The poll results are obviously reflective of popular disenchantment with the Congress-led UPA rule at the Centre. But there are also local factors. The Congress, as it appears, is sweeping the Mizoram election. To my mind, various mega scams and double digit inflation of food prices are the two most important factors causing the debacle. The parting of ways with the Left, at the obstinate insistence of Manmohan Singh, to push ahead the Indo-US nuclear deal is also now showing its effect with a time lag of one cycle of elections. The pushing of neo-liberal policies have negated the effects of welfarist measures e.g. NREGA, RTI, RTE, Right to Forest Act, Right to Food Act and various laws related to women. It'd be pertinent to recall that under the leadership of Narasimha Rao, in whose regime "economic liberalisation" was formally initiated, Congress got decimated in the poll.
As regards "dynasty", there are various popular misconceptions. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of independent India nominated by Gandhi - not by his father Motilal Nehru. Motilal Nehru had deceased, long back, in early 1931. And Motilal Nehru had serious differences with Gandhi's leadership. In case of Jawaharlal, the ancestry definitely helped, but only to an extent. Indira Gandhi was a rather junior Congress leader when Jawaharlal died as the Prime Minister of India in 1964. During Jawaharlal's lifetime she had once become the Congress President in 1959 for about a year. After Jawaharlal's death, she became, for the first time, a minister - in-charge of the I&B, under Lal Bahadur Shastri. After Shastri's premature death, she was catapulted to the seat of Prime Ministership by the then Congress bosses - known as Syndicate, to block highly assertive Morarji Desai. She was expected to be a sort of toy in their hands. Rammanohar Lohia called her Gungi Gudiya, which means 'Mute Doll'. That she turned out to be an extremely independent minded person is of course another history. She rebelled against the party bosses; got her candidate VV Giri elected as the Indian President pitted against the official Congress candidate, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy; split the party; won an impressive majority in 1971 election with her 'Garibi Hatao' slogan, drubbing the Congress faction led by the erstwhile bosses - in alliance with the Jan Sangh and Socialist, and thereby revived the sagging Congress fortune. It was in fact Indira Gandhi who had initiated the "dynasty". During the Emergency, imposed in June 1975, her younger son Sanjay Gandhi became the *de facto* ruler of India. After Sanjay Gandhi's accidental death in 1980, Rajiv Gandhi, the other and elder son, was brought into politics. And after Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984, Rajiv Gandhi was overnight made the Indian Prime Minister despite the fact that till then he had maintained a rather low profile. He scored an impressive win in 1984 general election - in fact the biggest Congress victory till date. But lost the subsequent general election in 1989, though Congress remained the single largest party. After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in May 1991, in the midst of an ongoing general election under a non-Congress regime, Narasimha Rao became the Indian Prime Minister and the Congress President. Under Narasimha Rao Congress lost the 1996 general election and for the first time ceased to be the single largest party. The BJP became the single largest party. Sitaram Kesri became the Congress President deposing Narasimha Rao in 1996. But under his leadership the Congress fortune did not revive. Sonia Gandhi, who had earlier repeatedly refused to join active politics was persuaded to join politics. The Congress lost the 1998 general election. Sonia Gandhi became the Congress President soon after the election. Congress again lost in 1999 election, held in the shadow of Kargil War. But under her leadership became the largest single party in two successive elections in 2004 and 2009 - and led coalition governments. Under Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi has been promoted as a Congress leader though he appears to lack the requisite qualities. So from Rajiv Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi there was no automatic passing on of the baton. She was inducted by the party under perceived compulsion and she has proved her worth - in reviving the Congress - to a significant extent. That's the story of the "dynasty" till date. It combines both the elements of "dynastic" selection - initiated for the first time by Indira Gandhi and interrupted for a while after Rajiv Gandhi, and electoral compulsions and approvals. Sukla On 9 December 2013 09:01, Rebecca Kurian <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I am no fan of the BJP or its poster boy. This humiliating defeat of the > Congress in four states at the same time is such a testimony to bad > governance and the total lack of any kind of charisma among the leadership. > Why doesn't the leadership see that Sonia and Rahul are not made up of the > material that Nehru or Indira were? Even the mighty Kennedys could not > carry on a dynastic tradition! Why does India have the kind of mentality > like this and why is nobody in the Congress brave enough to talk about not > wanting to do what many African leaders try to do? We look like North Korea > or some undeveloped African tribal dynasty right now! Sheila Dixit, a > cousin of Indira Gandhi, has bitten the dust in a most embarrassing way, > maybe more will follow! > > Absolutely disappointing, but not unexpected results! Absolute misrule and > arrogance, pushing unnecessary schemes like Aadhar without thinking things > through for flimsy reasons..so many reasons for this disgraceful show! > "Introspection" won't bring results if it is not done with sincerity and a > determination to bring about real change, with the support of sincere > supporters, not those whose first goal is to PLEASE the dynasty! > > On 08-Dec-2013, at 11:12 pm, Sukla Sen <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > The final outcome of the poll in 4 out of 5 states for which counting is > over. > Mizoram will be counted tomorrow. > > Sukla > > > Partywise Results > > Chhattisgarh Result Status > *Status Known For 90 out of 90 Constituencies* PartyWonLeadingTotalBahujan > Samaj Party101 Bharatiya Janata Party49049Indian National Congress 39039 > Independent101 > NCT of Delhi Result Status > * Status Known For 70 out of 70 Constituencies*Party WonLeadingTotalBharatiya > Janata Party31031 Indian National Congress808Janata Dal (United)1 01Shiromani > Akali Dal101 Aam Aadmi Party28028Independent10 1 > Madhya Pradesh Result Status > * Status Known For 230 out of 230 Constituencies*Party WonLeadingTotalBahujan > Samaj Party404 Bharatiya Janata Party1650165Indian National Congress58 058 > Independent303 > *Rajasthan Result Status > *Status Known For 199 out of 200 Constituencies* PartyWonLeadingTotalBahujan > Samaj Party303 Bharatiya Janata Party1620162Indian National Congress > 21021National > People’s Party40 4National Unionist Zamindara Party202Independent 707 > > > -- > Peace Is Doable > > __._,_.___ > Reply via web > post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indiathinkersnet/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxZW4yaW5uBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE4NDAwMjUEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDQzNjI4BG1zZ0lkAzM1MzI5BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTM4NjU1OTg2OA--?act=reply&messageNum=35329> > Reply > to sender > <[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20%5Bindiathinkersnet%5D%20Final%20Poll%20Results%20in%204%20out%20of%205%20States> > Reply > to group > <[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20%5Bindiathinkersnet%5D%20Final%20Poll%20Results%20in%204%20out%20of%205%20States> > Start > a New > Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indiathinkersnet/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJlaW44N25vBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE4NDAwMjUEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDQzNjI4BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA250cGMEc3RpbWUDMTM4NjU1OTg2OA--> > Messages > in this > topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indiathinkersnet/message/35319;_ylc=X3oDMTM2MWd2cWI3BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE4NDAwMjUEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDQzNjI4BG1zZ0lkAzM1MzI5BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTM4NjU1OTg2OAR0cGNJZAMzNTMxOQ-->(2) > Recent Activity: > > > Visit Your > Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indiathinkersnet;_ylc=X3oDMTJlbGFqajlxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE4NDAwMjUEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDQzNjI4BHNlYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZnaHAEc3RpbWUDMTM4NjU1OTg2OA--> > [image: Yahoo! > Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJkMzJuaHA4BF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzE4NDAwMjUEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDQzNjI4BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2dmcARzdGltZQMxMzg2NTU5ODY4> > Switch to: > Text-Only<[email protected]?subject=Change+Delivery+Format:+Traditional>, > Daily > Digest<[email protected]?subject=Email+Delivery:+Digest>• > Unsubscribe<[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>• > Terms > of Use <http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> • Send us > Feedback > <[email protected]?subject=Feedback+on+the+redesigned+individual+mail+v1> > . > > __,_._,___ > -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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