Anybody who follows politics cannot have missed one recent development – Rahul Gandhi’s new political avatar. Rahul has started speaking out ‘regularly’ on current issues, he has started expressing his opinions, and he has started taking a stand on contentious issues. This may have seemed implausible just a few months back. As they say, a week is a long time in politics. Indeed!
With the stupendous performance of the BJP in the recent state assembly elections, it is becoming clearer that the party, as expected by many, is likely to come out as the winner at the national level as well. How must the Congress be feeling right now? Is it still living in its ivory tower and cannot see the writing on the wall? Or can it actually see it, but refuses to acknowledge it publicly?
General elections are due in May next year, but the brouhaha surrounding them is such that it seems they have already begun. Come to think of it, they have. Only the casting of votes is pending, but the drama associated with them had already begun a year back. So, what are the political parties of our country doing? What are their strategies for winning the next elections?
Given the current political scenario, to ‘not’ say that Narendra Modi is likely to be the next Prime Minister of our country, is to risk being discarded as ignorant and naïve. So, having established this as a foregone conclusion, let us look at what Modi’s plans or focus areas could be and should be, if he actually becomes the head of the next government at the centre.
The state of politics of any country affects not only the state of the government, but also the state of the economy, international relations, and above all, the mood of the nation. Right now, all these sentiments are anything but positive. The next round of General Elections is due in May 2014, but the entire nation has been talking about them since early 2013. So much time, money, and effort is being wasted in wondering about and waiting for the next elections.
Who is Arvind Kejriwal? Is he is an anti-corruption crusader? Is he a social activist? Is he a reformist? Is he a politician? Is he hungry for power for himself, or for the people he claims to represent? Is he an idealist? Is he an opportunist? Is he a misguided-soul-with-noble-intentions? Is he a puppet in the hands of some political parties?
Given the current political uncertainty surrounding the UPA-II and the constant media projections of early elections, it would only be opportune to evaluate how prepared is the BJP for the political battle ‘today’. What are the odds that if the general elections were to be held today, the BJP would come to back to power?
It takes some amount of confidence in oneself to say what Narendra Modi recently said in an interview to Shahid Siddiqui, editor of an Urdu newspaper, Nai Duniya. On being asked yet again about the 2002 Gujarat riots, Narendra Modi said that he did not see the need to apologize because if he was found to be guilty, he deserves to be hanged. On the face of it, it would seem that a man who has the courage and conviction to say such strong words must be a believer in justice. However, politics and politicians are not as transparent as ...