Economic Impact

I came across a good report from BNP Paribas titled 'India Strategy - Elections 2009'. This had a analysis on the markets based on various post poll government formation scenarios. I liked a particular table so much, that couldnt resist putting it up here. Have a look. (Hope its legible when expanded by clicking)

A de'vote' citizen?

I am hugely disappointed. There is a gnawing sense of guilt in me. After all my attempts, I still would not cast my vote come 23rd April when polling happens here. :-(

Damn it, or should I say damn myself. This is touching hypocrisy. On one side I proclaim myself a jingoist, a person who loves anything and everything about India. The flip side - has never ever cast a vote! Maybe ashamed is a better word huh

In college, I was the typical iconoclastic rebel. The young blood who believes everything around him is erroneous and rebellion or being different is the solution. So I did not care to vote during 1999. Come 2004, I was travelling all over the country hence just spent my time looking at long queues of voters braving the heat just to make their infinitisimal voice heard. Come 2009, I again missed the voter registration due to failure in qualifing the eligibility norm of at least 6 months of continuous stay. Maybe exasperated is a better word huh

I dream of a utopian change, whereby ALL citizens whether they are in Chhapra in Bihar or Sharm Al Shaikh in Egypt can vote. I know its beyond me to figure out the national logistics, warehousing and co-ordination to effect this, but I am hopeful. One day all the righful citizens would be able to vote irrespective of their perambulations. Maybe optimist is a better word ..huh :-)

The BJP Manifesto

BJP released its Election Manifesto 2009 yesterday on the occasion of Ram Navmi. I downloaded the entire text and printed it, otherwise really cumbersome reading the tome online. (Full text here). Now I felt it a necessary and interesting exercise worth the effort and time for two reasons - 1. My political alignation with BJP 2. To find an answer to the overarching question 'Define India'.

Now this post is not meant to highlight the key points in the manifesto. For anyone interested in that, more qualified and erudite psephologists are dissecting and trisecting it all over the media. My intent here is to focus on point no. 2 above. Being a nationalist that I am, I am happy to have found a beautiful document which captures India at 30,000 ft level. The adrenaline content in my bloodstream shoots up just reading the scope, the magnitude, the diversity, the spellbinding richness of something which has been sadly pedestrianized in the 21st century - 'Mere Desh Ki Dharti'

To all the cynics of Indian democrary, I make out a earnest, resounding yet humble appeal. There might be corruption, depravity, debauchery all over the Indian ethos - in its people, in its polity, in its corporates; but there is a remarkable method to the madness!! Please appreciate that. Please acknowledge how over 1 billion people use their fingers to collectively resolve their destiny. Please avoid lambasting the system when you yourself are a part of it. Please live and let live.

Here are the professionals

I have been watching TV since over 4 hours at stretch today, a really langurous Sunday. The constant din surrounding Varun Gandhi completely put me off, however I did manage to watch Barkha Dutt's "We the People". The topic of discussion was interesting. 'Can professionals make able netas?'. This is with reference to a few professionals with no prior association with politics announcing their candidature for contesting Lok Sabha Elections. These are Mallika Sarabhai from Gandhinagar, Meera Sanyal from South Mumbai and Captain Gopinath from South Bangalore. The latter two were on the show.

Goes without saying that each of the three are luminaries in their respective 'circle of competence', but I do not endorse their candidature from the perspective of consituting the 15th parliament of my country. India is already reeling and writhing under fragmented politics with over 100 political parties contesting elections, these Don Quixotes (if I may call them that) are really unwanted. What I cannot figure out is why do they want to become a member of parliament when they are so called 'independents' with no alignation to either Congress, BJP or the Left?. Are they gonna sit in the Lok Sabha and cast their 1 vote and hope for miracles?

If I were of the stature of any of those three AND I wanted to contest Lok Sabha elections for whatever reasons, I would force fit myself to joining either the Congress or the BJP. Going solo is senseless.

I shall keep a eye on these three on 16th May, when the results are announced. As a side note, Mallika Sarabhai is contesting from Gandhinagar.. yep you guessed it against Mr. Lal Krishna Advani of BJP. What to say!! But I was mighty impressed with Meera Sanyal. Super woman.

Elections Roundup

NDA – Not looking good. I want BJP to get a thumping absolute majority, and wish Mr. Venkaiah Naidu’s statement that NDA will win 200 seats comes true but off course that’s wishful thinking. First BJP itself appears to be a shadow of its heyday Vajpayee times with routs in Rajasthan and Delhi. Second, the alliances are gone. An almost quisling act by Naveen Patnaik of Orissa has in one swoop reduced 10 to 12 numbers from the NDA final tally, unless if post poll negotiations pull back Patnaik in NDA. States where I expect BJP to show strong performance – Gujarat, MP, Karnataka. That’s it. Yep, so fragmented it appears. In Maharashtra, the alliance with Shiv Sena might just strike the chord this time round, with an almost certain rout in Mumbai expected after 26/11. But Pawar Power is the dominant factor in Maharashtra. In Bihar too, they might just break their neck ahead the Lalu-Paswan duo with strong alliance partner JD-(U). In UP they will be decimated.

UPA – Not looking good either, but still a touch better than the NDA. The Congress was stabbed in the back with two important allies Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan joining hands in Bihar. The duo ‘humiliated’ Congress by leaving only 3 seats from the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar for the Congress. Even in the kurushetra of all battlefields Uttar Pradesh, trusted comrades of Samajwadi Party decided to go solo. However, their other tie ups with Sharad Pawar’s NCP, Mamata Bannerjee’s Trinamool are mostly in place.

Third Front – Hata sawaan ki ghata.. well almost :-). The towering presence of one of the most remarkable women India has ever seen can upset the apple and orange carts of NDA and UPA. Her name is Mayawati. From school teacher to UP chief minister, the saga of this woman’s political career impresses me. She might just make it to the hot seat. But apart from her, the third front is truly a ‘parking lot’ of all the parties which cannot fall into the above two camps. As many prime ministerial hopefuls as parties.

Battlegrounds - You don’t wanna miss the fierce battles here!
Uttar Pradesh – 4 way dog eat dog competition between BSP, SP, Congress and BJP. One helluva contest this shall be
Bihar – BJP-JD(U) against RJD-LJP with Congress playing match referee
Maharashtra – BJP-Shiv Sena against Congress-NCP. This shall go down to the wire as well

A good blog to remain hooked during these exciting times - Lok Sabha Election 2009

Kaun Banega Pradhan Mantri

I somehow dont get good vibes about Mr. L.K.Advani and BJP's chances at the hot seat. The BJD debacle in Orissa is going to hurt a lot. Naveen Patnaik has called off the decade long alliance with BJP and he sure has the muscle power now in his fiefdom. If we recall, BJP lost the 2004 polls primarily because of wrong coalition partners, and I see history repeating itself. It may well be 'not in this life' for Mr. Advani.

Wake Up!!

Found this site. I tried to register myself but did not qualify as I havent completed 6 months of continuous stay at current place of residence. I am praying by April I can get to register. This time I want to vote. Thats it.

Munna Bai

Lucknow
Candidate from Samajwadi Party - Sanjay Dutt (Manyata 'Who' Dutt as surrogate)
Candidate from Bhartiya Janata Party - Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha. Man, I cant stop laughing.. thodi hawa aane do .. ha ha ha ha..

Ha ha ha ha .. (a laughter borrowed from those black rakshas in Indian mythological serials)

Yes Prime Minister

I happened to stop by this.
Although I may have been 'a keen impartial observer' to the US Presidential Elections, let me lay the sticks straight when it comes to Indian Lok Sabha General Elections. I was, am and will be 'a passionate, supremely biased participant'. There. :-)

My love (and the above mentioned bias) for Indian Politics germinated during the 14th Lok Sabha elections which saw the defeat of the NDA in the most distasteful manner. The year was 2004, the best year of my epic life. Me and friend were stationed in Kerela 'working' but actually living a junket. During these months, days and nights were spent watching NDTV's electoral coverage and getting introduced to the fascinating kaleidoscope of Indian Politics.

Keep watching this space. I am planning to cover the 15th General Elections closely. And any readers in India, PLEASE vote. Unless you are happy with our beloved Behenji from UP taking on the mantle of Indian Prime Ministership!