Indian Elections 2009

News Update : BJP’s central committee has allowed CM Khanduri to remain in his post for now.

One of the first casualty of BJP’s loss in the national elections, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, B.C. Khanduri is expected to tender his resignation soon. BJP lost all five Lok Sabha seats in this northern states to it’s rival Congress.

• Khanduri to resign over poll debacle in Uttarakhand, Indian Express, May 18 2009

CM Khanduri had faced rebelion from other BJP leaders of the state last year. The rebels, led by former chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari , had last year accused him of inaccessibility and slowdown in development projects of the state.

State Health Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, state Tourism Minister Prakash Pant and Koshiyari are among the front-runners to replace CM Khanduri.

May 19th, 2009 | Tags: BJP, Lok Sabha elections, Uttarakhand | Category: Elections, NDA/BJP, Uttarakhand | Leave a comment

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

Past appears to have caught up with the two main national parties. The Bofors case and the Godhra/Gujarat riots were in news again this week embarrassing leaders of the two parties. In the former case, all charges were dismissed by CBI against a key accused Mr. Quattrochi.

• Bofors allegations are a complete lie: Rahul, Times of India, ‎Apr 25, 2009‎
• The Q factor and Indian polity, IBNLive, Apr 30 2009

In the later case, the Supreme court instructed the Special Investigations Team looking into the Gujarat riots to further investigate the role of Mr. Narendra Modi in these riots.

• Willing to go to jail, will cooperate in probe: Modi, Hindustan Times, Apr 28 2009
• SC orders probe into Modi’s role in post-Godhra riots, Financial Express, Apr 28 2009

While the two parties try damage control by accusing each other of dirty politics, it is a reminder again to the voters that Congress was guilty of corruption and BJP of instigating riots instead of controlling them.

• Farewell gift to nation-in-law… PM, Sonia guilty, says BJP, Indian Express, Apr 28, 2009‎
• Cong behind CBI clean chit to Quattrocchi, says Maya, Times of India, Apr 28, 2009‎

April 29th, 2009 | Tags: Godhra, Narendra Modi, NDA/BJP, Sonia Gandhi, UPA/Congress | Category: Gujarat, Indian Politics, NDA/BJP, Narendra Modi, UPA/Congress | Leave a comment

Second pre-election poll carried out by Star News channel and AC Nielson has predicted that no coalition will reach the magic number of 272 to be able to form the next government. The survey predicted 203 seats for UPA, 191 seats for the NDA and 104 for the Third Front comprising the Left parties, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and others. Fourth front consisting of Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has been predicted to get 39 seats. Individually, they predict that Congress will be the largest party with 155 seats followed by the BJP with 147.

This second survey was conducted between March 26-April 3. The first had predicted that the ruling UPA coalition would get 257 seats, including those won by the Samajwadi Party, RJD and LJP, who are now going to the polls independently of the Congress. See our previous post on that for details.

The latest survey clearly indicates the high probability of political reallignement after the elections, where parties who will compete against each other will join hands after the results are announced.

April 12th, 2009 | Tags: Lok Sabha elections, NDA/BJP, Pre-poll survey, RLD, Samajwadi Party, Third Front, UPA/Congress | Category: Elections, Indian Politics, NDA/BJP, Political Parties, Pre-poll survey, UPA/Congress | Comments (4)

Update Apr 4 : Full text of the BJP manifesto, IBN Live

India’s main opposition party, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) released it’s manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha elections today. It was released by BJP’s PM candidate Mr. L.K. Advani and party president Mr. Rajnath Singh.  It promised tougher terror laws and farm loan waiver. Concentrating on the country’s poor, it has also promised a million houses every year. The manifesto also promised to rebuild the Ram temple at Ayodhya and abrogation of Article 370 giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP manifesto comes after 11 years as the party had released NDA manifestos along with its coalition partners in 1999 and 2004. The BJP had then refrained from making any reference to the Ram Temple issue, saying it remained on the party’s agenda but was not a part of the NDA’s national agenda for governance.

• BJP promises wheat at Rs 2/kg, bicycle for girl child, Times of India, Apr 3 2009
• BJP revives Hindutva themes in poll manifesto, Indian Express, Apr 3 2009

BJP’s manifesto doesn’t appear too different from that of Congress’ with both promising increased security and development.

The BJP website has still to be updated with the full text of the manifesto. What is noteworthy is that their website (http://www.bjp.org) is promising Good Governance, Development and Security. It appears that post 2008 State Elections, ‘National Security’ has slipped from BJP’s poll agenda and is now a distant third.

There is no clear policy paper on the BJP’s websites about how they will deal with the economic crisis facing the world in general and our country in particular. The party seems to be adopting a wait and watch approach for this crisis; which may be wasting precious time should the party wins the next elections. Whoever wins the next election in India, will have to deal with India’s “economic downturn” on a war footing.

April 3rd, 2009 | Tags: BJP, Election manifesto, Lok Sabha elections, NDA/BJP | Category: Elections, Indian Politics, L K Advani, NDA/BJP | Comments (3)

The UP government, led by Ms. Mayawati, arrested the BJP candidate from Philibit, Varun Gandhi, under the National Security Act (NSA) on Mar 29.

• Varun moves SC, says NSA slapped to sabotage electoral debut, Press Trust of India, Apr 2 2009‎

• Varun Gandhi Moves SC, Challenges Detention under NSA, Zee News, Apr 2 2009
  

The National Security Act was passed in 1980 has often been used in Uttar Pradesh as a weapon against the opposition.

• Why every party in power in UP loves the NSA, Indian Express, Apr 2 2009

It is not apparant if Mr. Varun Gandhi is such a big risk to communal harmony so as to warrant this tough act. By using this act to get political mileage, the CM is diluting the power of the act. Anyone arrested in the future under this act can also claim political vendata even if their arrest.

April 2nd, 2009 | Tags: Lok Sabha elections, Mayawati, NDA/BJP | Category: BSP, Elections, Indian Politics, L K Advani, Mayawati, NDA/BJP, National Security, Uttar Pradesh | Leave a comment

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik won the trust vote in the state assembly in a voice vote on Wednesday. The trust vote session was held three days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew its support to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD)-led coalition government. There was pandemonium in the assembly Tuesday. Congress and BJP members maintained the timing of the motion was not correct because the model code of conduct had come into force ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Despite vociferous opposition, Speaker Mohanty put the motion to a voice vote and declared it had won majority support in the legislature.

Protesting the win, BJP and Congress leaders met Orissa’s Governor Bhandare separately and demanded dismissal of the government. They alleged manipulation in the trust vote. The BJD denied the charge. The governor has requested the video recording of the proceedings and other records related to the voting.

Patnaik called off the 11-year alliance between the BJP and the BJD last week after deciding that the BJP needed to be cut to size ahead of the April-May Lok Sabha election. The BJP withdrew support to Patnaik, reducing his government to a minority.

March 11th, 2009 | Tags: BJD, Lok Sabha elections, NDA/BJP, Orissa | Category: BJD, Elections, Indian Politics, NDA/BJP, Orissa | Comments (1)

A day after leaving the NDA, Naveen Patnaik lead BJD has joined the Third Front. The BJD had lost majority in the Orissa assembly when BJP withdrew it’s support and the governer of Orissa had asked the CM Naveen Patnaik to prove his party’s majority by March 11. The CM is confident of winning the vote of confidence with the support of the Left parties.

• Naveen takes a Left turn, stunned BJP counts losses, Indian Express, Mar 8 2009
• BJD ropes in Left, NCP, JMM to prop up its govt,Times of India, Mar 8 2009
• CPI(M) upbeat about Third Front after BJP-BJD split, The Hindu, Mar 8 2009
• Naveen gives list of 76 MLAs, trust vote on March 11, Press Trust of India, Mar 9 2009
• BJD-BJP alliance collapse a good development: CPM, Indian Express, Mar 8 2009

There is a lot of speculation in the media about this split. One of the reasons being mentioned was that Naveen Patnaik was concerned about his secular credentials being questioned due to his alliance with BJP and other right wing parties. The CPM has now given him a “secular politician” certificate.

• BJD is secular, says Karat, The Hindu, Mar 8 2009
• Naveen shielding Swamiji’s killers, lambasted Singhal, Orissadiary.com

March 9th, 2009 | Tags: BJD, NDA/BJP, Orissa, Third Front | Category: BJD, Elections, NDA/BJP, Orissa, Third Front | Leave a comment

Pre-election negotiations have turned ugly for yet another alliance. The 11-year old alliance between BJP and BJD in Orissa has collapsed. On Saturday, BJP withdrew it’s support to the Naveen Patnaik-led Government and demanded imposition of President’s rule in state.

• BJP withdrew support from the BJP-BJD led government, Indian Express, Mar 7 2009
• BJP-BJD alliance splits in Orissa over seat sharing, Hindustan Times, Mar 7 2009

The BJD had 61 members in the 147-member assembly while the saffron party has 30 MLAs. The main opposition Congress has 38 MLAs, JMM four, CPI and CPI(M) one each, NCP two and eight independent members. While BJD requires the support of 74 legislators, it was understood to be enjoying the backing of JMM, CPI, CPI(M) and independent members, BJD sources said.

Will we be seeing a new alliance in the horizon between BJD and Congress ?

March 7th, 2009 | Tags: BJD, NDA/BJP, Orissa | Category: BJD, Elections, Indian Politics, NDA/BJP, Orissa | Comments (2)