No red carpet for Trump; India’s oil diplomacy; Guvs on warpath
Opinion Watch
No red carpet for Trump
Midterms in the US have recently been nightmarish for the incumbent Presidents, and Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have seen their ratings crashing. Joe Biden is no different, as he is caught in a spell of over eight per cent inflation in the US. Yet, Donald Trump, the Republican flag-bearer, hasn’t run away with the US Midterms.
The Indian Express in its Editorial gave an account of almost half of the Republican candidates being those who were election deniers – who believe that Trump lost in a rigged election. But they failed to bring in the red wave. Yet, Trump is holding his forte in the Republicans, and he would announce his candidature for the next Presidential election. The Noida-based daily weighed the consequences for a Republican controlled Congress, which may affect Biden bid to rescue the US stake in the global climate action. Trump had wrecked the Paris Accord. Trump is also empathetic to Vladimir Putin and Russia.
The Times of India in its Editorial has also reflected on the US midterms, with focus on two aspects – inflation and unemployment that is at 50-year low. The daily argued that inflation is indeed electorally significant, and refers to survey to stress that price rise is the top issue in the Gujarat Assembly elections unlike the March polls when the Bharatiya Janata Party won four of the five states. Also, the daily stated that there is a low return on politics of polarization as Trump-led Republicans failed to sweep the Midterms as predicted by the pollsters. That should be a warning bell for the BJP.
India’s oil diplomacy
The G7-backed price cap on the Russian oil would come in force in about a month. The Economic Times has opined that the Indian imports too would be affected. London controls insurance business of the international shipments, and the Russian oils come to India through sea trades.
The business daily argued that Russia will have no option but to accept the price cap. The move is aimed to ensure that Moscow doesn’t profiteer from the global energy crisis. The daily has also stated that India has not been able to shift to the rupee-linked trade with Russia. The reason is simple that while Russia is now top source of oil imports, trade imbalance is also in favour of 20:1 for Moscow, with India exporting just about $1 billion of goods.
Rupee has been knocked over by about nine per cent against dollar, and India’s foreign currency reserves depleted by about $125 billion in the recent months. India is keen to broaden its rupee-linked trade baskets. The Indian Express has referred to the previous Iranian experience when Vostro account was opened in the Kolakata branch of Uco Bank. Unless India has a robust export profile, with diversified bask of goods, such efforts would not yield the desired results, as is the case with Russia which wants India to accept the Dirham of the UAE or Rouble for trade, noted the daily.
Guvs on warpath
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan is not alone. He is now in the company of his counterparts in Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Delhi lieutenant governor is also in the club.
The Hindu in its Editorial has said that the confrontation between the Tamil Nadu Governor and the state government is avoidable, while referring to the memorandum submitted by the DMK MPs to President Draupadi Murmu. “In an account of 20 Bills passed by the State Assembly and pending with the Governor, the memorandum, expectedly, dealt with Mr. Ravi’s approach towards the TN Admission to UG Medical Degree Courses Bill 2021, also called NEET [National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test] exemption Bill, which is now awaiting presidential assent,” noted the Chennai-based daily.
About The Author
