it,nobody even bothers to see the cause of that outrage.
    That,coupled with the obvious bias of the media towards the Congress(again,you are blind if you don't see that)has lead to the downfall of the BJP.
    Learn how to think a little.Babri Masjid was demolished decades back.And no matter what,nobody has the right to burn up trains in retaliation to the demolition.
    I mean,Modi is the same guy who has demolished hundreds of temples in Ahmedabad for development work.But will u guys see all that?Will the media report all that?
    No.Why?because you blindly follw the Congress.
    The Congress is the same party which has not yet hung Afzal Guru(who has been handed a death sentence by the SC)till now.Have u ever wondered why?I'm sure you haven't.
    Obviously not.Because,again,you blindly follow the Congress.Where was the media when the Congress went on the rampage of killing Sikhs?Why weren't questions raised at that time?
    Again,for obvious reasons.This is the same party which declared Bhagat Singh to be a terrorist.This is the same party which submitted an affidavit in the Supreme court stating
    that they did not believe in the existence of Lord Ram.This is the same party under who's governance Kasab is being served his favourite biryanis,being given perfumes etc etc.
    This is the same party which had to sack the Home Minister Shivraj Patil for his comments on 26/11 and for delaying the NSG commandos by nearly 5 hours
    (again,a fact which was very conveniently not covered by the media).How do people forget these issues so fast?How do they only focus on the BJP being 'non-secular'?
    How can they forget the excellent term of the BJP from 1999-2004?The only expalanation is that u blindly follow Madam Sonia Gandhi.
    The Prime minister will obviously be loyal to the people who have elected him.In Manmohan Singhs case,the 'people' is Sonia Gandhi and not the public of India
    for he has never contested an election.So,you can only guess where his loyalties would lie.
    Anyways now there is no point in saying all this.All I can say is that,now that you have successfully voted in a weak,morally-imbalanced,pseudo secular,vote banking,minority appeasing
    government which is not even headed by an Indian(Read:Sonia Gandhi) at least keep a watch on the policies of the government and for once,judge for yourselves whether what they are doing is
    right or wrong rather then being influenced by the media.And do not fear being pointed at for being non-secular.You do not need a certificate of being non-secular from other people.You
    should know that by now.

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  9. Ah.Neha Chhabria's back and this time she's annonymous and she can type! Hoorayy! New look, but same old..same old.

    As this is a fresh post and probably many people haven't read our aggressive (yet fun) discussions on the previous topics, I shall enlighten people once again about your misrepresentations.

    1. Congress never stated that they dispute the existence of Lord Ram. They pushed for the Setusamundhra Canal Project, which was being blocked by scattered land masses, believed to be the bridge built by Lord Ram to Lanka. The Archaeological Survey of India have stated that these land masses are naturally formed over a period of 14 million years and are not part of the "Ram Setu". Please, once again, get your facts correct and do not mislead people.

    2. The death sentence of Mohd. Afzal Guru is currently stayed, due to a judicial power exercised by the President of India (Check Article 72 of the Constitution, if you dispute that). It simply means that even if he might not be hung, he will be condemned to solitary confinement in a jail cell smaller than a cupboard. I would urge everyone to read the articles written by Arundhati Roy on the subject.

    3. I find it strange, you seem to always scream out that ALL of the media is bought over by the Congress. Such cynicism. Awesome.

    4. I find it apalling that you would want people to believe that Kasab is being served Biryani in his cell. Such ignorance of our correctional system is staggering to say the least. Kasab is getting a fantastic trial, which is the need of the hour and we "civilised" people should be proud of a government that will not let anything shake their resolve to provide basic human right gurantees to each and every person, no matter what their crimes. No matter what the media might report that Kasab wants, I personally have tremendous faith in our judicial system that justice will ultimately be done.

    5. Once again, it has not been proved yet that the train in Godhra was indeed burnt down by a "Muslim mob". Two committee reports have come out on the subject and both of them have presented polar opposite views. The truth shall soon come out with the SIT report. I think we should reserve our judgment till then. Tehelka tapes, however, do reveal that what happened "post-Godhra" was a systematically engineered planned attempt at nothing short of GENOCIDE of the Muslim population in Gujarat. What many ministers have been caught saying may also be interpreted in the sense, that whether the train incident had happened, or not, the "riots" (and I only say "riots" because riots are generally sporadic acts of violence and not planned measures of eliminating a certain race) would've still taken place.

    6. I strongly feel that people should have faith in Dr. Manmohan Singh as a leader. It was he who revived our economy from sure doom in 1991. It was he who led the march towards the Nuclear Deal and I strangely do not see eye to eye with anyone who harbours the feeling that he is a "puppet" in the hands of Sonia Gandhi.

    But to pass a comment on the topic at hand, I truly believe possibly everyone was completely blindsided by the MNS. Shocking, and frankly, a little scary. The State elections will surely be something to watch out for.

    And yes, PRG, I echo your sentiments completely. YAY for Stability :) :)

    And to Vineet Pabreja - You, honestly, took the words right out of my mouth! :)

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  10. Anonymous

    I obviously dont know the facts as well as you do.

    1. But my problem is with positioning as much as reality. You have to agree that I did as much as acknowledge in my note that the Congress party has indulged in non secular acts. But it positions itself as a secular party. Whereas the BJP positions itself as a pro Hindu party.

    2. But lets say you are the sort who likes to keep count - and the BJP has only committed as many non secular acts as the Congress - my problem is again with their positioning. If they position themselves as a secular then just imagine the competition amongst the various parties for being 'more' secular. So a secular BJP would have sacked Varun Gandhi. And the Congress to compete would have to indulge in some genuine secularism. Then the BJP to compete would have to sack their Orissa. Then the Congress to compete might actually apologize for 1984. And then the BJP to compete might get Modi to apologize.

    3. Its unfair for you to accuse me of blindly supporting the Congress. I infact already in my note said "I dont mind considering supporting the BJP as long as they guarantee being a secular party and not a communal party."

    4. Ishan - which were my precious words that I took out of your mouth.

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  11. PRG, I guess it was wise after all to choose a known devil rather than an unknown one though.
    As far as the Left is concerned, I just hope that Karat & gang fade into oblivion....so long & thanks for all the fish type
    As far as Mayawati is concerned, she will still cause trouble in the future, if not today then during the time of next elections (whenever they are) cause the local parties who have been voted into power may not perform & the people will choose her then.
    Another politician who's ass needs a whipping is Deve Gowda along with Karunanidhi (calling Prabhakaran a friend & not a terrorist)- Yenna Rascala, they never seems to fade away though, known corrupt crooks.
    I am of the opinion that slum dwellers & non domicile buggers should not be allowed to vote in Mumbai. They actually give goons and non performers a chance to be in power.
    All the noise of Varun Gandhi, Jaya Pradha etc., paid off as they have won so I guess the BJP erred only because they did not portray themselves as a secular party.
    Mamta Banerjee - the bane of the Tata's is in power - what are yoru thoughts ??????

    As for the good side.....Milind Deora, wow .... that was a cool victory for our constituency though.
    Shashi Tharoor, hope the govt., gives him a chance to perform & excel in what he knows best.

    Cheers

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  12. Vineet -

    All your views on the BJP being a communal party, about Modi being a mass murderer and about prefering an arrogant Congress to a communal BJP.

    I completely echo your sentiments.

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  13. Anonymous it's fine to be a cynic in good measure living in India but this has been an election with an unprecedented result, one that NO ONE expected. Doesn't that tell you something? That maybe you are wrong just like every expert, every Mayawati, Mulayam, Lalu, the Left, the BJP etc. has been out there. It would be extremely presumptious if not arrogant of you to dismiss the voice of the people of India and begin to assume that they are just a bunch of brainwashed individuals UNLIKE yourself. I am appalled at your ref to "slum dwellers and non domicile buggers" not being allowed to vote. Next it will be all people from the North. It seems clear that you are Hindu, Male, upper middle class or upper class from your comments but having lived in India i am surprised by your myopia to the rest of its people.

    We are a democracy and a secular one at that. It is the single thing that seperates us from the insanity of all our neighbours. We are far from perfect - we are a vast country with a vast no of people with a vast no of unrelated issues that go beyond the stock market, the economy and money. Those are the facts that no one can wish away, not Narendra Modi, not Varun Gandhi and certainly not you.

    And as far as the Congress is concerned sure they have problems but they haven't perpetuated ethnic cleansing. And its time to get past the Sikhs it's only been 25 years unlike Godhra, i am not sure what media you read but it was in every paper people across India read that the Home Minister Shivraj Patil was sacked for his comments on 26/11 and the rest of your tirade against the all-media-all India BJP conspiracy sounds like you are just plain in denial at the election results.

    And as far as an Italian (whose lost her husband, mother in law, took 10 yrs to get back into politics, could have been sitting in wads of cash in some villa on the mediterranean with her children without risking the lives of the next 5 generations of her family) running this country given the last 5 yrs and our dismal other options - I am all for that as opposed to nonsensical Indian Mayawati or bullying Indian Narendra Modi or the fantastic Left.

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  14. And Vineet - if I may bring to your attention the fact Dr. Manmohan Singh has already apologised for the 1984 riots. Please check the following link,

    http://news.indiainfo.com/2005/08/11/1108pm-apology.html

    I must credit LK Advani for stating that "the demolition of the Babri Masjid was the saddest day of my life". Whether it was genuine or not, I still give him the credit he deserves for acknowledging the incident.

    However, Modi even refuses to acknowledge the post-Godhra riots.

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  15. And stop using the Midday as your sole source of information on Kasab and his eating habits I can recommend a few more authentic alternatives. Beyond that hopefully you will see that we as democratic India are upholding Human Rights in this country, we are taking this guy to trial and not just cutting his hands off like they might in many places in the world even when the verdict is written all over the wall. Be proud.

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  16. Pee-

    "And as far as an Italian (whose lost her husband, mother in law, took 10 yrs to get back into politics, could have been sitting in wads of cash in some villa on the mediterranean with her children without risking the lives of the next 5 generations of her family) running this country given the last 5 yrs and our dismal other options - I am all for that as opposed to nonsensical Indian Mayawati or bullying Indian Narendra Modi or the fantastic Left."

    Excellent. No other words can be said to describe your comment. Excellent.

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  17. Pee, no one ever contested that INC won fair & square - I like that too, atleast a stable government without conditional supporters.
    As far as my comments on slum dwellers & non domicile buggers go, yes I stand by it but what I meant was the Bangladeshis & others who mistreat the country & take advantage of it, not the N.Indians though.
    I don't know if the Italian who lost her husband & mom in law etc., could have lived in a Mediterranean villa with wads of cash - that only time will tell or people like you vote for Mayawati who promise to bring back all the black money back into the country.
    I am of the opinion that the youth that represent India should be given a fair chance & yes I am a male, living in South Mumbai, upper class - I didn't choose that & being one have a right to my opinion like you do.

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  18. Ishan:
    Firstly thanks for all the praise showered on me with regards to my typing skills etc etc.I really don't know what would i do without it.It has been my honest endeavour to change your opinion about me lol
    Secondly,you are right.Congress never disputed the existence of Lord Ram.All they did was merely submit an affidavit in the Supreme Court questioning his existence,right?Not bad eh,coming from a secular party?
    If people are holding Modi responsible for the POST-GODHRA riots,then I for one would like to see the culprits of the Sikh massacre being put to justice first.If nobody agrees with me on this point,then my
    saying that you blindly follow the Congress is thouroughly justified(when i say you it implies all Congress supporters in general).
    Coming to your point about Afzal Guru,it is actually quite funny that his death sentence had been stayed by the President(if it actually is true) at a time when the elections were in full swing.But I'm pretty sure
    you do not see the connection here either.So that again clarifies my point of lending blind support to the Congress.
    Now about the media,well what can I say?Even a blind person would notice their obvious bias towards the Congress.If u do not see it,I am at a loss for words.This is with regards to the Sikh massacre,26/11 attacks,
    government of Maharashtra being in disarray,Home minister getting sacked due to his statements and due to delaying the NSG commandos,Vilasrao Deshmukh being sacked etc etc.Why were'nt these issues being spoken about on NDTV?
    I mention NDTV here because I am assuming most of the people followed their election coverage.If this is not called being biased then what is?It's upto you to answer that.
    Before you go praising Kasab's 'fantastic trial' let me clarify that it is 'fantastic' in no sense.According to me everything about his 'fair' trial is incredibly off the target.If providing him with ammenities which he
    probably never even got in Pakistan is called a fair trial according to you,then again I am at a loss for words.As far as my comments about providing him with biryanis,perfumes etc goes what I am trying to say is that
    even the fact that he has the AUDACITY to demand such things SHOWS THAT A MERE 4TH STANDARD PASS(IS IT?) LIKE HIM CAN COME FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY,CALMLY KILL AROUND 72 PEOPLE,AND THEN MAKE A MOCKERY OF OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM!
    I mean,come on,the first thing he said when he was produced in court was "where is the moneyI had on me when i was arrested?"lol If this is not called making a mockery of our judiciary then what it?And why is he doing all this?
    Because he is not afraid of the government.He is not afraid of the judiciary.He knows that they aren't going to do anything to him.
    As far as the Godhra riots go,it's quite funny that you would even suggest that the train in the first place was not burnt down by Muslims from Godhra.If there is no evidence against them as yet(assuming what you are saying is true
    just for a milisecond,even though I have reasons to believe otherwise)then there is no solid proof yet against Narendra Modi either.So let's not even go there.The bottomline is the riots happened as a result of the train burning.
    Whether it would have happened irrespective of it or not,is,again,a matter of speculation,which iI am sure must have been fired by the Congress.
    Having faith in MMS is totally out of the question for me at least.He is the one who has now let Quattrocci go scot free.And he is a great economist.Wow.He has never even contested election.I don't need to say anything else.
    AS far as the overwhelming win of the Congress goes,it is definitely not attributed to their 'good work'.As far as my opinion goes,it was because of their BETTER POLITICS and not BETTER WORK.They targetted that strate(as they
    always do) which goes out and votes no matter what happens(Read:minorities,slum dwellers,etc etc).And many Hindu votes also go to them because of people like you who think they are 'secular' and,again,have blind faith in them.

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  19. Actually the problem lies in history.The basic founders of this party consisted of Allan Octavian Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, Womesh Chandra Bonerjee, Surendranath Banerjee, Monomohun Ghose, and William Wedderburn.
    This shows that the British actually were pro-Congress.What they wanted eliminated was revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh etc which they achieved eventually with the help of the Congress(especially MK Gandhi-I refrain from calling
    him 'Mahatma' because I really do not agree with that title).So if you look at the roots of your beloved Congress you will see how pro-India they are.LOL.In their minds,Britishers must be really laughing at us because even though
    they have left our country,their influence is very much visible till today.Now you might say that we need not go back in time etc etc,but the point is,YOU HAVE TO GO BACK IN TIME TO SEE THE ROOTS OF THIS POLITICAL PARTY AND TO SEE
    FOR YOURSLEF HOW PRO-INDIA THEY ARE!We have been governed by the Congress for 50 out of 60 years after independence.What is our country in comparison to other smaller economies like Malaysia,Singapore etc etc as far as the basic
    laws go?What sort of cleanliness is there in our country?What sort of basic laws for traffic,population control,pollution control etc do we have?I am not saying that the BJP would have done much better(which I realy feel they would
    have,but whatever)but until and unless you do not see these basic things how will you be un-blindfolded?What sort of security have they provided us with?All they have done is encourage the population of the country to increase,damaged
    our infrastructure,encouraged slums to grow(so that they get their votes) etc etc.I know a country takes time to recover from the many years of slavery enforced on them,but my question isif India is touted to be one of the fastest growing economies,
    why does it now show anywhere?Why haven't slum s been re-habilitated?why are there still so many people lying below poverty line?Why is it that,in Mumbai in particular,it takes endless amounts of time to reach any destination?Can any of these questions
    be answered by you?
    As far as your fear of the MNS goes,the people you have to thank,again,is the Congress,because unlike the BSP which made an attempt to jail Varun Gandhi,the Congress being the party in power in Maharashtra did not even attempt to do so because
    they knew it would affect the Shiv Sena votes which is in tie up with the BJP.If you have a different opinion as far as this is concerned,I can't wait to hear it.Because I have actually read articles online which confirm what I have just stated.
    Hopefully this post will drill a little sense into the 'educated' people.If not,well then go ahead.Support the Congress.You will repent someday.

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  20. I truly believe you have made no valid point, which any decently intelligent person would understand or buy. You clearly suffer from a strange notion of paranoia and I do not wish to indulge it further. I think its time I let other people see for themselves how silly your views are, completely based on misunderstandings and sheer ignorance.

    1. Congress never questioned the existence of Lord Ram. Period. Like I'e said they dispute whether the isolated land masse between India and Sri Lanka were actually part of the original Ram Setu. Even a 2nd standard child would understand that doesn't mean they wish to challenge his existence. It was all about the bridge. Done.

    2. The reason that India is not doing well cannot be completely attributed to bad governance. Have a little faith in your own country. We've come light years from where we were during independence and I'm not attributing that to the Congress party alone. Its a combined effort and I honestly, believe, considering the vast nature of the country, its caste system, so many different religions thriving together, its population, we've done pretty well. Its sad how you look for greener pastures everywhere, but don't realise how better off we are than most so many other similarly placed countries. Sad.

    3. Afzal's execution sentence was stayed in 2006. You clearly need to read more.

    4. Merely because Kasb demands perfume, toothpaste and a walk for 10 mins a day, does not mean he's making a mockery of our judiciary. Our judiciary is one of the strongest in the world. Yes, it might be tardy. But it still stands for the sense of justice our Constitution drafters had envisioned for country. And even if he's making a "mockery" of our Courts, is the Congress to blame for that? That doesn't even remotely make sense. All the evidence will be presented in courts, witnesses will be cross-examined and justice will be done. Thats not what the Congress alone stands for.. its what our Constitution stands for.

    5. No hard evidence exists against Modi, except of course, the Tehelka tapes. You inability to respond to that point or your lack of response to it, displays your ignorance. Do not compare what happened in 1984 to what happened in Gujarat. The Congress has already accepted moral reponsibility for it the day the reports were tabled in Parliament. Dr. Manmohan Singh has expressed his profound regret at what happened. Has the BJP ever even acknowledged the fact that it was their "Ayodhaya Movement" that demolished the Babri Masjid sparking of the '93 riots and blasts. Please. I really don't think you know what you're talking about.

    With these elections, the people of India have sent in their mandate loudly and very..very clearly - NO MORE COMMUNALISM. ENOUGH OF THIS MUSLIM BASHING AND HINDU FIRST IDEOLOGY.

    Btw, I would strongly urge you to read on what exactly the RSS is, a fascist organisation which pretty much controls the BJP. And I don't mean Wikipedia, which is the ultimate destination and source for all your research. Exactly why your statements seem so ignorant. Because for forming an opinion about serious things like politics, you refer to Google searches and Wikipedia. Nice.

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  21. Dear Anonymous, Upper class, male, Hindu (i can bet) from S Bombay - you are allowed your opinion afcourse, you aren't to blamed for where you are born but opening your mind to other realities is something in your control. But since it is impossible to understand the ramblings from your ivory tower, Unlike patient Ishan Handa I join Vineet and Dee & give up trying. A word of unasked for analysis - you seem high on the angst, and latent anger quotient and you feel like the world owes you something though you have everything. You are very out of touch with reality (again pl note AGAIN the election results and how India has voted and how nothing is perfect umm yes not even your fav the BJP) - you are giving yourself and your intelligence too much importance while assuming the rest of this country is dumb to the vily ways of the BRITISH CONGRESS. Reality check? Step down from the Ivory Tower. If you find you have other people who understand what you are saying ask them to do the same. India would really benefit from having passionate and intelligent people like yourself (i mean it) directing their energies into the present and future and not living with paranoia and false ideas in the past.

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  22. Thanks to Ishan for so clearly stating the truth with no emotional drama! And afcourse for your patience!

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  23. Pee, there are more than 1 `anonymous' writers here. Don't mix & match though & comment for what is not written by the upper class, hindu male from South Bombay.

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  24. Oops. You sounded the same.

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  25. Ishaan:
    Basically i disagree with whatever you have said.
    The exact words of Karunanidhi were,"Who is this Lord Ram?Which engineering college did he attend that he managed to build a bridge?" lol it's actually funny that u do not know about this.
    Country not doing as well as it could be,and Congress being in power for 50 years out of 60(and now a dreaded 5 years more)no connection?rofl
    Again,who stayed his sentence,Pratibha Patil?Who appointed her?Congress?Go figure!
    About Kasab,if the government does not have a role to play in his trial then I'm the queen of England.Lol.Honestly,if I was in his place even I would be absolutley fearless.Whom to fear?The congress?The lovely judiciary?Justice will be done?Staying the order of the SC to hang Afzal Guru is justice?Lol.A similar scenario will follow for Kasab.Ask the families affected by him directly,they will let u know how much just it is.lol
    Congress accepted moral responsibility for their '84 riots.WOW!That totally changes my opinion about them.Lol.If they have the guts let them turn in the people responsible.Or scratch that because it's never gonna happen.Let them at least start a probe.Lol.
    As far as Modi goes,I am quoting you here,"All the evidence will be presented in courts,witnesses will be cross examined,and justice will be done".Lol.
    Let's not get into me being ignorant,Ishan.You might have a lot of knowledge,which I would term as bookish.because you do not have the common sense to differentiate betweeen right and wrong.I would urge you to read up about your beloved leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and their lovely backgrounds.Forget them,look at the background of this party itself.Why is it that people do not even acknowledge the contribution of others to the freedom movement besides Gandhi?Do people even know when others like Bhagat Singh were born or when did they die?Why are others contributions always sidelined?It's because of the lovely policy of this party to eliminate whosoever goes against them at all costs.
    Actually I am really enjoying this blog now.it's awesome to see how the "educated" people of our country can also be blinded by the policies of a party,which according to me should have been finished off long back!Looking forward to another tellingly blindfolded Congress loving response from you and someone who goes by the name of pee for some weird reason.Nice name btw.Suits you to the tee,pee.lol

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  26. Whatever said and done,if the Tehelka tapes were genuine,I believe that the UPA would have done something about it by now right?Oh,but I forgot.You said that the government has no role to play in our judicial system.Maybe that's why nothing has been done =)
    Oh and btw you did not respond to my comments on the congress and Raj Thackeray connection(on which there is an article in TOI today which might interest you).
    As far as the RSS goes,I think it is enough for me that their roots have firmly emerged from India and not Britain.The basic requirement for me would be that my leaders be Indian and have their roots from India.Clearly that is not a requirement for you.That's your opinion anyways.It's the influence of the West and lack of self confidence that makes people depend on others =)

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  27. well said Anonymous - I'm the male, Hindu, South Bombay, upper class Anonymous guy appreciating what you have written. Jai Ho!!!!!!!!

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  28. Oh and I forgot to say I did not get any answers from you with regards to the media staying mum on various issues like the Mumbai terror attacks(26/11 and the train blasts) etc etc.I wouldn't call it your ignorance.The fact is there is simply no answer to the questions raised by me =)
    No answers with regards to the Bofors scam either and how Mr.Q can now walk freely all thanks to your beloved Dr.MMS.
    Your conclusion of the people's mandate is straight out of NDTV.Lol.
    What about my questions with regards to the declaration of Bhagat Singh as a terrorist?No answers?lol
    You seem to have alot of knowledge Ishaan about various laws etc etc,but practical knowledge?zero!Thinking power?Zero.Ability to reason?Zero!
    One thing I am happy about in these elections is the fact that the UPA has won with enough majority to not be under threat from their various 'erstwhile' allies like Karunanidhi('friend' of Prabhakaran),Sharad Pawar(close aide of Dawood Ibrahim)Lalu yadav, etc etc.because when you compare the Congress with their allies,they are the lesser evil.Nothing else about this election has a good enough outcome for this country.Nothing.

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  29. @ other anonymous:don't say jai ho yaa!Iv started hating that song after the Congress adopted it as it's slogan lol =D

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  30. Mr/Ms PEE:
    Well this is the first time i have actually read all your comments,and l et me assure you,i have never laughed more in my entire life!
    Sonia Gandhi playing on her life to serve the nation?Seriously?This just goes to show that maybe you are not aware of the amount of money these politicians make while 'doing their work'!The only lives she's risking here is ours because of her stupid weak party!
    About me assuming that the rest of the country is blind,well let me remind you that the ENTIRE country has not voted for your beloved Congress inthe first place.BJP did still win alot of seats.Lets not forget this is the same party which was written off in '84 by people like you when they merely won two seats.
    AS far as the rest of the people who voted for the Congress go,well yes.They are blind.They do not have their priorities right.Especially the ones who dance on roof tops saying "We voted for a secular party!"whoopeee!
    I do not think you have made any other commnets worth responding to.And nor have you or "patient Ishaan Handa" or any congress lover responded to my questions about them.So I am now assuming thatyou people are at a loss for answeers.I do not credit that to ignorance.There are simply no answers to certain questions =)

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  31. Nice article. Ties in with another blog, which also makes for great reading

    modernindianpolitics.blogspot.com

    Try it! I recommend it.

    ReplyDelete

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