By Kajol Singh | INNLIVE
SPOTLIGHT If the Lok Sabha elections 2014 could be described in one word, it would likely be communal. Blame it on the Muzaffarnagar riots in Uttar Pradesh. Blame it on Modi. Blame it on the sickular libtards. Blame it on the boogie-woogie for all we care. Whatever the reason, the ugly truth is that we are in the midst of an election where polarisation rather than policy has become the name of the game. Our netas on the campaign trail have only served to fuel the proverbial fires - and not by accident either. In the scramble for votes, you gotta do whatcha gotta do.
By Likha Veer | INNLIVE
ANALYSIS Living through the past quarter of a century, in which the Congress was just one among many contenders for power, one thought that anti-Congressism had run its course. But it seems that the old division of political forces into Congress vs its opponents still has some relevance. Of course, dislike of and suspicion about the Congress continued even during the post-Congress phase (from 1989 onwards)—mainly as a strategy to forge non-Congress coalitions.
The high moment of this non-Congressism came in 1989, when the National Front government was propped up by both the BJP and the Left Front. Now, when the Congress is fighting to retain a semblance of a contest in the Lok Sabha polls, anti-Congressism is back in the political discourse. In the run-up to the ongoing election, the BJP’s PM candidate, Narendra Modi, has revived anti-Congressism—and more stridently than others in the recent past.
By Saraswat Sinha | INNLIVE
SPECIAL REPORT Foreigners keen on experiencing a slice of Indian elections are being treated to guided tours of this holy city and many of them have taken this opportunity to create awareness among voters urging them to exercise their franchise.
As political decibels rise, Varanasi is turning into a tourist magnet. "These tours are part of 'Heart of India', designed by a US-based operator which takes them to different parts of the country before ending in Varanasi. And, as the city has riveted the attention of the entire country, I thought it was only fitting to show them the heart of Indian democracy too," Som Nath, who conducts the tour here, told INNLIVE.
By Ravikant Sule | INNLIVE
RIFT POLITICS BJP sources claim missing photos of the senior BJP leader from posters installed at the rally was the outcome of the ongoing cold war between Gadkari and Uddhav Thackeray,
The ongoing feud between Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari once again became public with the latter’s absence from the dais and the posters installed at BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s rally at BKC.
Sources in the BJP claimed that since the Sena took the responsibility of organising the event, Gadkari’s picture was missing from posters and banners installed at the rally.
By Aparajita Tripathi (Guest Writer)
RESEARCH ANALYSIS Come elections and the parties sing a familiar tune. They go into an overdrive of pandering to our sense of insecurity about our communities, languages, regional development, ethnic origins and caste statuses.
Since the Indian mainland supports 1/6th of the world’s population with 1/16th of the world’s land, there are bound to be deficiencies and inequity. Add to it, the sense of persecution and a partial picture of biases, and we have the insecurity story complete and attractive.
By Rajlakhsmi Trivedi | Patna
Though official voting age may be 18 years, children between 12-14 years are also reported to have voted on April 17. The official voting age may be 18 years, but in Jagmalbigha village, under Khusrupur police station of Patna Saheb Lok Sabha constituency, children between 12-14 years are also reported to have voted on April 17. Moreover, while the village recorded a turnout of almost 70 per cent, not many have the indelible ink mark on their fingers.
“This time, even some children voted. Many people avoided the ink mark so that they could vote again in someone else’s name. There was largescale bogus voting while polling officials remained silent,” said Ram Vinay Kumar Singh, a villager.
By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE
EDITORIAL It is received wisdom (or is it assumption?) that the Muslim vote will go against the BJP in most places. This might well happen in some constituencies and states, but there are now good reasons to question the assumption that the Muslim vote will be cast en bloc to stop the Narendra Modi bandwagon in its tracks.
To be sure, voting against Modi, even if it were to happen, does not affect the BJP’s overall prospects, especially if the anti-Modi vote is distributed among two or more parties parties, as it could happen in Uttar Pradesh. But there are now straws in the wind indicating that the Muslim vote may not be monolithic anyway. It may not even be that enthusiastic about voting solidly against Modi.
By Arhaan Faraaz | INNLIVE
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has sought the support of Telangana people for his party in the state and for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the centre to ensure inclusive development in society.
Addressing a mammoth election rally in Mahbubnagar, Rahul made a strong pitch for a prosperous and progressive Telangana with social justice.
“Only Congress will ensure development which will benefit Dalits, farmers, labourers, backwards, women and minorities. It will benefit Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians,” he said.
