Ahead of the meeting of Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states with party president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-working-committee-to-meet-this-week-over-rahuls-resignation-231962">Rahul Gandhi</a> today, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said only Gandhi can lead the party in the current scenario.

"All Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states will be meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi today at his residence to show our solidarity. Earlier also we all have stated that we are with Congress president and we own the responsibility of the 2019 debacle," Gehlot tweeted.

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We firmly believe that only he can lead the party in the current scenario, his commitment towards well being of our country and countrymen is un-compromised and unmatched.
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashokgehlot51/status/1145566567859548160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"We firmly believe that only he can lead the party in the current scenario, his commitment towards well being of our country and countrymen is un-compromised and unmatched," he said in another tweet.

Gehlot went on to add that the 2019 Lok Sabha election was not a defeat of program, policy and ideology of the Congress.

"Although, it was very unfortunate to see that despite the failure of Modi government on various fronts including the depleting economy, BJP did manage to hide their huge failures behind their fanatic nationalism with help of enormous resources and government machinery at hand. But, in spite all odds, it's no secret how amidst opposition, only Congress president did his best to make it an issue-based election and took BJP head on," Gehlot stated.

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The 2019 election was not a defeat of program, policy and ideology of the Congress. Although, it was very unfortunate to see that despite the failure of Modi government on various fronts including the depleting economy, 
1/2
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashokgehlot51/status/1145566771111272448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Besides Gehlot, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, and Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy are expected to meet Gandhi.

The Chief Ministers had been planning to meet the Congress chief for long to request him to continue as the party chief. Also, they are likely to discuss the mass resignations taking place in the party.

Gandhi, who became the party president in 2017, offered to step down from his post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on May 25, taking moral responsibility for the Congress'&nbsp;abysmal performance in the 17th Lok Sabha Elections.

However, his resignation offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC. So far, several top leaders have met Gandhi and urged him to continue to lead the party.

Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince the 49-year-old party chief to rethink his decision, he remains unfazed.

The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than what the party won in 2014 polls.

Meanwhile, Congress workers sat on hunger strike outside party headquarters, urging Gandhi to take back his resignation from the post of party president.

Ahead of the meeting of Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states with party president Rahul Gandhi today, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said only Gandhi can lead the party in the current scenario.

Ahead of the meeting of Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states with party president Rahul Gandhi today, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said only Gandhi can lead the party in the current scenario. "All Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states will be meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi today at his residence to show our solidarity. Earlier also we all have stated that we are with Congress president and we own the responsibility of the 2019 debacle," Gehlot tweeted. We firmly believe that only he can lead the party in the current scenario, his commitment towards well being of our country and countrymen is un-compromised and unmatched. — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) July 1, 2019 × "We firmly believe that only he can lead the party in the current scenario, his commitment towards well being of our country and countrymen is un-compromised and unmatched," he said in another tweet. Gehlot went on to add that the 2019 Lok Sabha election was not a defeat of program, policy and ideology of the Congress. "Although, it was very unfortunate to see that despite the failure of Modi government on various fronts including the depleting economy, BJP did manage to hide their huge failures behind their fanatic nationalism with help of enormous resources and government machinery at hand. But, in spite all odds, it's no secret how amidst opposition, only Congress president did his best to make it an issue-based election and took BJP head on," Gehlot stated. The 2019 election was not a defeat of program, policy and ideology of the Congress. Although, it was very unfortunate to see that despite the failure of Modi government on various fronts including the depleting economy, 1/2 — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) July 1, 2019 × Besides Gehlot, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, and Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy are expected to meet Gandhi. The Chief Ministers had been planning to meet the Congress chief for long to request him to continue as the party chief. Also, they are likely to discuss the mass resignations taking place in the party. Gandhi, who became the party president in 2017, offered to step down from his post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on May 25, taking moral responsibility for the Congress' abysmal performance in the 17th Lok Sabha Elections. However, his resignation offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC. So far, several top leaders have met Gandhi and urged him to continue to lead the party. Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince the 49-year-old party chief to rethink his decision, he remains unfazed. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than what the party won in 2014 polls. Meanwhile, Congress workers sat on hunger strike outside party headquarters, urging Gandhi to take back his resignation from the post of party president.

Only Rahul Gandhi can lead Congress in current scenario: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot

The 2019 Lok Sabha election results are out. The incumbent government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has trounced a motley group of splintered Opposition or whatever in the name of Opposition. The entire nation rose to vote for development and prosperity alone in unison. I behold mainly two pillars of the grand victory on a solid foundation laid down by Dr KB Hedgewar.&nbsp;

I must first address the issue as to why I address Dr Hedgewar as the greatest visionary of 20th century. The concept of Hindu unity never existed anywhere in the country, anywhere in Sanatana scriptures or in intellectualism of any variety anytime in past to the best of my knowledge. Hindus continued to be traumatised for centuries first by invaders then by our own people influenced by variety of ideologies smuggled into the country by invaders.

As a young Congressman, Dr Hedgewar was deeply disturbed to observe that nobody, absolutely nobody had even an inkling of inclination to worry about the security of Hindus while they all rushed whenever non-Hindus were in slightest of trouble. He had lot of hopes from Congress in this regard which were dashed soon, and Dr Hedgewar walked out of the Congress in disgust. He resolved to constitute an organisation to address the issue in terms of human resource development, to raise a well-knit, well-organised vibrant community of Hindus imbued with Sanatana values and nationalism bang at the grass-root level.

The RSS was founded in 1925 though it took almost 80 years to attain critical mass and a mighty voice to reckon with. Meanwhile Congress continued with their anti-Hindu / anti-national policies behind the subterfuge of secularism / unity in diversity / inclusivity concurrently plundering national wealth and stashing that abroad.

Owing to human awakening activities of RSS, masses all over the nation started realising how were they being hoodwinked and fleeced hitherto on all fronts and they must gear up to reverse their destiny.

This realisation is best exemplified by Smriti Irani who unravelled the utter lack of development in VIP constituencies like Amethi, lorded over by Nehru-Gandhi-Vadra Dynasty for decades. The exposure turned out to be so pathetic that it stunned the nation. Suddenly, the expose assumed national dimensions and people in the country realised, entire country was shabbily treated like Amethi / Rae Bareli for seven decades, post-1947. Serial exposes climaxed by Smriti Irani in Amethi constitute one of the two important pillars of the historic mandate. &nbsp;

When Narendra Modi appeared on nation's political horizon as chief minister of Gujarat and details of his outstanding performance began diffusing around, people started yearning for replication of all that at national level. Overcoming all odds and entry-barriers raised by the malevolent contriving Opposition, he gathered absolute majority in Lok Sabha in the 2014 elections, after a gap of three decades. With the absolute majority so attained in Parliament, Narendra Modi went on a massive spree of development schemes to deliver social equity right in hands and palms of those who deserved it in every nook and corner of the nation irrespective of distance from New Delhi, entirely devoid of middlemen.

In fact, he had transcended the 'Khan Market Gang' and the 'Lutyens Looters' right when he was Gujarat Chief Minister itself. The Opposition consistently believed the 2014 mandate was a fluke and persisted raising high octane hue and cry on flimsy issues in the fond hope of voters pressing Congress button in EVMs, unable to see the right button thick in dust kicked up like the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. They failed to read between lines of PM Modi's statements, "65 per cent population of the country is below 35 years of age", insinuating at the urgency of paradigm shift in national perspectives required. The Opposition refused to heed to it, persisted with the adherence to the same old 'Garibi Hatao' mindset and landed with disastrous electoral defeat.

Unfortunately for them, the 2019 mandate turned out to be so decisive that they are now stunned and shaken to the core, worried about their existence. It is this, thunderous nature of mandate that established beyond an iota of doubt, social equity was indeed delivered in right palms, crores of citizens started dreaming of prosperity, development as the sole objective of politics and politics with impeccable integrity is indeed, possible and attainable.&nbsp;

With those historic developments in the background, the massive mandate of the 2019 Lok Sabha election was certainly inevitable. When social equity and development are genuinely assured, vices like Naxalism / Marxism / anti-nationalism gradually fade away into oblivion. This election is not only a harbinger of prosperity for all but also evolutionary transition into a new Bharat altogether, whose forehead is smeared with sandalwood while head raised high in self-esteem, a redefined nation that blends Vedic wisdom with robotics, ancient art and culture with newer horizons, every citizen as an embodiment of a composite nation, justice for all and appeasement for none.

For the Opposition, they do not appear to be talented enough to evolve, loaded with a very heavy baggage of evil deeds. The nation now requires a sparkling bright brand new Opposition, possibly genuinely centrist in ideological disposition endowed with impeccable nationalism and unimpeachable integrity. That will be a watershed development in Bharatiya politics.

This mandate has already determined course of events for the nation for next five decades or so. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/2019-election-mandate-has-decided-the-nations-course-for-next-50-years-2207493.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

The 2019 Lok Sabha election results are out. The incumbent government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has trounced a motley group of splintered Opposition or whatever in the name of Opposition.

The 2019 Lok Sabha election results are out. The incumbent government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has trounced a motley group of splintered Opposition or whatever in the name of Opposition. The entire nation rose to vote for development and prosperity alone in unison. I behold mainly two pillars of the grand victory on a solid foundation laid down by Dr KB Hedgewar. I must first address the issue as to why I address Dr Hedgewar as the greatest visionary of 20th century. The concept of Hindu unity never existed anywhere in the country, anywhere in Sanatana scriptures or in intellectualism of any variety anytime in past to the best of my knowledge. Hindus continued to be traumatised for centuries first by invaders then by our own people influenced by variety of ideologies smuggled into the country by invaders. As a young Congressman, Dr Hedgewar was deeply disturbed to observe that nobody, absolutely nobody had even an inkling of inclination to worry about the security of Hindus while they all rushed whenever non-Hindus were in slightest of trouble. He had lot of hopes from Congress in this regard which were dashed soon, and Dr Hedgewar walked out of the Congress in disgust. He resolved to constitute an organisation to address the issue in terms of human resource development, to raise a well-knit, well-organised vibrant community of Hindus imbued with Sanatana values and nationalism bang at the grass-root level. The RSS was founded in 1925 though it took almost 80 years to attain critical mass and a mighty voice to reckon with. Meanwhile Congress continued with their anti-Hindu / anti-national policies behind the subterfuge of secularism / unity in diversity / inclusivity concurrently plundering national wealth and stashing that abroad. Owing to human awakening activities of RSS, masses all over the nation started realising how were they being hoodwinked and fleeced hitherto on all fronts and they must gear up to reverse their destiny. This realisation is best exemplified by Smriti Irani who unravelled the utter lack of development in VIP constituencies like Amethi, lorded over by Nehru-Gandhi-Vadra Dynasty for decades. The exposure turned out to be so pathetic that it stunned the nation. Suddenly, the expose assumed national dimensions and people in the country realised, entire country was shabbily treated like Amethi / Rae Bareli for seven decades, post-1947. Serial exposes climaxed by Smriti Irani in Amethi constitute one of the two important pillars of the historic mandate. When Narendra Modi appeared on nation's political horizon as chief minister of Gujarat and details of his outstanding performance began diffusing around, people started yearning for replication of all that at national level. Overcoming all odds and entry-barriers raised by the malevolent contriving Opposition, he gathered absolute majority in Lok Sabha in the 2014 elections, after a gap of three decades. With the absolute majority so attained in Parliament, Narendra Modi went on a massive spree of development schemes to deliver social equity right in hands and palms of those who deserved it in every nook and corner of the nation irrespective of distance from New Delhi, entirely devoid of middlemen. In fact, he had transcended the 'Khan Market Gang' and the 'Lutyens Looters' right when he was Gujarat Chief Minister itself. The Opposition consistently believed the 2014 mandate was a fluke and persisted raising high octane hue and cry on flimsy issues in the fond hope of voters pressing Congress button in EVMs, unable to see the right button thick in dust kicked up like the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. They failed to read between lines of PM Modi's statements, "65 per cent population of the country is below 35 years of age", insinuating at the urgency of paradigm shift in national perspectives required. The Opposition refused to heed to it, persisted with the adherence to the same old 'Garibi Hatao' mindset and landed with disastrous electoral defeat. Unfortunately for them, the 2019 mandate turned out to be so decisive that they are now stunned and shaken to the core, worried about their existence. It is this, thunderous nature of mandate that established beyond an iota of doubt, social equity was indeed delivered in right palms, crores of citizens started dreaming of prosperity, development as the sole objective of politics and politics with impeccable integrity is indeed, possible and attainable. With those historic developments in the background, the massive mandate of the 2019 Lok Sabha election was certainly inevitable. When social equity and development are genuinely assured, vices like Naxalism / Marxism / anti-nationalism gradually fade away into oblivion. This election is not only a harbinger of prosperity for all but also evolutionary transition into a new Bharat altogether, whose forehead is smeared with sandalwood while head raised high in self-esteem, a redefined nation that blends Vedic wisdom with robotics, ancient art and culture with newer horizons, every citizen as an embodiment of a composite nation, justice for all and appeasement for none. For the Opposition, they do not appear to be talented enough to evolve, loaded with a very heavy baggage of evil deeds. The nation now requires a sparkling bright brand new Opposition, possibly genuinely centrist in ideological disposition endowed with impeccable nationalism and unimpeachable integrity. That will be a watershed development in Bharatiya politics. This mandate has already determined course of events for the nation for next five decades or so. (This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

2019 Lok Sabha election mandate has decided the nation's course for the next 50 years

Narendra Modi-led BJP won the Lok Sabha elections 2019 with thumping majority. The party won 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The mandate was bigger than 2014 when BJP had won 282 seats on its own without any allies.

After the victory, global leaders queued up to congratulate Modi for his second term as the Prime Minister. So did Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan. He first extended his best wishes on Twitter and then dialled him on Sunday to congratulate him on the landslide victory.

Over that phone call, Khan expressed his desire to work together for their people whereas Narendra Modi reiterated&nbsp;that talks and terror can't go together, and rightly so. "The Indian Prime Minister stressed that creating trust and an environment free of violence and terrorism were essential for fostering cooperation for peace, progress and prosperity in our region," a MEA statement said.

Moreover, India hasn't invited Imran Khan for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his second term. In 2014, the then Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif had attended the swearing-in of Modi. It was a goodwill gesture, a diplomatic move. However, circumstances differ now, the tension between the two countries has escalated post-Pulwama attack.

The two nuclear-armed neighbours had reached the brink of war after a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, killing at least 40 security personnel in February 2019.

Subsequently, India launched an airstrike in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, which demolished JeM terror infrastructure and killed several terrorists. The next day Pakistan Air Force breached the Indian air space downed a MiG- 21 and captured Indian pilot Abhinandan, who was released later.

In the last few years, the NDA government has refused several talks offers from Pakistan, urging the neighbouring country to first stop providing safe haven to the terrorists and put a halt to the proxy war against India.

Now is when NDA government's efforts are paying off. The nailing of Masood Azhar is case in point. China, which had been shielding Masood Azhar since 2009, had to give in this time when the entire world supported India's stand to have Masood Azhar put on the global terrorist list. Masood Azhar's terror tag is a big diplomatic and strategic win for India.

Moreover, the global strategic environment is not in favour of Pakistan. Also, Pakistan's economy is in bad shape owing to mounting debts and the country&nbsp;is still on the FATF grey list, therefore, our country is in a much better position to bargain with the neighbouring country to stop targetting India by exporting terror to Jammu and Kashmir.

Peace, prosperity and progress are important to both India and Pakistan, but diplomatic dialogues can't be resumed unless Islamabad decides to put brakes on terror operating from its soil and stop ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC).&nbsp;

To give peace a chance, cross-border terrorism must stop. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Narendra Modi-led BJP won the Lok Sabha elections 2019 with thumping majority. The party won 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The mandate was bigger than 2014 when BJP had won 282 seats on its own without any allies.

Narendra Modi-led BJP won the Lok Sabha elections 2019 with thumping majority. The party won 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The mandate was bigger than 2014 when BJP had won 282 seats on its own without any allies. After the victory, global leaders queued up to congratulate Modi for his second term as the Prime Minister. So did Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan. He first extended his best wishes on Twitter and then dialled him on Sunday to congratulate him on the landslide victory. Over that phone call, Khan expressed his desire to work together for their people whereas Narendra Modi reiterated that talks and terror can't go together, and rightly so. "The Indian Prime Minister stressed that creating trust and an environment free of violence and terrorism were essential for fostering cooperation for peace, progress and prosperity in our region," a MEA statement said. Moreover, India hasn't invited Imran Khan for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his second term. In 2014, the then Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif had attended the swearing-in of Modi. It was a goodwill gesture, a diplomatic move. However, circumstances differ now, the tension between the two countries has escalated post-Pulwama attack. The two nuclear-armed neighbours had reached the brink of war after a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, killing at least 40 security personnel in February 2019. Subsequently, India launched an airstrike in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, which demolished JeM terror infrastructure and killed several terrorists. The next day Pakistan Air Force breached the Indian air space downed a MiG- 21 and captured Indian pilot Abhinandan, who was released later. In the last few years, the NDA government has refused several talks offers from Pakistan, urging the neighbouring country to first stop providing safe haven to the terrorists and put a halt to the proxy war against India. Now is when NDA government's efforts are paying off. The nailing of Masood Azhar is case in point. China, which had been shielding Masood Azhar since 2009, had to give in this time when the entire world supported India's stand to have Masood Azhar put on the global terrorist list. Masood Azhar's terror tag is a big diplomatic and strategic win for India. Moreover, the global strategic environment is not in favour of Pakistan. Also, Pakistan's economy is in bad shape owing to mounting debts and the country is still on the FATF grey list, therefore, our country is in a much better position to bargain with the neighbouring country to stop targetting India by exporting terror to Jammu and Kashmir. Peace, prosperity and progress are important to both India and Pakistan, but diplomatic dialogues can't be resumed unless Islamabad decides to put brakes on terror operating from its soil and stop ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC). To give peace a chance, cross-border terrorism must stop. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Narendra Modi 2.0 is in better position to bargain with Pakistan to shut its terror export industry

With the DMK's resounding electoral victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, Stalin has cemented, firmly, his place as the party leader.

Thalapathy (commander) as he is popularly known among DMK carders, who bequeathed enormous responsibility from his father who died in August 2018, proved his mettle and made the detractors, who questioned his leadership style over the past few months, eat their own words.&nbsp;

The DMK-led alliance routed rival BJP-AIADMK in the state winning 37 out of 38&nbsp;Lok Sabha seats that went to the polls.&nbsp;

Karunanidhi, fondly called Kalaignar by his party cadres, was rather reluctant to pass the baton to Stalin who was the youth wing secretary of the party for 34 years until the age of 63.&nbsp;

Stalin succeeded and was made the party president only after Karunanidhi's death.&nbsp;

With the remarkable victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Stalin has finally emerged from his father and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s long shadow.

Though the opposition parties across the country wanted to oust Modi, neither was there unity among them nor were they ready to accommodate other like-minded parties opposed to BJP into their fold which resulted in advantage BJP.

When everyone from Mamata Banerjee to Mayawati exercised politics of greed and lust for power, Stalin, perhaps the only opposition leader, who was not only magnanimous and accommodated both Congress and the Communist parties in the alliance and set aside a respectable number of seats to both the parties.&nbsp;

Stalin also openly endorsed Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of 'Mahagathbandhan'. While everyone else failed to stop Modi, Stalin remains one of the few anti-BJP politicians who have managed to buck the national trend and halted BJP's juggernaut in Tamil Nadu. DMK-Congress sustained the campaign against the BJP was the main reason for the DMK-led alliance's victory.

From the Thoothukudi killings that followed anti-Sterlite protests to Gaja cyclone and Cauvery river and NEET issue, the general mood of Tamil Nadu was against Modi-led BJP regime at the Centre. And, AIADMK shot themselves on the foot when they tied up with the BJP which resulted in the Dravidian party losing any slim chance they had to win a few seats in the state.

DMK's coalition with Congress also helped in minority vote consolidation. &nbsp;

The minority vote consolidation in favour of DMK-led alliance wouldn`t have happened if the Congress was not part of the alliance or Gandhi was not announced as Prime Ministerial candidate which led to DMK's massive victory.

Stalin may not have succeeded in his mission to see Congress president Rahul Gandhi as country's prime minister but he had dealt an embarrassing blow to BJP's ambition to breach the Dravidian citadel by partnering with AIADMK. &nbsp;

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

With the DMK's resounding electoral victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, Stalin has cemented, firmly, his place as the party leader. Thalapathy (commander) as he is popularly known among DMK carders, who bequeathed enormous responsibility from his father who died in August 2018, proved his mettle and made the detractors, who questioned his leadership style over the past few months, eat their own words.

With the DMK's resounding electoral victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, Stalin has cemented, firmly, his place as the party leader. Thalapathy (commander) as he is popularly known among DMK carders, who bequeathed enormous responsibility from his father who died in August 2018, proved his mettle and made the detractors, who questioned his leadership style over the past few months, eat their own words. The DMK-led alliance routed rival BJP-AIADMK in the state winning 37 out of 38 Lok Sabha seats that went to the polls. Karunanidhi, fondly called Kalaignar by his party cadres, was rather reluctant to pass the baton to Stalin who was the youth wing secretary of the party for 34 years until the age of 63. Stalin succeeded and was made the party president only after Karunanidhi's death. With the remarkable victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Stalin has finally emerged from his father and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s long shadow. Though the opposition parties across the country wanted to oust Modi, neither was there unity among them nor were they ready to accommodate other like-minded parties opposed to BJP into their fold which resulted in advantage BJP. When everyone from Mamata Banerjee to Mayawati exercised politics of greed and lust for power, Stalin, perhaps the only opposition leader, who was not only magnanimous and accommodated both Congress and the Communist parties in the alliance and set aside a respectable number of seats to both the parties. Stalin also openly endorsed Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of 'Mahagathbandhan'. While everyone else failed to stop Modi, Stalin remains one of the few anti-BJP politicians who have managed to buck the national trend and halted BJP's juggernaut in Tamil Nadu. DMK-Congress sustained the campaign against the BJP was the main reason for the DMK-led alliance's victory. From the Thoothukudi killings that followed anti-Sterlite protests to Gaja cyclone and Cauvery river and NEET issue, the general mood of Tamil Nadu was against Modi-led BJP regime at the Centre. And, AIADMK shot themselves on the foot when they tied up with the BJP which resulted in the Dravidian party losing any slim chance they had to win a few seats in the state. DMK's coalition with Congress also helped in minority vote consolidation. The minority vote consolidation in favour of DMK-led alliance wouldn`t have happened if the Congress was not part of the alliance or Gandhi was not announced as Prime Ministerial candidate which led to DMK's massive victory. Stalin may not have succeeded in his mission to see Congress president Rahul Gandhi as country's prime minister but he had dealt an embarrassing blow to BJP's ambition to breach the Dravidian citadel by partnering with AIADMK. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

M K Stalin's magnanimity ensured BJP-AIADMK rout in Tamil Nadu

In India, one of the most unedifying sights of an early morning rail ride is mass scale defecation along the tracks, in the villages as the train chugs along and in the open fields, where crops provide a cover for concluding one of nature’s most elementary acts.

Of all the flagship programmes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first term, one that seems to have carried the day is the Swachh Bharat mission. Its impact on the hundreds of millions of Indians, especially women, deprived of basic sanitation facilities, can scarcely be underestimated.&nbsp;

An important part of the Modi persona has been the BJP-led NDA government’s flagship programmes like the Jan Dhan Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, among others. But in terms of impact on the common voter, the Swachh Bharat mission should be considered the high water mark.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Swachh Bharat or cleanliness programme, a nationwide campaign that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, towns, and rural areas, can be safely assumed to have impacted BJP’s electoral prospects, ahead of any other public welfare programme launched by the Modi government. Sure, one factor is never enough to tilt the balance in a party’s favour, yet certain facts are worthy of consideration.&nbsp;

On October 2, 2014, Modi launched the nation-wide cleanliness campaign on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. The concept of Swachh Bharat is to provide sanitation facilities to every family, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness and safe and adequate drinking water supply. Modi’s pledges to keep the environment clean were met with sniggers from a class of people, who had never faced sanitation issues in their lives. But they, as luck would have it, were not the archetypal Indian voter. &nbsp;

To the professional historian, the prospects of Modi, a former RSS pracharak, invoking Gandhi would be anathema, but the prime minister went ahead nonetheless. In Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s memorable words, “Sanitation is more important than independence”. He made cleanliness and sanitation an integral part of his agitational politics.&nbsp;

In his newspaper Navajivan (November 2, 1919), Gandhi famously wrote: “In some countries spitting on the road is a criminal offence. Those who spit after chewing betel leaves and tobacco have no consideration for the feelings of others. Spittle, mucus from the nose, etc, should also be covered with earth.”&nbsp;

At the official launch of the Swachh Bharat campaign, Modi — who has a way with words — called it ‘Satyagraha se Swachhagrah’ in reference to Gandhi’s Champaran agitation in favour of indigo farmers. &nbsp;The mission had two thrusts: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (rural), which operates under the ministry of drinking water and sanitation and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (urban), which works under the aegis of the ministry of housing and urban affairs. According to the latest data, the government has constructed 86 million toilets since 2014 under the mission, reducing the number of open defecations from 550 million to fewer than 150 million in 2018. &nbsp;

In 2017, the government cited a UNICEF Survey carried out in 10,000 households across the country to claim that the Swachh Bharat Mission was meeting its targets, three years after its launch. The survey, conducted across 12 states, stated that 85 per cent members of the households studied were using toilets.

While government data should rightly be regarded with scepticism, in political terms, an idea had been thrown open in the public domain, coming from the highest office in the country. Somewhere the worm had turned, despite the Congress branding it as a mediocre idea, when it was first announced. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Now, from the benefit of hindsight, one can say that the Prime Minister knew all along what he was doing. As early as March last year, obviously with an eye on the on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Modi urged chief ministers of BJP-ruled states to expedite implementation of welfare schemes and to take his government’s flagship programmes to the masses.

At this crucial meeting, work done by different states were discussed and deliberations were held on coordination between the Centre and the states for effective implementation of the government’s flagship schemes, in particular, the health insurance scheme. Even though the health scheme, promoted as NaMo Care, has not made as many waves as the party expected, it’s implementation in Modi’s second term, could be a potential winner. &nbsp;

The importance of social welfare programmes seem to have been driven home, even if it was not so evident during the course of political discourse in a virulent campaign. Chief ministers present at this meeting were asked to submit a report on the implementation of the welfare schemes. The support that Modi has got from the country’s 48 per cent women voters makes a good study for researchers. His ambitious social welfare scheme —Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana —with the aim of providing 5 crore LPG connections to women below the poverty line across the country, took a heavy toll on the opposition campaign. It seemed a strategic decision to reach out to women in a scheme aimed at replacing unclean cooking fuels, used mostly in rural India with the clean and more efficient LPG gas.&nbsp;

Election results, particularly in UP where the Prime Minister was able to develop a connection with women at large, seem to reflect in the UP Lok Sabha results.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-flagship-programme-wonders-2753695">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In India, one of the most unedifying sights of an early morning rail ride is mass scale defecation along the tracks, in the villages as the train chugs along and in the open fields, where crops provide a cover for concluding one of nature’s most elementary acts.

In India, one of the most unedifying sights of an early morning rail ride is mass scale defecation along the tracks, in the villages as the train chugs along and in the open fields, where crops provide a cover for concluding one of nature’s most elementary acts. Of all the flagship programmes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first term, one that seems to have carried the day is the Swachh Bharat mission. Its impact on the hundreds of millions of Indians, especially women, deprived of basic sanitation facilities, can scarcely be underestimated. An important part of the Modi persona has been the BJP-led NDA government’s flagship programmes like the Jan Dhan Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, among others. But in terms of impact on the common voter, the Swachh Bharat mission should be considered the high water mark. The Swachh Bharat or cleanliness programme, a nationwide campaign that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, towns, and rural areas, can be safely assumed to have impacted BJP’s electoral prospects, ahead of any other public welfare programme launched by the Modi government. Sure, one factor is never enough to tilt the balance in a party’s favour, yet certain facts are worthy of consideration. On October 2, 2014, Modi launched the nation-wide cleanliness campaign on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. The concept of Swachh Bharat is to provide sanitation facilities to every family, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness and safe and adequate drinking water supply. Modi’s pledges to keep the environment clean were met with sniggers from a class of people, who had never faced sanitation issues in their lives. But they, as luck would have it, were not the archetypal Indian voter. To the professional historian, the prospects of Modi, a former RSS pracharak, invoking Gandhi would be anathema, but the prime minister went ahead nonetheless. In Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s memorable words, “Sanitation is more important than independence”. He made cleanliness and sanitation an integral part of his agitational politics. In his newspaper Navajivan (November 2, 1919), Gandhi famously wrote: “In some countries spitting on the road is a criminal offence. Those who spit after chewing betel leaves and tobacco have no consideration for the feelings of others. Spittle, mucus from the nose, etc, should also be covered with earth.” At the official launch of the Swachh Bharat campaign, Modi — who has a way with words — called it ‘Satyagraha se Swachhagrah’ in reference to Gandhi’s Champaran agitation in favour of indigo farmers. The mission had two thrusts: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (rural), which operates under the ministry of drinking water and sanitation and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (urban), which works under the aegis of the ministry of housing and urban affairs. According to the latest data, the government has constructed 86 million toilets since 2014 under the mission, reducing the number of open defecations from 550 million to fewer than 150 million in 2018. In 2017, the government cited a UNICEF Survey carried out in 10,000 households across the country to claim that the Swachh Bharat Mission was meeting its targets, three years after its launch. The survey, conducted across 12 states, stated that 85 per cent members of the households studied were using toilets. While government data should rightly be regarded with scepticism, in political terms, an idea had been thrown open in the public domain, coming from the highest office in the country. Somewhere the worm had turned, despite the Congress branding it as a mediocre idea, when it was first announced. Now, from the benefit of hindsight, one can say that the Prime Minister knew all along what he was doing. As early as March last year, obviously with an eye on the on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Modi urged chief ministers of BJP-ruled states to expedite implementation of welfare schemes and to take his government’s flagship programmes to the masses. At this crucial meeting, work done by different states were discussed and deliberations were held on coordination between the Centre and the states for effective implementation of the government’s flagship schemes, in particular, the health insurance scheme. Even though the health scheme, promoted as NaMo Care, has not made as many waves as the party expected, it’s implementation in Modi’s second term, could be a potential winner. The importance of social welfare programmes seem to have been driven home, even if it was not so evident during the course of political discourse in a virulent campaign. Chief ministers present at this meeting were asked to submit a report on the implementation of the welfare schemes. The support that Modi has got from the country’s 48 per cent women voters makes a good study for researchers. His ambitious social welfare scheme —Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana —with the aim of providing 5 crore LPG connections to women below the poverty line across the country, took a heavy toll on the opposition campaign. It seemed a strategic decision to reach out to women in a scheme aimed at replacing unclean cooking fuels, used mostly in rural India with the clean and more efficient LPG gas. Election results, particularly in UP where the Prime Minister was able to develop a connection with women at large, seem to reflect in the UP Lok Sabha results. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Swachh Bharat campaign had a major role to play in BJP’s spectacular poll success

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/prime-minister-narendra-modi-to-visit-varanasi-today-221858">arrived at his home constituency Varanasi</a> and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here.

Modi began his speech amid the chants of "Modi-Modi", he thanked BJP chief Amit Shah and the people of Varanasi.&nbsp;

"I am also a BJP worker, therefore, whatever mandate the party and its workers pronounce, I try to follow that," Modi said.&nbsp;

He said that the party's victory was apparent in Varanasi's attitude "that I had witnessed a month back during my visit here".

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PM: After the campaign, I used to think of coming here but I used to recall your orders. Maine socha ye nahi to koi aur baba. Rarely is a candidate so relaxed, as I was, during elections &amp; the results. Your hardwork was the reason for it. I was relaxed so I went to Kedarnath. <a href="https://t.co/WujSBxgkyC">https://t.co/WujSBxgkyC</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1132912695148072963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Party workers' satisfaction is my goal," he said.&nbsp;

Modi that this election season "saw chemistry taking over arithmetic".&nbsp;

The PM-designate stated that throughout the election season, he was calm and free from any worry as his trust was placed in the hard work of the many BJP 'karyakartas' (workers) you toiled tirelessly and led the party to a grand victory.&nbsp;

Modi was accompanied by BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.&nbsp;

He will hold a 5-kilometre-long roadshow later in the day, as a gesture of gratitude toward the people of Varanasi for his Lok Sabha win and as a sign of celebrating BJP's historic success in the Lok Sabha 2019.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. <a href="https://t.co/HbCMaJRqib">pic.twitter.com/HbCMaJRqib</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1132881512565751809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The visit is significant as Modi registered a landslide win form the parliamentary constituency by a margin of over 4 lakh votes. This is his first domestic visit soon after the general election results were announced last week.&nbsp;

Modi defeated his Samajwadi Party (SP) rival Shalini Yadav by a margin of over 4.80 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. The BJP, which had won 282 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, managed to increase its tally and notched up 303 seats in the 2019 elections.

On Sunday, the prime minister-elect visited his home state Gujarat and sought blessings from his mother in Gandhinagar. He also visited Ahmedabad where he paid tributes at the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near the airport and later addressed a gathering of BJP workers along with party chief Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

PM Modi is set to take oath as the Prime Minister on May 30. Up next on PM Modi's agenda would be to name his Cabinet for the second term.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived at his home constituency Varanasi and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived at his home constituency Varanasi and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here. Modi began his speech amid the chants of "Modi-Modi", he thanked BJP chief Amit Shah and the people of Varanasi. "I am also a BJP worker, therefore, whatever mandate the party and its workers pronounce, I try to follow that," Modi said. He said that the party's victory was apparent in Varanasi's attitude "that I had witnessed a month back during my visit here". PM: After the campaign, I used to think of coming here but I used to recall your orders. Maine socha ye nahi to koi aur baba. Rarely is a candidate so relaxed, as I was, during elections & the results. Your hardwork was the reason for it. I was relaxed so I went to Kedarnath. https://t.co/WujSBxgkyC — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 27, 2019 × "Party workers' satisfaction is my goal," he said. Modi that this election season "saw chemistry taking over arithmetic". The PM-designate stated that throughout the election season, he was calm and free from any worry as his trust was placed in the hard work of the many BJP 'karyakartas' (workers) you toiled tirelessly and led the party to a grand victory. Modi was accompanied by BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He will hold a 5-kilometre-long roadshow later in the day, as a gesture of gratitude toward the people of Varanasi for his Lok Sabha win and as a sign of celebrating BJP's historic success in the Lok Sabha 2019. #WATCH Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. pic.twitter.com/HbCMaJRqib — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 27, 2019 × The visit is significant as Modi registered a landslide win form the parliamentary constituency by a margin of over 4 lakh votes. This is his first domestic visit soon after the general election results were announced last week. Modi defeated his Samajwadi Party (SP) rival Shalini Yadav by a margin of over 4.80 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. The BJP, which had won 282 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, managed to increase its tally and notched up 303 seats in the 2019 elections. On Sunday, the prime minister-elect visited his home state Gujarat and sought blessings from his mother in Gandhinagar. He also visited Ahmedabad where he paid tributes at the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near the airport and later addressed a gathering of BJP workers along with party chief Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. PM Modi is set to take oath as the Prime Minister on May 30. Up next on PM Modi's agenda would be to name his Cabinet for the second term.

Your satisfaction is my life's mantra: PM Modi thanks BJP workers in Varanasi

YSR Congress Party chief <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaganmohan-to-meet-modi-tomorrow-likely-discuss-outside-or-issue-based-support-to-modi-govt-221555">Jaganmohan Reddy</a> arrived in the national capital on Sunday. Shortly after his arrival, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

V Vijaya Sai Reddy and other leaders of YSRCP were also present during the meeting. He also met BJP president Amit Shah.&nbsp;

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister designate discussed the issues of special category status to Andhra Pradesh and the state's financial situation.

Reddy also sought central funds during the meeting with PM Modi at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence, PTI reported.

Reddy is expected to interact with officials at Andhra Bhawan later in the day.

On Saturday, he was unanimously elected as the leader of YSRC legislature party.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: YSRCP Chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrives in Delhi. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. <a href="https://t.co/ip3nQilyyU">pic.twitter.com/ip3nQilyyU</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1132508483226439680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Time and again, Reddy had said that his party would support whoever promises Andhra Pradesh the Special Category Status.

Reddy's YSRCP registered a mammoth victory in state Assembly elections, ousting TDP supremo out of power in Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

The YSRCP bagged 151 Assembly seats out of the total 175 seats and 22 of its 25 Lok Sabha seats. Reddy is likely to take oath as the CM on May 30.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-votes-jagan-reddy-trumps-chandrababu-naidu-221165/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, congratulated Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls.

"Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure," Modi tweeted.

YSR Congress Party chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrived in the national capital on Sunday. Shortly after his arrival, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. V Vijaya Sai Reddy and other leaders of YSRCP were also present during the meeting.

YSR Congress Party chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrived in the national capital on Sunday. Shortly after his arrival, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. V Vijaya Sai Reddy and other leaders of YSRCP were also present during the meeting. He also met BJP president Amit Shah. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister designate discussed the issues of special category status to Andhra Pradesh and the state's financial situation. Reddy also sought central funds during the meeting with PM Modi at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence, PTI reported. Reddy is expected to interact with officials at Andhra Bhawan later in the day. On Saturday, he was unanimously elected as the leader of YSRC legislature party. #WATCH: YSRCP Chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrives in Delhi. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. pic.twitter.com/ip3nQilyyU — ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2019 × Time and again, Reddy had said that his party would support whoever promises Andhra Pradesh the Special Category Status. Reddy's YSRCP registered a mammoth victory in state Assembly elections, ousting TDP supremo out of power in Andhra Pradesh. The YSRCP bagged 151 Assembly seats out of the total 175 seats and 22 of its 25 Lok Sabha seats. Reddy is likely to take oath as the CM on May 30. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, congratulated Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls. "Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure," Modi tweeted.

YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy meets PM Narendra Modi, discusses special status to Andhra

Narendra Modi re-elected as India's PM with a heavy mandate. The stats are very huge and sweeps away each and every opposition party in India. Looks like today India shows that they had choose development over the 'Dynasty' rule.

India says no to entitlement politics; Choose development ideology