Ground Reality

Amid growing concerns --raised primarily by some losers in the recently held elections in five states in India –over the credibility of fair elections in the world largest democracy, Country’s Election body, The Election commission of India (ECI) has said snubbed those raising such doubts and said its EVMs ( Electronic Voting Machines) are technically sound and temper proof . In an official statement, triggered apparently by cacophony over the EVMs efficacy and possibility of hacking, The ECI unequivocally reiterates that given effective technical and administrative safeguards, EVMs are not temper able and integrity of electoral process is preserved. Since 2000, EVMs have been used in 107 General Elections to State Legislative Assemblies and 3 General Elections to Lok Sabha held in 2004, 2009 & 2014. In 2009, in a case before Delhi High Court, all earlier allegations about EVM temper abilities were raised. However, Delhi High Court satisfied with detailed reply of ECI why E...

Results for the 403 Members State Assembly in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh are out ,scripting a new normal political scenario in the caste and communal politics ridden state,with Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerging as a successful Skipper. The state elections in the state and its outcome- giving landslide victory to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) –has put a stamp of approval on the disruptive politics of Modi who has scaled down traditional parameters in the ground politics in the most vibrant political hinterland of the country. The massive mandate to the BJP in the Hindi state, which sends 80 seats to the lower house of Parliament ,has proved beyond an iota of the doubt that the Modi-Amit Shah style of politics has created a new normal for the politics where fresh ground rules for polls have been laid- throwing political pundits for a toss. Some of the journalists went on air to admit that they were caught off the guard with staggering seats tally...

By  Neeraj Bajpai “I had been to other countries-in Europe,Asia and the  Middle East - but none of them had provided even half as much variety, or so much to see and experience and remember, as this one state in northern India. You can travel from one end of Australia to the other,but everywhere on that vast continent you will find that people dress in the same way, eat the same kind of food, listen to the same music. This colourless uniformity is apparent in many other countries of the world, both East and West. But Uttar Pradesh is a world in itself.” - Ruskin Bond . The dance of democracy in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh has assumed gigantic proportions with most of the stake holders have adopted a fierce tone in the campaign .Knives remained out in open.Now polling is almost all over and only two phases are left.       No-holds barred electioneering has touched a crescendo with acidic and sarcastic slogans. More than duels at public pla...