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[iamcool388]

NOTE: I didn't see any thread where we could discuss the Indian Elections, so I thought I would create an OT where people interested could post and speculate at least till the Election results are declared on 16th May. While Exit Polls will come out today i.e. 12th May at 18:30 hours IST, do note that they have been unreliable in the recent past (See Delhi Assembly Election.)

I have tried to keep the OP brief and devoid of needless filler, however I am a mostly a lurker nowadays and don't even post regularly, much less create threads, so if you would like any more information reflected here, please PM me and I will add it in promptly.
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Update 5:

Narendra Modi took oath today evening at Rashtrapati Bhawan (Presidents House) in front of 3000+ people, in what is easily the largest Prime Ministerial swearing in ceremony to date.

Ironically, it was the largest ceremony to usher in the smallest cabinet in quite a while. There were approximately 45 ministers who took oath, while the outgoing UPA cabinet had more than 70 ministers.

Here's a picture of the audience.

And here's a picture of the President Pranab Mukherjee giving the Oath to Narendra Modi.

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Update 4:

Narendra Modi has been elected as the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party just now. The surprising news is that his name was proposed by LK Advani, who was considered to be harboring some lingering resentment towards Modi. Furthermore, his name was seconded by Murali Manohar Joshi (considered Anti-Modi), Sushma Swaraj (also considered Anti-Modi), Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu.

This is significant as it shows the considerable clout that Narendra Modi has amassed within his own party after his thumping win in the elections. Moreover, this makes it easier for the government to not repeat the mistakes of the previous 10 years with the UPA government, where Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi was the Congress Party President, effectively have two centers of power. Eventually, the Prime Minister was considered toothless and most of the decisions were approved by Sonia Gandhi.

Modi's elevation to Party leader as well as Prime Minister asserts his primacy and reduces the role of troublemakers who might indulge in factionalism.
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Update 3:

Icumbent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has tendered his resignation to the President.

The entire Union Cabinet has followed suit and has tendered their resignation.

Tarun Gogoi, CM of Assam, has accepted Moral Responsibility and resigned.

Nitish Kumar, CM of Bihar, has resigned. He is, however, expected to cobble together all the anti-BJP parties and hold on to his Chief Ministership.

The Election Commission will call on the President today to give him the final list of winners for all seats.

Narendra Modi has a lot of meetings lined up in Delhi. He will meet his Master Strategist Amit Shah (think Karl Rove), BJP Party President Rajnath Singh, Former Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat.
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Update 2:

We have witnessed a historic election. There is no other word except "Historic" to describe the nature of what has transpired in the last two months in India. This election has seen the decimation of Congress, one of the oldest political parties in the world, reduced to such a state that it may not even get the legitimacy of being the Leader of the Opposition, because they may not get 10% of the seats. The INC has been completely slaughtered. To say that the BJP has achieved its best performance to date is to understate their performance. They have achieved the best performance of any non-Congress party in the history of free India. It is also the first time in the last 30 years that a party has won a majority of seats on its own.

It is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a massive, MASSIVE, mandate from the Indian population to BJP, and more specifically, to Narendra Modi. Here are the results of major parties so far (All figures are from Times Now news channel):

BJP (NDA) - 285 (335)
INC (UPA) - 48 (61)
AAP - 4
TMC - 34
AIADMK - 37
BJD - 19

For detailed report on the election results, both links by xBhaskar are good. Here's the Bing Results Page with some pretty cool filters, and here's the Google Results Page.

I'll put my comments regarding some interesting aspects of these results in a post below as it is my personal opinion and I dont want to have that in the OP. Also, I will update the results of the major parties in the OP in case they change, as they contain both results and leads, so things might change a bit.
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Update 1:

The exit polls are out, and almost unanimously show the NDA (BJP + Allies) getting the required number of seats to form the next Government. The UPA (INC + Allies) has been reduced to its lowest total ever, with the INC itself very possibly not even reaching triple digits. If these exit poll results hold true on the 16th of May, this might be an absolutely historic election. The voter turnout at 66.38% has been the highest since Independence. According to these exit poll figures, the 'Modi Wave' that opposing parties were dismissing as the fevered imagination of Narendra Modi might actually be the reality.

Here are the different exit poll figures as conducted by those agencies/news channels:

I will post a few interesting questions raised by these estimates, with one caveat - I assume that these figures are true.

1. What is next in terms of the leadership of INC? Rahul Gandhi has been proven a failure on the grandest stage of all. Will Priyanka Vadra nee Gandhi step in to replace Rahul Gandhi? Or will INC protect the first family of India and blame it all on lack of proper messaging, Modi's good media management etc.

2. What will be the role of the RSS in a Modi government? With Modi getting a strong majority, will that make him less susceptible to the sort of extremist many worry the RSS might harbor?

3. Which of the regional parties might join the government? While Mamata (TMC) may have very well burnt her bridges with Modi (unlike Naveen Patnaik and Jayalalita of the BJD and AIADMK respectively), will she be amenable to taking the easy way out and promise 'issue-based support'?

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Original Post

The Parties:

Indian National Congress - INC is one of the oldest democratically operating political parties in the world. It has held power for 57 years in the 67 years since India's independence. Usually considered center-left. Its leadership has been held by the Nehru-Gandhi family almost exclusively since 1947.

Bharatiya Janata Party - BJP is the other major party in India. It is, to my knowledge, the only other party whose prime minister finished a full term in office (Atal Bihari Vajpayee in late 1990 - early 2000). Usually considered center-right. It has been enjoying a string of electoral successes recently at the state level, and hopes to convert them into a national mandate on 16th May.

Aam Aadmi Party - AAP traces its root in the India Against Corruption campaign a couple of years ago. Its leader is Arvind Kejriwal, who had come to power in the Delhi Assembly elections, but left the Government after just 49 days due to the Central Government not meeting his demands regarding pending legislation on Corruption. They are contesting a large number of seats all over India, especially in Urban areas which is its base. AAP candidates can play spoilsports for candidates of both the major parties.

Regional Parties - The days when a single party could get a majority on its own seem to have gone the way of the dodo, now INC or BJP both have to woo the regional parties with clout to try to form a coalition government. This gives the regional parties a lot of clout at times, and if they play their cards right they can demand plum portfolios in return of giving support.

Major Pre-Poll Alliances:

INC - Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD, led by Laloo Prasad Yadav) in Bihar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP, led by Sharad Pawar) in Maharashtra, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD, led by Ajit Singh) in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM, led by Hemant Soren) in Jharkhand.

BJP - Telugu Desam Party (TDP, led by Chandrababu Naidu) in Andhra Pradesh, Shiv Sena (led by Uddhav Thakrey) in Maharashtra, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD, led by Parkash Singh Badal) in Punjab, Lok Janashakti Party (LJP, led by Ram Vilas Paswan) in Bihar.

Wild Cards - There are a bunch of other large regional parties who have not entered any Pre-poll alliance. They are:

Uttal Pradesh - Samajwadi Party (SP, led by Mulayam Singh Yadav) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP, led by Mayawati)

West Bengal - Trinamool Congress (TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee). Mamata Banerjee has launched the largest amount of vitriol against Narendra Modi in the latter phases of polling, and an alliance between TMC and BJP seems unlikely. Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPIM, as they are called, is party that ruled West Bengal for 35 years straight but now finds itself in a much weakened position.

Tamil Nadu - AIADMK led by Jayalalita and DMK led by Karunanidi

Bihar - Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD, led by Laloo Prasad Yadav), widely considered to be allied with INC. Janata Dal (United), led by Sharad Yadav, was previously a part of BJP's alliance, but broke off after caustic remarks made by Nitish Kumar (Chief Minister of Bihar) to Narendra Modi.

Orissa - Biju Janata Dal (BJD, led by Naveen Patnaik).

The main players of this election:

Narendra Modi (BJP)

Interview on Frankly Speaking with Arnab Goswami

- Four time Chief Minister of Gujarat
- Fiery orator
- Grew up poor and sold tea at his fathers stall to earn money as a kid
- left home, parents, wife to lead a spiritual life. Wandered Himalayas for a year or two. Wanted to join a monastery, the head monk told him his destiny lay elsewhere, then joined politics.
- Many still blame him for communal riots in Gujarat in 2001
- Promotes the Gujarat Model of Development wherever he goes

Rahul Gandhi (INC)

Interview on Frankly Speaking with Arnab Goswami

- Vice president of INC, Chairperson of Indian Youth Congress
- MP from Amethi, UP.
- Claims to be chief architect of Right to Information (RTI) Act in India.
- Many consider his sister to be a better politician than him.

Arvind Kejriwal (AAP)

Interview on Frankly Speaking with Arnab Goswami

- Leader of Aam Aadmi Party, Chief Minister of Delhi for 49 days before resigning
- Calls himself the only clean alternative in this election
- Has stood against Narendra Modi, asked Kumar Vishwas to stand against Rahul Gandhi, giving them both a tough fight
- Nagging doubts remain that resigning from Delhi was a political ploy that has backfired
- Somehow keeps getting slapped regularly, sometimes by his own supporters

The election was held in 9 phases for 543 seats. Any coalition requires 272 seats to form the government. Today is the last phase of the election.

Contests to Watch:

Varanasi - Narendra Modi (BJP) vs Arvind Kejriwal (AAP) vs Ajay Rai (INC)
Amethi - Smriti Irani (BJP) vs Rahul Gandhi (INC) vs Kumar Vishwas (AAP)
Amritsar - Amarinder Singh (INC) vs Arun Jaitley (BJP)
Chandigarh - Kirron Kher (BJP) vs Pawan Bansal (INC) vs Gul Panag (AAP)
Bangalore South - Ananth Kumar (BJP) vs Nandan Nilekani (INC)
Kolkata North - Rahul Sinha (BJP) vs Somen Mitra (INC) vs Sudip Bandhopadhyay (TMC) vs Rupa Bagchi (CPIM) - Possibly the hottest, craziest matchup of this election.
Ghaziabad - Gen. V. K. Singh (BJP) vs Raj Babbar (INC) vs Shazia Ilmi (AAP)

Some pictures from the Campaign Trail:

A Narendra Modi Rally in Patna, Bihar.

Rahul Gandhi meeting his supporters

Arvind Kejriwal campaigning for AAP

I will update the OP later tonight with the Exit Poll predictions. Till then... discuss!

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Thanks for the thread. This one is going to be very interesting.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Sometimes I watch interviews with Indian politicians on TV and they almost always come off as fakes

 

[AstroNut325]

I don't know the history. What was gujrat's model? And what role did Modi play in it? Was it really his libertarian ways?

 

[besada]

Thanks for making the thread. Given that it's the largest democracy in the world, it seems like something that should be getting massive coverage, but isn't. It's good to see a thread here where I can pick up a little information.

 

[iamcool388]

I am quite surprised that more people are not interested in the biggest elections in the world. Still, this thread was not intended to garner views or to make it into a 10+ page behemoth, but to impart information to anyone who would like to follow the elections. In that vein, I will continue making occasional posts with new facts, figures, rumors and analysis of the elections. I have added an update to the OP, posting it here as well.

The exit polls are out, and almost unanimously show the NDA (BJP + Allies) getting the required number of seats to form the next Government. The UPA (INC + Allies) has been reduced to its lowest total ever, with the INC itself very possibly not even reaching triple digits. If these exit poll results hold true on the 16th of May, this might be an absolutely historic election. The voter turnout at 66.38% has been the highest since Independence. According to these exit poll figures, the 'Modi Wave' that opposing parties were dismissing as the fevered imagination of Narendra Modi might actually be the reality.

Here are the different exit poll figures as conducted by those agencies/news channels:

I will post a few interesting questions raised by these estimates, with one caveat - I assume that these figures are true.

1. What is next in terms of the leadership of INC? Rahul Gandhi has been proven a failure on the grandest stage of all. Will Priyanka Vadra nee Gandhi step in to replace Rahul Gandhi? Or will INC protect the first family of India and blame it all on lack of proper messaging, Modi's good media management etc.

2. What will be the role of the RSS in a Modi government? With Modi getting a strong majority, will that make him less susceptible to the sort of extremist many worry the RSS might harbor?

3. Which of the regional parties might join the government? While Mamata (TMC) may have very well burnt her bridges with Modi (unlike Naveen Patnaik and Jayalalita of the BJD and AIADMK respectively), will she be amenable to taking the easy way out and promise 'issue-based support'?

 

[scsa]

A couple of brilliant insightful articles for pertaining to this election.
And some facts that the world needs to know.

http://www.francoisgautier.com/the-empress-of-india/

Like Sonia Gandhi, I am a Westerner and a brought-up catholic. My father, a very good man, was a staunch Christian; my uncle, whom I doted upon, was the vicar of the Montmartre Church, one of the most picturesque landmarks of Paris. Like Sonia Gandhi, I have lived in India for more than 40 years, and I have had the good fortune to be married to an Indian.

But the comparison stops there. I did land in India with a certain amount of prejudices, clichés and false ideas, that most Westerners pick-up here and there (Tintin, Kipling, the City of Joy, Slumdog Millionaire, today) and I did think in the enthusiasm of my youth to become a missionary to bring back Indian ‘pagans’ to the ‘true God’. But the moment I stepped in India I felt that not only I had nothing much that I could give to India, but rather, that it was India which was bestowing me. In fact, in 40 years, India has given me so much, professionally, spiritually, sentimentally. Most Westerners, who come here, still think they are here to ‘give’ something to a country, which, unconsciously of course, they think is lesser than theirs. It was true of the British, it was true of Mother Teresa, it is true of Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

It is a fact that Sonia brought discipline, order and cohesion into the Congress party. But the amount of power, that she, a non-Indian, a simple elected MP, like hundreds of others, possesses, should frighten her. All the television channels report without a blink that Maharashtra CM rushes to Delhi to Sonia Gandhi to plead for his life. But should not Chavan have gone to the Prime Minister first? Her power is indeed terrifying: a word, nay a glance of her is sufficient to trigger action by her entourage, using any means. Thus, the instruments of power have never been so perverted in India. The CBI blatantly and shamelessly quashed all injunctions against Quattrochi and even allowed him to get away with billions of rupees which he had stolen from India. Yet, without batting an eyelid, and with the Indian Media turning a blind eye, it goes ruthlessly after the Chief Minister of the most efficiently run state, the most corruption free. Today the Congress, with Sonia’s overt or silent consent, pays crores of rupees to buy MP’s to topple non-Congress governments. Her governors shamelessly hijack democracy by twisting the laws.

Are Indians aware that their country has entered a state of semi-autocracy, where every important decision comes to a single individual, residing in her fortress of Janpath, surrounded by dozens of security men, an empress of India. Are they aware that she controls tens of billions of rupees of the taxpayer’s money, which she uses to keep her party in power? Do they know that the huge amounts of the scams, whether the 2G, the CWG, or the Adarsh one, do not go into politicians pockets (only a fraction), but to the coffers of the Congress for the next general elections, and more than anything to please Sonia? Thank God, the Judiciary here still holds some independence!

Nobody seems to notice what is happening under the reign of Sonia Gandhi. That an Arundhati Roy is allowed to preach secession in India, whereas on the other hand the Congress Government has been going after the army, the last body in India to uphold the time honoured values of the Kshatriya –courage, honour, devotion to the Motherland, they who alone today practice true secularism, never differentiating between a Muslim or Hindu soldier, and who, for a pittance, give daily their lives to their country. First it was the attempt of a caste census, a divide and rule ploy if there is one; then there are the first signs that the Government is thinking about thinning down the presence of the Indian army in the Kashmir Valley, which will suit Pakistan perfectly. And now there is the Adarsh scam, in which the army officers, at the worst, were innocently dragged into it. We know now that it was the politicians of the Congress who benefited the most of it.

One hears from persons who know her well, of Sonia’s’ qualities of honesty, courtesy, or personal care. But would be impossible, in France for example, to have a non-Christian, say an Hindu for instance, who is a non-elected president or PM, to be the absolute ruler of the country behind the scenes, superseding even the PM. There are many capable people in the Congress. Why can’t a billion Indians find one of their own, who will understand the complexity and subtlety of India, to govern themselves? Not only that, but her very presence at the top has unleashed forces, visible and invisible that are detrimental to the country. There is nothing wrong in espousing the best of the values of the West - democracy, technological perfection, higher standards of living - but many of the institutions are crumbling in the West: two out of three marriages end in divorce, kids shoot each other, parents are not cared for in their old age, depression is rampant and westerners are actually looking for answers elsewhere, in India notably.

One does not understand this craze at the moment to westernize India at all costs, while discarding its ancient values. Mrs Gandhi should do well to remember that there still are 850 million Hindus in India, a billion worldwide and that whatever good inputs were brought by different invasions, it is the ancient values of the spirituality behind Hinduism, which have made India so special and which gives her today her unique qualities, making an Indian Christian different from an American Christian, or an Indian Muslim different from a Saudi one. It is an insult to these tolerant Hindus to show President Obama as his first input of the Indian capital the tomb of Humayun, a man who slaughtered Hindus in thousands, taking Hindu women and children as captives. He even subjected his elder brother Kamran to brutal torture, gauging his eyes out and pouring lemon into them.

The tragedy of India is that it was colonized for too long. And unlike China, it always looks to the West for a solution to its problems. Sonia Gandhi, whatever her qualities, is just an incarnation of that hangover, an Empress of India in new clothes.

And another on India's secularism
http://mariawirthblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/indian-secularism-is-not-secular/


Detail specific to the US

http://www.samaymaya.com/NewsDescription.aspx?id=484

On September 27, 2001 Rahul Gandhi MP and his Columbian live in girl friend of Kerala backwater tourist centre fame, Juanita alias Veronique, was arrested in United States of America’s Logan airport in Boston, by the FBI. Rahul was having an Italian passport and was carrying suitcase full of dollars. Some say it was about was it $2 million. This huge dollar amount generated suspicion with the US authorities. Rahul and his girl friend was thus detained by FBI. FBI suspected that Rahul was carrying terrorist funds or drug money for laundering in US. Rahuls GF is an daugter of an Columbian Drugs dealer .

What money Rahul Gandhi was carrying? Was it another Bofors type pay off? Was it Columbian drug money on behalf of his Columbian girl friend? Or was it fund for Osama Bin Laden group, as it is known that the Muslim terrorists are using Christians as front men for laundering terrorist funds as the normal banking channels are being monitored by FBI. Rahul called his mother Sonia Gandhi in India .

In turn Sonia called Brijesh Mishra, the former National Security Advisor and a key aide to former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at the Prime Ministers Office. Brijesh Mishra intervened on behalf of our PM Vajpayee with the US Administration for the release Rahul from FBI custody.Brijesh Mishra has strong connections with Sonia Gandhi's Italian family through his daughter Jyotsna. Jyotsna is married to an Italian and lives in Italy . Rahul Gandhi was released only when the Indian Ambassador intervened and gave assurances to the State Department that Rahul Gandhi will be produced for any future enquiry by FBI. Not only that as a patriot, it was the duty of Brijesh Mishra to find out the reasons for the arrest and inform our CBI to take necessary further steps. Brijesh Mishra did not do any such thing.

The incident clearly shows that Brajesh Mishra was working for Sonia Gandhi, that he had deep connections with US state department. In short Brijesh Mishra is a traitor. In Sep 2004 when Washington played host to Young political sons, Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora, Jitin Prasada (all Congress Party), and Manvendra Singh (a lone BJP ) followed by liquor baron who got himself elected to a the Rajya Sabha, Vijay Mallya (Janata Party) and ever smiling Rajiv Shukla of the Congress. Yet one prominent face was missing which was that of Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi didn't go to USA with the young politicians. It was Shukla who conceived the idea of the Indo-US Parliamentary Forum to create a counterpart to the India Caucus in the US House of Representatives.

Rahul Gandhi had to avoid going to the U.S. forever, because of the pending police questions he could be arrested again by FBI if he ever steps in to US.

But the best one by far is by John Oliver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZDYsSOngik

made me seriously laugh out loud.

 

[iamcool388]

Sometimes I watch interviews with Indian politicians on TV and they almost always come off as fakes

The usual spin doctors are not particularly good at their jobs. It does get extremely tiring to hear a politician filibuster and dance around a direct questions asked to them multiple times in the space of a few minutes. Frankly, I find it insulting to the audience to be considered sheeple who would imbibe whatever kool-aid is being offered that day.

Unfortunately, I dont think this behavior by Indian politicians is different from that of the politicians of most other countries.

I don't know the history. What was gujrat's model? And what role did Modi play in it? Was it really his libertarian ways?

Dude, thats a whole different hornets nest, which is difficult to answer objectively. All I can tell you is what is being claimed by Modi, and what my own sense of this story is.

- Modi claims his motto is 'Good governance, less government'. A pretty libertarian (and thus bold) stand to take, in my view, especially in a country like India where Vote Bank politics are the norm.

- Before Modi came to power, there were frequent power cuts in Gujarat, especially at night. Modi claims that he has since provided stable electricity to all rural villages in Gujarat. For western audiences, this might elicit a yawn, but having an assured power supply in all villages of a state is HUGE in India. That means that farmers can time their irrigation schedule, kids can read books at night, people can actually plan ahead. Even if his 100% electricity claim is bogus, there is no denying that the vast majority of the populace of Gujarat (especially in rural areas) has stable electricity, and that is a huge achievement.

- Modi says that he has attracted a large amount of investment into his state. His opponents dispute the figures and say that his conversion rate is barely in the double digits. My own reading of this situation is that the "Vibrant Gujarat Summit" is a good idea, even if it is not as effective as Modi might claim. It leads to a large number of headlines whenever it is held, a huge influx of businessmen and politicians takes place in Gujarat from all over the world, and the image of ambitious projects taking shape is good for the overall sentiment of the electorate.

- Tata Motors wanted to set up a plant in West Bengal. Mamata (then the opposition party in West Bengal) started an agitation against taking farm land for industrial use and eventually succeeded in pushing Tata out of the state. The first text message received by the CEO of Tata Motors was from Narendra Modi. It simply said "Welcome to Gujarat". Due to that one SMS that started the ball rolling, and cost Rs. 1 (2 Cents), today Tata Motors has a Rs. 2000 Crore ($400 Million) plant in Gujarat. I appreciate that he takes initiative and is always looking for opportunities.

- Transitioning from the above point, let us discuss land acquisition a little bit. This is a very sensitive issue in India, where a large number of people are still employed by the Agriculture Sector. Modi's opponents claim that he gave away thousands of acres of land for a pittance. Modi replies that the land he gave away was marshy, barren, unusable land, and that he charged the market rate for that land. I personally believe that he favored a business house in that deal, but I do not mind too much simply because no decision was taken outside the Land Acquisition policy adopted by the Gujarat Government. Since all parties are being treated equally, I do not mind if there is a personal friendly relationship between Modi and any business house (Adani, in this particular case.) Two more points worth mentioning - 1. The Supreme Court has called the Gujarat Land Acquisition Policy a model for the rest of the states to emulate, which is high praise indeed and speaks to the quality of not only the policy, but also its implementation, and 2. Modi says in his defense that the land adjacent to the disputed land was given to the Central Government at the same rate as that at which it was given to the Adanis. Why did the Central Government not complain then? I find this to be a pretty good rebuttal. Though I have not checked whether or not its true myself, this statement was made by Modi in an interview given to the most watched News Channel in India, and he challenged the interviewer to go to Gujarat and see all the files. I dont think he would lie so blatantly on National Television.

- While people focus on the industrial development of Gujarat, one of the underreported stories from Modi's state is the dramatic growth in agricultural sector. For context, the vast majority of the landmass of Gujarat is almost a desert, a barren wasteland where crops cannot grow. However, in 10 years, there has been excellent growth in agriculture. This has been due to a variety of factors that Modi focussed on - Improved the irrigation system of the state so that water could reach every village, provided electricity so that tubewells, pumps etc could work on time to tae advantage of the water now flowing to the villages, improved the health of the cattle of the state by getting annual checks done, and finally, and most unexpectedly, he has succeeded in raising the water table in the erstwhile barren wastelands of Gujarat whereas the water table has dropped in almost everywhere in the rest of the country. I think the support which Modi gets from farmers in his state is something not many talk about, but is a big factor for Modi to continue being in power.

- Finally, Modi has been the Chief Minister 4 times. If he wasnt doing something right, would he continue holding a relatively strong majority for election after election? I find it doubtful, so I assume he must be doing something right for the people to keep supporting him.

Sorry for the long winded answer.

Thanks for making the thread. Given that it's the largest democracy in the world, it seems like something that should be getting massive coverage, but isn't. It's good to see a thread here where I can pick up a little information.

If there is any particular aspect of the election you are interested in, do let me know. The OP and my posts are lacking a LOT of details, but that is on purpose, simply because if I wrote about all aspects in detail, the great wall of text would rival the great wall of china in length.

 

[RustyNails]

Yeah Congress dun goofed big time. The triple whammy of scandals, corruption and inflation sealed their doom. Which is crazy because Indian economy prospered under Singh. If the scandals didnt happen, I think Rahul would be soaring to victory. Remember, Modi was denied US visa because he didnt do enough to stop the genocide in his home state.

 

[whatsinaname]

Sometimes I watch interviews with Indian politicians on TV and they almost always come off as fakes

?

 

[iamcool388]

Yeah Congress dun goofed big time. The triple whammy of scandals, corruption and inflation sealed their doom. Which is crazy because Indian economy prospered under Singh. If the scandals didnt happen, I think Rahul would be soaring to victory. Remember, Modi was denied US visa because he didnt do enough to stop the genocide in his home state.

I wouldnt be so sure Rusty, even though I agree with your overall point.

(Personal opinion below)

Rahul Gandhi has proven himself to be an incompetent leader. Watch his interview I posted in the OP. He doesnt even know how to answer the question asked and then intelligently transition to his talking points. I have never seen such a terrible example of being absolutely ham-fisted with your talking points. You can see the interviewer trying to control his exasperation. This interview really changed people's perception of Rahul Gandhi. This might also be the most spoofed interview in India's history.

Also, this was the first major interview of his life. You may think that excuses his lack of finesse, but he's been a Member of Parliament for 10 years for crying out loud. If you cant learn in 10 years how to give a good interview that doesnt sink your party in the polls, get out of the business of politics, cuz it only gets tougher.

Furthermore, I do not see what his credentials to become Prime Minister are. He is the quintessential example of the Lucky Sperm Club. No one has ever accused him of being smart. He is where he is because he came from the right womb. He said he will be the leader of the campaign in Assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh. Congress (INC) was decimated in the Assembly elections. Absolutely slaughtered. What was the reaction in INC? Introspection? Realignment of campaign strategy?

No. They elevated Rahul Gandhi to the post of Vice President of INC. Rewards for a great campaign in Uttar Pradesh, I guess.

It bothers me that talented politicians in INC, young leaders who have great capabilities, know that they have an upper limit to their ambitions. They can only go so far as become a Cabinet Minister, as the Prime Minister's seat will be Rahul Gandhi's automatically to accept or decline. I shudder that one day, INC will again win an election, and that we would be stuck with Rahul Gandhi.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Thanks for the informative posts OP. I really hope this election finally closes the door on dynastic rule and nepotistic secession in India. The Nehru family had truly been a cancer for the country. I would love for the new government to open up an investigation into just how much they (Nehru-Gahndi family) have received from the proceeds of corruption and other kala dhanda.

 

[SniperHunter]

India has improved a lot under Manmohan Singh. I dont like Modi at all, he is too right wing and even compared himself to Hitler. Then there are the Gujurat riots.

Pakistan will cause chaos in India if Modi wins the elections.

 

[AstroNut325]

The usual spin doctors are not particularly good at their jobs. It does get extremely tiring to hear a politician filibuster and dance around a direct questions asked to them multiple times in the space of a few minutes. Frankly, I find it insulting to the audience to be considered sheeple who would imbibe whatever kool-aid is being offered that day.

Unfortunately, I dont think this behavior by Indian politicians is different from that of the politicians of most other countries.



Dude, thats a whole different hornets nest, which is difficult to answer objectively. All I can tell you is what is being claimed by Modi, and what my own sense of this story is.

- Modi claims his motto is 'Good governance, less government'. A pretty libertarian (and thus bold) stand to take, in my view, especially in a country like India where Vote Bank politics are the norm.

- Before Modi came to power, there were frequent power cuts in Gujarat, especially at night. Modi claims that he has since provided stable electricity to all rural villages in Gujarat. For western audiences, this might elicit a yawn, but having an assured power supply in all villages of a state is HUGE in India. That means that farmers can time their irrigation schedule, kids can read books at night, people can actually plan ahead. Even if his 100% electricity claim is bogus, there is no denying that the vast majority of the populace of Gujarat (especially in rural areas) has stable electricity, and that is a huge achievement.

- Modi says that he has attracted a large amount of investment into his state. His opponents dispute the figures and say that his conversion rate is barely in the double digits. My own reading of this situation is that the "Vibrant Gujarat Summit" is a good idea, even if it is not as effective as Modi might claim. It leads to a large number of headlines whenever it is held, a huge influx of businessmen and politicians takes place in Gujarat from all over the world, and the image of ambitious projects taking shape is good for the overall sentiment of the electorate.

- Tata Motors wanted to set up a plant in West Bengal. Mamata (then the opposition party in West Bengal) started an agitation against taking farm land for industrial use and eventually succeeded in pushing Tata out of the state. The first text message received by the CEO of Tata Motors was from Narendra Modi. It simply said "Welcome to Gujarat". Due to that one SMS that started the ball rolling, and cost Rs. 1 (2 Cents), today Tata Motors has a Rs. 2000 Crore ($400 Million) plant in Gujarat. I appreciate that he takes initiative and is always looking for opportunities.

- Transitioning from the above point, let us discuss land acquisition a little bit. This is a very sensitive issue in India, where a large number of people are still employed by the Agriculture Sector. Modi's opponents claim that he gave away thousands of acres of land for a pittance. Modi replies that the land he gave away was marshy, barren, unusable land, and that he charged the market rate for that land. I personally believe that he favored a business house in that deal, but I do not mind too much simply because no decision was taken outside the Land Acquisition policy adopted by the Gujarat Government. Since all parties are being treated equally, I do not mind if there is a personal friendly relationship between Modi and any business house (Adani, in this particular case.) Two more points worth mentioning - 1. The Supreme Court has called the Gujarat Land Acquisition Policy a model for the rest of the states to emulate, which is high praise indeed and speaks to the quality of not only the policy, but also its implementation, and 2. Modi says in his defense that the land adjacent to the disputed land was given to the Central Government at the same rate as that at which it was given to the Adanis. Why did the Central Government not complain then? I find this to be a pretty good rebuttal. Though I have not checked whether or not its true myself, this statement was made by Modi in an interview given to the most watched News Channel in India, and he challenged the interviewer to go to Gujarat and see all the files. I dont think he would lie so blatantly on National Television.

- While people focus on the industrial development of Gujarat, one of the underreported stories from Modi's state is the dramatic growth in agricultural sector. For context, the vast majority of the landmass of Gujarat is almost a desert, a barren wasteland where crops cannot grow. However, in 10 years, there has been excellent growth in agriculture. This has been due to a variety of factors that Modi focussed on - Improved the irrigation system of the state so that water could reach every village, provided electricity so that tubewells, pumps etc could work on time to tae advantage of the water now flowing to the villages, improved the health of the cattle of the state by getting annual checks done, and finally, and most unexpectedly, he has succeeded in raising the water table in the erstwhile barren wastelands of Gujarat whereas the water table has dropped in almost everywhere in the rest of the country. I think the support which Modi gets from farmers in his state is something not many talk about, but is a big factor for Modi to continue being in power.

- Finally, Modi has been the Chief Minister 4 times. If he wasnt doing something right, would he continue holding a relatively strong majority for election after election? I find it doubtful, so I assume he must be doing something right for the people to keep supporting him.

Sorry for the long winded answer.



If there is any particular aspect of the election you are interested in, do let me know. The OP and my posts are lacking a LOT of details, but that is on purpose, simply because if I wrote about all aspects in detail, the great wall of text would rival the great wall of china in length.

Thank you! I have witnessed the advancement of Gujrat (gujrati myself) over the last decade. But the claim that electricity is available 24/7 in rural parts of Gujrat is BS. I visit Chikhli to visit my grandparents every few years. My wife was there just this past December. Still gets rolling blackouts. In smaller cities such as Navari yes the electricity is on 24/7.

I just hope he can make India prosperous. I hope he funds infrastructure development. India really needs that.

 

[iamcool388]

India has improved a lot under Manmohan Singh. I dont like Modi at all, he is too right wing and even compared himself to Hitler. Then there are the Gujurat riots.

Pakistan will cause chaos in India if Modi wins the elections.

Any links to the bolded? I find references of opinion pieces written online or in newspapers who have compared Modi to Hitler, I saw that Rahul Gandhi had compared Modi to Hitler, and I saw Mani Shankar Aiyar (senior leader of INC) compare Modi's campaigning to Goebbels propaganda today after the exit polls. I havent come across Modi comparing himself to hitler.

As for Pakistan, I read that they want Modi to be the next Prime Minister. Let me hunt it down for you.

Here you go: Pakistan wants the controversial Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi to become India's next prime minister because it believes he will provide the strong leadership necessary for peace talks, senior Pakistani diplomats have told The Telegraph.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

The usual spin doctors are not particularly good at their jobs. It does get extremely tiring to hear a politician filibuster and dance around a direct questions asked to them multiple times in the space of a few minutes. Frankly, I find it insulting to the audience to be considered sheeple who would imbibe whatever kool-aid is being offered that day.

Unfortunately, I dont think this behavior by Indian politicians is different from that of the politicians of most other countries.

I love Indian interview shows cause I saw an interview where the journalist just kept screaming the same thing over and over again at the politician. "DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES?" as the other politician is trying to talk.

?

It's probably cause the interviews I watch are spoken in English, so the bullshit doesn't translate across as cleanly as the politicians would like it to.

 

[appaws]

Thanks for this thread. I have learned from it, and I think I am going to seek out some more articles elsewhere.

Americans are legendary for our ignorance of the rest of the world, and I have to admit that when it comes to India, I really don't know anything. I think in our education system, India is not mentioned much between Alexander the Great and Gandhi.

 

[PranooY]

India has improved a lot under Manmohan Singh. I dont like Modi at all, he is too right wing and even compared himself to Hitler. Then there are the Gujurat riots.

Pakistan will cause chaos in India if Modi wins the elections.

LOL, when did Modi compare himself to Hitler. Why would he do that?
He was cleared of all suspicions by the Supreme Court of India after all the inquiries by the Judicial committee. The development in Gujarat is of the charts compared to any other state, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.
And i feel Manmohan govt which was actually good in the first term had considerably messed up the second term with no new significant reforms, economic stagnation (Rupee value going down etc.) and overall development was 6-8% which is pretty poor.

Also When has Pakistan stopped causing chaos? They try every time. This isn't going to change even after Modi comes to power. Only thing i think will be different is Modi will take better measures compared to tamer congress govt.

 

[RustyNails]

Any links to the bolded? I find references of opinion pieces written online or in newspapers who have compared Modi to Hitler, I saw that Rahul Gandhi had compared Modi to Hitler, and I saw Mani Shankar Aiyar (senior leader of INC) compare Modi's campaigning to Goebbels propaganda today after the exit polls. I havent come across Modi comparing himself to hitler.

As for Pakistan, I read that they want Modi to be the next Prime Minister. Let me hunt it down for you.

Here you go: Pakistan wants the controversial Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi to become India's next prime minister because it believes he will provide the strong leadership necessary for peace talks, senior Pakistani diplomats have told The Telegraph.

Ridiculous claim by Pakistan. Their military is cynical as fuck. They want Modi to be PM so they can sabre rattle with India. Modi has said absolutely inflammatory things about Muslims and Pakistan in the past and absolutely no way Pakistan is unaware. Peace talks my ass. Pakistan wants a war.

 

[Ranger Taffles]

As for Pakistan, I read that they want Modi to be the next Prime Minister. Let me hunt it down for you.

Here you go: Pakistan wants the controversial Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi to become India's next prime minister because it believes he will provide the strong leadership necessary for peace talks, senior Pakistani diplomats have told The Telegraph.

Well here in Pakistan (at least in Lahore) the views are mixed. The Gujarat Riots do hit a sour note for many, but generally people are already kind of ready for Modi as PM. Moreover, hate politics against India has dwindled significantly and it's more on the side of keeping stability in foreign affairs.

 

[PranooY]

I love Indian interview shows cause I saw an interview where the journalist just kept screaming the same thing over and over again at the politician. "DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES? DID YOU SAY I ACCEPT BRIBES?" as the other politician is trying to talk.

It was shown in the John Oliver's Last Week Tonight Show, wasn't it?
It was real funny. I mean the who segment of John Oliver's show on Indian Election.

 

[Jb]

I've been doing some reading on the Gandhi political family recently and it is absolutely fascinating. I'm currently looking for a good english-language book about it if anyone has heard of anything interesting.

 

[iamcool388]

Ridiculous claim by Pakistan. Their military is cynical as fuck. They want Modi to be PM so they can sabre rattle with India. Modi has said absolutely inflammatory things about Muslims and Pakistan in the past and absolutely no way Pakistan is unaware. Peace talks my ass. Pakistan wants a war.

That would be stupidity of the highest order. Why the hell would you want a war? Both countries need to forget each other for the next 20 years and just focus on development. The Indian sub-continent has all the qualities required to be the next growth story in the world. If Sabre Rattling keeps you in power while you focus on growth, then by all means, go right ahead... just so long as no actual action on that chest thumping is taken.

Well here in Pakistan (at least in Lahore) the views are mixed. The Gujarat Riots do hit a sour note for many, but generally people are already kind of ready for Modi as PM. Moreover, hate politics against India has dwindled significantly and it's more on the side of keeping stability in foreign affairs.

This is very good to hear. Its the same situation in India. The youth especially just want to know what the government plans to do regarding the economy. We dont hate Pakistan or anything, but I will say that there is a general sense that Pakistan is involved in Terrorist attacks in India.

I've been doing some reading on the Gandhi political family recently and it is absolutely fascinating. I'm currently looking for a good english-language book about it if anyone has heard of anything interesting.

There are tons of books on the family in general, along with specific books for each member. However, if you want to read an insider account of the last Congress governments, I highly recommend Sanjay Baru's "The Accidental Prime Minister." The author was the Media Manager at the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) and gives a detailed account of how much of the power was wielded by Sonia Gandhi, not Manmohan Singh, who was sometimes reduced to Prime Minister in name only.

 

[Ranger Taffles]

This is very good to hear. Its the same situation in India. The youth especially just want to know what the government plans to do regarding the economy. We dont hate Pakistan or anything, but I will say that there is a general sense that Pakistan is involved in Terrorist attacks in India.

That's something we've grown used to. It's not really appreciated when it's on the whim, but like I said, people are too occupied with their own national issues and terrorism is a big part of it unfortunately.

 

[phaze]

Subbed. Thanks for the interesting write up. Pretty crazy how much power Sonia Ghandi wields behind the scenes.

Quick google search makes it look like BJP wants to reduce taxes and even thought about abandoning income tax. As much as I would like to see a change in power in India this does not see like a very enticing perspective. India has quite have enough inequality already.

 

[RustyNails]

That would be stupidity of the highest order. Why the hell would you want a war? Both countries need to forget each other for the next 20 years and just focus on development. The Indian sub-continent has all the qualities required to be the next growth story in the world. If Sabre Rattling keeps you in power while you focus on growth, then by all means, go right ahead... just so long as no actual action on that chest thumping is taken.

Sabre rattling is how the ISI keeps taleban like fighters, with promise of apocalyptic war with India. Sabre rattling is how the corrupt Mullahs can recruit young minds and brainwash them. Its how the defence gets to keep its budget etc etc. War is good for everyone who wants it, and there are lot of actors (on both sides) that want it.

 

[Azih]

Yeah the military and intelligence services brass on both sides obviously like tensions high. As do the political parties that play on fear of the other to get votes. It's just a matter of self interest.

 

[krimsoncharge]

Counting Update: Modi and bjp sweeping through india. Congress completely decimated.

 

[Madness]

I said a few years ago Modi would be PM, but no one in friends or family listened. Said Congress is too strong etc. And now look, him and the BJP/Allies will most likely form a majority government.

Edit: it's official, Congress suffers a massive defeat. Modi new PM.

 

[Kabouter]

Counting Update: Modi and bjp sweeping through india. Congress completely decimated.

Not sure how I should feel about this given the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, I can't really judge to what degree he might have been involved. If not at all, he might make a good leader given his dedication and success in economic development. But yeah...

 

[Chairman Yang]

Not sure how I should feel about this given the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, I can't really judge to what degree he might have been involved. If not at all, he might make a good leader given his dedication and success in economic development. But yeah...

The Supreme Court of India, a very well-respected institution in the country, absolved Modi of complicity in the riots. And again after having their judgement challenged.

It's also worth noting that Gujarat has experienced minimal communal violence since 2002, while the rest of India hasn't been so fortunate. Gujarat's Muslims have also made great strides economically under Modi's rule as compared with other states.

Of course some caution is warranted, but I'm very optimistic about Modi.

 

[xbhaskarx]

with the INC itself very possibly not even reaching triple digits.

Good, Congress needs to be decimated, that's the only way they'll wake up. India was basically a one party country from 1947 until the late 90s, sort of like Mexico with the PRI, Taiwan with the KMT, or South Africa still with the ANC. It's still "throw a Gandhi out there, hold on to power, don't do anything, keep that sweet money rolling in"... When a young good looking Gandhi gets them massacred like this they will actually have to come up with some ideas to be a competitive party.

There are tons of books on the family in general, along with specific books for each member. However, if you want to read an insider account of the last Congress governments, I highly recommend Sanjay Baru's "The Accidental Prime Minister." The author was the Media Manager at the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) and gives a detailed account of how much of the power was wielded by Sonia Gandhi, not Manmohan Singh, who was sometimes reduced to Prime Minister in name only.

The best thing Congress could do is completely move away from the Gandhi family, like don't even let anyone whose last name starts with a G-A run for office.

 

[Noirulus]

Thank you for continually updating us OP, this is really helpful.

 

[xbhaskarx]

CNN-IBN News @ibnlive

The entire map of India is now bathed in saffron. BJP crosses the magic number all by itself.

Holy crap what if Congress is under 50:

@IndianExpress
LIVE Latest Trends/win: BJP - 272, Congress - 48, AAP - 4

 

[pappe]

The best thing Congress could do is completely move away from the Gandhi family, like don't even let anyone whose last name starts with a G-A run for office.

That is never gonna happen. Congress will stick to their philosophy playing into BJPs hands and helping them to stay on for atleast 2 tenures.

After a long time we have a one sided government and the future looks bright but lets accept the facts.
The corruption is not gonna reduce. The scams are not gonna stop. but we can be sure that we have a ambitious PM who will make sure the development which has stalled will pick up going by his track record. His funda is simple get the work done. By hook or by crook and tbh thats what we need right now.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Oh corruption is certainly not going to stop, but competition means there will be less room for corruption over time. That's true around the world, which is why I listed similar situations in other countries. I'm not making a pro-BJP argument but a pro-competitive political system argument...

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Not sure how I should feel about this given the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, I can't really judge to what degree he might have been involved. If not at all, he might make a good leader given his dedication and success in economic development. But yeah...

I understand that view point, but I have to always point one thing out in riot cases.

More people have been tried and convicted for the 2002 riots than the 1984 riots.

BJP leaders (and actually even a few congress leaders which you never hear in news) have been convicted and sentenced for 2002. Congress leaders who participated in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots are still roaming free.

Modi, was on TV appealing for calm on the same day the train burning happened. Modi government reached out to neighboring states asking for additional police and troops, which most declined to do. They reached out to center to get army deployed next day I believe.

Rajiv Gandhi, didn't do any of that. He said on TV, that the anti-Sikh riots are expected saying "When a big tree falls, the earth shakes".

 

[pappe]

I wouldnt be so sure Rusty, even though I agree with your overall point.

(Personal opinion below)

Rahul Gandhi has proven himself to be an incompetent leader. Watch his interview I posted in the OP. He doesnt even know how to answer the question asked and then intelligently transition to his talking points. I have never seen such a terrible example of being absolutely ham-fisted with your talking points. You can see the interviewer trying to control his exasperation. This interview really changed people's perception of Rahul Gandhi. This might also be the most spoofed interview in India's history.

Also, this was the first major interview of his life. You may think that excuses his lack of finesse, but he's been a Member of Parliament for 10 years for crying out loud. If you cant learn in 10 years how to give a good interview that doesnt sink your party in the polls, get out of the business of politics, cuz it only gets tougher.

Furthermore, I do not see what his credentials to become Prime Minister are. He is the quintessential example of the Lucky Sperm Club. No one has ever accused him of being smart. He is where he is because he came from the right womb. He said he will be the leader of the campaign in Assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh. Congress (INC) was decimated in the Assembly elections. Absolutely slaughtered. What was the reaction in INC? Introspection? Realignment of campaign strategy?

No. They elevated Rahul Gandhi to the post of Vice President of INC. Rewards for a great campaign in Uttar Pradesh, I guess.

It bothers me that talented politicians in INC, young leaders who have great capabilities, know that they have an upper limit to their ambitions. They can only go so far as become a Cabinet Minister, as the Prime Minister's seat will be Rahul Gandhi's automatically to accept or decline. I shudder that one day, INC will again win an election, and that we would be stuck with Rahul Gandhi.

I totally totally totally agree with your opinion of RaGa. He is truly one of most incompetent canditates and it still baffles me how he was pushed as the candidate for PM but i am glad because this defeat was very much needed for Congress. They are archaic and need to promote track record rather than the genes.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Not sure how I should feel about this given the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, I can't really judge to what degree he might have been involved. If not at all, he might make a good leader given his dedication and success in economic development. But yeah...

The Indian Supreme Court found no evidence linking Modi to the communal violence, and lets not forget that it was instigated by Muslim groups burning trains carrying Hindu pilgrims so I very much doubt anything could have been done even if the state government had tried to intervene.

It is also worth pointing out that since those riots there has literally been zero violence in Gujarat from either side.

As for Modi. He needs to act quickly to restore international business confidence, dropping the ongoing tax cases against Nokia, Vodafone and others would be a good start and changing the tax laws to be less hostile would be another big move. They also need to privatise the banking sector (SBI, BoB) to reduce corruption and money laundering.

If Modi uses Gujarat as a model for the rest of the country then I think there is a good chance of success, however, a lot of Gujarat's wealth comes from NRIs (non-resident Indians) like my parents and their generation investing in businesses, farms and building property. I'm not sure this could be easily replicated in the rest of the country since there just aren't that many wealthy non-Gujarati Indians outside of India.

 

[CouchMaster]

Modi will take the oath as new PM of India on 21st May.

 

[iamcool388]

I'm traveling, will update tonight. Also... Election in three words:

HOLY. FUCKING. SHIT!

 

[xbhaskarx]

@ElectionExpress
Narendra Modi has won 81% of the seats he campaigned in. Rahul Gandhi won just 11% of the seats.

Overall Picture:
Alliance Result(incl lead) Change
BJP+ 337 +196
Cong+ 60 -174
Others 146 -22

For the 1st time ever; BJP sweeps Rajasthan, wins all 25 seats

Left trailing in 41 of 42 seats in Bengal

BJP leading in 72 of 80 seats in UP

So BJP by themselves will win more seats in the state of UP (~72) than Congress' entire allianace (~60) will in the entire country... by like 20%?

 

[cartoon_soldier]

So, I live in Vadodara right now.

Modi won here by 570,128

which I believe is a new record for Indian elections.

Wooho

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Congress are moving to protect the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty instead of chucking them out, smh...

 

[dapperbandit]

I know very little about Indian politics but I am interested. The scale of the election and what it means for India as a growing power grab me.

It seems the Modi and the BJP are going to win with a landslide, but besides talks of countering corruption, what actual changes is Modi likely to make?

Is he being voted for because he's not Congress or because of policies he has proposed?

 

[cartoon_soldier]

I know very little about Indian politics but I am interested. The scale of the election and what it means for India as a growing power grab me.

It seems the Modi and the BJP are going to win with a landslide, but besides talks of countering corruption, what actual changes is Modi likely to make?

Is he being voted for because he's not Congress or because of policies he has proposed?

Probably a bit of both. Modi is the Chief Minister of the Gujarat State, which has seen some really good growth during his tenure of last 12 years. So, the hope of India is having him as PM the model can be also used at a national level.

The big change really is expected to be in economic development.

 

[dapperbandit]

Probably a bit of both. Modi is the Chief Minister of the Gujarat State, which has seen some really good growth during his tenure of last 12 years. So, the hope of India is having him as PM the model can be also used at a national level.

The big change really is expected to be in economic development.

Ah okay.

So no flagship issue besides the economy that captured a populist vote?

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Ah okay.

So no flagship issue besides the economy that captured a populist vote?

Corruption was the other big one. Congress are seen as extremely corrupt, the BJP less so and Modi specifically is seen as whiter than white. Otherwise I think there was a big backlash against the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and Rahul being appointed as the PM candidate despite having basically no experience in government. People seem to want them out, but we'll see what happens with Priyanka, if she takes over and the INC do as badly in 2019 then I think they are done.

Really though as a Gujarati I'm probably pre-disposed to loathe the Nehru-Gandhi family and the INC in general so I'm not the best person to ask!

David Cameron has congratulated Modi and welcomed the new BJP government. I wonder what Labour will do, there is a lot of anti-Modi sentiment among Muslim communities in the UK.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Report Card: How Congress Fared

Successes:

Flagship Programs for the Poor: Poverty has eased over the past decade. At the heart of Congress’s economic agenda: a $4 billion-a-month food-security program and a rural-employment project. The employment program promised 100 days of work a year for unskilled laborers. Meanwhile, the food-security program, described by some analysts as one of India’s most ambitious projects, aims to distribute food grains at throwaway prices to nearly 70% of the country’s 1.2 billion people.

When the employment program kicked off in 2006, more than 20 million unskilled workers found jobs through the initiative. By 2012, the figure had doubled, according to a government review. As a result, the report said, the average rural wage rose two-fold to 138 rupees, or $2, a day by 2012.

In this regard, the programs improved the lives of India’s rural poor. But the government’s social spending also helped widen India’s budget deficit to 5.2% of gross domestic product last year.

Right to Information: The 2005 Right-to-Information Act allowed Indian citizens to seek information from most government bodies. This was a key promise of the Congress party ahead of 2004 polls.

The law was instrumental in unearthing several alleged malpractices in the ranks of the government, including a housing scandal in Mumbai and food-grain embezzlements in Assam.

Right to Education: In 2009, the Congress passed a law which made education free and compulsory for all children between 6 and 14 years old. It also mandated schools, including private ones, set aside at least a quarter of seats for low-income families. The law, critics say, has been poorly implemented, with too few teachers and inadequate rural infrastructure to deliver quality education. Still, government reports show, the act has helped boost school attendance in wide swaths of India’s countryside, where education once seemed a distant possibility.

More than 30,000 primary schools and 10,000 secondary schools were set up over the last five years, and posts were approved for 700,475 teachers.

Failures:

Corruption: Mr. Singh’s second tenure as prime minister has been marred with a string of corruption allegations, from alleged favoritism in issuing telecom licenses to coal-mining projects. That tarnished Congress’s reputation on the national stage: tens of thousands of Indians took to the streets in 2011 to protest red tape and alleged misdoings in India’s bureaucracy. The Aam Aadmi Party, which thrashed the Congress in recent state polls in New Delhi, was born out of this anticorruption wave.

Stalled Economy: India’s economy grew last year by 4.5%, its slowest annual rate in a decade. The rupee crashed to an all-time low. And inflation has hovered near double-digits in the past few years. The Congress has faced flak for its inability to accelerate growth and tame inflation, which fanned anti-incumbency sentiment in the country.

Leadership Vacuum: “Weak” and “ineffectual” are words media commentators have often used to describe the Mr. Singh-led administration. The 81-year-old leader has been widely criticized for his mild-mannered demeanor, which many blame for policy paralysis in his government. Last year, for example, two allies walked out of the Congress-led coalition, stalling the passage of key proposals and inciting political uncertainty.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Ah okay.

So no flagship issue besides the economy that captured a populist vote?

For a country with 1.2 billion people, jobs, jobs and jobs.

It's the economy stupid is paramount (generally)