Ed-1
Devoid of a strong governance agenda, the BJP campaign boasted about depriving Kashmir of its special status and the ongoing construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The BJP’s surge in Bihar is clearly indicative of the continuing resonance of its Hindutva agenda. It is also a demonstration of its election management, as it came on top even as one of its allies at the Centre, the LJP, successfully undermined another, the JD(U). As the BJP pursues its next plan to capture power in Bihar, the State will witness new social realignments. The Grand Alliance of the RJD, Congress and the Left parties put up a spirited fight but they could not match the BJP in terms of resources and popularity. The consolation for the RJD is that it is the single largest party even in defeat and its leader Tejashwi Yadav who began as an unsure leader emerged as an authoritative one by the end of this election. But that is no guarantee of a path to power in Bihar. Mr. Yadav’s popularity still does not appear wide spectrum. The outcome will also force a renegotiation of the terms of engagement among anti-BJP parties and the role of the Congress. Also noteworthy is the performance of CPI-ML-L and other Left parties that boosted the alliance and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen that spoiled its plans. That Prime Minister Modi can still win State elections is an indication that in terms of ideology, organisation and leadership, a viable alternative to the BJP is still some distance away.
- at the mercy of (phrase) – in the power of, under the control of, unprotected against, defenceless against.
- slender (adjective) – modest, slight, scant/little.क्षीण, निर्बल
- alliance (noun) – relationship, coalition, union.
- sustain (verb) – continue, carry on, maintain; support, keep up; confirm, validate, uphold.
- aggregate (verb) – combine, unite, merge, consolidate.कुल
- disparate (adjective) – contrasting, different, dissimilar.
- enhanced (adjective) – increased, improved, reinforced, augmented.
- social justice (noun) – it is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities.
- diminished (adjective) – reduced, decreased, lessened. कम किया हुआ
- as he is (phrase) – what has just been said is also true about someone or something else.
- no mean feat/achievement (phrase) – no small feat/achievement; to be a great achievement.
- unmistakable (adjective) – noticeable, evident, distinctive, well defined.अचूक
- campaign (noun) – an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group.
- electorate (noun) – all the people who entitled to vote in an election.
- battered (adjective) – damaged, impaired, spoiled.चकनाचूर
- image (noun) – public perception/impression, persona, public face, character/reputation.
- queer (verb) – spoil, damage, impair.
- queer someone’s pitch/ queer the pitch (phrase) – to spoil something that someone had planned to do (in order to achieve something).
- considerably (adverb) – greatly, very much, a lot.बड़े पैमाने पर
- outcome (noun) – result, consequence.
- engineering (noun) – masterminding, orchestration, planning, organization.
- flip (verb) – overturn, turn over, invert, upend.
- equation (noun) – the situation; association, connection.
- dynamic (noun) – basic/fundamental cause or force which triggers change within a system.
- consequently (adverb) – as a result, therefore, for this reason, because of that.इसके फलस्वरूप
- opportune (adjective) – favourable, promising, advantageous.
- keep on a tight leash (phrase) – to maintain strict/tight control over on someone by not allowing very much independence or autonomy.
- therein (adverb) – in that place/respect.उसमें
- lie (verb) – be present, exist.
- paradox (noun) – contradiction, mystery, conundrum, anomaly.विरोधाभास
- trailblazer (noun) – pioneer, innovator, pathfinder, groundbreaker.
- dictate (verb) – determine, decide, control/dominate.
- terms (noun) – conditions, (agreed) requirements.
- subordinate (adjective) – lower, lesser, inferior, minor, supporting.
- ally (noun) – partner, supporter, confederate.
- reconcile (verb) – resolve differences between; settle, sort out, rectify.समाधान करना
- likely (adjective) – probable, distinctly possible, to be expected.
- devoid of (adjective) – lacking, without, free of/free from.रहित
- boast (verb) – congratulate oneself, pride oneself on, brag; exaggerate, overstate.
- deprive of (verb) – dispossess, strip of, deny, prevent from having.हटाना
- surge (noun) – sudden increase/rise.
- indicative (adjective) – expressive, suggestive, characteristic, representative.सूचक
- resonance (noun) – reverberation, power or ability (to evoke memories/emotions).गूंज
- demonstration (noun) – proof, validation, confirmation; indication, revelation, display.
- come (out) on top (phrase) – become more successful to win an election, competition, etc.
- undermine (verb) – reduce, diminish, impede, hinder.कम आंका
- pursue (verb) – engage in, conduct, follow.पीछा करना, लक्ष्य रखना
- witness (verb) – see, observe, view, notice.
- put up (phrasal verb) – display, show (a specific amount of effort in a fight).
- spirited (adjective) – energetic, dynamic, vigorous, fiery.साहसी
- in terms of (phrase) – with regard to, regarding/concerning, in connection with.
- consolation (noun) – comforting, solace, reassurance.सांत्वना
- unsure (adjective) – uncertain, dubious, insecure, doubtful.
- authoritative (adjective) – self-assured, assured, self-confident, confident; reliable, dependable.
- spectrum (noun) – wide range, gamut, ambit.विस्तार, रेंज, पहुँच
- noteworthy (adjective) – worthy of mention, worth taking a look at, interesting, important.ध्यान देने योग्य, ध्यान देने लायक़
- ideology (noun) – beliefs, ideas, principles.
- viable (adjective) – reasonable, achievable, practical.
- some distance away (phrase) – quite far away; quite a long way.
Back to the House: On Madhya Pradesh Assembly bypolls
Bye-elections do not necessarily generate the same buzz as Assembly elections in India. After all, they are typically held to replace incumbents who might have moved on to other public roles or are deceased or incapacitated, preventing them from representing their constituencies. This lack of enthusiasm has generally rendered bypolls as contests where the ruling party in a State is hugely favoured. There is little desire by voters to upset the apple cart. More so in States where the politics of patronage influences voter decisions, voting the representative of the party in power can be understood as a rational choice. It is therefore not surprising that the BJP and other ruling parties have won a large majority of the Assembly bypolls — their results were announced on Tuesday. Yet, the story in Madhya Pradesh had an additional wrinkle. The 28 seats were keenly contested because these had elected Congress MLAs in 2018 and the vacancies arose on their defection to the BJP in an event orchestrated by senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia. The defections had shifted the government to the BJP within months of the Assembly elections. The BJP’s wins, in 19 seats, were made possible by Mr. Scindia’s clout in the Gwalior-Chambal belt besides the BJP’s added strength. The Congress can take some solace in the fact it could wrest back nine seats lost to defection. But with these wins, the BJP has won an absolute majority and secured its government.
A defection of a significant number of MLAs elected on one ticket and then overturning governments is bad advertisement for governance in India. These events were once common in smaller State Assemblies but have occurred in two large States, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, recently. Here, the defectors have returned to the Assembly via the bypolls, a fact that could raise the question whether voters are concerned about defections as a moral issue. One charitable reason for this preference could be that voters might not want yet another churning and instability, in turn helping defectors retain their seats. The other reason could be that legislators in States such as M.P. and Karnataka have been chosen to represent parties less due to ideological or principled positions and more for abilities to run electoral campaigns and make use of social equations in their respective seats. So, it could be understood that voters have found little differentiation in representation from ruling and Opposition parties even in the aftermath of defections. As required by the anti-defection law, the defectors returned to voters for a fresh mandate, and many obtained it too. Clearly, defections cannot just be done away with through legislative action unless they are seen as immoral by voters as well.
patronage--संरक्षण, सहायता,
wrinkle--शिकन
keenly--गौर से
clout--ताकत
solace--सांत्वना, धीरज, ढाढ़स
defection--दल-बदल, पक्षत्याग, दल-बदली
absolute--पूर्ण
instability--अस्थिरता
differentiation--भेदभाव
aftermath--परिणाम
immoral--अनैतिक
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