Indian Elections 2009

Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, leader of JD(U) and a key member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has made public statements reiterating his closeness to the left parties. He has also stated that he has no plans of joining the Congress lead, United Progressive Alliance (UPA), thus refuting public statements made by Shiela Dikshit that Congress is in talks with JD (U). Nitish Kumar stated that he has no plans of a post poll alliance with the Third Front.

• JD(U), Left old friends, says Nitish, Indian Express, May 4 2009
• Nitish rubbishes Sheila’s claim of him aligning with Congress, The Hindu, May 4 2009

The statement has raised important questions like whether the NDA is sending feelers to the Third Front or is the JD(U) planning to join the Front if the poll numbers are in it’s favour. With two more phases remaining in this election, this statement does carry weight.

May 4th, 2009 | Tags: Bihar, NDA/BJP, Nitish Kumar, Third Front | Category: Bihar, Communist Parties, Indian Politics, NDA/BJP, National Security, Nitish Kumar, Terrorism, Third Front, coalitions/alliances | Leave a comment

Almost 60% of voters cast their vote in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections today. This phase also witnessed violence from Maoists groups in Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa. Naxal attacks resulted in 18 deaths.

• 18 killed during first phase of polling for LS, Times of India, Apr 16 2009
• 60 per cent turnout in first phase of polls, Naxals kill 18, Hindustan Times, Apr 16 2009

There were also protests against the politicians in Andhra Pradesh which also had it’s State Assembly elections today.

• Three villages in Andhra Pradesh stay away from polling, Times of India, Apr 16 2009

April 16th, 2009 | Tags: Election violence, Lok Sabha elections | Category: Election Issue, Elections, Political Parties, States, Terrorism | Comments (4)

News Update : Apr 9 2009 - Congress today dropped Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar after protests from the Sikh community. If only there were similar protests against other candidates with criminal records.

The Congress’s decision to give tickets to Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar to fight the coming elections from constituencies in New Delhi has attracted the ire of the Sikh community. Mr. Tytler and Mr. Sajjan Kumar were accused of instigating violence against the Sikh community in New Delhi in 1984 after the assassination of PM Indira Gandhi. The two were recently given a clean chit by CBI in this regard.

The protests began after a journalist from Dainik Jagaran, Mr. Jarnail Singh, threw a shoe at Home Minister Chidambaram for evading his question about giving the tickets. The opposition, led by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), immediately tried getting political mileage out of this “shoe throwing” incident by supporting Mr. Singh and offering him financial award for the same.

• Sikh agitators disrupt rail traffic in Punjab, The Hindu, Apr 8 2009
• Protests in Punjab over Tytler issue, Times of India, Apr 8 2009
• Tytler claims Akali Dal behind shoe hurl, Indian Express, Apr 8 2009
• Don’t politicise my shoe attack, pleads Jarnail Singh, Hindustan Times, Apr 8 2009

Main stream media is speculating that Congress will most likely drop these two candidates to win back the Sikh support in New Delhi. After winning the Delhi State elections last year, the Congress can ill afford to hand any seat to the BJP. The stakes are very high and UPA needs to win every seat it can to remain in power.

April 8th, 2009 | Tags: Lok Sabha elections, New Delhi, SAD, UPA/Congress | Category: Communalism, Election Issue, Elections, Indian Politics, National Security, New Delhi, Terrorism, UPA/Congress | Comments (2)

Just a day before PM Manmohan Singh was to address a public rally in Assam , three bomb blasts (one more was a dud) went off in Assam killing nine and injuring over 60 people. Separatists have been blamed for this blast.

• 8 killed as series of blasts rock Assam, Sify, Apr 6 2009
• Assam blast rips apart tall claims, Economic Times, Apr 7 2009

The PM has landed in Assam and will be addressing a public rally there. But these blasts so close to the election are worrying. Hopefully they are not the harbinger of more such news from this troubled state.

April 7th, 2009 | Tags: Assam, Election Issue : Internal Security, Terrorism | Category: Assam, Elections, National Security, Terrorism | Comments (3)

BJP candidate from Philibit and grandson of Indira Gandhi, Mr. Varun Gandhi has come under Election commission’s (EC) radar. Cracking the whip, the Election Commission moved against him for his anti-Muslim speeches while campaigning for the Lok sabha elections.
Varun Gandhi’s speech in which he threatened to cut the hands of those who would raise their hands against Hindus,  triggered a political storm and came under attack from within the party and allies.

• EC moves against Varun Gandhi for Philbit outbursts,Press Trust of India, Mar 17 2009
• Notice to Varun on communal remarks, Times of India, ‎Mar 15, 2009‎

The EC directed the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer to file a case against Indian Penal Code and Representation of the People Act against Gandhi and issued a notice to him for violation of Model Code of Conduct. BJP was also slapped with a notice over Gandhi’s remarks. Under the law, a person convicted of an offence with imprisonment of not less than two years, could be barred from contesting elections.

Varun Gandhi has found himself isolated on this issue with the BJP and it’s allies condemning his speech and his mother, Menaka Gandhi, refusing to comment on the issue. He has denied making communal speeches and has claimed that the CD of his speech has been doctored by his rivals.

• RSS follows BJP line on Varun Gandhi controversy, Sify, Mar 17 2009
• Varun refutes charge of making communal statement, Press Trust of India, Mar 17 2009

While the EC/police inquiry will get to the root of the issue - as to whether the communal statements have been made or not; this incident has been heavily reported by main stream media in India. Even the international media has reported it in a big way. So don’t hold your breath to find the truth.

March 17th, 2009 | Tags: Communalism, Election commission, Election Issue, Lok Sabha elections, NDA/BJP, Poll campaign | Category: Election Issue, Employment, Flood, National Security, Political Parties, Politicians, Terrorism, Uncategorized | Comments (2)

Update: Mar 22 2009 - BCCI president Shashank Manohar announced that IPL 2 will be held outside India. He held the state governments responsible for this decision.

In a nation where both Cricket and politics rank high on national obsession/religion/way of life, the Home Minister’s request to Cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL) to postpone it’s matches has generated heated discussions.

Home Ministry requested the postponement following the attacks on Sri Lankan Cricketers in Lahore, Pakistan. The government feared that the two major events (i.e. Lok Sabha polls and IPL matches) will stretch the security forces thin. While the IPL has not officially changed it’s schedule, it has agreed to ensure that their schedule doesn’t clash with the five phases of the election.

• No IPL matches 48 hours before polling: Modi, Press Trust of India, Mar 3, 2009‎
• All 14 gunmen escape after deadly attack on Sri Lankan cricketers,, Times Online, Mar 3, 2009‎

The UPA government’s request has aroused mixed emotions, with some supporting this request given the terrorist threat, while others rejecting this as a failure of the government to provide security.

• No, home minister, , Editorial, Indian Express, Mar 5 2009
• Pull out all the stumps, Vir Sanghvi Hindustan Times, Mar 5 2009

IPL’s claim that it will take care of the security sounds rather far fetched. IPL cannot ensure the safety of each and every viewer back to their houses. The security forces will have to be deployed if a large number of people travel to and from the Cricket stadium. If security forces have to be deployed back-to-back for the matches and elections, they are bound to be over-worked and exhausted.

In an ideal world, we should be able to hold the elections and the IPL matches simultaneously. However, given the neighbourhood we live in and the major impact this election will have on the average Indian; IPL’s insistence on continuing with their schedule regardless of the strain they will put on the Security forces comes across as very selfish.

March 5th, 2009 | Tags: Cricket, Lok Sabha elections, UPA government | Category: Dr. Manmohan Singh, Election Issue, Elections, International Event, National Security, Terrorism | Comments (1)

In a disturbing incident, anti-social elements of an unknown entity, the Sri Ram Sena (SRS), physically attacked and molested girls visiting a pub in Mangalore, Karnataka.

• Mangalore Pub attack: Cops may invoke Goonda Act, Indian Express, Jan 28, 2009
• Pub attack: Sri Ram Sena founder finally arrested, NDTV.com, Jan 27, 2009
• ‘Shri Ram Sena is a confused organization’, Rediff, Jan 27, 2009
• 10 more arrested in pub attack case, Press Trust of India, Jan 27, 2009

The hooligans of SRS are definitely not helping the NDA. In an election year, this is a incident that the BJP/NDA just cannot afford. The women of India, at over 45% , constitute the largest untapped voter bloc. The least a political party can do is not to alienate them.

• Saffron hooliganism leaves BJP redfaced, Times of India, Jan 28, 2009
• Cong attacks Sangh Parivar for Mangalore pub attack, The Hindu, Jan 28, 2009
• BJP has nothing to do with Ram Sena: Karnataka CM, Times of India, Jan 28, 2009

SRS chief Muthalik may term this as a very small incident, but this “small” incident after the uncontrolled female foeticide, continuing dowry deaths, rape cases where the attackers walk free (the latest being the Noida rape case), continuing harassment in public etc. could very well become the “enough is enough” episode that swings the Hindu women voters away from BJP.  BJP can ill afford to be seen as the party who along with it’s Sangh members is going to implement a talibanized version of the Hindu society where a woman’s constitutional right will be trampled.

In 2009, no woman (or man for that matter) in India is willing to be dictated on the “morals of Indian culture” specially from politicians and their goondas who have their morality completely discredited by failing to follow the ideals set by the father of our nation and other freedom fighters.

January 28th, 2009 | Tags: Karnataka, Mangalore, NDA/BJP | Category: Elections, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, NDA/BJP, Terrorism | Comments (4)

Three bomb blasts went off in Assam again on New Year’s day. The state was rocked by deadly blasts that left 88 dead just two months ago (see our post). Five people were killed and over 50 injured in three blasts .

• Serial blasts rock Guwahati, 5 dead, many injured, Indian Express, Jan 1, 2009
• At least 5 killed in three blasts in Guwahati, Hindustan Times, Jan 1 2008
• 5 killed in Guwahati serial blasts, The Hindu, Jan 1, 2008

Police suspect the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to be behind the blasts. The blast occurred before Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram arrived in the city to review the law and order situation in the state.

The bomb blasts are a bad start for the new year. They highlight the precarious state of our Nation’s internal security and how the very idea of India is under attack.

January 1st, 2009 | Tags: Assam, Election Issue : Internal Security, India Under Attack, Terrorism, ULFA | Category: Assam, National Security, Terrorism | Comments (5)

The exchange of words between the Indian and Pakistani governments after the Mumbai attacks has gotten louder and more stringent with reports of escalating tension between the two. While the UPA government has categorically denied that it has any plans of attacking Pakistan, the Pakistan establishment and media have been making opposite statements. The Prime Minister, today, expressed concern at this escalating tension and hinted at the possibility of a war.

• Nobody wants war but situation worrisome: PM, NDTV.com, Dec 23, 2008
• India to Pak: Don’t create war hysteria, Times of India, Dec 23, 2008
• No one wants war, says Prime Minister, Hindustan Times, Dec 23, 2008

• War talk reaches fever pitch in Pak media, Times of India, Dec 22, 2008
• We are prepared to defend ourselves: Pak, Press Trust of India, Dec 21, 2008

The Pakistani government has asked India for proof that the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks were Pakistani. But when provided with the proof, Pakistan has denied it’s validity. The US government has made statements agreeing with India that Pakistan is behind the attacks.

• Pak has enough proof to act against suspects: India, Indian Express, Dec 22, 2008
• No firm evidence on JuD’s involvement in Mumbai attacks: Pak, Economic Times, Dec 23 2008
• Mumbai attack: US backs proof of Pak hand, Times of India, 23 Dec 2008
• FBI completes probe in Mumbai attack; indicates Pak role, Zee News, Dec 23, 2008

War in a election year with recession looming large is not something that Indians are looking forward to. The UPA government is caught in a bind as to take a tough stand against Pakistan, even going to the extent of a full blown war that may cause great loss to Indian lives and economy or to try and apply international pressure on the Pakistani government to deal with the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks.

After the results of recent state elections, the UPA government has gone with the latter option. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be giving immediate results. Pakistani government has denied that the terrorists were it’s nationals and has not taken any strong steps in building trust with it’s Indian counterpart. The international community, apart from giving strong statements, have not taken any strong actions against Pakistan. Notice the lack of any economic sanctions against Pakistan.

• India gets the world together, ups pressure on Pak IBNLive.com, Dec 23, 2008
  
• China still reluctant to pressurise Pak against terrorism, Times of India, Dec 23, 2008
• Dragon dances with terror, Economic Times, Dec 23, 2008

National Security is going to be a major issue in the coming elections and the UPA recognizes this. Though it has made a start with the set up of a National Investigating Agency and the amendment of UAPA (or the anti-terror law), it’s dealings with Pakistan has so far allowed it’s detractors to accuse it of going soft on terror. May be the PM can take a leaf out of ex-PM Vajpayee’s book in the way he dealt with Pakistan in 2001 after the attacks on Indian parliament.

December 23rd, 2008 | Tags: Dr. Manmohan Singh, Election Issue : Internal Security, India Under Attack, Maharashtra, Mumbai, pakistan, Terrorism, War | Category: Dr. Manmohan Singh, Economy, Elections, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, National Security, Terrorism, UPA/Congress | Comments (3)