Narendra Modi vs the Dynasty: Contrasting Ideas of India

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 08 Mar 2014 20:59

At key BJP meet, fissures over Narendra Modi running from UP

KJo · Post by **KJo** » 08 Mar 2014 21:26

Why cant Modi run from Gandhinagar? Why Benaras?

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 08 Mar 2014 21:27

KJoishy wrote:Why cant Modi run from Gandhinagar? Why Benaras?

Sirji, he will contest from Gujarat onlee. All this is media hava, or let me say ndtv fart.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 08 Mar 2014 22:20

He should contest from both Guj and UP.

Abhijit · Post by **Abhijit** » 08 Mar 2014 22:25

gandharva wrote:This should have happened long back but for D4s like Arun J.

Press : Boycott of NDTV

http://www.bjp.org/media-resources/pres ... VU.twitter

About f'n time, I say. In fact BJP should starve the ******** for the next 5 years.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 08 Mar 2014 22:46

Its out in open now that MSM is muddling politics directly when BJP's CEC meeting was ongoing. International media however will not mention this so as to make noise from MSM sound legit.

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 08 Mar 2014 23:37

Interview where NiKu says he is more qualified than NaMo.

Truth vs Hype: Contenders 2014 - Nitish Kumar's last stand?

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/truth- ... o-featured

JohnTitor · Post by **JohnTitor** » 08 Mar 2014 23:42

MRV ‏@MRVChennai Mar 7
Met a man on a flight to Chennai. Claimed he was a Bookie. Says BJP alone has crossed 255 seats in Satta Bazar!
https://twitter.com/MRVChennai/status/4 ... 9523869697

As I've said on numerous occasions, I believe BJP will get close to 300 seats on its own!

KJo · Post by **KJo** » 09 Mar 2014 01:04

Supratik wrote:He should contest from both Guj and UP.

I know this is the existing rule but I think people should be made to contest from 1 place only. If he wins, he will have to give up the other and another election and waste of national money.
For now, the rule should be that if you won both and give up the seat, the highest loser wins. That would be another party, so people will not run from 2 places.

sunnyP · Post by **sunnyP** » 09 Mar 2014 04:59

gandharva wrote:This should have happened long back but for D4s like Arun J.

Press : Boycott of NDTV

http://www.bjp.org/media-resources/pres ... VU.twitter

+1.

I remember during the last election LKA gave an interview to Burka - it was as if they were old friends. And Sushma's interview to Burka a few months back was nauseating - they were both fawning over each other.

I don't know why these people pander to groups like NDTV. Anyway, hopefully no more. Turdisai and his cronies should be next,

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 09 Mar 2014 07:51

D4 watch

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 09 Mar 2014 08:07

Boss, Madhu Kishwar is too paranoid. Shanta Kumar himself was the reason for the loss of HP.

Shanmukh · Post by **Shanmukh** » 09 Mar 2014 08:32

Muppalla wrote:Boss, Madhu Kishwar is too paranoid. Shanta Kumar himself was the reason for the loss of HP.

Madhu-mausi is not a disinterested NaMo campaigner. I don't know what she has been promised, but I doubt she has taken sides with Modi for love and kisses. She is a Lutyens insider, one who spent years campaigning against NaMo, before choosing to go full tilt for him. I would take what she says with a huge lump of Siberian salt.

negi · Post by **negi** » 09 Mar 2014 09:11

BRFites should take a leaf from Namo's book and boycott NDTV , I have child locked it on my tv for my parents as well as SHQ . Waise bhi us Barkha ka aloo jaisa sooja hua chehra dekhne ka koi shauk nahi mujhe.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 09 Mar 2014 09:17

+108. boycott all ddms. well it requires a network effect.. ask people to send SMS to some metrics place to get this data.. you can only say, it is a good mechanism to deter ddm by such measured data.

bjp supporters can use SMS to a big extent.

Prem Kumar · Post by **Prem Kumar** » 09 Mar 2014 09:38

All: a small distraction if you dont mind. But related to the Modi thread.

There is an organization called GIBV (Global Indians for Bharat Vikas) of which I am a member (for the Houston chapter). We have been conducting a "reference calling" program of calling our friends/relatives in India to vote for Modi. We meet weekly & attend events to spread awareness and gain volunteers. We have been quite successful in getting a few hundred volunteers sign up in a short period of time. Looks like lots of people want to help & are looking for a forum to do so.

Our goal is simple: get as many people out to vote as possible for Modi. Plz let me know if you are interested & I will post more details

You can be anywhere in the world to volunteer. Today, Modi's first international Chai pe Charcha was organized by GIBV's Washington DC coordinator Dr. Anju Preet

You can also register to volunteer at: http://gibv.org

P.S: I started a new thread about this, called "Call-a-thon for Modi"

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 09 Mar 2014 09:42

negi wrote:BRFites should take a leaf from Namo's book and boycott NDTV , I have child locked it on my tv for my parents as well as SHQ . Waise bhi us Barkha ka aloo jaisa sooja hua chehra dekhne ka koi shauk nahi mujhe.

+1001

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 09 Mar 2014 16:28

negi wrote:BRFites should take a leaf from Namo's book and boycott NDTV , I have child locked it on my tv for my parents as well as SHQ . Waise bhi us Barkha ka aloo jaisa sooja hua chehra dekhne ka koi shauk nahi mujhe.

That aaloo jaisa sooja hua chehra comment is so appropriate. Same goes for that gin drinker and her rum drunk husband.

vivek.rao · Post by **vivek.rao** » 09 Mar 2014 17:01

Another good link

SONIA DIEnasty tool Karan getting pilloried

member_20317 · Post by **member_20317** » 09 Mar 2014 18:45

Aaj Tak is showing the situation in Ayodhya during RJB period.

As I remember all these years after the real deal the karsevaks were the less educated kind but very committed and utmost believers. And they ended up announcing the true freedom. Freedom from utter confusion. You always need people who can put their confusion aside and start focusing. Really great people they were. I remember during those days just out of school, interested more in the opposite sex than anything else and an easy life and a liberal to boot. The view I held during those days, was that while the Hindus had a point and non-hindus were being irrational and hypocritical, but still I used to consider RJB as just an avoidable issue. Something worthy of being kept in the backburner in the interest of peaceful economic rise promised by the liberalization kicked in just. And I was seeing this threat to the peaceful economic rise even when it was not ever threatened by the Karsewaks and their leadership. I was reading ToILet paper. Sorry Bhagwan.

In hind sight, I am deeply indebted to those headstrong faceless crowds who differed. And history got made away from the seat of stagnant, cystic power (aka lootyens dilli). History got made where it should have been - in Ayodhya. A few years back there was a major anti-congress movement, most probably supported by foreign hands but nonetheless triggered and grounded in the refusal of the Congress to accept the truth. That movement got what it deserved but it did two good things. Indira started making tentative movements that suggested a break from her past practices in economics but at the same time her politics had become more edgy. She was not the political future of India. She was just the interval, timepass. Against this backdrop the Ayodhya movement finally was the one where the bottled up angst of the larger India had found its virya. Bahut bakwaas had passed around on the chaupal and people had made up their minds. That day and today a new political formation has become a permanent fixture in the Indian political scene. 1 Billion Hindus will always have a proper fallback and an expression of their political will should they feel like.

Those who today love NaMo only (& not other parts of Sangh), owe a lot to this one event. Hindutva vaadis have since lost a few leaders to time, greed, personal fears, political irrelevance but Hindutva vaad is not dead. New generations power it towards newer directions. Within the Hindutva leadership, there is a heat of competition but surprising thing is they cannot overturn it cannot outrun it and cannot ignore it. The supporters or karyakartas are in it for the long haul. The moment I most loved in recent history was when Baba Ramdev threatened formation of his own political party. Some spunk yeh! And later went on to support Modi with a reticent RSS also voicing their support more vocally and with more clarity.

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 09 Mar 2014 21:46

Will BJP take action and cancel his ticket?

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 09 Mar 2014 21:48

Could be a replay?

Shanmukh · Post by **Shanmukh** » 09 Mar 2014 21:51

gandharva wrote:

Will BJP take action and cancel his ticket?

It was recorded before the ban, saars. That is what Twitter is saying.

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 09 Mar 2014 22:05

nageshks wrote:
gandharva wrote:

Will BJP take action and cancel his ticket?
It was recorded before the ban, saars. That is what Twitter is saying.

He should have clarified it immediately once it was on the air. He is on twitter.

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 09 Mar 2014 23:34

ravi_g wrote:Aaj Tak is showing the situation in Ayodhya during RJB period.

Here is Punya Prasun Bajpai and KEJRI conspiring on a video sting, somebody please download it before the ******** manage to remove it from u-tube:

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 10 Mar 2014 02:36

NDA Makes Gains With Urban, OBC Voters
Milan Vaishnav, Devesh Kapur, Neelanjan Sircar Op-Ed March 9, 2014 Times of India

The hundreds of millions of voters whose collective actions will determine the course of India's 16th general elections represent an electorate that is changing in many complex ways which we are only beginning to understand.

To better understand these changes, the Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) at the University of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the Carnegie Endowment, partnered with the Lok Foundation to conduct a survey of a cross-section of the population. CMIE, on behalf of the Lok Foundation, conducted face-to-face interviews of 68,500 randomly selected Indians across 24 states and union territories between September and December 2013.
Vaishnav’s primary research focus is the political economy of India, and he examines issues such as corruption, ethnic politics, governance and state capacity, election finance, and distributive politics.

The "Lok Surveys" aim to track the attitudes of individuals from these households over the next several years, as part of a new effort to understand the social and political reconfigurations taking place across India today. Because the majority of our sample is urban, we use 2011 Census data to reweight our sample to ensure representativeness of various social groups.

The Lok Survey was conducted in the final quarter of 2013, and things have obviously evolved since then. Last September, when it was launched, AAP was still a curiosity and Telangana had not yet become a reality.

While our aim is to understand the deeper trends that will shape the forthcoming polls, we cannot ignore the big questions around partisan performance.

Turning to the electoral horse race, we focus our attention on 15 large states comprising roughly 51,000 respondents (accounting for 87% of LS seats). Our data found the BJP-led NDA occupying a much-improved position.

Our analyses suggest that, as of the start of 2014, the NDA was poised to capture nearly 31% of the all-India vote. This is a significant improvement upon the alliance's 21.5% vote share from the 2009 elections and considerably greater than the BJP's own best performance in 1996 when it garnered 25.6% of the vote. The ruling Congress-led UPA, on the other hand, was set to win 23% of the vote—a sharp fall from its 31.5% vote share in 2009.

Our numbers for the NDA are broadly in line with other leading surveys. The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) estimated vote shares of 29 and 36% for the NDA in their July 2013 and January 2014 tracker polls, respectively. Given the timing of our survey, our estimate is squarely in line with these projections. Our estimate for the UPA is somewhat lower than CSDS' but virtually identical to the January 2014 ABP-Nielsen survey.

The data suggests NDA has gained significant ground in West and North India—places where it has already had a presence (below). In Bihar, we estimate that the BJP's vote share shot up by as much as 23 percentage points by end 2013. In UP, the BJP has the most support with 29% vote share, five and nine percentage points over the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party, respectively. In other regions, the BJP has made impressive strides although usually from a relatively low base. Without prepoll alliances, these gains may not translate into a large share of seats.

The BJP has made a strategic bet that Modi would energize three key demographics: youth, urban dwellers, and individuals belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs)—a group to which Modi belongs. Our data suggest the BJP has not only succeeded in mobilizing these groups but has gone beyond. The NDA holds a lead over the UPA in cities and towns (30 to 24%) as well as in rural areas (31 to 23%). The gains to the NDA appear to be driven largely by the better off: while the NDA is leading UPA among literate voters in both urban and rural areas, the race is much closer among illiterates (chart on top).

And what about the vaunted youth vote? Young voters between 18 and 34 years favor the NDA over the UPA but not significantly more than older voters. In the Hindi heartland states where the BJP vote swing is the most pronounced, the party has succeeded in bringing voters across all age groups into its net.

In terms of social groupings, the NDA continues to struggle attracting support from Muslims, who prefer the UPA by a margin of nearly 3 to 1. UPA retains its traditional lead over the NDA when it comes to Scheduled Tribes (31 to 23%) but trails the NDA when it comes to Dalits (21 to 25%) (chart on top). When it comes to the pivotal OBC category, however, the NDA lead widens; it is polling nearly 15 percentage points above the UPA (35 to 21%). The support of the Upper Castes remains solidly with the NDA: 42% versus just 19% for the UPA.

Even if the BJP does as well as this and other surveys are predicting, getting the coalition math right remains a challenge. The BJP will have to win over at least a few of the most significant regional players, several of whom have opened up commanding leads in their strongholds. These include Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, which is dominating the Left Front (41 to 25%) in West Bengal and Jayalalaitha's AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, which is leading the opposition DMK 27 to 20%.

The groundswell of support for the BJP and the corresponding weakening of the Congress are two unmistakable trends emanating from our data. This change in the overall balance of power begs the question why Indian voters are reassessing their loyalties in such a stark manner. This is the subject of our next piece.

Kapur and Sircar are with CASI at the University of Pennsylvania. Vaishnav is with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 10 Mar 2014 02:45

India elections: the market reacts
Mar 7, 2014 12:40pm by Avantika Chilkoti

Remember that note from Goldman Sachs? The one where the US investment bank upgraded its assessment of the Indian economy on hopes that Narendra Modi, the pro-business prime ministerial candidate for the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), would lead India’s next government?

Then, New Delhi was up in arms and accused Goldman of interfering. Now, it seems Goldman was only saying what all investors were thinking. Indian markets closed at record highs on Thursday and again on Friday, after the Election Commission announced dates for the voting and opinion polls showed Modi gaining popular support.

The benchmark Sensex equities index gained 1.9 per cent on Friday to close at 21,919.79, topping Thursday’s rise of 1.1 per cent.

Recent opinion polls have been comforting for investors concerned that the upstart Aam Aadmi, or common man, party could make significant gains in the election and cut into the BJP vote. Now, investors seem to think there is very little holding back Modi – and thus India’s economy.

As analysts at Goldman wrote in that note back in November:

Equity investors tend to view the BJP as business-friendly, and the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi (the current chief minister of Gujarat) as an agent of change.
Amid unusually large volumes of trade on Friday, the stocks that rallied the most were those that are highly correlated with broad economic growth, including banks and power companies.

The Bombay Stock Exchange’s Bankex index gained 5.4 per cent to close at 13,567.23. Among the biggest gainers were Bharat Heavy Electricals, up 6.6 per cent at Rs184.85, and Reliance Industries, which gained 5.7 per cent over the session to Rs869.40.

Adding to optimism over political change, data this week indicate that things are looking up for the economy, too. India’s current account deficit, a major point of concern for policy makers over the past year, narrowed sharply, helped by restrictions on gold imports and a pick-up in exports.

The deficit came in at $4.2bn in the quarter ended in December, according to the Reserve Bank of India. That’s down from $31.9bn in the same period a year earlier and $5.2bn in the previous quarter.

As ever, Indian equity markets are at the mercy of foreign institutional investors (FIIs). They appear to be convinced that the economy has bottomed out and a strong government is in prospect. Foreign investors put a net $211.95m into Indian equities on Friday.

“I think if anything FIIs will find India really more attractive than other EMs,” said Amar Ambani, head of research at Mumbai-based stockbroker India Infoline, mentioning the sharp slowdown in China in particular.

The rupee remained broadly flat on Friday, closing at 61.09 to the US dollar.

All this optimism puts a lot of pressure on Modi – and on opinion polls, which have been unreliable in the past.

“Currently the Indian markets are following elections more closely than anything else,” said Sarabjit Kour Nangra, vice-president for research at Mumbai-based Angel Broking. “It will be gauged after the elections are over whether it’s justified or not, in the sense that what economic policies get implemented and how the Indian economy gets revived.”

Though not all investors seem to agree, India’s economy may not be totally blighted if the pro-business Modi doesn’t lead the new government.

Analysts at UBS say there are three changes pending in India which will go ahead and boost economic growth whatever the outcome of the election: the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax, the Dedicated Freight Corridor rail project, and roll out of ‘Aadhaar’, a unique biometric identification system.

In the coming weeks, the incumbent Congress party will have a lot more than unfavourable reports from multinational banks to worry about. But investors needn’t worry that India is reliant on Modi to kick start its sputtering economy.

Avantika Chilkoti is the FT’s Mumbai reporter.

India stocks hit record on election hopes

By James Crabtree in Mumbai

Rising investor hopes of a post-election economic boom led Indian markets to hit fresh all-time highs on Thursday, following the announcement on Wednesday of the date for the nation’s forthcoming national poll.

The benchmark Sensex index of leading shares hit a series of records levels, topping out at an intraday high of 2,1525.14 just before markets closed, zipping past its previous record set last December following state-level elections.

In both cases investors were responding to optimism that Indian opposition leader Narendra Modi, the head of the centre-right Bharatiya Janata party, would prevail in the forthcoming poll.

The Sensex also hit a new all-time closing high, finishing the day up 1.1 per cent at 21,513.87.

India’s Election Commission said on Wednesday that the contest would kick off on April 7, and then continue in a series of stages around the country before concluding on May 12.

Many investors are hopeful that a coalition led by the Hindu nationalist Mr Modi will be sworn in just a few days after voting closes, potentially signalling a turnround in India’s stagnating economy.

“Global markets are favourable at the moment, but this rally is really all about hope,” says Andrew Holland, chief executive of Ambit Investment Advisors in Mumbai.

“Now we have the election date, investors want the BJP to do the business. They hope decision-making will return and the economy will come good again after a tough few years.”

India is unusual among emerging economies in that roughly half of freely traded shares are owned by foreign investors. This means market rallies are often driven by an influx of new funds from international capital.

But Sanjeev Prasad, head of research at Kotak Institutional Equities, a broker, said the present spate of bullish movements, in which markets have risen about 6 per cent over the past month, were being felt most strongly in a handful of specific sectors.

“It is a pre-election rally but it is focused in a few areas – in particular banking, automotive and industrials – all of which are linked to the domestic economy and are assumed to benefit if you have revival there,” he said.

“The assumption now is that the new government will be stable, it will put the economy right and fix the investment cycle . . . and so foreign investors are buying into the best quality names in those few sectors that might benefit.”

In addition to political optimism, India has also proven to be more resilient than other members of the “fragile five” developing economies in the aftermath of recent moves to trim the US Federal Reserve’s ultra-easy monetary policy.

Amisha Vora, managing director at Mumbai-based broker Prabhudas Lilladher, said: “The rupee has held up very well throughout the issues which happened on Friday.”

Optimism about a possible change of government was driving the rally, she said, noting that polls suggest the opposition is likely to come close to the 270 seats needed to form a majority.

This would require only a small amount of post-election coalition building to create a stable government, another factor inspiring market confidence. “If we are looking a reasonable 230-240 seats for [Mr Modi] then I think we are heading for a gradual recovery in the economy,” Ms Vora told Bloomberg TV in India.

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 10 Mar 2014 02:58

STRATEGIC MISCALCULATIONS
telegraphindia.com | Nov 30th -0001

The United States of America is, once again, not managing its relations with India well. Gains made during George W. Bush’s presidency in building strategic trust between the two countries are being steadily frittered away by wrong steps taken by the Obama administration, which seems to have taken its eyes off the India ball. Blame for this is being laid at India’s door, with the argument that India has not lived up to American expectations, that we have been sitting on the fence, unwilling to grasp firmly the hand extended by the US because of our non-aligned obsessions resurfacing as “strategic autonomy”.

Such talk assumes that India has to meet certain benchmarks set by the US in order to be a valuable partner — that is, to earn favour by behaving according to the US script. In this equation, the US is not required to live up to India’s expectations. In reality, if the two countries have to build a meaningful strategic partnership, it cannot be a one-sided affair, with one side under pressure to give and the other expecting to take.

Indian and American critics of India’s lack of strategic initiative believe that the US’s role in lifting nuclear sanctions on India obliges us to continually offer rewards to the Americans in our defence and nuclear sectors, carry out economic reforms in accordance with US wishes and priorities, and make our foreign and security policies increasingly congruent with those of the US. Such thinking misses the important point that, apart from extracting major Indian concessions with regard to India’s nuclear autonomy, the larger US objective was to win India to its side in the face of the new strategic challenges facing US power in Asia with the rise of China, the need for burden-sharing in upholding the post-1945 international system because of the depletion of its military and economic strength caused by wars and financial mismanagement.

Has the US, as part of an equitable strategic bargain, adjusted its options in dealing with issues that are sensitive for India? It has not entirely given up balancing its relationships with India and Pakistan, even though India does not support ideologies and actors that oppose US values and interests and take the lives of its citizens. The US continues to provide military support to Pakistan. It is reaching out to the Taliban with the assistance of the Pakistani military, whose only instrument of political influence in Afghanistan is the former. Legitimizing the Taliban’s political role in Afghanistan, even as the Pakistani Taliban are threatening Pakistan’s internal peace, is to leave behind acute problems for India, already the victim of jihadi terrorism.

A positive feature of India-US ties in recent years is the better alignment of their policies towards South Asian countries (barring Pakistan). However, the US, in furtherance of its democracy and human rights agenda, has lately taken a divergent course. Any strategic partnership has to show particular sensitivity to the regional interests of partner countries. The US has targeted Sri Lanka in the United Nations Human Rights Council at Geneva, leaving India little choice but to go along as the US initiative opened the doors to pressures by regional lobbies within India on the Central government to support international moves to condemn Sri Lanka.

More recently, the US’s criticism of the election process in Bangladesh — which gives comfort to Begum Khaleda Zia and her extremist allies and undermines politically the secular-minded Sheikh Hasina — is not in tune with India’s interests. That the US should be politically protective of forces in Bangladesh that are unfriendly towards India betrays a failure of strategic understanding on developments in Bangladesh that are in the interest of the region. The US has, surprisingly, lauded Begum Zia and her Jamaat allies in the past as representing “moderate Islam”. Now that Sheikh Hasina is seeking to exorcise Islamist elements and build a truly moderate polity in the country, the US is disapproving of her politics, faulty though it may be in some respects.

The US ignores China’s strategic links with Pakistan, including their nuclear cooperation, even as it expects India to be the lynchpin of its re-balancing towards Asia. This essentially means that the western Pacific region, where American power is being challenged by China. We have come under enormous pressure from the US to dilute our already limited relationship with Iran in a bid to further isolate that country, disregarding our genuine strategic interests in that country, both in terms of long-term energy security and transit routes to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Another instance of the US assaulting India’s dignity, without control mechanisms being triggered from the top, has been the Devyani Khobragade case. The US is unwilling to bring a closure to this issue even now, despite the huge set-back administered to bilateral ties. On the economic side, from a political position that the several India-US economic dialogues were strategic in nature as building Indian capacities in various fields was intended, we have now the US corporate lobby targeting India on patents and compulsory licensing issues related to intellectual property rights as well as those of market access. The US Chamber of Commerce is demanding that the US trade representative classify India as a “priority foreign country”, a status reserved for the worst IPR offenders, which can lead potentially to trade sanctions. The US international trade commission is undertaking a year-long investigation into the effect on the US economy and IPR protection of India’s trade, investment and industrial policies — an unjustifiable case of arm-twisting from the Indian point of view, given that Indian decisions are compliant with the agreement on trade-related aspects of IPR, and the US remains unresponsive to many Indian complaints on trade and services issues. On patent and compulsory licensing, the US that swears by due process is questioning the legitimacy of our Supreme Court’s judgments.

The treatment of Narendra Modi by the US also shows the ineptitude of American diplomacy on a domestic Indian political issue it could have stayed away from. Rather than dealing pragmatically with the visa issue, the US has taken a doggedly ideological position; even intensive investigative and legal processes have failed to incriminate Modi. The belated good sense shown by the Europeans in ending their ostracism of Modi has been emulated by the Americans with diplomatic clumsiness. Even as the US ambassador to India met Modi, the state department announced that there was no change in the US position on the visa question. The statement from the US embassy, that the ambassador also discussed human-rights issues with Modi, was intended to signal that this subject continues to weigh with the US while dealing with Modi — an unnecessary befuddlement if the idea is to make up with him. It seems that the US wants to hedge its bets on Modi, making the gesture of reaching out to him in case he might win, but keeping the visa-denial issue alive in case he loses. This is hardly serious diplomacy.

If the US had judged the importance of India in its strategic calculus during Bush Junior’s presidency, and if President Obama’s rhetoric about the relationship with India being a defining one for the 21st century was meant, then the current inattention towards India shows the strategic fitfulness of the Americans, who emphasize quick gains over patience in obtaining returns from a key investment in a longer-term perspective.

Decoding Modi’s Foreign Policy
by Deep Pal, southasia.foreignpolicy.com
March 6th 2014

View from a distant shore
by Tanvi Madan, indianexpress.com
March 6th 2014

Presidential cast of India’s poll campaign has generated interest in the US.

[..]

There’s little doubt that the Modi factor has added to the interest, if not caused it in some instances. First, elections with big personalities get more attention and Narendra Modi fits the bill. Add Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal to the mix and the election seems more presidential. Second, Modi has been a subject of US Congressional attention and will remain one in the near term, with his supporters and detractors active on Capitol Hill and beyond. Third, there is curiosity about Modi. He has been much discussed, but little is known about him. If he leads his party to victory, there are questions not just about whether Modi can deliver on his promises of good growth and governance, but also about what kind of PM he will be: for example, realistic reformer or ultranationalist strongman, tolerant or intolerant, US-sceptic or pragmatic US partner?

[..]

There are questions about the attitude of the future PM towards the US. This is not just the case if that PM is Modi (though that might require special handling, particularly on Capitol Hill). Indeed some have noted that his stated goals of greater economic growth and a stronger India (especially vis-à-vis China) will necessitate a good working relationship with the US, even if not a warm one. Others are not so sanguine about the possibility. The prospect of a Third Front government or a weak and unstable BJP- or Congress-led coalition is perhaps most unsettling to observers. Having said that, the breadth and depth of the India-US relationship, its importance for India and the nature of the Indian foreign policymaking process limits the broader concern. Overall, the general uncertainty is tinged with the hope that having a new government in place in Delhi will give fresh momentum to the India-US relationship.

[..]

The writer is director of the India Project at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC
[email protected]

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 10 Mar 2014 02:59

once NaMo is PM I suggest nationalistic channels which are pro BJP, if funds are needed we can contribute what ever we can

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 10 Mar 2014 03:58

Varanasi stage set for Modi

The BJP has cleared the decks for Narendra Modi to contest the Lok Sabha election from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.

But it was not easy to bring Joshi around, sources said, adding that RSS chief Mohanrao Bhagwat and others spoke to him from Bangalore.

The RSS and the BJP felt Joshi should dispel speculation that he was on a warpath against Rajnath over Varanasi.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140310/j ... xzy-9voFUE

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 10 Mar 2014 04:01

station rakhi sawant there before khujli arrives

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 10 Mar 2014 04:09

IndraD wrote:station rakhi sawant there before khujli arrives

Khujli can RIP after today's expose.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 10 Mar 2014 05:27

gandharva wrote:
IndraD wrote:station rakhi sawant there before khujli arrives
Khujli can RIP after today's expose.

Talked to few relatives and friends in Delhi and all of them said Farji is history. One of them was actual active member with FAAP.

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 10 Mar 2014 07:29

gandharva wrote:
Khujli can RIP after today's expose.

Not so easy. Note the "vote bank" they were talking about. Those people are 80% of the voters and are most likely immune to anything that happens on TV. Hope I'm wrong because Kejriwal is making ullus of them. But he only needs enough of them to derail Modi and that is not a lot. Bhagat Singh photo is disgusting to us but the poor 80% will see something else. Hopefully the cadres on the ground are doing the required education.

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 10 Mar 2014 07:37

Victor wrote:
gandharva wrote:
Khujli can RIP after today's expose.
Not so easy. Note the "vote bank" they were talking about. Those people are 80% of the voters and are most likely immune to anything that happens on TV. Hope I'm wrong because Kejriwal is making ullus of them. But he only needs enough of them to derail Modi and that is not a lot. Bhagat Singh photo is disgusting to us but the poor 80% will see something else. Hopefully the cadres on the ground are doing the required education.

In this election he can damage MOdi only by taking votes of middle class and lower middle class. After this expose possibility of middle class voting for AAP is almost nil. Jhuggi Jhopri class(Daru bottle+500 ka note) they vote for Congress anyway and i would prefer if they vote for AAP.

Next election AAP won't be there if BJP wins.

vic · Post by **vic** » 10 Mar 2014 07:47

Was watching an interview of Nikku Kamina on NDTV and he was shamelessly saying that he is more qualified to be PM than Modi. NDTV is playing up all anti-Modi forces like Nikku, AAP etc.

Shanmukh · Post by **Shanmukh** » 10 Mar 2014 07:53

gandharva wrote:
Victor wrote: Not so easy. Note the "vote bank" they were talking about. Those people are 80% of the voters and are most likely immune to anything that happens on TV. Hope I'm wrong because Kejriwal is making ullus of them. But he only needs enough of them to derail Modi and that is not a lot. Bhagat Singh photo is disgusting to us but the poor 80% will see something else. Hopefully the cadres on the ground are doing the required education.
In this election he can damage MOdi only by taking votes of middle class and lower middle class. After this expose possibility of middle class voting for AAP is almost nil. Jhuggi Jhopri class(Daru bottle+500 ka note) they vote for Congress anyway and i would prefer if they vote for AAP.

Next election AAP won't be there if BJP wins.

Both Victor-ji, and Gandharva-ji are right. Kejri won't be around till next election. It is impossible to sustain a fiction that long. But there is a factor that you may be overlooking. The moment NaMo becomes PM, the Congress will be in a use-him-or-lose-him mode with respect to Kejri. They will organise a riot somewhere, blame RSS, BJP, VHP, <what have you>, and then Kejri and his useful idiots will start a dharna in front of Parliament demanding that the fascist NaMo resign. Western press will go to town with claims of `Butcher Indian PM celebrates win by eating babies in <insert name of place>'. Congoons and Aaptards will begin colour revolution in Delhi, there will be UN condemnations, demands from US that NaMo resign, and threats of sanctions, and what else have you. You saw what the US and the West did in 1949 when Mao came to power in China. Why do you think they will let go of India any more easily? They will try to overthrow NaMo as quickly, as completely as possible, in India. Only if NaMo stops them from regaining control of India for some 15 years will they get disheartened and then come to negotiate sullenly. Until then, they will try to create as much mayhem as possible. I think it is time for India to tighten its belt and brace for a lot of trouble. But at the end of the dark tunnel, we can see a glimmer of light.

archan · Post by **archan** » 10 Mar 2014 08:00

vic wrote:Was watching an interview of Nikku Kamina on NDTV and he was shamelessly saying that he is more qualified to be PM than Modi. NDTV is playing up all anti-Modi forces like Nikku, AAP etc.

You only have yourself to blame, my friend.

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 10 Mar 2014 08:03

LS Polls: 'Big Brother' scare in Bharatiya Janata Party

New Delhi: With BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at the helm of affairs, it is an Orwellian scenario which has taken over the BJP. ‘Big Brother’ Narendra Modi is watching each and every movement of the BJP.

Mr Modi’s men, also close to the RSS, have been inducted in all the key posts and operations in the saffron party ahead of the upcoming general elections. These men are not only keeping a close watch on the developments but are giving feedback directly to Mr Modi and the RSS top brass.

The RSS is actively participating in the saffron party’s poll strategy and is pulling out all the stops to ensure Mr Modi becomes Prime Minister. One of these men from the “Modi army”, has been deputed with general secretary (organisation) Ramlal, a key position in the BJP. This person has been asked to coordinate between various Sangh organisations directly involved in the poll campaign and strategy and also between the BJP and the RSS over poll-related issues on a regular basis.

The general secretary (organisation) supervises the overall functioning in the party and is the RSS nominee in the BJP. Another member of the “army”, who was working in the UK, has been asked to oversee the media cell, where he keeps an eye on news and the line being taken by party leaders on TV debates or otherwise. This person has also been asked to provide feedback on news and views about the party and Mr Modi on the social media.

If that is not enough, candidates for nearly 200 Lok Sabha berths will be decided by Mr Modi to make sure that there are no complaints over ticket distribution, including tickets being given to “near and dear ones” of senior leaders. Some of the states where Mr Modi’s word will be final include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi.

The Gujarat CM, who is known to do things on his own and not depending on the party machinery, is not entirely relying on the feedback coming from the BJP. He has his own poll management team doing surveys on the maximum number of parliamentary constituencies on a regular basis. Even for the selection of candidates, the ‘Modi army’ is giving feedback to Gandhinagar.

Micro Management:

Mr Modi’s men, also close to the RSS, have been inducted in all the key posts and operations in the BJP ahead of the upcoming LS polls.
These men are not only keeping a close watch but are giving feedback directly to Mr Modi and the RSS top brass.
Candidates for 200 LS berths will be decided by Mr Modi.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140310/n ... -scare-bjp

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 10 Mar 2014 08:30

There was a lot of FUD about MMJ and SS leading a rebel force by NDTV suitably echoed by ostensible Modi well wishers here and else where ? What happened to that "there is infighting in BJP" news