India Votes - and How!

Ref rsridhar #321

[So, people like Harimau are pissed off that a Tam Brahm lady did not win in TN. From what i hear about this lady, her big ego is matched only by her huge body size. She was so arrogant that she did not even field good candidates as she felt that this was not necessary as votes were being cast in her name anyway!]

That TamBrahm is the only politician in India who has stood up to the government employees` and teachers` unions. And broke them both. She ran candidates not based on their caste or religion.

The ``secular`` anti-caste DMK ran the widow of a street thug who was shot dead in a gunfight with the police as one of their candidates. The fact that she happened to also belong the dominant Nadar community in Tiruchendur played no small part in the DMK`s decision. The DMK conveniently hid the fact that her husband was on the Most-Wanted List even during their own administration and the widow campaigned with her new-born baby in her arms to get the sympathy of the voters. Compare that to Jayalalitha who ran a Muslim woman, Badr Sayid, in South Madras with a minuscule Muslim population. The ``secular`` DMK ran a Muslim candidate in Vellore where they were assured of support from the Muslim community in surrounding areas such as Arcot and Vaniyambadi and where the Doctor Artist Leader the Fund of Compassion campaigned that he has been backing Muslim rights as far back as the 1930s when he supported the demand for Pakistan!

[My parents did not cast their votes this time. They are disgusted with this ``lady with bloated egos`` and they certainly did not want to vote for DMK.]

Then don`t b!tch about the outcome. If they felt so bad about the water problem, your dad could have run for elections....as did one candidate in a rural area.

[...He called ``Jeya`` a very corrupt lady and categorically stated that she took a a flat 10% of investment money from every business entrepreuneur who set up business in TN as bribe.]

Is that why you have Ford, Mitsubishi and Hyundai setting up factories in Chennai? Is that why Volkswagen considers Chennai a superior alternative to Hyderabad or Bangalore?

The difference is that 10% goes to the AIADMK party coffers and the money is used to fund the election campaign. Under DMK, the money would go straight into the pockets of Doctor Artist Leader the Fund of Compassion who demanded Rs. 60 lakhs as the deposit to become the DMK`s candidate in any parliamentary constituency.

By the way, every single case of corruption against Jayalalitha filed by the DMK government has been thrown out by the courts when the courts rendered their verdicts... in one case, even the Supreme Court of India which reversed a conviction by a lower court. Several more are pending and we will see how many of them stand up to scrutiny.

Turmoil in Congress/Indian politics

Whatever may be the motives of Sonia`s decision to withdraw, the sycophantic, flowery articles written all over the psuedo secular Indian media as well as by some people here is sad. Just as sad as the vicious personal attacks on Sonia by some in BJP and it`s allies.

Rejecting power when it is given it you is indeed a noble deed, but is Sonia really giving up power? In the spineless, leaderless Congress party, she will always be the de-facto leader, whether she is the P.M. or not. And look who`s being nominated for the post of P.M. (Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukharjee), persons of probably flawless integrity ( I dont know much about Pranab) but without a mass following and a support base.

Their stay in power is dependant on the whims and fancies of Gandhi family. In fact, Sonia`s staying out of power creates a third power center at the Federal level (PM, Sonia and Left). The PM and his cabinet will never have complete independence to frame policies. We have seen such extra- constitutional power centers in the States (notably Bihar), but never at the Federal level.

Sadly, this is not at all good for India.

What I find more ridiculous is comparision of Sonia with Mahatma. Mahatma/JP Narayan/Vinoba bhave and many other such great leaders not only gave away power they would have had, but also withdrew totally from politics and dedicate themselves to social service.

I would have liked to give Sonia the benefit of doubt for now, but as I said before it is difficult to imagine she completely gives up her power. Let`s wait and watch whether she really renounces political power and only focuses on what she claims to be the social legacy of Nehru. Till then, please dont go either extremes.

- Avkrishna

357 -DM

Sing has 6 months to be elected to LS.

Does anyone know what the constitution says about the Prime Minister not being an elected member of the Lok Sabha? Can he be a member of the Rajya Sabha which Manmohan Singh is? If not, how long does he have to seek election to the Lok Sabha?

Looks like it`s final now: [from Rediff]

Sonia, Manmohan to meet Prez at 2015 IST

George Iype and Onkar Singh in New Delhi | May 19, 2004 17:49 IST


Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the party`s nominee for the prime minister`s post, Dr Manmohan Singh, will call on President A P J Abdul Kalam at 2015 IST.

They will, in all probability, be carrying letters of support from all their allies and will stake claim to form the next government.

At the time of filing this report, the Congress Parliamentary Party was meeting in the Central Hall of Parliament to elect Dr Singh its leader. Journalists have not been allowed access to the meeting.

Sonia has issued a statement to party workers reiterating her decision to decline the prime minister`s post and urging them to not feel disheartened.

Re: various posts by rsridhar

The communal harmony we see in Bihar is certainly not because of Laloo`s noble intentions. If anything, it is either because people there are too busy scrounging for two square meals or because the poor belonging to both the communities (Hindu and Muslim) are too terrified of the goons belonging to Laloo and other criminal politicians to be fighting amongst themselves.

We rarely see people fighting over religion when they cannot afford even one decent meal a day. And we rarely see them fighting when they are terrorized. Hindus and Muslims in Bihar are united by poverty and fear.

And I agree there is corruption in both Bihar and Tamil Nadu. But is there a place where there is no corruption?

Rsridhar,
I don`t mean people revel in their poverty. However, I do believe that Indians don`t see it as the most important thing in their lives. And in a way, that is a good thing. If I could only feel good about myself because I can buy a pair of Manalo Blahniks (or a Rolex, or Creme de la Mer, or whatever), it would be shallow because these are ephemeral things. And because then very few Indians could ever feel good about themselves. So many people who in Mrs Gandhi`s days didn`t realise how much they missed out on, realise now that money can buy you happiness, even if only for an hour. And because people have been flaunting it, it does make them angry. When in India 6 weeks ago, I saw an ad for a Tanishq watch that said simply ``Rs 36,000``. The text beneath said, ``That should save most of you the trouble of driving down to our showroom.`` (Note driving down). I think it was on TV as well.I thought it was in exceedingly poor taste. How would your average clerk feel when they saw it?
Do you get my point now? No one`s poor out of choice(unless they work for an NGO and don`t have family money), but many people never think of another way of life until it`s flaunted in their faces, and then they resent it and think ``we`ll show you `` even if the option does them no good either.

And unlike some people, I do dare to think that it was the collective jumping up and down of millions of Chicken Littles-some elite,in Manolos; some in Batas; and some barefoot- that caused Sonia to reconsider, whatever happens eventually.

“They will have to answer how they chose a fickle-minded person (chanchal swabhav), who has changed her views four times?” Fernandes said. Fernandes said the dilly-dallying on the part of the Congress chief foretold the “shape of things to come.”

chanchal swabhav? that must be ABV`s translation of GF speak...

http://www.deccan.com/home/homedetails.asp#NDA terms Sonia fickle minded

AlephNull #341
Exactly. Once citizenship is granted, there is no distinction - and in 2001 the NDA government itself filed an affidavit to this effect in favor of Sonia Gandhi`s eligibility for the PM post.

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sadna #336

You may perhaps have overlooked a very significant part of the Pioneer article, which I post below:

``Another point that came in the way of Ms Gandhi was Section 5 of the Citizenship Act. Under this, there is a reciprocity provision whereby citizenship granted by India to persons of foreign origin is circumscribed by the rights that particular country confers upon foreigners seeking citizenship there.

The crux of this provision of ``reciprocity`` is that a person of foreign origin, who has acquired the citizenship of India through registration by virtue of marrying an Indian national, cannot enjoy more rights (like becoming Prime Minister), if the same opportunity is not available to an Indian-born citizen in that particular country.``

In the present instance the country of origin is Italy. The widely cited case is that of Sonali Rossellini, wife (or ex-wife) of Roberto Rossellini. In the 1960s she apparently tried to contest a municipal election in Italy, and was duly informed that all elected government posts were limited to native-born Italian citizens.

Of course, if this is true, it also calls into question Sonia’s present and past election to the Lok Sabha and her appointment as Leader of the Opposition. A most awkward situation.

Re. My last post – not quite on the mark. Apparently the citizenship act says that in granting naturalized citizenship with its attendant rights to a citizen of any country, the Central Government shall have due regard to the conditions subject to which citizens of India may be naturalized in the citizenship applicant’s country of origin.

This probably indicates that a determination of rights and privileges available shall be made by the Central Government at the time of granting citizenship. If the GoI did not impose any reciprocity or other restrictions in 1983 when Sonia Gandhi was granted Indian citizenship, her rights cannot be circumscribed at this stage. The Supreme Court has ruled on Sonia`s citizenship issue – perhaps the judgement deserves study.

now my chicken little ones can wipe their tears off.... end their kicking tantrum on the dirty floor....sit down and wash their soiled faces....

.....Sonia is NOT going to be yur nightmare.... -- the sky is NOT falling and Italy will NOT rule India after all...

.....one must thank MuscleMan Advani ji for singlehandedly defeating the Italian Colonial Army......and preventing another conquest of India -- after the British -- just the same way he made the British leave India....

what a bunch of insecure cry babies....... arrayed against a frail WOMAN -- and
what a great magnanimous WOMAN -- and a Devika of Dignity -- that daughter of Italian Garibaldi and daughter-in-law of of India`s Gandhi......proved to be!!! Bravo

btw ......her daughter had already said during the election that her mother has not said that she would accept the prime ministership........

re:#331 by ankit
I never said i was a fan of anybody.
Sitting in US, it is easier to be more objective. I have nothing to lose. I have no party affiliations though at one time i thought BJP was doing a good job until it became clear that it was beoming a pro-rich party.
I do see the benefits of a ``free market economy`` in USA but as i said, even in this country, there is a broad social security network and the rich have to pay into that network.
What would happen to all the economic policies if India had nationwide communal clashes? Would anybody be interested in investing in India then?
Lalloo yadav does not have any economic agenda and does not have my respect in that regard but at least he had kept his state free of communal clashes. That is a first. We just saw what can happen to the stock market if there is any inkling of instability. Imagine what would happen if there is real instability!
Peace, security, communal harmony are the first requisites of a ``free market economy``. Why do u think Mushy in Pak finds it so hard to get foreign investors invest in Pak even though he is read to do IMF`s bidding?
Perhaps Bihar has to await another politician to change its economy. But i see a greater danger in the brand of politics espoused by Modi than the one by Lalloo Yadav though in my eyes both belong to the gutter politics.
Sridhar

re:#337 by Netizen
I never lived in Bihar, so your post has no real meaning to me.
sridhar