Two days before Bihar election begins, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav addresses a huge crowd of supporters in the Raghopur constituency, considered the party's bastion.
Opposition says 25% IAS and IPS officers hailed from Bihar over the last decade but only 12% people between 15 and 59 have a regular income stream in the state.
For a state with one of the lowest per capita incomes in India — Rs 43,822 against the national average of Rs 1,26,406, Bihar has over 600 crorepati candidates in its first two phases of polls.
Addressing his first Bihar election rally, Rahul Gandhi targeted PM Modi on the Chinese ‘invasion’ of India. Modi had earlier said he 'bowed' his head to soldiers who died in the Galwan clash.
In a state used to seeing political dynasts and people with criminal backgrounds contest elections, a small group of candidates is trying to offer an alternative. Here’s a look at them.
Tejashwi Yadav is drawing huge crowds but there is also a marked change in his campaigning, with the RJD leader striking a chord with the electorate and exuding confidence.
At a rally Wednesday, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar referred to the insult Lalu’s family allegedly lobbed at Aishwarya Rai, who has accused her in-laws of domestic violence.
As India-Russia trade decreases, India's April-July exports to the US this year increased by 21% compared to last year & imports from the US grew by 12%.
New Delhi: India has handed over military equipment, medical supplies, trained dogs and horses to the Nepalese Army Monday, ahead of Prime Minister K.P....
Now that both IAF and PAF have made formal claims of having shot down the other’s aircraft in the 87-hour war in May, we can ask a larger question: do such numbers really matter?
Yes, there is no reason for excitement for many,not only for individual. Kanihya kumar is out of frame, congress is at 5th place, govt is controlling naxals and Maoist well, use of EVM has stopped booth capturing and bundled voting etc etc. To accept other factors like (i)not much incumbency against ruling party and(ii,) no support for hopeless opposition and their immature and childish leadership, requires lot of guts and understanding. Such acceptance may put ones secular and progressive credentials in danger. So such lethargy towards the election is quite obvious.
Yadav used to be so logical and clinical earlier before he became obsessed with his brand of politics, which has not worked neither with AAP or on his own. Is it sour grapes now? What the Galawan incident did for Bihar’s reputation as fighters under the most demanding circumstance, none has been able to do it for decades and decades. They have it in them to succeed, what they need is an able leader who can look beyond the same ghisa pita narrative of last four decades. But Yadav wants to stall it all by street protests and movements! I think he has passed his sell by date.
The Bihar election is a foregone conclusion for those who know that the cast politics and divisions in opposition will be effected by Pakistan, China security issues with the Ramanandir dispute outcome. If that would not be sufficient, then voting fiddle of some form will ensure, known to be the last wild card used every time will leave the King into the thrown as usual. Buying elected few would adjust the final result. So it is less attractive. The media is making sure the focus remains on the King no matter what so the opposition is a young lad with virtually no high standard education and the CM protected bu proxie power. The promise of 2024 and 2040 India becoming the third economic power is enough for the King’s supporters to get the unemployed and farmers and failed businesses that all is not only well but better days to come yet.
YY doesn’t believe in elections.
YY is suggesting that the only means left is taking to streets.
He thinks voters is stupid and influenced by media.
He liked the anarchy on 1990s, when the CM of those days is convicted by Supreme Court of india.
He likes dynasties to continue coz he was the chief mentor of a dynast called Pappu.
Conclusion:
Don’t vote, hit the streets and if you vote get Lallu dynasty in again.
Or get the Naxalites to run the state.
The article is grossly personified and ricochets rigid beliefs. On three counts it is off the mark. One. It ignores the fact that more and more people participate in the elections by casting their votes. They do it because they believe that their vote matters and it does. Despite the dire COVID-19 conditions the voting percentages are encouraging and reassuring the peoples faith in the process. Two. That people vote differently in various elections is another great boost for the whole politics of it. Nothing can now be taken for granted. There is a deliberate evaluation by the voter and divergence in the pattern brings out the emergence of the new Indian voter. Three. If castes and religion were the sole binders of the alliances then the electoral conclusions would have been constant. It is not. .Even if there are caste equations they must get an approval of a winnability appeal.
I feel that YY has attempted to oversimplify the matters related to the Indian Voter. The voter can not be compelled to see from the prism of perspective of the so called intelligent. Nor is the voters view and opinion in anyway inferior to that of YY. In fact it is this over intellectualizing and attitude of condescend that has lead to the incongruent alignment of the political outcome and what is written. Indian democracy is thriving and robust even if the outcomes are not to ones liking or excitement. Respect the VOTER and his vote.
It is said that the proof of the pudding is in eating. Dishing out recipes is not the same as serving the dishes. Recipes are yet essential for the uninitiated and unaccomplished. A democratic society needs a diverse media with the omnipresent “experts” to churn out the recipes. . It does not matter that a political correspondent can seldom win an election nor an economic correspondent can handle the matters of the Central Bank at it helm. They are part of the unshackled democratic dance performing to the music of freedom of speech and right to know.
So don’t fret and fume when these part custodians of democracy express their views and often offer pieces of advice. Take it in you stride and move on.
Hey wake up you leftist, champagne pseudo-secular zhola wallah.
Nobody gives a damm anymore what you think – that’s why these elections don’t excite you.
You are irrelevant pal, get lost.
Already given up? Funny how elections don’t matter when your side loses and are paragon of democracy when it wins. Hypocrisy anyone? And no , your election mathematics was just a con trick
I came to the comments section to say the same thing. Thanks for putting it so well.
The comments appearing here under are disappointing. One may not agree with Mr. Yadav; I too don’t on many counts. But this is no reason to denigrate an honest thinker and analyst in this disgusting way. Now about the view that political process of choosing a government through elections becoming irrelevant to the welfare of the country has some element of truth. In the final analysis, all politicians are the same, not only in a India but elsewhere too. Yet, some countries are prospering while India is a poor laggard. No matter who wins the elections, this ground reality doesn’t change. I agree with this view point and yet I don’t think that democracy in India has been become irrelevant. Indian voters are shrewd and intelligent but unfortunately don’t have good options. They are, therefore, constrained to choose a lesser evil. Yet on many occasions they have severely punished non-performers. Electoral upheavals have taken place. There is no need to lose heart, Mr. Yadav.
The author being an honest thinker is a matter of debate. Just as he has the right to express his opinions in any forum, as long as they do not cause harm to others, his critics too enjoy the same right. As for Indian voters being shrewd and intelligent, even if true it doesn’t seem to have had much of an effect. India continues to be an economic laggard with abysmal standards of living and human development indices. For whatever reason voters seem to make no demands on bread and butter issues like healthcare, education, law & order, administrative reforms etc. As voters they seem to be more easily swayed by emotive issues and identity markers rather then practical day to day issues. Even our political commentators, like the author, seem to obsess more over esoteric philosophies and ideologies and grand visions etc rather than that which enables the common person to lead a decent life.
After a long rime,a Yogendra Yadav article which captures the mood correctly.
There is now enough evidence to suggest that people are voting differently as they rightly should.
The media ecosystem is going ga ga on Tejaswi Yadav and how Nitish will be humbled and indirectly hoping the BIP is defeated.
They forget how 2013 state results were different from 2014 Lok sabha and how subsequent state elections were different from the 2019 lok sabha .
Nitish’s defeat will have no bearing on Modi and how people vote for Modi in 2024 will have nothing to do with any state election before or after .
The indian voter now is thinking ,hope they continue to get themselves aware ,think and vote
Amazing !!!! An election junkie who has spent more than three decades tracking elections professionally, politically and passionately is unable to digest an election which is not rigged, by money and musclemen producing CHARA EATING LEADERS.
When having an efficient election machine and media management is construed as unfair/corrupt practice, there cannot be bigger insult to the voter.
Now without ear to the ground the business of result prediction is not possible with access journalism of FIVE STAR coffee sessions.
The voter, when has a choice knows what to do, and the professionals political commentators claiming to know the voters mind are obviously out of business hence the absence of excitement is natural.
Looks like author liked 1990 elections which were khicdi sarkars, unstable govts with no purpose other than to fight among them self and manage and save their own govt with no intention or passion to do any good for country…The commies and pseudo intellectuals want anarchy and since we have a stable govt from 2014 they hate it.
Just as Bihar elections do not excite Yogendra Yadav, what makes him think that his opinion matters to people at large? Bihar is marginalized according to him. He is even more so. A man with only one prejudice to offer is not a man we can take seriously.
And yet you read his articles and care to comment. The irony of your comment seems lost on you. He is on TV and in columns and will continue to be and you will continue to read him and watch him. Some things are easy to predict.
Yogendra ji seems to obfuscate the point that the battle for narratives is so lopsided that combined opposition seems to have given up. 1st and foremost, opp crows about subversion of democracy by bjp, but keeps loosing in the ultimate democratic contests – elections. Of all people political scientist like yadavji, would be clued on for the seismic social changes being effected by bjp govt by fundamental policy initiative s. Everything can’t be brushed aside , and fake narratives can’t be foisted on junta which knows…Bjp or rather anyone can’t fool people, people as a collective grp always know. Ascribing sequential poll wins by bjp to jumlas and nationalism is very naive , and misses the pt completely. People are fedup with fake or engineered narratives, which shows in polls after polls.
What yy ji is indirectly trying to say is “people i don’t like might win so elections don’t matter”. This is a subtle and an intellectually sounding article that seeks to rob the legitimacy of indian democracy and the electoral mandate. While there has always been a case for more substantive democracy beyond the contours of elections, it can’t be the case that elections don’t matter. The Bihar election in question is being hotly contested with both sides doing all they can.
YY ji also is sad about reducing election to “kaun banega cm”. I think only “intellectuals” can pull this off. “kaun banega cm” is the logical conclusion of any election and that is what election’s end result is. And the quest for social justice remains alive… otherwise the parties wouldn’t be banging their heads against the well to keep caste equations favorable to them.
I am disappointed that yy ji has become so lazy. Lazy because he no longer wants to do the laborious task of looking into the election because the trends do point to an NDA victory (not a cake walk though). Democracy is about people’s collective choice. Whether that choice is as per our liking shouldn’t do away with our respect for the democratic process itself. Those who do think in that way are coming close to being communists and fascists.
The left is intelectually bankcrupt and they know it… in the past they were ablt to control the public narrative through an education system set up by a man born in Saudi Arabia and control of the media… With the growth of internet the left has lost control of the narrative and is not able to stand their ground in the marketplace of ideas. Every time a lefty cries the way Mr YY does it brings a big smile to my face.
Here we go again! That’s all I can say! Ever heard of “Crime of Procrustes”?
Yes, there is no reason for excitement for many,not only for individual. Kanihya kumar is out of frame, congress is at 5th place, govt is controlling naxals and Maoist well, use of EVM has stopped booth capturing and bundled voting etc etc. To accept other factors like (i)not much incumbency against ruling party and(ii,) no support for hopeless opposition and their immature and childish leadership, requires lot of guts and understanding. Such acceptance may put ones secular and progressive credentials in danger. So such lethargy towards the election is quite obvious.
आभारी हूँ योगेंद्र. बताही दिया आखिर कौन जीत रहा है.तो अनुत्साहीत होना तो लाजमी है.गेट वेल सून
Yadav used to be so logical and clinical earlier before he became obsessed with his brand of politics, which has not worked neither with AAP or on his own. Is it sour grapes now? What the Galawan incident did for Bihar’s reputation as fighters under the most demanding circumstance, none has been able to do it for decades and decades. They have it in them to succeed, what they need is an able leader who can look beyond the same ghisa pita narrative of last four decades. But Yadav wants to stall it all by street protests and movements! I think he has passed his sell by date.
The Bihar election is a foregone conclusion for those who know that the cast politics and divisions in opposition will be effected by Pakistan, China security issues with the Ramanandir dispute outcome. If that would not be sufficient, then voting fiddle of some form will ensure, known to be the last wild card used every time will leave the King into the thrown as usual. Buying elected few would adjust the final result. So it is less attractive. The media is making sure the focus remains on the King no matter what so the opposition is a young lad with virtually no high standard education and the CM protected bu proxie power. The promise of 2024 and 2040 India becoming the third economic power is enough for the King’s supporters to get the unemployed and farmers and failed businesses that all is not only well but better days to come yet.
YY doesn’t believe in elections.
YY is suggesting that the only means left is taking to streets.
He thinks voters is stupid and influenced by media.
He liked the anarchy on 1990s, when the CM of those days is convicted by Supreme Court of india.
He likes dynasties to continue coz he was the chief mentor of a dynast called Pappu.
Conclusion:
Don’t vote, hit the streets and if you vote get Lallu dynasty in again.
Or get the Naxalites to run the state.
The article is grossly personified and ricochets rigid beliefs. On three counts it is off the mark. One. It ignores the fact that more and more people participate in the elections by casting their votes. They do it because they believe that their vote matters and it does. Despite the dire COVID-19 conditions the voting percentages are encouraging and reassuring the peoples faith in the process. Two. That people vote differently in various elections is another great boost for the whole politics of it. Nothing can now be taken for granted. There is a deliberate evaluation by the voter and divergence in the pattern brings out the emergence of the new Indian voter. Three. If castes and religion were the sole binders of the alliances then the electoral conclusions would have been constant. It is not. .Even if there are caste equations they must get an approval of a winnability appeal.
I feel that YY has attempted to oversimplify the matters related to the Indian Voter. The voter can not be compelled to see from the prism of perspective of the so called intelligent. Nor is the voters view and opinion in anyway inferior to that of YY. In fact it is this over intellectualizing and attitude of condescend that has lead to the incongruent alignment of the political outcome and what is written. Indian democracy is thriving and robust even if the outcomes are not to ones liking or excitement. Respect the VOTER and his vote.
कोई हार रहा है ईससे जादा कोई जीत रहा है
ईससे भयभीत है आप.हम समझ चुके है कौन जीत रहा है.बताने के लिए धन्यवाद .पाखंड पंछी
Greatbong says – ‘Yogendra Yadav is the Kim Kardiashan of India’. No one knows what he does. And why he does what he does!
This guy needs a real job.
The Word ‘EVM’ doesn’t appear in this entire piece. So, at least that is a closed chapter.
Yes Yogendra, the grapes are sour!
It is said that the proof of the pudding is in eating. Dishing out recipes is not the same as serving the dishes. Recipes are yet essential for the uninitiated and unaccomplished. A democratic society needs a diverse media with the omnipresent “experts” to churn out the recipes. . It does not matter that a political correspondent can seldom win an election nor an economic correspondent can handle the matters of the Central Bank at it helm. They are part of the unshackled democratic dance performing to the music of freedom of speech and right to know.
So don’t fret and fume when these part custodians of democracy express their views and often offer pieces of advice. Take it in you stride and move on.
Hey wake up you leftist, champagne pseudo-secular zhola wallah.
Nobody gives a damm anymore what you think – that’s why these elections don’t excite you.
You are irrelevant pal, get lost.
Already given up? Funny how elections don’t matter when your side loses and are paragon of democracy when it wins. Hypocrisy anyone? And no , your election mathematics was just a con trick
Sour grapes, Looks like they don’t even believe in democracy if they don’t like the winner.
Who cares what you think — or what excites you. The sheer pomposity of this man.
I came to the comments section to say the same thing. Thanks for putting it so well.
The comments appearing here under are disappointing. One may not agree with Mr. Yadav; I too don’t on many counts. But this is no reason to denigrate an honest thinker and analyst in this disgusting way. Now about the view that political process of choosing a government through elections becoming irrelevant to the welfare of the country has some element of truth. In the final analysis, all politicians are the same, not only in a India but elsewhere too. Yet, some countries are prospering while India is a poor laggard. No matter who wins the elections, this ground reality doesn’t change. I agree with this view point and yet I don’t think that democracy in India has been become irrelevant. Indian voters are shrewd and intelligent but unfortunately don’t have good options. They are, therefore, constrained to choose a lesser evil. Yet on many occasions they have severely punished non-performers. Electoral upheavals have taken place. There is no need to lose heart, Mr. Yadav.
The author being an honest thinker is a matter of debate. Just as he has the right to express his opinions in any forum, as long as they do not cause harm to others, his critics too enjoy the same right. As for Indian voters being shrewd and intelligent, even if true it doesn’t seem to have had much of an effect. India continues to be an economic laggard with abysmal standards of living and human development indices. For whatever reason voters seem to make no demands on bread and butter issues like healthcare, education, law & order, administrative reforms etc. As voters they seem to be more easily swayed by emotive issues and identity markers rather then practical day to day issues. Even our political commentators, like the author, seem to obsess more over esoteric philosophies and ideologies and grand visions etc rather than that which enables the common person to lead a decent life.
Really nonsense.
What a waste of talent you are!! what to say. Wish you can be on the right and correct side of time.
After a long rime,a Yogendra Yadav article which captures the mood correctly.
There is now enough evidence to suggest that people are voting differently as they rightly should.
The media ecosystem is going ga ga on Tejaswi Yadav and how Nitish will be humbled and indirectly hoping the BIP is defeated.
They forget how 2013 state results were different from 2014 Lok sabha and how subsequent state elections were different from the 2019 lok sabha .
Nitish’s defeat will have no bearing on Modi and how people vote for Modi in 2024 will have nothing to do with any state election before or after .
The indian voter now is thinking ,hope they continue to get themselves aware ,think and vote
Amazing !!!! An election junkie who has spent more than three decades tracking elections professionally, politically and passionately is unable to digest an election which is not rigged, by money and musclemen producing CHARA EATING LEADERS.
When having an efficient election machine and media management is construed as unfair/corrupt practice, there cannot be bigger insult to the voter.
Now without ear to the ground the business of result prediction is not possible with access journalism of FIVE STAR coffee sessions.
The voter, when has a choice knows what to do, and the professionals political commentators claiming to know the voters mind are obviously out of business hence the absence of excitement is natural.
Looks like author liked 1990 elections which were khicdi sarkars, unstable govts with no purpose other than to fight among them self and manage and save their own govt with no intention or passion to do any good for country…The commies and pseudo intellectuals want anarchy and since we have a stable govt from 2014 they hate it.
Just as Bihar elections do not excite Yogendra Yadav, what makes him think that his opinion matters to people at large? Bihar is marginalized according to him. He is even more so. A man with only one prejudice to offer is not a man we can take seriously.
And yet you read his articles and care to comment. The irony of your comment seems lost on you. He is on TV and in columns and will continue to be and you will continue to read him and watch him. Some things are easy to predict.
Yogendra ji seems to obfuscate the point that the battle for narratives is so lopsided that combined opposition seems to have given up. 1st and foremost, opp crows about subversion of democracy by bjp, but keeps loosing in the ultimate democratic contests – elections. Of all people political scientist like yadavji, would be clued on for the seismic social changes being effected by bjp govt by fundamental policy initiative s. Everything can’t be brushed aside , and fake narratives can’t be foisted on junta which knows…Bjp or rather anyone can’t fool people, people as a collective grp always know. Ascribing sequential poll wins by bjp to jumlas and nationalism is very naive , and misses the pt completely. People are fedup with fake or engineered narratives, which shows in polls after polls.
But who is asking you man. Some lefties are still in their wonderland and they think their opinion matter to people.
Who cares? You are not the centre of everyone’s existence! Grow up!
What yy ji is indirectly trying to say is “people i don’t like might win so elections don’t matter”. This is a subtle and an intellectually sounding article that seeks to rob the legitimacy of indian democracy and the electoral mandate. While there has always been a case for more substantive democracy beyond the contours of elections, it can’t be the case that elections don’t matter. The Bihar election in question is being hotly contested with both sides doing all they can.
YY ji also is sad about reducing election to “kaun banega cm”. I think only “intellectuals” can pull this off. “kaun banega cm” is the logical conclusion of any election and that is what election’s end result is. And the quest for social justice remains alive… otherwise the parties wouldn’t be banging their heads against the well to keep caste equations favorable to them.
I am disappointed that yy ji has become so lazy. Lazy because he no longer wants to do the laborious task of looking into the election because the trends do point to an NDA victory (not a cake walk though). Democracy is about people’s collective choice. Whether that choice is as per our liking shouldn’t do away with our respect for the democratic process itself. Those who do think in that way are coming close to being communists and fascists.
The left is intelectually bankcrupt and they know it… in the past they were ablt to control the public narrative through an education system set up by a man born in Saudi Arabia and control of the media… With the growth of internet the left has lost control of the narrative and is not able to stand their ground in the marketplace of ideas. Every time a lefty cries the way Mr YY does it brings a big smile to my face.
What a nonsense article by Yadav