Instigating Ideas; Rajasthan Ruse; Islamist Imran -

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Opinion Watch

Instigating Ideas

The Telegraph has weighed in the contesting electoral narratives in the Karnataka Assembly election in its Editorial, stressing that the state saw subterranean contest between two claimants – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. The daily warned that no larger meaning be drawn from the verdict of the Karnataka poll, for the BJP had won a larger mandate in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections within a few months of losing Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The Kolkata-based daily at the same time noted the stress of the BJP campaign as the saffron outfit had to bank on polarizing electioneering, while the Congress pushed its ideas of welfarism, to set up a battle of religious mobilization versus livelihoods issue. The daily has asked the Opposition parties to ready the antidote against the BJP’s politics of polarization.

The Karnataka poll battle is testing the strength of the two national parties. Economics unless making transferring money in the hands of the people in the rural areas, as had been the case in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, fails to dictate election agenda. Else, electioneering issues are same.

Rajasthan Ruse

The Asian Age has come down hard on the Congress in its Editorial for being a mute spectator to the public spat between two of its top leaders in Rajasthan – CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot. The daily also castigated the Congress for becoming an easy prey to the “machinations of an opponent who has absolutely no scruples when it comes to the question of seizing power”.

The daily has told the Congress that the party would need a good show in Rajasthan before heading into the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The newspaper also whipped the Congress for not knowing to run the government where the party comes to power.

Gehlot has already blackmailed the Congress high command into a state of inaction. Pilot has followings only among Gujjars. The writ of the high command of the BJP also doesn’t run in Rajasthan.

Islamist Imran

The Pioneer in its Editorial has argued that there is no need to shed tears for Imran Khan, who has been arrested for corruption charges, saying that the former prime minister is no friend of democracy. The daily has said that Khan’s idea of democracy is that of ‘Riasat-e-Medina’, which will have no space for non-Muslims.

The Noida-based daily also reminded that Khan was a stooge in the hands of the Taliban. It hoped that the ruling establishment would be able to end the career of Khan, while noting the former cricketer has lost support of the two A’s – America and Army, while another A of Pakistan is Allah.

Pakistan is repeating the same old story, and only the faces have changed. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Imran Khan is a journey of absolute thuggery by ruling elites of Pakistan with the help of the US and China. But the wheat eating nation faced one of the worst food crisis, and a fate like Sri Lanka is waiting on Islamabad.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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