Electoral scene
The economist turned psephologist Surjit Bhalla, who has been in the business of statistically analysing voting behaviour since the 1980s, has long held that economic interests and concerns matter for more than caste loyalties in Indian elections. Bhalla repeats this argument, mobilising data, in his recently published book How We Vote: Factors That Influence Voters (2024). His argument, as a Modi supporter, is that economic factors in fact favour the BJP in the ongoing elections. Most Modi critics do not agree. They believe that unemployment, middle class distress and rising inequality have made Modi less popular.
https://thewire.in/politics/caste-class-and-a-suit-boot-ki-sarkar
Modi may have suddenly discovered that while he continues to mobilise Hindu votes deploying anti-Muslim sentiment, Rahul has deployed a two-pronged attack using caste and class. This may well have revived the discomforting memory of Rahul’s ‘suit boot ki sarkar’ jibe. Could this have prompted Modi to distance himself from big business?
The charge of ‘suit boot ki sarkar’ has come to stick. The slogan ‘Adani-Ambani ki sarkar’ mimics a communist slogan of the Nehru-Indira years, when their governments were dubbed by the communists as ‘Tata-Birla ki sarkar’. Indira Gandhi ended that with her turn to the political left in the late 1960s and the wave of nationalisations she authorised. Modi will find it difficult to make such a turn to the left, given the class and caste basis of his support.
by Sanjaya Baru
13/05/2024
Ninety-three former civil servant have written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) endorsing a letter written by former IIM-Ahmedabad professor Jagdeep Chhokar on the speech given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajasthan’s Banswara on April 21. https://thewire.in/communalism/93-ex-civil-servants-endorse-letter-to-ec-demanding-action-on-modis-communal-speech
The speech contained hate-filled remarks against Muslims, suggesting that were “infiltrators” and the opposition, if elected, would give away “mangalsutras” and “land” of those listening to his speech to Muslims. The ECI has received over 2,200 complaint letters from citizens over this particular speech.
Chhokar’s letter specified ways in which the speech violated the Model Code of Conduct, the Representation of People Act and the Indian Penal Code.
24/04/2024
As many as 11 civil society organisations have urged the Election Commission of India to pay special attention to online campaigning and surrogate advertisements, inadequacies in voluntary code of ethics, use of emerging technologies such as deepfakes, and voter surveillance.
The letter was signed by Article 21 Trust, Association for Democratic Reforms, Campaign Against Hate Speech, Common Cause, Internet Freedom Foundation, LibTech India, Maadhyam, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Rajasthan Asangathit Mazdoor Union, and Software Freedom Law Center, India.
10/04/2024
Election Commission के Notice के बाद Modi का भाषण, धज्जि उड़ाई! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9xKx8vwZQ4 Kumkum Binwal
Subcategories
Indian Electoral Politics: Shifting Sands
Seven decades down the line the electoral scene has changed for the worse and is currently dominated by emotive issues. The foundation of derailing the ‘this worldly’ issues was the Ram Temple movement. This movement became stronger after the implementation of Mandal Commission report. Since then the domination of emotive, identity issues is on the rise. This is reflected by the fact that in 2019, no party dared to utter the word secularism, as claimed by the winner of 2019 elections, Mr. Narendra Modi himself. He presented it as a trophy for the efforts of RSS-BJP’s political success.
https://countercurrents.org/2022/11/indian-electoral-politics-shifting-sands/
It is in this track that any issue can be given a religious turn as we witnessed its peak in the coining of phrase ‘Corona Jihad’. This showed how electoral politics can be reduced merely to game of identity issues. BJP has mastered this art over a period of last few decades. The media, which is prostrating to BJP ideology, is putting its best efforts to magnify the doings of communal stream.
Not to be left behind, Arvind Kejrival is trying to compete which these divisive efforts revolving around identity issues, in his own unique smart ways. The AAP, which in a way, is an alternate model of communal politics; is playing its Hindutva/communal card with shrewdness. Kajriwal party is also an example of blind subservience to the dictator by the other leaders of that party. As Kejriwal demanded this; all his cronies, stated saying the same. The peak of this was Atishi Marlena, who stated that this demand of Laxmi-Ganesh is not merely Kejriwal demand, it is the aspiration of 130 crore Indians! Most of the dictatorial tendencies believe they are speaking for the whole country. This is a duplicate of what Narendra Modi, when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat, used to say that he is talking on behalf of Five Crore Gujratis. India needs a party which can accommodate all sections of society with equality and dignity, apart from welfare; it also promotes employment and proactively deals with marginalized sections of society. We need a party where religion is not mixed with politics. For many, AAP began with a big promise for a better politics, but its reality is there for all to see with its trajectory leading to demanding Laxmi and Ganesh on currency notes and dumping of Jan Lokpal in the dustbin of Hisotry!
2/11/2022