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The main focus of the media this Thursday morning is the chief ministers of the Congress for the three Hindi heartland states it won in Tuesday’s state assembly elections. Speculation goes from tepid in the Hindustan Times and The Hindu to direct in The Indian Express and the Times of India with even the choice of the CMs.
“MLAs ask Rahul to select CMs” is The Hindu’s general take on Wednesday government formation in these states but other than outlining the hectic parlays in all state capitals, it tells us very little. Contrast this with, “MP likely to go from Kamal to Kamal, Gehlot Raj frontrunner” in TOI and “Kamal Nath tipped for Bhopal..” in the Express
The new RBI Governor is the other big story after his press conference Wednesday: It’s the top headline story in the pink paper Business Standard. All the newspapers highlight the Shaktikanta Das’s conciliatory approach to the government, so expect better relations between the Centre and the central bank.
“Approach will be consultative,” observes The Hindu while the Express is more expansive in its report, “Govt runs economy… need to have free and fair discussions with it”. In its opening line, it emphasises the Governor’s intent to “uphold the autonomy, credibility and integrity” of the central bank.
There’s good cheer on the economic front with TOI and HT revealing that retain inflation has fallen: “Nov inflation at 17 month low” says TOI, but HT tempers that with “but isn’t good news for farmers as the story tells how agricultural produce prices have remained ‘flat.’”
On its flap, TOI offers an in-depth data based analysis of farmer distress- interesting how this has become big news story since Tuesday, after voting patterns in the state elections indicated a rural vote against the BJP.
Some foreign news makes it to Page 1 with The Hindu and HT reporting the jailing of Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to US President Donald Trump, “for financial crimes and lying to Congress”.
And more people in high places, speaking out of turn. This time, it’s Meghalaya High Court judge Sudip Ranjan Sen, who believes India should be declared a Hindu state. “Should’ve been a Hindu state: HC,” if you read the TOI, and that we should not become an Islamic one, if you go by the Express’s “Nobody should try to make India Islamic country, only Govt. under Modi ji will understand: HC judge,” Interesting, how different newspapers highlight different aspects of the same remarks by the Hon’ble Judge.
The Hindu sends shivers down the spine with a Page 1 photograph of a “train rolling on the snow covered Srinagar-Banihal line” in Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday. It was minus 8 degrees Celsius there — that’s why the North saw rain Wednesday and Thursday morning.
If photographs speak a thousand words, note the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, or for that matter any senior ruling party figure on the front pages of any newspaper — no photos, no quotes. They have disappeared, perhaps because they are unusually coy about the state assembly election results, barring a tweet or two. The Express’ story “Like Ram Singh Chouhan owns up defeat, party bosses stay silent” with a small picture of Chouhan, nails this silence.
Another absence: Parliament is in session, but unless you read HT, you may not know that till you read the inside pages of the newspapers. HT’s right hand lead story tells us of the “disruptions” in both Houses because of the Rafale deal, Ram Temple and Cauvery waters dispute.
In an editorial, TOI asks the MPs “Get To Work” in this session, detailing farmer distress as a major issue to be addressed. That issue becomes the lead editorial in the Express — “Promises to keep” — where it suggests that K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who just won a resounding victory in Telangana, may have the answer with his Rythu Bandhu.
Prime Time
On television channels, it was all about the Congress, good and bad, as it savours its 3-0 victory over the BJP. While some news channels focused on “Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri,” others were still intent on the grand old party’s weaknesses.
On Republic TV, anchor Arnab Goswami asked if opposition parties will be able to unite against Narendra Modi before the 2019 elections.
Mritunjay Tiwari of the RJD, one of the opposition parties, said that Modi magic will fail while BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia pointed out the coming together a coalition shows the strength of BJP. Political commentator D.K. Giri felt that everyone should be happy about how Congress performed in elections and then talk about the future.
Aaj Tak’s Sayeed Ansari led a similar debate on a stable mahagatbandhan before 2019 elections.
Senior journalist Ashutosh believed that a grand alliance will emerge before the 2019 elections: “As of now all the non-BJP political parties will fight amongst themselves. However, in order to defeat Modi all of them will eventually come together.”
BJP’s Sambit Patra said the Samajwadi Party was plagued with infighting during the last Uttar Pradesh state elections. To this, Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha pointed out that the ruling NDA had its own problems: “NDA is breaking up — Kushwaha has left them. They should focus upon their coalition.”
India Today prime time anchor Rajdeep Sardesai and Zee News’s anchor Sudhir Chaudhary discussed the Congress chief ministerial candidates in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
In the panel discussion led by Sardesai, Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha termed the selection of chief ministers in the states as a “problem of plenty”. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajiv Rai said, “It (was) the internal matter of Congress MLAs and the party high command.”
BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya said he didn’t know about the Congress but “it is always the Parliamentary Board that takes the decisions in the BJP.”
On Zee News, Chaudhary was worried for the Congress, saying the situation is bad for Congress as it now faces a “set of problems.” He explained that the Congress in Rajasthan is divided between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot and in Madhya Pradesh between Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath: not a happy situation, he added.
News it’s kinda cool to know
The impact of an evolving El Nino, combined with climate change, could make 2019 the hottest year ever, reports DownToEarth. The 20 warmest years on record have occurred in the last 22 years.
These elections were practically on local issues. Anti incumbency after 15 to 20 years of the same person as CM was inevitable. The voters had Kamalnath, Pilot, Gehlot etc in mind. In 2019, they will compare Modi with Rahul and prefer to bet on Modi for another term. Also because Rahul’s highly negative campaign turned entirely on mocking and ridiculing Modi’s persona, with NOTHING about what HE would do, except to make wild promises. This is what happened to the BJP in 2009, when they only attacked Manmohan and did not put forward any vision for the voters. Congress has struck a blow, but the boxing match lasts NINE rounds.