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Round
The States
New
Delhi, 6 November 2015
Election
Verdict
WILL IT
BE BIHARIS OR BAHARIS?
By Insaf
All eyes are on Bihar.
The curtains have finally come down on the bitter electioneering witnessed for
the crucial Assembly polls, which would have given the Election Commission,
among others sleepless nights. Leaders of both the BJP-led NDA and the Grand
alliance (mahagatbandhan) of
JD(U)-RJD-Cong would have no rest till late tomorrow, when the counting begins and results start pouring in.
The Exit polls since Thursday evening have kept them on the edge. While most
surveys suggest that it’s a neck-and-neck fight and give Nitish Kumar the
baton, one survey gives the Modi team a clean sweep. However, the past has
shown that the exit polls can be way off the mark. Be that as it may, the fact
is that the voter participated with as much gusto and the turnout for the five
phase poll was a record 57 per cent. However, the campaign would have left a
bad taste in many a mouth. It was exceptionally negative. The vikas (development) agenda appeared to
have got lost in caste divisions, tu-tu-mein-mein
of star campaigners, beef
controversy and worse Pakistan
being dragged in. Undeniably, it has been a do-or-die battle for the warring
sides. If the Bihar verdict goes against Modi,
it could gravely impact his image giving credence to an anti-Modi wave growing
just in one year. For Nitish-Lalu and team, a negative verdict would mean a
long wait for a comeback. Nagging uncertainty lingers till Sunday.
* * * *
UP
Panchayat Polls
The BSP in Uttar Pradesh has reason
for a big smile. The recent panchayat polls have given it confidence of making
a comeback in the 2017 Assembly polls Of
importance is that its supported candidates won 28 of the 52 seats in Aligarh
district, 21 out of 51 wards in Agra and 26 out of 86 seats in Azamgarh
(represented by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav). The ruling SP would obviously
see red as while over half a dozen of its Ministers’ relatives lost the polls,
senior BSP leaders were celebrating their victory. While the SP is obviously
smarting, the BJP too would have a big frown. The seats of the adopted villages
of none other than Prime Minister Modi in his constituency, Varanasi, the BJP-supported candidates won only
in 8 of the 48 seats. The results would make Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav edgy
as he is going all out to correct the government’s image with even a recent
Cabinet reshuffle. On the other hand, the results should be a morale booster
for Mayawati, who can put behind the terrible defeat of 2012 assembly and 2014
Lok Sabha polls behind her.
* * * *
BJP-Shiv
Sena Battle
The BJP-Shiv Sena see-saw battle in Maharashtra seems never ending. The two are now trying to
outdo each other in installing their mayor in the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal
Corporation polls. While the Sena managed to trump the BJP and emerged as the
single largest party with 52 seats, the latter wasn’t far behind. Rather, it
did fantastically well bagging 42 seats instead of just nine last time. Will
the Sena, short of 10 seats for a majority reach out to bête noire Maharashtra
Navnirman Sena (MNS) which won 9 seats, or wean away the independents that BJP
claims to have support of? With a hung house, the MNS is being wooed by both,
the independents too have a huge say and anything is possible. The big question
doing the rounds is who will win this round. The last was won by the BJP, when
its partner backed out from its threat of breaking the alliance. The “drama’,
as Chief Minister Fadnavis said then, continues to unfold now in the fight for
their mayor.
* * * *
Gujarat’s Caste
Division
Gujarat, enjoying one of the
most developed States’ status, stands marred with it having the worst caste
divisions. Forget the Patidar reservation stir for a moment for it is
untouchability with government encouragement that is in focus. Some 130 km-odd
distance from Ahmedabad, in Patan district is Hajipur Village, where it is
reported there are two separate anganwadis—one for the Patidars and the
Brahmins kids and the other for Dalits. With the former constituting about 70
per cent of the population, they call the shots with the district
administration. An Anganwadi (No.159) was set up in 1997. However, in 2000 the
Patidars and Brahmins demanded a separate one as their children shouldn’t sit,
play and eat with other kids! A new Anganwadi No. 160 was set up in the same
premises. While the issue of discrimination was raised with the State
Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, no action has been taken. Nor
does the Women and Child Development Dept find anything unusual. It argues that
caste divide is inherent across the country. Sadly, it forgets that two wrongs
don’t make a right. Worse, can it justify government-sponsored discrimination?
* * * *
Haryana
Relief To Khemka
A change in government is what many
a bureaucrat may look forward to, if Haryana is a case to go by. Senior IAS
officer Ashok Khemka, who has the distinction of being transferred 14 times
during the Congress rule of Bhupinder Singh Hooda is a relieved man today. The
BJP government of Manohar Lal Khattar has dropped the charge sheet against him in
connection with a much-publicised land deal between a firm owned by Sonia
Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra and realty major DLF. Recall the case had hit
the headlines and saw Khemka being shunted out to low-profile assignments.
However, lady luck was on his side. With the BJP gunning for the Gandhi family,
the high-profile case came in handy. Khemka’s reply to the charges and a
personal hearing before the Chief Minister got him the all-clear certificate,
says the government of the day. While the bureaucrat is beholden to the
Almighty, can one rule out political shenanigans?
* * * *
Chhattisgarh’s
Toilet Goal
The ‘toilet for all’ revolution is
indeed gaining ground. The latest to join is Chhattisgarh’s ‘52 gram'
panchayats in Rajnandgaon district. Having a population of 10,000 spread over
110 villages, the tribal community of Halba has pledged a campaign “agar sauchalaya nahi toh beti aur roti nahi
denge” (if no toilet then no daughter or bread). Chief Minister Raman Singh
is going all out to provide financial help and ensure the district, which falls
in his constituency, achieves 100 per cent open defecation free status. While
educating the tribals about the advantages of having toilets is one aspect, the
warning that men folk wouldn’t get brides if they don’t comply should do the
trick. Recall, early this year, four villages in Jalore district of Rajasthan
had taken a similar initiate that no groom marries without gifting the bride a
proper and clean toilet. Sircilla in Telangana and Nadia in West
Bengal are other districts sending positive news. More districts
are bound to follow. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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