Farm Laws Repeal: The Predicaments of a Supporter

 The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it here for reference:

My first reaction after hearing that the Prime Minister has withdrawn the 3 farm bills was of being intensely disheartened. The supporter in me was very sure that there are thousands like me who must have been very demotivated on hearing this news. English TV media exploded in celebrations. Social media exploded in reactions – ranging from how this is a total capitulation to violent forces to how this climbdown was necessitated because of national security implications to how Prime Minister Modi showed exemplary leadership in apologizing to the nation. As the day(s) progressed, most arguments revolved around these points with passionate arguments flying around.

However, as the day(s) progressed, the supporter in me was still trying to search for an answer because (s)he could not fathom the fact that after vociferously defending the intent and content of the laws, we were now left to wondering how to make sense of this decision. Should we applaud Prime Minister Modi for taking a decision in the interest of national security or should we deride Prime Minister Modi for letting this become an issue of national security in the first place?

Any protest that blocks roads, creates ruckus, damages cell towers, raises a flag on Red Fort, murders people, rapes people is violent. These violent protests were restricted to only a particular region whilst the vast majority of the country welcomed these laws with open arms. The media will obviously try to downplay all these events to portray the protests as being the most peaceful ones in the history of the universe. They have already started telling us that anywhere between 700 to 900 people died because of these “protests”. The angst of the supporter in me is that this is how our history books will be written  – that it took 900 people to die for India’s Prime Minister to climbdown – truth be damned. And today the supporter in me feels helpless that such lies cannot be stopped from being published or taught to our children in the future. Because make no mistake, the ecosystem will make sure it happens.

The example of the withdrawal of the Land Acquisition Bill was given at many places. The supporter in me can clearly understand the difference between Prime Minister Modi of 2015 vs Prime Minister Modi of 2021. And therefore, the supporter in me in unable to comprehend that PM Modi could allow himself to be cornered yet again like in 2015, despite having a much better political capital in 2021.

While the supporter in me definitely took solace from how Prime Minister spoke to nation about this issue, the supporter in me is definitely anxious in how this will play out in the future. Will violent protests become a norm? Will the silent supporter have no, or little avenues left to express himself/herself? Will history books falsify data? Another argument going around was that the states are anyway empowered to do this so they will now go the states route. Now, the supporter in me is unable to comprehend how can both the actions (of introducing and withdrawing the bills) be right?

I hope I am being able to articulate the confusion in the mind of the supporter. Course correction must be applauded. If anything, Modi government has given exemplary attention to feedback and made corrections all along its 7 years in power. Infact, this is one of those things that endears Modi to the people of India. However, the supporter is not sure if this event is a course correction in the first place. It’s impossible to predict how the future will pan out but given how the past had panned out, the supporter in me was very sure that Prime Minister Modi will definitely not back down on such a progressive law that he himself had heralded.

The silly references to “masterstrokes” by the detractors are now getting boring though. If anything, the Modi government perhaps has the highest number of actual masterstrokes than any government of similar duration in the history of the country. The supporter in me definitely understands that Prime Minister Modi is the best bet for India and that whilst my angst is understandable, this will not make me move away from applauding, appreciating, and contributing to his multiple initiatives. This decision is definitely a setback to how the supporter in me will react to future such reforms or even reactions by the usual suspects to those reforms. Currently, I am even unable to comment on the laughable comments by leaders of parties like the TRS or the hypocrisy of the telugu film industry regarding this issue– because am sure they will deride me for supporting the laws in the first place!

Knowing the governance style of Modi, am sure lessons have been learnt. But the supporter in me surely didn’t anticipate such a setback. Merely because a few get violent, the majority who is silent should not suffer. The supporter in me sincerely hopes that the future ramifications of this decision are more positive than negative.

 

PS: No, I am not moving away from Modi! The positives he has done outweigh this by a large margin. It’s just that there is a lesson in this whole saga for all of us, starting from the Prime Minister himself. It would be futile not to acknowledge the lessons we needed to learn!

Book review: India Positive Citizen Perspectives

 The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it here for reference:

In the mid-90s, when Shoppers Stop opened in Begumpet, Hyderabad, it soon went on to become a landmark for that area. As children we used to be fascinated by looking at the large building that housed a big retail store! All those memories came back when I was reading the founder BS Nagesh’s story in his own words, in Savitha Rao’s awesomely curated book – “Putting #IndiaFirst – India Positive Citizen Perspectives”.

B.S.Nagesh’s is not the only story we get to read and learn in this book. In his chapter, “Know your heroes”, Vikas Manhas enlightens us with a very disturbing fact. Did you know that till as late as the year 1998, there was no policy of bringing back the mortal remains of every soldier to their respective homes? That such a policy could be changed only towards the turn of this millennium reflects quite badly on some of our policy makers from before! Vikas Manhas’s story in how he follows up with 100s of martyrs’ families is really inspiring to read too. We cannot possibly be talking about martyrs and not mention the wonderful work that Meghna Girish and family do for this cause. Her story coupled with Vikas’s story only makes us feel grateful that such people exist in our country today.

Or take for example the story of the visually challenged Srikanth Bolla, who is marching forward with a vision that is unparalleled in today’s world. While the very fact that from his humble beginnings, he went on to graduate from MIT and now runs his own industry is inspiring in itself, the positive attitude he exhibits throught his chapter is simply outstanding. He could have easily rued the ill fate that life has served but when you read how he’s converted his adversity into an opportunity not just for himself but for 100s, you can’t but think about how you can contribute more to this success!

Perhaps not a week passes by in crores of homes without having an AMUL product. While the chapter on AMUL by Dr. R.S.Sodhi, MD of AMUL, made for riveting reading as to how AMUL was established and how it grew, it was equally fascinating to read the pivotal role that Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri played in not only expanding AMUL’s operations across India but also in  ushering in the White revolution in India!

In this book, there are 28 such fascinating stories by achievers in varied fields. Many stories by heroes from our armed forces make really riveting reading in how so many victories were made possible. Infact, General VP Malik’s remarkably humble essay not only spoke volumes about the character of the man himself but is a lesson for all of us on how to remain grounded despite attaining high positions.

By now we are all familiar with the attacks on COVAXIN and Bharat Biotech by the media and Congress party. Dr. Krishna Ella perhaps hasn’t faced a more severe adversity than this attack, but we come to know of many such challenges they have faced in developing multiple vaccines. Reading Dr. Kumud Joshi, Dr. Nagraj Hegde and Dr. HR Nagendra write about their experiences with Yoga and nature based medicinal studies is bound to make you definitely rethink how you will lead your life going forward.

But my personal best was the chapter – “The role of Psychology in the Rise of New India” by Dr. Rajat Mitra. The refreshing perspective that Dr. Rajat Mitra presented in his essay is simply remarkable. It is even difficult for to explain the learnings I’ve had from this brilliant essay. Perhaps you would understand what I feel if you also get to read his essay!

Savitha Rao’s idea in bringing out this book at this time must be really commended. The first line of her essay is so powerful in itself – Nation building is not the job of a few. She has managed to pack so much meaning in such a short sentence. She has elucidated more on the many small things each one of us can do to contribute to building India. I, for one, totally agree with her on the role each one of us should play in building our country. This role can manifest in many forms; can be performed over a short duration or at regular intervals; and can serve as an inspiration to your family, your neighbours, and your colleagues to also contribute.

Of course, am not doing justice by not mentioning the essays by the 28 achievers. Reading about entrepreneurs and learning about various fields such as water management is something that cannot be done in one sitting. The stories in this book are not only about those who created opportunities from their adversities but also about those who gave up on a comfortable life to face adversities in creating new opportunities. In this age of digital forwards where negativity trumps positivity, Savitha Rao’s book indeed makes for a refreshing read. This book must adorn the libraries of all schools and these chapters must be read out in their assemblies. It will do a world of good for our children to learn from these stories.

Chief Ministers of Telugu states offer incongruent explanations to defend non-reduction of fuel prices

The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it here for reference.

 After the Modi government’s landmark move to reduce petrol price by Rs.5/- and diesel by Rs. 10/- last week, the states ruled by BJP also reduced the prices on the same day. Odisha followed suit in a couple of days. Punjab was the only Congress ruled state that reduced the prices in their states too, because they definitely cannot brazen it out like the other non-BJP states because of the impending elections in Punjab.

I kept on wondering what can be the gameplan of the opposition parties that are brazening this out. The responses of the Chief Minister of the telugu states – Telangana and Andhra Pradesh – gave a great insight into the thinking of the opposition parties.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, put out a full-page ad in many newspapers! He put out two tables and a lot of text to explain his side of the story. The two tables hid more information than revealing anything new!

In the first table, Jagan Mohan Reddy split the “nature of tax” imposed by the central government on petrol and diesel – Excise Duty, Special Additional Excise Duty, Additional Excise Duty (Road and Development Cess), and Other Taxes (Cess, Surcharges). State governments are eligible to get 41% of collected tax only on the “Excise Duty” aspect of it.

According to this table, the central government collecting a total of 3,35,000 crores and the state’s share is 19,475 crores out of this.

The table does not tell us the time frame under which this amount is calculated. Is this from the time Jagan came into power (2019)? Is this for the last year? Is this for the last 7 years since Modi came into power? We are left clueless on this. The table also doesn’t tell us if this is the amount collected only from Andhra Pradesh or from the entire country. Even the text accompanying this unique table doesn’t answer these questions. Instead, the text raises more questions! Here is one such claim from the ad as below!

The international crude oil prices have definitely not come down drastically from May 2019 (~$57) to November 2021 (~$83)! It is appalling indeed how Jagan thought he can get away with peddling such blatant lies in a front-page ad.

In the second table, Jagan exhibits even higher intelligence than the first one! He only gives details on the percentage of taxes levied by the state government but does not give us the exact amount the state government has earned from this!

If the first table talks about the exact amount earned by the central government, then shouldn’t the second table talk about the exact amount earned by the state government too? Jagan claims that all he did was to raise the already existing VAT and surcharge by only 1 rupee, thereby implying that it is totally wrong to ask him to reduce the fuel prices in Andhra Pradesh.

A similar argument was put forth by the Telangana Chief Minister, in his press conference on 7th November. He emphatically claimed that he has never increased the VAT on fuel prices ever since he came to power. In his characteristic style, he thundered that he didn’t increase even a single paisa in his 7 years in power. Unfortunately, the press doesn’t get a chance to question KCR vehemently. Otherwise, someone would have pointed out to him that his government did increase VAT from 31% to ~35% on petrol; from 22% to ~27% on diesel in the year 2015! By KCR’s own logic, he should therefore bring this VAT down to lesser levels!

Both CMs have claimed that the centre has made a lot of money from the cess/surcharge but both of them did not tell how much money the state governments have made from the VAT they have imposed! How can they claim that the state can earn 35% from taxes on petrol to run the state but the central government should not earn for running the country? Why does KCR assume that it is the absolute right of the central government to distribute 41% of everything they earn to the states?

Jagan Mohan Reddy went a step ahead and wrote in his advertisement that he spent the money on repairing roads in the state. With that logic, it is then entirely justified that the centre also levies these taxes because it also has completed a lot of infrastructure projects in the country!

This confused response of the opposition is simply amusing to hear. The responses of the Chief Ministers of the telugu states summarizes the confusion that the opposition is in, right now. Any reduction on their front will be a dent to the revenues to the state coffer; any reduction will also be seen as following the footsteps of the BJP which they don’t want to do – even at the cost of burdening the public!

The icing on the cake is this ad by the Punjab government today – cites the high prices in Rajasthan that is also governed by the Congress party!!

KCR’s press conference: How the abuses, threats and unhinged allegations show TRS’ nervousness at the rise of BJP in Telangana

The following article was written for OpIndia. Pasting it here for reference. 

 When we wrote about KTR’s immature response to the Huzurabad election defeat of the TRS, little did we realise that his father and also CM of Telangana, Shri K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) will beat his son to it!

KCR called for a press meet on the night of November 7th. This press meet came in the backdrop of three significant events – the TRS loss in their stronghold Huzurabad; the reduction of petrol and diesel prices by the Government of India; the crisis in the procurement of paddy. 

KCR began his press conference trying to explain how it is the Modi government’s fault (of course, right!) that the farmers of Telangana were not able to sell paddy. Earlier media reports indicated that KCR made a statement to the effect that suicide is the only option if you grow paddy. The opposition, including of course the BJP, took up this statement and made a big issue. KCR provides some statistics and his version of some meetings with the central government and begins to question the “irresponsible” statements of the state BJP President, Bandi Sanjay Kumar. KCR claims that Bandi Sanjay is asking the Telangana farmer to grow paddy and then began his incoherent rant. 

Before explaining the multiple incoherent arguments of KCR, here are some things that KCR said in his press meet yesterday. 

• I have so far not cared what Bandi Sanjay spoke. Many dogs will bark like this, so I just let him be. His stature is not the same as mine, so I never cared. 
• Bandi Sanjay says that he is has a strategy to send me to jail. Do you have the dare to touch KCR? Why don’t you touch KCR and see what will happen? Will you be able to live if you send me to jail?
• Does Bandi Sanjay understand anything regarding policy? Does he know English and Hindi to understand all this?
• Bandi Sanjay says he will hold my neck and make me give money to the farmer. I will break his neck into 4 pieces!
• If you talk irresponsibly, I will cut your tongue! 
• All BJP does is to incite communalism. China is pounding India in Arunachal Pradesh because of the BJP.
• We will incite fire in the country from tomorrow, to expose the BJP government. 
• Union Minister Kishan Reddy is also speaking wrong things. This is not good, Mr Kishan Reddy. I also was a union minister. You should conduct yourselves with dignity. 
• A reporter began his question to KCR with “Opposition is saying…”. KCR stops him and starts shouting at him. Who is this opposition? Humans or Donkeys? Don’t you have any brain to ask (their questions)?

KCR’s justification for all this language is that he kept quiet all these days despite the personal attack on him, but he cannot do it anymore because the BJP is trying to cheat the farmer of Telangana. KCR says he cannot tolerate any insult to Telangana but will tolerate any amount of personal insult. After the first 30 minutes, KCR jumped topics at such a frantic pace that it was difficult to grasp what topic he was speaking on. 

KCR demanded that the farm laws be withdrawn. This is strange because just days after participating in the alleged Bharat Bandh in 2020; after some acerbic criticism of the farm laws in 2020, KCR announced that the Telangana state will implement the Farm laws! A tweet thread by the CMO explained why the farm laws are indeed a boon. Nearly a year after that, he now declares support for the protestors in Delhi, ignoring the very fact that he is happily implementing them in the state! KCR says that farmers in Telangana are doing very well because they are all buying cars! It’s strange that KCR spent so much time on farmer issues when he himself claims farmers in the state are doing really well. 

KCR demanded that the centre withdraw all types of cess imposed on petroleum products. He accused the central government of taking the cess route so that they can cheat the states of their share in the divisible pool.  On his part, he thundered that he hasn’t increased a single paisa VAT ever since he came to power. The confidence with which he uttered that statement would make you think that it is indeed true. For a moment you will even forget that KCR increased VAT on petrol from 31% to 35.2%; VAT on diesel from 22% to 27.5% in the year 2015. No reporter present there was able to question KCR on this. No media covering the press meet could flash this on their screens. TRS fans on social media were going berserk on SM users who were pointing this out. 

KCR claimed that Telangana is the number 1 state in the country according to various RBI reports and therefore the BJP in the state is in no position to criticize him and his government. He claims that the only three schemes that the centre has given money so far are MNREGA, NHRM and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan. You don’t even have to be a serious student of politics to know that there are many more central government schemes that get implemented all over the country. For the criticism that KCR isn’t utilizing the money the central government is giving, he claimed that the country is running because of the money Telangana is giving. 

KCR’s U-turns are legendary. He called Ayushman Bharat a useless scheme in the Assembly. After about 2 years of calling it a useless scheme, he said that the state will implement Ayushman Bharat. He described the farm laws as honey-coated knives only to implement them in the state. His contrasting responses during COVID times are well documented. So, it will not be a surprise if he takes a U-turn on the VAT and reduces it. 

Yesterday’s press conference (if it can be called that) clearly showed a rattled KCR. It’s been a while for him to have faced strong opposition in the state, despite a largely friendly media. While the nature of the electoral dividends of such a strong opposition will be known only after 2 years, it is clear from his press conference yesterday that he is not going to take criticism by staying calm anymore. 

TRS stronghold Huzurabad goes to BJP: KTR’s immature response, the significance of this victory and the future of BJP in Telangana

The following article was written for OpIndia. Pasting it here for reference:

The lowest electoral point in the 20-year political history of the TRS party was in the year 2009. The party won only 10 seats in the 294 seat Andhra Pradesh Assembly. KCR appointed Eetala Rajender as the floor leader of the TRS legislature party, despite both his son and nephew getting elected as MLAs too. He was the first finance minister of Telangana in the 2014-18 term and then Health minister in the 2nd term. All this clearly signifies the importance of Eetala Rajendar in the TRS scheme of things. He was the most known face outside of the KCR family too. KCR had a fallout with Rajender and removed him from the cabinet at the peak of the 2nd COVID wave (citing corruption in some land deal). 

The fallout was not sudden and was brewing for quite some time, but the removal was quite sudden and the timing totally unexpected. The political scenario in the state heated up with such a senior leader, who held very crucial posts in the party and in the government being unceremoniously sent out. Eetala Rajendar then joined the BJP, which is increasingly being seen as the opposition party that is capable of taking upon the might of the KCR and TRS party. He also quit his assembly seat thereby necessitating this bye-election in Huzurabad, a TRS stronghold.

KCR went all out to stop Eetala Rajendar and the BJP from winning this. He introduced a new scheme called “Dalit Bandhu” in which he promised a whopping Rs. 10 lakh per Dalit family in the state. He announced that he is starting this scheme exclusively in the Huzurabad constituency and launched it with a lot of fanfare, without ironing out the details of the scheme. He then said it is just a matter of time before he extends this to the entire state.

While he was still figuring out how to give this money, the Election Commission passed an order to halt this scheme till the by-election was over. The TRS party, of course, started a campaign that the EC is in the hands of the BJP, but the people weren’t so foolish to believe in that campaign. In fact, the BJP’s victory in this by-election is a slap on the face of those ruling parties that think that merely doling out a cash incentive just a week before the election will fetch them victories! 

Eetala Rajender and the BJP, on their part, stuck to the basics. They campaigned door to door and successfully explained the injustice meted out to Eetala; about the arrogance of KCR and the TRS party; as to why Eetala chose to join the BJP instead of contesting as an independent; and why a vote to the BJP will further strengthen the party as opposed to KCR’s family rule. 

The bye-election result also calls for a discussion on the capability of KCR’s son, Mr K. Tarakarama Rao (KTR). After the stupendous 2018 Assembly victory, KCR appointed his son KTR as the Working President of the party – thereby divesting a lot of authority to his son. Ever since KTR has presided over a snubbing in the 2019 LS election victory; a major loss in the GHMC election; a loss in the all-important Dubbaka bye-election and now the loss in the Huzurabad bye-election. The only victory of significance that KTR has presided over, is the sweep of local body polls in early 2020. In fact, KCR had to personally step in and strategize for the MLC elections and another Assembly by-poll that the TRS won. KTR is a darling of the media, especially the English media. He is also called just a Twitter star because his polished language on Twitter keeps him in the good books of the media. Electoral results on the ground have so far not matched his English language skills

The frustration of KTR is evident in his reaction to the election result this time – “In the last 20 years TRS has seen many highs and lows & this one election result will not be of much significance or consequence”. It is one thing to boost the morale of the cadre by talking about the highs & lows but it’s a whole new level of arrogance to say that “one election result will not be of much significance” when it was quite evident how important his dad thought this poll was! 

There are many such examples of childish responses by KTR to the arguments put forth by the opposition. His most recent reaction to a familiar argument often put forth by the opposition, sums up why the public doesn’t take his arguments serious enough. The opposition often accuses KCR of furthering his family rule over the state (KCR is the CM; his son KTR has multiple portfolios; his nephew Harish Rao is Finance minister; his daughter Kavitha is an MLC; his nephew Santosh is an RS MP and is often seen by his side). KTR’s counter to this argument was that if Telangana is under a family rule, then is India being ruled by Gujaratis? This bye-election result must push the TRS party into introspecting if KTR needs to be given such important roles in the party. 

For the BJP, this victory is another shot in the arm for all the hard work the party has been doing in Telangana. The Congress party is in great self-destruct mode. The BJP has done well to relegate it to 3rd position. The next two years are going to be arduous, and the BJP has to be careful not to repeat a West Bengal scenario. It would really help the party to study the West Bengal scenario and avoid those mistakes here. 

Remember, even with this victory, the BJP still has only 3 seats in the 119-member assembly. It is important for them to get the right political leaders from other parties to expand on their base (For example, Eetala needed the BJP as much as BJP needed him). It is important for them to diversify their message, just like they did in the multiple elections they have won so far. It is also important for them to learn from the defeats they’ve had so far too. KCR isn’t an easy rival to have, though he has shown umpteen times how he is prone to arrogance of power. He still is going to be in power for 2 more years and can change things on the ground. One thing is for sure – the BJP has risen to be a principal opposition to the mighty KCR. The next 2 years are going to be exciting to watch (and participate!). 

Stunning Disclosures of Capt Amarinder Singh’s Resignation Letter which the Media Conveniently Brushed Under the Carpet

 The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it here for reference. 

As was widely expected, Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from the Congress and has setup a new party. He has sent a 7-page resignation letter to “Acting President”, Sonia Gandhi. Just a couple of weeks after she thundered that she is the “full time President” of the mighty Congress party, we have a powerful Congress leader addressing her as the “Acting President”! However, this is the least stunning aspect in the long letter that the captain has written. While he expectedly points out how he defeated Arun Jaitley in the Modi wave of 2014; how he led Congress to victory in 8/13 seats in the 2019 Modi wave; and how he led the party to various victories in the state assembly elections, there are many stunning revelations in his letter that am very sure the media will brush under the carpet.               

The first stunning disclosure was about how close Manmohan Singh came to dismiss Amarinder Singh’s government in 2005. That a Congress Prime Minister came very close to dismiss a Congress government is simply astounding to hear. Given the penchant of the Congress party to leak such vital information to the media, it is remarkable how this was kept under wraps at that point of time. The media will however ensure that this revelation will be drowned because they can’t afford to show madam in bad light. I can’t help but recollect how the media drowned Dr. Kalam’s revelation that he thought of resigning as President of India over the Bihar fiasco and how Manmohan Singh begged him to stay because if Dr. Kalam resigns then Manmohan Singh will also have to resign. Coming back to the topic, the larger stunning aspect of this disclosure was the petulance of Sonia Gandhi in not giving an appointment to Capt. Amarinder Singh for 9 months during that time! The family’s arrogance is simply unparalleled in this aspect – it just beats me how the President of INC can simply choose to not talk to one of her own Chief Ministers for nine months!

The second stunning disclosure pertains to one of his most “enduring regrets”. He claims that many Congress MLAs and ministers in his own government (and the current government) are utterly corrupt and are involved in the widespread illegal sand mining. His “enduring regret” is that he hasn’t acted against them! This revelation puts to shame Rahul Gandhi’s multiple tweets on corruption. This revelation also very poorly reflects on the captain himself, but it is important to note the First family of the Congress party doesn’t bother about mundane things such as corruption at high places. It infact looks like they encourage such form of corruption to make ends meet for the party at the national level!

The third stunning disclosure is about Sidhu. Though nothing new has been spoken in the letter, but I cannot fathom why the media is silent on these allegations by the captain. They are very very serious in nature because the allegation is that the Punjab Congress president is an “acolyte of the Pakistan deep state”. Has any journalist ever asked the First family of the Congress why they chose to appoint a man of (clearly) an “unstable mind” to such a high position within the party? Captain also highlights the “filthy and abusive language” of Sidhu against him and questions the silence of the entire First family on this. It is indeed intriguing, isn’t it? Rahul Gandhi sends out innocuous tweets on the subject of abuse every now and then. But when it comes to such abuse within the party, that too by people holding high ranking posts, he is conspicuously silent. Why isn’t this hypocrisy ever questioned by our English media?

The fourth stunning disclosure is about the “midnight conspiracy” carried out “at the behest” of Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka. The language of the captain, in how he addresses the First Family – “you and your children” reveals the deep contempt he has developed towards them. That, such a senior leader has accused the First family of the party of doing contemptuous things in the “dead of the night” must have our media focusing on the nature of how the family operates.

One can simply say that such accusations and language is a common thing to happen when one feels insulted. In that case, the media should stop amplifying the words of mere supporters of the BJP on the social media. We have a two term Chief Minister of the mighty Congress party throwing very serious accusations against a Prime Minister from the Congress party; against the President of the Congress party and against the First Family of the Congress party. However, am very sure that the focus will only be on the captain’s accusations against Sidhu. Because the family needs to be kept away from any negative discussions.

The Narrative After the India-Pakistan Match has Laid Bare the Bigotry of Indian Journalism

The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it here for reference:

Many on the social media have (rightly) claimed that one of the best positive side effects of India’s loss to Pakistan in the World Cup was that we got to see the celebrations that happen in India when Pakistan wins. For a very long time, Pakistan didn’t get to beat India, so an entire generation was almost growing up without knowing the fact that there exist many places where the victory of Pakistan over India is celebrated with full vigour. Sunanda Vashisht had articulated this back in 2014 itself, but that article was in the danger of being relegated as a relic of the past. The reality however is in stark contrast to the information that has been force fed upon us, all these years.

I am not the one making the claim of being force fed information. This revelation came straight from the horses’ mouths! Waqar Younus proudly announced that the best moment for him during the match was when Rizwan did Namaz in front of so many Hindus. The entire media gang in India were shocked at this statement. No, they were not shocked at the utter bigotry of the statement. They were shocked that Waqar had spoiled all their best laid plans of suppressing this bigotry. Harsha Bhogle wrote “A lot of us try hard to play such things down and talk up sport and to hear this is terrible.”

I don’t understand this terrible need to “play such things down” when “such things” can lead to disastrous consequences for the sport as well as to the country. Why would someone like Harsha Bhogle not want to call out this bigotry? How many times in the past has this lot tried to “play such things down”? Also, it would have been real enlightening to know who this “lot of us” are. However, in discussing about Harsha Bhogle’s tweet, I do not want to miss discussing the larger gameplan of the ringleader of this circus – Shekhar Gupta.

His disappointment with Waqar Younis’ tweet was on similar lines. “It’s disappointing only because it shuts up those few like us who’ve been batting for resuming bilateral sports with Pakistan.” Though it actually didn’t shut him up (I don’t think there is anyone born yet who can shut up the running commentary of Shekhar Gupta), this tweet actually baffled lakhs of people in India. Why would anyone bat for resuming bilateral sports with Pakistan? Has Shekhar Gupta forgotten that as recently as 2 months ago, the New Zealand cricket team flew out of Pakistan over scares of a terrorist attack? That the England team refused to travel to Pakistan because of terrorist attacks? That the Sri Lankan team was actually attacked on the soil of Pakistan? Is Shekhar Gupta yearning for such an incident to happen to the Indian cricket team so that he can then feast on that news?

With various police departments filing cases against those who celebrated the victory of Pakistan, this gang went about sharing the Chennai incident from 1999. Pakistan had beaten India in a thrilling test match by 12 runs. The Pakistan team was given a standing ovation by the crowd in the stadium when they did their victory lap. The ringleader of the circus sent out an abrupt and confusing tweet while recollecting this incident.

“That was a brilliant phase in India-Pakistan ties. Afterwards, India under Rahul Dravid toured Pakistan, won Test and ODI series there, and were similarly lionised and celebrated by crowds. Our pacer Balaji became a rock star of sorts there…the period was too good to last”

The ”brilliant phase” he refers to is from 1999 to 2006 (the Chennai test was in 1999 and India under Rahul Dravid toured Pak in 2006). Between 1999 and 2006, Pakistan or Pakistan backed terror organistions have:

• Attacked us in Kargil – nearly 500 Indian soldiers lost their lives and needless to say the untold burden that war brings on a nation.
• Hiijacked one of our civilian flights in 1999.
• Attacked Red Fort in 2000
• Attacked Indian Parliament in 2001
• Attacked Akshardham temple in 2002
• Attacked Mumbai multiple times in 2005
• Attacked various places in India (Ayodhya, Charar-e-Sharif, J&K etc.)

Doesn’t it baffle your mind that Shekhar Gupta terms this phase as “brilliant”? Well, it doesn’t baffle me. Unwittingly, he has (yet again) showed to us the worst side of Indian journalism. He has showed us the side that seeks to suppress information; the side that seeks to impose a narrative and expects us to follow it; the side that doesn’t’ hesitate to downplay loss of lives; the side that seeks to thrive on tragedy; the side that abhors any kind of criticism; and the side that can’t digest the fact that today’s India is better informed than they wish it to be.

It speaks volumes of their nature when members of the English media (circus) are sad that their best laid plans have gone haywire but are not sad that they supported or suppressed this bigotry all these years. Like everyone said – it’s good that we lost to Pakistan in this match – because it did expose many people outside the sport.

PS: If Shekhar Gupta was indeed referring to just a “brilliant phase” in cricketing ties between 1999 to 2006, then there is only one “brilliant phase” -Sachin Tendulkar hitting that bigot Shoaib Akhtar for a six in World Cup 2003.

Trivialization of vaccination milestone epitomizes Sonia Gandhi’s political immaturity

 The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it here for reference:

Days after the country celebrated 100 crore COVID vaccine doses achievement, the President of the mighty Indian National Congress, Sonia Gandhi, has bestowed us with her illuminating thoughts in an article in The Hindu newspaper today. Titled – “The vaccination milestone and a distant goal”, her article has enlightened us on how bad our vaccination drive has been and will be in the future too.

Sample this enlightening statement: “even though there are only two countries in the world that are called upon to reach this level of coverage and we were not the first to do so”. See, you dimwits? Only two countries in the world are required to get to 100 crore doses, so what’s so great about it? Also, we must all still trust the numbers from the other country (with whom the mighty Congress party signed an MoU) and therefore must take every opportunity to belittle our country. Since we are all not able to see things so clearly, Sonia Gandhi has taken time out from her busy schedule to enlighten us with this knowledge.

Also, what’s so great about 100 crore vaccine doses? Because Sonia Gandhi today tells us – “Countries with comparable COVID-19 figures and even those with smaller or poorer economies have performed much better.” Which smaller or poorer economies have performed better? When she says “comparable COVID-19 figures”, what numbers is she comparing with? She provides no examples to sustain her claim. Well, afterall, why should she? It is for the reader to take her at face value and not question her abundant knowledge and grasp of these numbers. The congress cadre know you can never question THE family. It is now for mortal readers to know the same.

She exhibits her immense knowledge of the vaccine process by telling us that “Not only that, the gap between the proportion of the population that has got at least one dose and two doses is widest in India. This gap is likely a result of domestic supply falling short of the demand.” India is currently using three vaccines – Covishield (a gap of 12-16 weeks); Covaxin (a gap of 28 days); Sputnik (a gap of 21 days). Nearly 85 crore doses of Covishield have been delivered – and therefore the gap between 1st and 2nd dose will obviously be large. But Sonia Gandhi attributes this scientific decision to “domestic supply falling short of the demand”. It doesn’t matter that it has been scientifically proven that Covishield offers greater protection after the first dose compared to others and therefore the second dose can be given 12-16 weeks later.

She then shows her general knowledge on matters of current importance. “Moreover, the Government is yet to roll out a plan to inoculate our children who could be particularly vulnerable to future waves. We must protect our children urgently so they can go back to school.” Yet to roll out a plan? We are probably just a week or two away before the Zydus-Cadila vaccine will be available for vaccinating the 12-18 year old! So, they can go back to school? Schools across the country have opened up, including in the Congress ruled states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Punjab! Was this article written much earlier but sent for publication only yesterday?

We are then told that the government “must work out a plan, based on scientific advice, for booster shots, like other countries have done.” Well, if it is to be based on scientific advice, does Sonia Gandhi give us any references of such available advice for Covishield and Covaxin? As usual, no data is presented to make the case stronger. It’s mere rhetoric with the assumption that the reader needs to grasp the implications of what the mighty queen is saying.

And before we forget, she also tells us that the 100 crore vaccine doses achievement has been possible because of the “Patents Act, 1970”. Of course, it is the benevolence of the mighty Congress party that we are able to succeed today.

Sonia Gandhi also spends significant amount of time reminding us of the horrors of the second wave. I am no fan of the delayed response by at least two weeks by the central government to an emerging crisis. But I will never view it in isolation of the state governments. The Congress state governments were at the forefront of some real mismanagement too. Sonia Gandhi can write all she wants – people of the country have become mature enough to know when to blame and when to celebrate. The question is – when will the Congress party become mature like that?

Why is ‘The Hindu’ hell-bent on instigating Chief Ministers against the Central Government?

 The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it below for reference:

Over the past 7 ½  years, the ruling parties in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have supported the Modi government on certain issues and have opposed him vehemently on certain issues too. However, their support to the Modi government despite not being from the BJP has disturbed the English media folks a lot. In an Op-Ed published on Ocotber 14th in The Hindu, a “senior journalist” tells us that “Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chandrasekhara Rao are lending legitimacy to the BJP’s one-nation agenda”

Now, you would be thinking who would be having a problem with an agenda such as “one-nation” that binds the entire country together. The article provides great insights into the demented minds of the English media who have invented new agendas for Modi to further their own agenda of spreading lies and inciting hatred against the Prime Minister.

The author begins his article with a long list of pending demands from the states of AP and Telangana. He ends this section by saying that “Despite their customary visits to Delhi…the Chief Ministers have scrupulously avoided making these long-pending problems a big Centre-State federal issue of national importance. They prefer to maintain a strategic silence.”

Which state doesn’t have long pending issues? When the Chief Ministers of various states meet the Prime Minister, does the author think each one of them doesn’t present a similar list to the Prime Minister? Does the author think that the list of a BJP CM will be shorter than the list of a non-BJP CM? Should every CM start be making their list of pending issues as a Centre-State federal issue, and cause confusion?

In my opinion, the only injustice meted out to the people of Andhra Pradesh by the Modi government is the fall back on the promise of a special status. Special status was seen as a lifeline to the new state of Andhra Pradesh and this was not given to the state as promised. Other demands listed by the author such as “restructuring of debts of Rs. 50,000 crores in which the Andhra Pradesh power utilities” are not part of the reorganization act. Why should the centre restructure the debts of the state?!

And then the lies – “They prefer to maintain a strategic silence”. Does the author really not listen to KCR, his son KTR and all of the ministers? Day in and day out these days, all we hear from these folks is that the Central government is not helping the state of Telangana. KCR thunders about this in the Assembly and in his public meeting. KTR thunders about this on twitter and in his public meetings. Who exactly is the author listening to, that he is so totally unaware of the vehement opposition of KCR? Or is the author’s case that happen what may, the state governments must just blindly oppose the central government?

It definitely seems so because he says that “Notably, both the YSR Congress Party and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supported the revocation of Article 370”. The author seems miffed at this non-binary behaviour by the regional parties in India because he just seems to assume that they have to blindly oppose whatever the central government does! And to bolster his argument, he wonders thus – “Why has the battle for federalism been left to leaders like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee?” Does the author want state CMs to reject central schemes such as PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat for the sake of his imaginary concept of “federalism”?

The abrogation of Article 370 isn’t the only problem that the author has with the Modi government. In his own words – “the multiple ways in which it creates trouble in West Bengal and Maharashtra”. It’s a miracle that the author really believes that it is the BJP that is creating trouble in West Bengal when it is actually the BJP workers who are being killed on a regular basis there. I wonder how the author and the newspaper cannot see their blatant hypocrisy in the mirror.

Not content with the lies spread, the author reserves his best towards the last - “the two leaders are either unable to fathom or conveniently ignore the BJP’s centralising tendencies and its attempts to implement its idea of ‘One Nation One Ration Card’, ‘One Nation One Election’, ‘One Nation One Language’.”

Why is the author opposed to the idea of “One Nation One Ration Card”? Who in their right mind will be opposed to the idea that simplifies the lives of crores of migrants in our country? Why is the author opposed to the concept of One Nation One Election? Does he care to elucidate any of his objections? Obviously not. Does the concept of “One Nation One Language” even exist in any official document? Has the Prime Minister ever talked about this concept? If anything, the Prime Minister has been at the forefront of promoting the multiple languages in the country. Yet, The Hindu provides ample space to the author to spread lies as much as he fancies.

The author spends significant amount of time praising former Chief Minister NTR, who rode to power in 1983 withing just nine months of announcing a political party. His primary plank was the pride of Telugus that was being mortgaged by the Congress leaders to their high command culture. The author rues the fact that today’s Chief Ministers are not like NTR. He asks “So, what happened to the fighting spirit of the Chief Ministers and political leaders from Andhra and Telangana?”.

In the 32 years from 1982 to 2014, the Congress was voted into power for 15 years – does this mean that people were ok with the mortgaging of telugu pride to the central government for 15 years after NTR won too? It’s such a sad reflection that authors have to fall back to a leader from nearly 40 years back to make a point in today’s politics, when the people have constantly been voting for a change.

The author is also worried that KCR and Jagan are indirectly enabling BJP to grow stronger. Does the author really not see the opposition that BJP is putting up against TRS in Telangana? Does the author really not see the dislike for BJP in Andhra Pradesh? Does he really think that the BJP is in a position to grow in Andhra Pradesh (leave aside growing stronger!). How is it possible for a political observer and a “senior journalist” to even assume that the BJP is growing stronger in Andhra Pradesh?

The hatred that the author (and of course The Hindu) has for the Prime Minister is so evident in the entire article. He is unable to fathom the fact that Chief Ministers of various states are still able to work well with the central government on issues that matter. It looks like the author wants to somehow be instrumental in instigating the CMs against the central government. What better platform than The Hindu to spew illogical arguments against the Modi government?

Rahul Gandhi, the Dictator

 The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it here for reference

We were told some two years back that Sonia Gandhi will be interim President of the Congress. She took over from her son, who took over from her in 2017. Leader after leader in the party has demanded that the party should have a full time President who is visible and active. Report after report in the English media referred to her as the interim President of the Congress. After two years, Sonia Gandhi couldn’t take it anymore. In the Congress Working Committee meeting on Ocotber 16th, she thundered – “I am, if you will allow me to say so, a full-time and hands on Congress president.” So, the interim President of the Congress party declared herself to be the full-time President of the Congress party in the CWC meeting! So much for being wedded to democratic ethos and all that!

The meeting proceeded to discuss the next agenda item – to beg Rahul Gandhi to take over as the President of the party from his mother, in the presence of his mother. The loop is dizzy – The son took over from mother; the mother took over from the son; the son will not take over from the mother! Rahul Gandhi’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi was also present in the meeting by virtue of her well-earned position of party general secretary. News reports have told us that “Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was among a host of leaders who asked Mr. Gandhi “to lead the action””.

I had moist eyes while reading report after report about this family drama, that will put any well scripted TV drama to shame. I can very well imagine the poignant mood in the room where the 50 others assembled would have been wiping their tears hearing Mother, Son and Daughter figure out amongst themselves how to be benevolent and accept the courtiers wishes. Finally, Rahul Gandhi found the right words to bestow his benevolence. He said, “I will consider”.

Can you imagine the eruption of joy in the room at the large heartedness of Rahul Gandhi for agreeing to “consider” their request? The joy would have been short lived because Rahul Gandhi had conditions attached for his benevolence. What were they?

In his trademark style he spoke without clarity. He apparently wanted the Congress party to decide where it stands on the “question of ideology”. In the past 24 years, his mother was President for 21 years. He was President for ~3 years. And today he thought it fit to ask the very party that he and his mother led for nearly 25 years on where it stands on ideology! Quite expectedly, those in the room would have been confused with this intellectual observation. So, Rahul Gandhi decided to be further benevolent and give examples.

The first example he gave was how he was stopped from visiting the family of Akhlaq in 2015. In the year 2015, his mother was President of the party. Full-time President. Rahul Gandhi was Vice President of the party. How can anyone prevent him from going to anywhere he wanted to go? He would have received advice from a variety of people on whether to go or not to go. Ultimately, it is up to the mother and son to decide what best to do for the party. If Rahul Gandhi decided to heed to the advice of one group of the party in 2015, why is he blaming them now for being “stopped”? If he wanted to, there was nobody in the Congress party who would dare to stop him, with the exception of his mother perhaps. So, was Rahul Gandhi attacking his own mother in the party forum?

The second example he gave was about his visit to Hathras last year. I don’t know what the problem here is. He did go to Hathras. He did stage that famous drama of falling on the road while walking, making him a laughing stock. Was he blaming someone for giving him the advice of staging that laughable drama? We have pro-Congress journalists telling us that Rahul Gandhi wants all the old guard out and that’s why the “elections” to the post of Congress President will be held a year from now.

He’s done a similar attack on his partymen after the 2019 loss too. He blamed them for not listening to him. In one of his rants later, he even went to the extent of screaming that “Even if the whole country is on one side, I will be on the other side”. This statement led us to wonder why a leader of a political party in any country would be against the whole country. Don’t you find it amusing that he blames the people instead of himself and his family for the mess that the party is in.

What does all this say about Rahul Gandhi? It says that he does not want to listen to any advice coming from his party cadre and leaders. It says that he will not tolerate any contradictory opinions to his. It says that he demands unquestioning loyalty even when disaster is looming on the party because of him. It says that he will be the first to blame; not the first to take the blame. In short, it says that he is a dictator.

Can ‘The Hindu’s’ cynical interpretation of the data ever be remedied?

 

The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it here for reference.

I woke up to the pleasant news of inflation coming down to 4.35%. To the great news that industrial output is up. It filled me with happiness that the people of our country are doing everything they can to revive the economy that has been hit with COVID pandemic twice in two years. They are leaving no stone unturned to ensure pre-covid levels of activity becomes the norm. And then I read what the intellectuals at The Hindu tell us in their front page – “Don’t read too much into the encouraging data: economists”.

Why must we not be encouraged by this data? Because according to the economists - “barring food and housing, most sectors recorded a flat or higher inflation reading in September.” So, food and housing showed lower inflation, yet we should not be encouraged by this news? What do the high lords mean by “most sectors”? If “most sectors” remained flat inflation, then isn’t that also news by which we must be encouraged? I continued to read the article to see if there is any logical justification for not being encouraged by this happy news. The economists and the high lords at The Hindu have fallen back to their age-old argument against any good news related to economy, i.e. “The growth in IIP in August is mainly because of the base effect” 

So, next time any reader comes back with the “base effect” argument to justify a lower growth or higher inflation number, will the intellectuals at The Hindu front page accept that argument too? I was beginning to wonder if the editors at The Hindu would not read too much into data when the inflation sees an increase? Or will they stop reading too much into the data when GDP growth comes down by 0.1%? Or better yet, will they stop reading anything into any data and relieve us of these gems?

My mind went back to the that time in October 2015, when Srinivasan Ramani , then deputy editor of The Hindu, went ballistic on Prime Minister Modi and also ended up calling all those whom the Prime Minister follows as “buffoons”. The RBI had just released a projection table in Q1 of that year which said the growth will be 7.7% in Q4 of that financial year. When the Prime Minister mentioned that the RBI was predicting 7.7% growth for the “coming quarters”, Srinivasan Ramani lost his marbles and went on a rant to say the Prime Minister was following “buffoons”. Users showed him the table that RBI released, but he still didn’t relent. He got confused with Q1, Q2,Q4 etc, got confused with grammar, and got confused with the concept of financial year! Srinivasan Ramani also told us that we should not be concerned with quarterly growth numbers and should focus only on the full financial year. When his silliness was being proved by multiple users on twitter, he changed tack multiple times before emphatically declaring that “You can’t cherry pick”. Basically, we must all bow down to whatever the editors at The Hindu tell us.

My mind also went back to that time in October 2017, when The Hindu published a half page article in their business section titled “Mr. PM: it’s time for bold economic thinking”. The only twist in that article being that the PM had already implemented everything that the high lords have asked him to do! Infact, the authors were recommending lesser penalties for those hoarding money than what the PM had already implemented!

So, this attitude of the editors and intellectuals and economists at The Hindu is not new. We mustn’t celebrate anything as long as the NDA is in power, even if there are worthy causes for celebration. They have always told us, ordinary citizens of the country, what to read; how to read; and when to read. And if you deviate from the path, they tell you to follow, then you end up being a “buffoon” and a “troll”.

BJP is poised to give a tough fight to TRS in Telangana: Here is what BJP must do in the next 2 years

 The following article was written for OpIndia. Pasting it below for reference:

If you are staying outside of Telangana and your source of news is only the English media, I bet you would not know that the Telangana State BJP President, Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar, has walked nearly 450 km over the past 36 days as part of his first phase of Praja Sangrama Yatra. And since it involves BJP, I bet you wouldn’t know about the overwhelming response the padayatra has received all along the 450 km route! 

If you grew up in Hyderabad, you would have never imagined that a day will come where the BJP can conduct a meeting at Charminar and that the whole area will echo with ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogans! We are familiar with the grip that the Owaisi clan has on this area and therefore the symbolism of the party President enthusing his cadre from the unlikeliest of the places shows how serious the BJP is to fight strongly for the 2023 Telangana elections. If you see this video clip from day 1 of the padayatra, you would surely understand why it set the rightest possible tone for the next 35 days of the padayatra, or even perhaps the next 2 years of the BJP’s campaign in the state. 

Bandi Sanjay’s preparation for his padayatra was also impressive. All along these 35 days, he has spoken about relevant problems the people of the particular area he is walking in, have faced. The issues touched were wide-ranging: MIM’s communal politics; the delay in joining Ayushman Bharat; the delay in housing for the poor; the procurement of various crops; the question of government jobs; irrigation projects; corruption; and the dynastic politics of the TRS. 

Throughout these 35 days, various senior leaders of the party at the national level have joined this padayatra and enthused the party cadre further. Union cabinet minister Kishan Reddy flagged off the yatra. Union cabinet minister Smriti Irani addressed the closing rally on October 2nd. In between these two events, Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah addressed a massive rally on 17th September (the day Hyderabad was liberated from the Nizams and became a part of India). 

The padayatra has ended on October 2nd, as planned, and the party will now get ready for the all-important Huzurabad assembly bye-election. Again, if you were following media outside of Telangana, I bet you would not know the importance of the Huzurabad assembly constituency bye-election coming up on October 30th.

The lowest electoral point in the political history of the TRS party was in the year 2009 when the party won only 10 seats in the Assembly. Eetala Rajender was appointed as the floor leader of the TRS legislature party, and this signifies the importance of Mr Rajender in the TRS scheme of things. He was the first finance minister of Telangana in the 2014-18 term and then Health minister in the 2nd term. The Chief Minister, KCR had a fallout with Rajender and removed him from the cabinet at the peak of the 2nd COVID wave (citing corruption in some land deal). 

The fallout was not sudden and was brewing for quite some time, but the removal was quite sudden and the timing totally unexpected. The political scenario in the state heated up with such a senior leader of the party who held very crucial posts in the party and in the government being unceremoniously sent out. Eetala Rajendar then joined the BJP, which is increasingly being seen as the opposition party that is capable of taking upon the might of the KCR and TRS parties. He’s also quit his MLA seat, necessitating a by-election. It is in this context that Huzurabad has become the next crucial election for the BJP after the Dubbaka and GHMC elections. 

Ever since the 2018 election, the electoral results have been fluctuating for and against the TRS, with some key blows proving that BJP is able to grow as a strong opposition. The 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the 2020 Dubbaka by-election and GHMC elections are prime examples of BJP’s growth. The 2021 MLC and 2020 local body election results are the prime examples of TRS’s hold in the state. The BJP won only 1 seat in the 2018 assembly elections. They now have 2 MLAs in the 119 member assembly. Eetala Rajendar’s victory in the Huzurabad election will only take it up to 3 but the significance it will have in strengthening and enthusing the BJP cadre cannot be measured by this small number. 

The BJP is well placed to give a very tough fight to the KCR, but it is important to not celebrate too early or become arrogant because of a couple of victories. While examples galore are being given on how Karnataka BJP has grown from 2 MLAs to winning a majority, it must also be kept in mind how Bengal was lost in 2021 despite the all-around perception that BJP is winning. I am not sure of the exact reasons why Bengal was lost, but in Telangana, KCR is as formidable an opponent as Mamta Banerjee was in Bengal. KCR’s political instincts are equally sharp and to underestimate them would be a real big folly. The efforts for this fight have to consistently be as gruelling as the past 1 year.

Extreme care must be taken on the various aspects of messaging. Consistent reports on how the 4 MPs from the state are performing; how the 48 corporators who won recently in GHMC are performing – will help bolster a positive message of the performance. There mustn’t be excessive focus on things like “central government is giving everything” because that will eventually backfire in a state-level assembly election. Instead, the same message can be conveyed by citing examples of how KCR rejected central schemes but eventually joined those very schemes that have benefitted the citizens of Telangana. 

Long term activities like this padayatra are the best way forward because after all in politics, there is no alternative to being amongst the people. The Congress party is in a self-destruct mode and that space is totally up for grabs. The dynastic rule of the TRS is a perfect platform for the BJP to build upon and highlight the various governance aspects – as long as the efforts are along these lines for the next 2 years, the BJP will only continue to grow.