it is accurate to say that there is no functioning government at present in Delhi
That was Mr. L.K.Advani delivering the valdedictory speech at the BJP National Executive in Bhopal. He also went on to say
The entire government machinery is in a state of paralysis due to uncertainty created by the UPA self-destabilisation.
Further elaborating how the Manmohan Singh lead UPA Government was on Life Support, he went to describe the two “destablizing forces” that have emerged.
The first is the group of four Left parties, whose outside support is oxygen for the survival of the government. The second is the DMK, whose leader has conducted himself in so unbecoming a manner in the Ram Sethu matter that it has truly no parallel in the history of Indian democracy
Offstumped takes a hard look at the last 30 days of Governance of the UPA since the wedge with the left came to fore and the Government is on life support.
The Press Information Bureau is a great place to look for evidence of how debilitated the UPA Government is since it has been put on life support. In the last 30 odd days, the Government released approximately 614 press releases via the PIB. A cursory analysis by Offstumped of these 614 press releases was very interesting and is presented below.
Of the 614 press releases the bulk are informational releases largely in response to parliamentary questions and the rest are public relations exercises in a clear sign that the party in Government is spending more time promoting itself than on focusing on Governance. Just 12 Executive Decisions of any significance. Of these 12 only the Indian Airforce RFP for procurement of aircrafts stands out as the most significant decision. Of the rest 2 are rank populist in nature again signifying that polls are in the offing with Livestock Insurance and Health Insurance in the UnOrganized Sector. Only 6 decisions by the CCEA, of which only 2 are significant investments the rest are all about populist spending. 3 GOM decisions of not much consequence and 1 EGOM decision on formula for Gas pricing.
That is about it.
Life Support truly makes you dysfunctional.
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Yes, this assessment is definitely accurate. There is no mid-term election scheduled, but every party is in full-on campaign mode, including our dear parties ruling at the centre! Policy-making and projects seem to have fully fallen off the agenda. I do hope the Congress front-line realizes that they are making themselves look like a lame-duck administration.
Janpar – not just lame duck but completely subordinated to the promote Rahul campaign, notice the way in which the NREGA representation was stage managed around Rahul Gandhi and his 10 handlers in the congress.
Politically, Sonia Gandhi has played a master stroke by bring in Rahul Gandhi at an appropriate time. Preponing of the NREGA programme was done keeping in mind the imminent mid-term polls.
Congress is not going to harp too much on either the Nuclear deal (though enegry is an important consideration in the middle class voter segment) or the economic growth (“India Shinning”) themes. Instead it will talk about the programmes for upliftment of the poor & deprived sections of the society, without compromising economic growth and enery security.
But one of the smarter political moves by Congress has been the ushering in of NextGen leaders in the party heirarchy – coinciding with the national mood propped up T20 Win delivered by Dhoni & team.
It will be interesting to see the BJP political moves in response to this. One of their covert attemps to make Rajnath Singh’s son as the Head of UP Youth Wing of BJP has already backfired. They thought they will counter Rahul Gandhi with Rajnath Singh’s son !
Sorry to digress from the topic a bit >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It is humiliating to see top BJP leaders regularly seeking to meet the President and lining up in front of Rashtrapati Bhawan to meet Pratibha Patil – after an extremely acrimoius & distasteful attack on her before the polls !
It is another matter that Pratibha Patil will certainly meet them and lsten to their grievances.
BUT WHAT A LACK OF FORESIGHT SHOWN BY TOP BJP LEADERS DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL POLLS
ROW,
Regarding your digression – I don’t understand what you are trying to imply.
Are you saying that if a Presidential candidate propped up by the ruling coalition has some skeletons tumbling out of her cupboard, the Opposition must just not highlight them and meekly accept the inevitable, since anyway the ruling majority is going to vote her in?
And after having been elected as President, what should they do, having opposed her during the election? Boycott her?
“It is another matter that Pratibha Patil will certainly meet them and lsten to their grievances.”
Does she have a choice? Can she boycott them? Is she allowed to do so?
What exactly are you trying to suggest? That Ms. Patil is being oh-so-forgiving that she is condescending to meet these people?
Its a good thing that both sides have decided to forget the past and move on, but if people like you are going to say that somebody is “humiliated” etc., I really wonder which side. If the BJP does come to power the next election, it will be this very President who will have to mouth the BJP’s policies in her addresses!
Ravindra – there is a difference between feilding your own Presidential candidate in opposition to that of the other Political parties, and resorting the worst kind of charater-assassination !
THIS SENSE OF BALANCE IN THE ELECTION OF THE HIGHEST CONSTITUTIONAL POST HAD TO BE KEPT IN MIND ! NOW BJP MIGHT PAY THE PRICE FOR THIS SERIOUS ERROR ON JUDGEMENT.
RoW
Say after me, Capitalization doesn’t a arguement make. Repeat three times.
“THIS SENSE OF BALANCE IN THE ELECTION OF THE HIGHEST CONSTITUTIONAL POST HAD TO BE KEPT IN MIND !”.
Calm down, Righto Wrongo. Don’t scream. Apply some balm to that jerking knee.
Yes, let us talk about “sense of balance”. The outgoing president was a scholar, a scientist, a bharat ratna award-winner, a sensitive human being and a man of many great accomplishments. He brought dignity to the office of President. Contrast the new president with him. What are her credentials? Bankrupting a bank in which poor people have deposited their meager savings, a husband with an unsavoury track record, and ridiculous claims of speaking to dead gurus.
Character assassination you said? Yes, the Congress party assassinated the character of Dr Kalam by letting him know that the office he held deserved no better than a Pratibha Patil.
Steeped as you are in Congress culture, what would you know about ‘character’, Righto Wrongo? Bushmen have a better chance of knowing Shakespeare.
Right or Wrong, you go on and on about our irrational behavior but you refuse to accept our logic that the BJP targetted Pratibha Patel on the basis of publicly known information and news exposes, and to do so is a part of being a public figure and not “character assasination”. Character assasination would be to spout something about her having loose morals and being crazy…and please, don’t counterargue with me with some tirade about how I am jealous of Sonia Gandhi blah blah blah or my nausea will build.
In any case, Rajnath Singh’s son has stepped down as UP Yuva Morcha chief. He was also supposed to contest the UP polls, but backed out due to being criticized for who his father is. Will the Congress make such a move? Or once again, will you tell me I am jealous about Sonia and Rahul and how great they are and so forth? By the way, the BJP also denied Varun Gandhi an easy entry into the LS from Vidisha and went with a long-time party worker from MP instead, leaving the other Gandhi heir’s ego bruished. But no one is going to assuage it.
Now, if you want to blast me as biased. The BJP has many, many, many flaws, ranging from factionalism and so many others. On the other hand, it is the only party will some semblence of being a democratic structure and has some interest in upholding India’s unity and pride in the world. If ever I find another party with similiar values, I will be ready to hop on.
A weak coalition govt. is bound to become dysfunctional..
Janpar Mallai – “On the other hand, it is the only party will some semblence of being a democratic structure and has some interest in upholding India’s unity and pride in the world.”
Sadly, for BJP ‘India’ is a “notion”, not a nation with “people”
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