Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Now, Kejri versus Kiran is complete

BJP took only four days after bringing first lady former IPS officer Kiran Bedi into the party fold in declaring her as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the party in Delhi assembly elections. The way BJP lobbied Kiran Bedi to join the party to become its face clearly reflected two things. First, the party realized that it had no match for AAP convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to give him a serious fight and second it showed bankruptcy in terms of ideology and leadership in Delhi party unit. It also appears clearly that after the not so impressive rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, it was felt by the BJP that PM will not be the face of the party in Delhi as was its tradition in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir. It also reflects that the BJP is not so sure of victory in Delhi and any defeat in the heart of the nation would be damaging to the image of the PM Modi if the Delhi elections were fought by projecting him as its face. So the vigorous lobbying of Kiran Bedi, who was a little bit of BJP's leaning from the beginning as was seen during the Ramlila Maidan gathering for Anna Hazare movement against corruption in 2011. Overt or covert support of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS), the doting parent of BJP, was provide to Anna Hazare Movement at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi against corruption. Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi are the products of Anna Hazare's movement against corruption. Both had shared the dais together under the leadership of note social activist, anti-corruption crusader and Gandhian Anna Hazare. Both have unblemished records in public and there is not any corruption charge against any one of them. Both have influence among Delhiites. That is why BJP brought Kiran Bedi against Kejriwal so that Delhiites could get alternative to Kejriwal's way of honest politics. Both Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi are honest and both have experience in governance. Kiran Bedi may have longer experience in governance, but Kejriwal still has edge over Kiran Bedi in politics and popularity. Congress which ruled Delhi for 15 years in continuity with Sheila Dikshit as Chief Minister, but with the worst ever defeat in 2013 elections, it has gone into background and its major vote bank shifted to AAP. So, both BJP and AAP consider Congress irrelevant in the upcoming Delhi elections. Congress may have gone into oblivion in Delhi in this election, but it has tenacity to spring up the moment its leadership takes to street. It also reflects in Delhi that the hope from Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned into hopelessness as Delhiites feel no from his 7 months of his regime. Delhi assembly election is also going to be a litmus test for the popularity of PM Modi. It is also a matter of prestige for the BJP to win assembly elections in Delhi to move ahead with its invincible innings since the last Lok Sabha elections.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Consolidate the favourable condition

India is the next door neighbour and one of the closest friends of Sri Lanka. The outgoing regime of Rajpakse, which was tilted in favour of China against the interest of India, after the defeat at the hands of opposition leader Maithripala Sirisena, who is considered to be pursuing foreign policy that would not go against the interest of India. Though India had no role in the elections of Sri Lanka in which outgoing President Rajpakse failed to get back into power for the third consecutive time with his defeat at the hands of Sirisena. India has vital interest in Sri Lanka. A large number of Tamils of Indian origin are living in Sri Lanka. India would never like any country at any cost to enter Sri Lanka to set its foot there to pursue its interest. During the outgoing regime of Rajpakse, China had got free pass in Sri Lanka and it also protected its interest with an intention of hurting India. It is the vital position of Sri Lanka for India from many points of view that our former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi had sent Indian Peace Keeping Force there despite fierce domestic opposition and inviting the wrath of LTTE, the dreaded Terrorist organization fighting for the cause of a separate Tamil State in Sri Lanka. Though Rajpakse regime dealt highhandedly with the Tamils on the one hand and encouraged Sinhalese to go on rampage against them, the Sirisena government appears to be striking a balance and bring all kinds of injustice and corruption of the previous government to an end. The eviction order of Station Chief of India's external spy agency issue reportedly by the Rajpakse regime because of the alleged encouragement to opposition in elections by India has no takers. India has never interfered in the internal affairs of any of its neighbour. But at the same time, India must be vigilant enough to keep its own space and foothold in neighbourhood protected so that no outside power could influence the rulers of the neighbouring countries. India has long coastal line with Sri Lanka. In the given situation, entrance to the sea in Sri Lanka by any other distant neighbour is detrimental to the interest of India. It must not be allowed. It would only be possible when the ruler of that neighbouring country is friendly and favourable. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed his inclination of promoting friendly relations with all since the day of his swearing-in ceremony and the warmth with which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has greeted her Sri Lanka counterpart Mangala Sarmaraweera, the relation with the neighbours especially Sri Lanka is bound to be strengthened.