Why I may want to vote for BJP this time

Hi Murali

Agree with you and agree with Naveen that BJP is the lesser evil and here is why for me  -apart from the mission to get those stashed away crores back !

if any one has studied the parties 2009  manifestos, it is shameful to see Congress s plan for climate change , considering they launched the NAPCC - it hardly has a mention.Clearly there is no agenda for climate change   -they dont get the urgency and scale of the problem.

I work in the area of climate change and was happily surprised to see that BJP has a well thought out agenda for climate change  -as opposed to a short paragraphs in the INC Manifesto, BJP appears to have engaged with the issue in some what more depth. They have been speaking about it and I am happy to see its way in the manifesto.

They have recognised the threat of climate change and the need to move to a low carbon future - this is the way forward  - setting targets for alternate energy and ensuring energy security,removing subsidies on chemical fertilisers  -these are some good starts.

Viva

... but in the end, it is better to do more research before casting our precious vote. A political talk in India is just that - talk. Track records of our politicians speak for themselves.

With all due respect, Mr Advani is no Vajpayee to gain my support even if he bombards me with SMS every day, and I don't believe in the Kamala brigade in a host of other equally critical issues. Peace, harmony and progress are as important as corruption and a host of other issues (education and infrastructure for example) in my view.

I didn't want to jump into this political talk, but couldn't help it after seeing some support here for a party with a religious ideology I don't agree with (BSY and Acharya combine for example).

And I have to agree - while other parties may not be as explicit in their ideologies, they haven't done any better when they had their chance.

Just stating my point of view. No intentions of triggering a tirade here.

Ravi

do we vote for modi and his party who get the job done , no matter that they have extreme methods and views on religion and moral policing, and other socal issues we also care about?

Valid concer, personally It comes down to this. Post poll the new UPA will comprise of a bunch of rag tags with their own pulls and pressures. What will this accomplish? We have seen dharam singh and his coaliation get nothing done.

The advantage of BJP is that they will not attract all the self proclaimed secular rag tag. They will not give in too much either (except buckle to terrorists in Af-Pak). But they will attract anti social elements who will misuse their rule as license to misbehave. This is when we have to stand united and put up a fight for our rights. I bet we havent seen the last of the mutaliks yet. They are just lying low till elections are over. A strong citizen movement is essential anyway and I believe our country has come of age to stand up against idiots in society.

That BJP is no saints is well known, but at least they have spoken about some better goals. We might not immediately have all issues addressed, but at least there will be awareness & hopefully, some action.

I concur that we have not seen the last of the mutaliks yet, for sure.

As viva said :

They have recognised the threat of climate change and the need to move to a low carbon future - this is the way forward...

I believe there is atleast a sense of recognintion in the BJP camp with respect to this issue, the likes of Varun & Mutalik apart.

Nimmadu eshtu iddae, swamy? :)))

Yeshtu illa saar. Swiss bank horg indha nod bandhid ashte. Adhralli haak bekagid kaasu hog barodrali karch aagoithu.

Dear All and 'littleabout'

I do not know how many of you are aware or if aware, not given a serious thought to a particular point that has been included in BJP manifesto as reported in the media:

If elected,

Article 370 concerning Jammu and Kashmir will be abrogated.

(Please correct me if I am wrong or if I have misread it from reports in the media)

This is a very dangerous point to be included in a manifesto that should have restricted itself to the citizens and their welfare; abrogating Article 370 will not help establish plebiscite or autonomy and bring peace in the terror stricken Kashmir valley.  If we go to the genesis of why Article 370 has been made applicable to Kashmir and its populace, we will understand that extension of this article by the Parliament from time to time has been debated upon and in the national interest, extension has been approved. 

Why NDA did not abrogate Article 370 during their regime?

Were BJP MPs not present when this subject was debated upon in Parliament? 

Kashmir is a very sensitive issue and anything that is said about Kashmir will attract world attention.  Anything that is anti-people will stir a hornets nest in the valley.  

'Does size matter?'  May be for some, but what matters is how performance oriented it could be and what are its properties.   Mr.Lal Bahadur Shastri had a diminituve personally but was one of the best Prime Ministers, India ever had.

If BJP comes to power, it is going to prescribe a national dress code for all particularly government servants - Kakhi Chaddi and black topi with a lathi to fight international terrorism. 

Regarding India's policy decisions about climate change, UPA has played it safe and rightly so, because India's per capita emission of CO2 and its carbon footprints are in the vicinity of just 6 per cent; whereas USA is the highest with 25 per cent per capita emission with European nations hovering around 15 per cent.   Though we have the ability to increase our footprints through increase in industrial output, nuclear capability, power production etc., we have understood the grave situation due to green house gas emissions, climate change, global warming and global dimming and we have at grassroots level launched enough control mechanisms that have already started yielding fruits. 

A day will come when India will be flaunting the maximum carbon credits through its climate control methodologies that will enable the country to attract more of FDIs and investments in green technology. 

With religious fundamentalism, splurging millions to renovate only temples and in the name of god,  with no food to eat, no water to drink, etc., communal degradation of the society, creating a fear syndrome in the minds of minorities and other people various highly important points on international diplomacy, G20, Nuclear Policies, containing terrorism will take back seats.  Streets will be strewn with cut hands and slit throats and blood and gore?   All these have happened and this is not a hate speech. 

We want a strong, stable, secular, safe, sovereign democratic government at the center to have a peaceful existence among all the subjects in India. 

Appears to be a very general statement.  other points ?

 Is there a need for art 370? Obama is half black but won overwhelmingly. We had Presidents of different religions/sex. Religion is a personal matter. Is there a need to mix-up issues, really?

PSA

BJP, their godfathers and their professed prejudices against section of Indian population is known to everybody. Enough has been said and enough will be said about them in coming days and years. Leaving that aside, as a national party, which aspires and leaves no opportunity to assert it self as the only alternative, has a very disappointing report card during last 5 years as the lead opposition party.

As a political party given the reigns of lead opposition party, is expected to play the role of opposition in the parliament in checking the government of the day in its policies and governance. BJP has utterly failed to perform the duties of an opposition party in last 5 years. If we look at their performance as opposition, we get nothing but frustrations and disappointments.

Its Role in 5 Budgets.

Except for 2 budgets, BJP boycotted the Parliament session during crucial budget discussions and voting on one pretext or other. P Chidambaram had a last laugh on 4 budgets he presented. Basically he had a cake walk on all 4 occasions, except for some RED noises. BJP didn't bothered to counter the government in parliament, but did everything outside of the parliament. They didn't want to participate in the discussion in parliament but had the audacity to give a memorandum to the PM at his residence for changes in budget allocations. PM did the right thing by refusing to consider the request and asking them to bring it in the parliament discussion. They utterly failed to perform the sovereign duty which was given to them by the Indian public.

Its week and mute response to Govt's attempt to sign Nuclear Deal

Atleast the RED had the guts to snap the ties with govt (even though I consider them to be on wrong side on that issue) and made their case. But BJP found itself to be neither here nor there on Nuclear 123 deal. They didn't had any coordinated opposition or case to be made. All their arguments lacked substance and needed ferocity. It was just a case of opposition for the sake of opposition. Also they don't have to oppose the govt all the time even for issues that right in the merit. They could extended the support to govt and ensure that its genuine concerns are taken care off. Their unprincipled opposition made sure that UPA govt by ratification from Parliament was successful in signing the agreement on their own terms rather than terms of all the sections of the society.

Opposition to introduction of VAT in the country

BJP's opposition to introducing the VAT in the country exposed their unprincipled opposition for no genuine cause. Nothing changed from the time of introduction of VAT, to the time when every NDA ruled state started slowly implementing the VAT. Thsi clearly shows how unprincipled was BJP on national issues. It is not that other parties including Congress are principled, but BJP claims to be a party of difference, principle, nationalist (by accusing others as pseudo-secularist) . People including me had a huge expectations that BJP even though its tone and strength lies in prejudices, would rise to the national interest and support the govt for right issues. But BJP found itself in wanting.

Its unprincipled stand on every issue that had communal tone

BJP left no opportunity to go by, without resorting to exhort the minorities in sending a message that in BJP's scheme of things they are not equal partners with other sections of Indian society. Whether it was a Census figures (with adding J&K population to the Muslim population) or hate filled election campaign in UP (Video recordings are available with NDTV), inaction of Karnataka Govt in response to incidences in Mangalore and other places, Kandhamal, Crocodile tears for Hajj Subsidy etc.

In summation, it is a big question to Indian voters. A party which is guilty of dereliction of its duty, should be given a chance to govern once more? 

It be Congress or BJP, it is the truth that not only abroad in banks, but even in houses / bungalows / lockers of business men have illegal stocks of gold, money, silver, diamonds. If this internal tax evaded property / valuables are brought into use in market in India, whole India can be developed.

Even I knew 'littleabout' EVMs going wrong.  When I read this news about PC getting elected after two recounts, I sent a msg to one of the Dist. Election Officers requesting him for a simple answer for my question 'Can EVMs go wrong or the poll personnel?' in view of PC and others episodes.

I got a simple msg saying that - EVMs are time tested and accepted, men may go wrong.

Congress win may be a disappointment for followers of Baree Jagalada Party. But the writing was on the wall after Mutalick and Varun's affair.  They had become the thorns in the assumed bed of roses of BJP.  If only BJP can veer around towards real secularism and talk of moral turpitudes, minus hard core fundamentalism of RSS, Moral Policing etc., a day may come for BJP to climb up. Trying to be bombastic or parading money bags or exposing bundles of currency in the Parliament will not take them anywhere.  Majority of the tainted elected MPs in this 15th LS belong to BJP followed by Congress.  

I am not a lover of any party but have a feeling that this AIDS (Alarmingly Infected Democratic System) can be cured with Vote vaccine by Democratic Doctors called Voters.  They have shown their maturity and exhibited a sense of unbiased approach towards establishing a secular and modern India with the help of Congress and not with casteist BJP.  They have opted for good governance through 'no strings attached' approach - Anything wrong? 

Let us also be justified in our approaches towards the problems being faced by India with terrorists breathing over our necks / Sri Lankan/Bangladesh refugees / global recession / 123 /  

People belonging to minority community, dalits and others did not like the hate syndrome in the name of communal feelings spread out openly and brazenly by BJP leaders.   Religious sentiments are dikhaawaas - they are not really practiced by the preachers.  This is where the BJP failed.  Hindutva and unseen Ram are personal affairs of people and not the property of BJP.

- sorry, if I have ranted too much... Comment is free but facts are sacred.

-Vasanth Mysoremath

Dear All

Remember it is the 15th LS and in 14 LS election postmartems have been conducted for no avail.  Has our system improved? People continue to argue - for and against. We have allowed the decay to repeat and repeat with minority voters rule and less and less participatory democracy. It is we the people who are/were responsible for this kind of shoddy governance.  Think ways and means of stemming the rot.    

Let us be pragmatic and concentrate on what best we can get out of the elected government.  Governments may come and governments may fall but it is we, the people, who have to endure and live with the 'greatest living democracy in the world'.

Have a look at the post 'Public Agenda for the next government' and suggest constructive and meaningful suggestions so that we can make 'online course corrections' to the systemic failures that are haunting our governance.

- Can you repeat this fast enough?

-  Try - PEOPLE WHO SHOUT POWER TO THE PEOPLE WANT PEOPLE TO HAND OVER POWER TO THE PEOPLE WHO SHOUT POWER TO THE PEOPLE.  

-  We must change this syndrome. Can you youngsters? Do you have it in you? Be proactive - be a part of the society you are living in.  Also read post: SUCCESS STORY OF A STREET COMMITTEE IN MYSORE.

- Vasanth Mysoremath   

 Think ways and means of stemming the rot

Yes indeed, the rot we have been witnessing for the past 5 years. Rot called populism.

§§§ Tweetenator

Hoi all,

My submission - key.. sara.. sara... Let us concentrate on way forward

- Electoral Reforms

- Political Reforms

- Need for transparency and accountability

Am I 'right' or 'left-out'?

-Vasanth Mysoremath