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Modi won. The voter lost

Published

9 years ago

on

Opinion Verdict 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Congress won three (states) but lost two because the BJP has fulfilled LK Advani’s prophecy that it is Congress Part 2

By Ranjona Banerji

Who won and who lost? Okay, okay, the Bharatiya Janata Party won hands down, outright, no contest in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The BSP lost, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress lost, Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi lost and most likely Amar Singh won and so did some various uncles and aunties of Akhilesh who did not want him to win.

In Uttarakhand, the Congress chief minister lost, the BJP man who frightened the horse won and no one knows who the new BJP chief minister will be. It may not be the man who spent crores on a house nobody wants to live in and it may not be the man who repaired the roads. Rumours abound that it will be a new person altogether. Though in the Uttarakhand BJP, sometimes you can’t tell which person is Congress and which person is BJP because they keep changing places. So maybe a former Congress chief minister could become a current BJP chief minister. Which makes him a new BJP prime minister, see?

This is the straightforward stuff. So on to Punjab where the alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party lost. I mean really lost. They were in power and they lost. However, according to new rules written into the social media contract of all Indian journalists who are important (i.e. not me), you are not allowed to mention Punjab. If you must, do it in passing: “That’s anti-incumbency, harrumph, but Narendra Modi is the greatest and look at Uttar Pradesh.”

This may or most probably may not guarantee one or two Padma awards for serious media folk in the next season.

In Punjab though, the Congress won. AAP did not win though many said that AAP would win. But AAP still got more seats than SAD-BJP. Everyone knew, however, that SAD-BJP would lose. And this is one of those few times when experts were proved correct. However, no experts as you can see are interested in their foresight because there can be no credit for Modi here. Instead, members of the SAD are now saying that it is BJP’s fault that they lost? How ungrateful. Haven’t they seen the results in UP and Uttarakhand?

Manipur comes next. Now we reach a strange little kink in our journey. What the winners really want to say is who cares about these small states, we won the big one. But they can’t, because, India. The Congress won more seats than any other party but still lost because the BJP jumped in and cobbled together an alliance to try and run the government. How many of you are old enough to have seen this game being played before? Exactly. Whether you call it horse-trading or legitimate nonsense, stitches often come loose and threads unravel. The poor voters of Manipur. No one knows what they really wanted except they certainly did not want their former hero Irom Sharmila to become a politician. But 90 votes? That was a bit mean.

In Goa, India’s defence minister has become the chief minister. Of course, neither he nor his party won the election. In fact the BJP definitely lost the election. The chief minister lost, other ministers lost. The Congress got more seats than anyone else, AAP got no seats at all. The parties that fought on an anti-BJP platform quickly tied up with the BJP because why should they stop Manohar Parrikar from eating Goan fish curry and rice? Everyone should be allowed the chance to eat more Goan fish curry and rice, especially the defence minister who never wanted to be defence minister and in fact did not win the mandate to be chief minister of Goa.

So who won and who lost? Modi won. But did not lose Punjab or Goa because Modi can never lose. AAP won and lost. The Congress won three but lost two because the BJP has fulfilled LK Advani’s prophecy that it is Congress Part 2. And it also lost another one. The BJP lost two but Modi cannot be blamed. Irom Sharmila lost but no one won in Manipur except a number of opportunists including one called the BJP. Yeah. Modi won. The voter lost.

Mic drop.

The writer is a senior journalist based in Dehradun.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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P Chidambaram avoids commenting on Trump’s dead economy remark echoed by Rahul Gandhi

Chidambaram stays silent on Trump’s ‘dead economy’ remark echoed by Rahul Gandhi as Congress critiques Union Budget 2026.

Published

5 hours ago

on

February 2, 2026

By

P Chidambaram

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented her ninth consecutive union budget, stopping just short of Morarji Desai’s record of ten.

Congress MP P Chidambaram, however, avoided commenting on the ‘India is a dead economy’ statement made by former US President Donald Trump last July, which was later echoed by Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the budget, Chidambaram said he could not respond as he lacked the full context of Trump’s original remarks.

The comment by Trump followed India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil, which the US had criticized as indirectly funding military action in Ukraine. Trump imposed a 25 per cent penalty tariff on Indian imports and added: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”

Rahul Gandhi later supported the statement, saying, “He is right, everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. I am glad President Trump stated a fact…”

The remark sparked a political debate, with BJP leaders criticizing Gandhi, while some Congress members, including Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla, called the statement “completely wrong.”

Ahead of the budget, Gandhi had highlighted the impact of US tariffs on small textile businesses, noting on X: “50 per cent US tariffs are badly hurting textile exporters. Job losses, shutdowns… are reality of our ‘dead economy’.”

The debate gained traction following the budget announcement, which did not offer immediate relief to middle-class taxpayers and saw markets react sharply, with the Sensex closing 1,500 points lower on Sunday.

Chidambaram, as usual, led Congress’ critique of the budget, pointing to a decrease in capital expenditure as a percentage of GDP from 3.2 per cent in FY25 to 3.1 per cent, despite the proposal of Rs 12.2 lakh crore for capex. He added, “Revenue receipts short by Rs 78,086 crore… total expenditure short by Rs 1,00,503 crore… revenue expenditure short by Rs 75,168 crore… capex was cut by Rs 1,44,376 crore… not a word was said to explain this…”

Rahul Gandhi echoed the criticism, highlighting issues such as unemployment, farmers’ distress, declining household savings, and low investment. “A budget that refuses course correction and is blind to India’s real crises,” he said on X.

Responding to the criticism, Finance Minister Sitharaman said, “With due respects, I don’t know what course correction he is referring to. The economy and its fundamentals are strong.”

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Earthquake of 4.6 magnitude hits Andaman and Nicobar Islands

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Nicobar Islands at 10 km depth, highlighting the region’s seismic activity and potential risks from shallow tremors.

Published

6 hours ago

on

February 2, 2026

By

earthquake-tremors

An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale struck the Andaman and Nicobar Islands early Monday at around 3:30 am, the National Center of Seismology (NCS) reported.

According to the NCS, the tremor occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km. The earthquake’s epicenter was located at a latitude of 9.03° North and a longitude of 92.78° East, placing it in the Nicobar Islands region.

In a post on X, the NCS confirmed the details: “EQ of M: 4.6, On: 02/02/2026 03:31:12 IST, Lat: 9.03 N, Long: 92.78 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Nicobar Islands.”

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands fall under Seismic Zone V, according to India’s seismic zoning map (1893-1984), making them one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world. Historically, the islands have experienced several major earthquakes, including the devastating tremor on December 26, 2004, which caused significant land displacement and triggered tsunami waves, resulting in heavy loss of life and property.

Experts note that shallow earthquakes, like the one recorded on Monday, can be more hazardous than deeper ones. Seismic waves from shallow quakes travel a shorter distance to the surface, causing stronger ground shaking and posing higher risks to structures and human safety.

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Parliament Budget Session 2026 set to begin with Lok Sabha debate on President’s address

The Parliament Budget Session 2026 is set to begin with the Lok Sabha scheduled to debate President Droupadi Murmu’s address for 18 hours.

Published

6 hours ago

on

February 2, 2026

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Parliament

The Parliament Budget Session 2026 is set to begin on Monday, with the Lok Sabha scheduled to take up discussions on President Droupadi Murmu’s address, a day after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in the House.

The Lok Sabha is scheduled to meet at 11:00 am for a busy day of proceedings. A total of 18 hours has been allocated for the debate on the President’s address, which lays out the government’s policy priorities and broad agenda.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to reply to the discussion on February 4, while Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to respond on February 11.

As per the session calendar, the Budget Session will comprise 30 sittings spread over 65 days and is scheduled to conclude on April 2. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9. During the recess period, Standing Committees are expected to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments.

In addition to legislative business, Budget documents tabled in Parliament are set to provide a detailed break-up of government revenues and expenditure, outlining how funds are raised and allocated.

The opening of the Budget Session also comes amid discussions on the government’s economic approach, including measures announced in the Union Budget aimed at supporting key sectors and addressing global trade challenges.

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