Barackface: December 2012

Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year

Saturday, December 29, 2012

The Third Front Needs A New Name

What Is Nitish Thinking?
Nitish Might Not Have The BJP Option
The Nitish Magic

The NDA is a good name, as is the UPA. The Third Front is not a good name. Even the name National Front is better. Or perhaps a three letter acronym. The name Third Front has too much of a non-Congress, non-BJP sting to it.

The Third Front needs a new name and a proper structure. If it is not going to become one unified party, there needs be some kind of a confederate structure.

If both Mayawati and Mulayam can get together to prop up the Congress government, they can perhaps together prop up Nitish Kumar.

The Third Front needs a new name, a leader who is projected as the PM candidate months before the elections, an organizational structure that makes it some kind of a a confederate, and a common national manifesto that is centered around Nitishism: rapid development.

Name: National Front (NF). PM candidate: Nitish Kumar. A steering committee of the presidents of all member parties that meets every three months in Delhi or as often as necessary. When there is no consensus decisions are taken through voting where each president has a weight in proportion to how many MPs his/her party has in Delhi. The Steering Committee of the National Front should be similar to the central committee of the Congress or the BJP. And Nitish should make a repeat of his Bihar performance. All his cabinet members must declare their assets on the internet. The manifesto would be easy to write. Nitish has to make a repeat of what he has already done in Bihar.

I think 2014 will catapult Nitish Kumar as the PM of India, Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition, and Narendra Modi will continue as the Chief Minister of Bihar.

As Power Flows to Regional Bosses, Questions Rise on India’s Economy

power is now radiating to regional political chieftains, who are teasingly considering a new national political alignment, a so-called third front to compete with the two national powers, the Congress Party and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party ..... In past decades, third-front governments have twice taken power and have twice collapsed because of internal bickering, a prospect of instability certain to be unappealing to those in New Delhi and Washington who are eager for India to become a stable and influential player in Asia. Most analysts are skeptical that a true third front will take power in the near future, but they agree that the clout of regional leaders is growing. ..... Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of the state of Bihar, has hinted that his regional party could join any coalition that granted his state special status. Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister of Orissa, has expressed support for a third-front coalition. Jayalalithaa, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, has also spoken suggestively about a new political alliance. .... Most analysts predict that both the Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party will lose seats in the next election, but that one of the dominant parties will ally with some combination of the regional bosses to form a government, possibly even agreeing to elevate one of them to serve as prime minister.

Modi Momentum

Modi has attracted a lot of attention since his poll win, but his very name crumbles the NDA. None of his key allies are excited. And people like Naidu are staying away for good.

There is a paradox here. Modi is the BJP's obvious candidate for PM. But Modi at the helm destroys the NDA. The BJP is left alone.

Modi did not field a single Muslim candidate in Gujrat. That is quite a statement. And it is hard to believe the RSS did not play a key role in the 2002 riots. The train fire might have been accidental.

What Is Nitish Thinking?
Nitish Might Not Have The BJP Option
Modi's Night
The Nitish Magic

English: Image of Narendra Modi at the World Economic Forum in India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nitish's Bihar overtakes Modi's Gujarat as fastest growing state in the country

10.9 per cent .... Bihar was the slowest growing state during 2001-05 period with GDP figure of 2.9 per cent. However, between 2006 and 2010, it grew at 10.9 per cent, becoming the fastest growing state and shedding the tag of BIMARU (an acronym for sick states)...... Gujarat was the fastest growing state between 2001 and 2005 with figure of 11 per cent. But during 2006 and 2010, its growth dipped to 9.3 per cent and was overtaken by Bihar and four other states -- Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Orissa. ..... Average GDP growth of top five states was 9.10 per cent in 11th five year plan, up from 7 per cent in 10th plan and 5 per cent in 9th plan.

Modi's effort to rope in TDP and TRS into NDA fold falls flat

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi 's attempt to rope two major political parties in Andhra Pradesh - Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) - into the National Democratic Alliance fold has fallen flat..... Naidu has not been in good terms with Modi since the 2002 communal riots in Godhra. In fact, the TDP president was the first person to demand the sacking of Modi after Gujarat riots and had even threatened to withdraw support to the NDA then. Though he was pacified by senior BJP leaders like M Venkaiah Naidu, such was the animosity of Naidu towards Modi that he refused to nominate another TDP MP as the Lok Sabha Speaker, after the death of G M C Balayogi in a helicopter crash in March 2002, in protest against the Gujarat riots. ..... In August 2003, too, Naidu stalled the scheduled visit of Modi to Hyderabad to participate in Ganesh Nimajjan festivities on the grounds that it would trigger communal riots in the city. ..... Modi's strategy could be gathering the support of new allies to the NDA in the post-2014 election scenario as part of his efforts to prop up his candidature as the next Prime Minister. .... "Let us stick to our anti-Congress and anti-BJP stand and keep up our identity. We are gradually getting rid of our stigma which we got by allying with the BJP. Any inclination towards the BJP would damage our secular image," he told the party leaders

Narendra Modi being propped up in UP as BJP puts him alongside Vajpayee in hoardings

more than two dozen huge hoardings came up here with photographs of both Vajpayee and Modi..... the party may be accepting that Modi was its best bet for Lok Sabha 2014 ..... BJP MP from Lucknow Lalji Tandon has said he would be "more than happy" if Modi contests the Lok Sabha election from Lucknow, which was earlier held by Vajpayee....... admit that Modi was "by far the tallest leader in the BJP"..... "He is a very tall leader, has a clean image and had given an efficient administration to Gujarat" .... many BJP leaders feel that a development-led pro-Hindu branding of Modi could reap rich dividends in Uttar Pradesh

Can Modi Do More?

As he had done while choosing party office-bearers two years ago, Modi reduced the average age of the 17-member ministry from 65 to 55. ..... Modi has a definite plan for his new innings in Gujarat. He feels there has been enough focus on investment and manufacturing and now it should be on the training of skilled manpower, knowledge-sharing and modern technologies in agriculture. "Training of skilled manpower will be one of our main focus areas from now onwards," Modi ..... wrong selection of candidates and party infighting, apart from the opposition of state government employees to the Modi government because of certain policies, cost BJP around 15 seats. ..... BJP is estimated to have lost as many as eight seats to the anti-Modi voting by disgruntled state government employees. Among these eight seats were Godhra, Lunawada, Sojitra and three in Saurashtra. Modi had to pay for his uncompromising nature in this case. ..... Political pundits believe Modi might have reinvented himself finally as a development icon but in the next six months he will have to give a brand new spin to his slogans of "Development Without Discrimination" and "Sauno Saath, Sauno Vikas (Support of All, Development for All)" to strike a chord with voters nationally. For that to happen, changing his anti-Muslim image will also be crucial. ..... Modi did not field even a single Muslim candidate in the state Assembly polls. Further ammunition has been handed to his detractors by the latest National Development Council figures bracketing Gujarat with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar among four states where urban Muslims are poorest.

Narendra Modi steals the limelight at NDC meet
Next Stop Delhi?
Delhi gangrape victim took tuitions to pay for her education

Narendra Modi Keeps Away From Nitish Kumar At NDC

This time, though, it was different. Modi kept away from the 'gatecrash handshake' with Kumar who is known to live in dread of being ambushed by the Gujarat chief minister. ..... Modi has the stigma of 2002 riots that refuses to go away.

Special state status issue: Fireworks expected at NDC meet today

Emboldened by his comprehensive victory in the recent assembly elections, Modi is likely to adopt an extremely aggressive stance. The Centre, on its part, is likely to launch a counter-attack against Modi by citing that the state has been a laggard in alleviating poverty among minorities. .... Like Kumar, Patnaik has also been demanding a special status for his state.

Nitish refuses comment on Gujarat election results

With the boss silent on the issue, no leader, minister, office-bearer or spokesman of the Janata Dal (U) uttered a single word on Narendra Modi's hat-trick. .... He also took stock of the situation relating to changing of 72,000km of electricity wires in the state which are in bad condition. Out of this, 19,000km of wires have been replaced while work was in progress on the rest, he said. The meeting also reviewed renovation work in power plants at Kanti and Barauni and status of new power projects.

Nepal's exports to China surged four-fold in current fiscal
It’s time to move over from being Factory to the West

its manufacturing has to become ‘Germany to the East’ ..... aims at a share of manufacturing of 25% in the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2022, about 12-14% medium-term growth in the sector and creation of 100 million jobs by 2022. Currently, manufacturing accounts 15% share of the sector in the GDP against 34% in China and 40% in Thailand ..... India spends less than 1% of its GDP on R&D while it is 3.47% in Japan, 3.4% in South Korea, 2.81% for the US, and 1.55% for China. .... “India is the largest importer of defence equipment. And that is one sector where India should focus to develop domestic abilities”

India to become bigger economy than UK by 2017

India will overtake the UK by 2017 to become the largest economy in the Commonwealth...... Britain, which has reclaimed its place as the world’s sixth largest economy from Brazil, will however, be larger than France by 2022 .... The next decade will see the BRIC nations, Brazil, Russia, India, and China, cement their economic dominance, as Europe suffers a gradual decline in standing ..... Germany will decline two slots from fourth to sixth, but France and Italy will be the biggest losers. France is expected to fall from fifth to ninth, and Italy from eighth to 13th ..... Brazil will be fifth and Russia will have climbed two places to seventh. .... China will remain the world’s second biggest economy, but will have closed the gap on the US.

At least one or two world-size banks needed to compete globally: Chidambaram

China, which has three among the top 20 banks in the world. "Banks in the country are governed by a sound financial system, rules and a very strong regulator .... during the crisis, 1,000 banks had collapsed in the US, starting with Lehmann Brothers, but in India, not even one bank collapsed, whether it was in public sector, private sector or banks with national or regional footprints

No Easy Route if Assad Opts to Go, or to Stay, in Syria

President Bashar al-Assad of Syria sits in his mountaintop palace as the tide of war licks at the cliffs below. ... Explosions bloom over the Damascus suburbs. .. His country is plunging deeper into chaos. .... East of the palace lies the airport and a possible dash to exile, a route that some say Mr. Assad’s mother and wife may have already taken. ..... A Damascus-based diplomat said Monday that Mr. Assad, despite official denials, is “totally aware” that he must leave and was “looking for a way out,” though the timetable is unclear. .... “powerful people in the upper circle of the ruling elite in Damascus are feeling that an exit must be found.” ..... increasingly empowered security officials, whom one friend of the president’s has come to see as “hotheads.” ..... the mood in the palace is one of panic, evinced by erratic use of weapons: Scud missiles better used against an army than an insurgency, naval mines dropped from the air instead of laid at sea. ..... even if Mr. Assad wanted to flee, it is unclear if the top generals would let him out alive ..... “They speak of the rebels like dogs, terrorists, Islamists, Wahhabis,” the friend said, using a term for adherents to a puritanical form of Islam. “This is why he will keep going to the end.” ..... he mainly wants to be a hero fending off a foreign attack ...... critics say the Assads used four decades in power not to promote meaningful ethnic and religious integration, but to cement Alawite rule with a secular face. ....... To put down an Islamist revolt in the 1980s, Hafez al-Assad bulldozed entire neighborhoods and killed at least 10,000 people. The son now presides over a crackdown-turned-civil war that has killed four times that many, and counting. ..... Assad’s reformist impulses were always meant only to bring access to the luxuries and approval of the West .... grew up in Damascus, reached out to and married into the Sunni elite, and was even mocked in his ancestral village for his Damascus accent

Envoy Meets With Assad as Russia Seeks Distance

Russia, Mr. Assad’s most important foreign backer, was moving forward with plans to evacuate Russian diplomats and other expatriates. ..... Some Russian expatriates working in Syria were abducted this month. .... diplomats in Damascus would be evacuated with the help of special forces, if necessary. The authorities are also prepared to send 100 officers from a special armed unit of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, called “Screen,” which was last used to evacuate Russian diplomats from Baghdad in 2003. .... Moscow’s deeply pessimistic prognosis for the region.

Here's What The 'Agent-15' Chemical Weapon Probably Used In Syria Does To People

The Gas effects started [a] few seconds after the area was shelled. Right after the shelling, patients described seeing white gas with odor, then they had severe shortness of breath, loss of vision, inability to speak, flushed face, dizziness, paralysis, nausea and vomiting, and increased respiratory secretions. Doctors who treated patients said that patients had pinpoint pupils and bronchospasm. Patients were treated in a field hospital. Gas masks were not available...... Referred to as an "incapacitating" chemical in military circles, the worst known non-lethal reactions to high doses of BZ include stupor, hallucinations and "regressive" phantom behaviors such as plucking at one's hair and disrobing...... Agent-15 is not nearly as lethal as Assad's stockpile of nerve and blistering agents— Sarin, VX, and Mustard — which can kill from the mildest direct exposure.

Chemical war of words: Syrian govt, rebels trade accusations

Al-Qaeda-linked rebels allegedly used chemical weapons during a battle with government troops in the Darya district on the outskirts of Damascus, killing at least seven soldiers. .... it was yellow and caused death within an hour of being inhaled

Putin visits India, eyes arms sales, trade and political ties
"Fiscal cliff" talks turn sour, Obama threatens veto
Fiscal cliff: Barack Obama threatens to attack Republicans in inauguration speech
Barack Obama: I Dance Gangnam Style To Embarrass My Daughters
Gloomy predictions as Washington approaches the 'fiscal cliff'

"It's the first time that I feel it's more likely we'll go over the cliff than not," Sen. Lieberman said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” "If we allow that to happen it will be the most colossal consequential act of congressional irresponsibility in a long time, maybe ever in American history because of the impact it'll have on almost every American.” ..... “I believe the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes,” he said. “He senses a victory at the bottom of the cliff.” ...... “The truth of the matter is, if we do fall off the cliff after the president is inaugurated, he’ll come back, propose just what he proposed … and we’ll end up adopting it,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, (R) of Georgia on Fox News. “Why not go ahead and act now?”

West Antarctica Warming Faster Than Thought, Study Finds

making central West Antarctica one of the fastest-warming regions on earth. .... a breakup of the ice sheet, over a period that would presumably last at least several hundred years, could raise global sea levels by 10 feet, possibly more.

“My final offer is this: nothing”
Tax fight sends GOP into chaos

Breaking Free: How Nitish Kumar Turned Bihar Into a Model of Indian Reform
From Bihar, a New Approach to Flood Control
Fall of Nitish govt is certain: Lalu Prasad
Nitish Kumar: The Chief Minister who changed Bihar
Nitish Kumar-ruled Bihar safer than Narendra Modi-led Gujarat: JD(U)
A Look Back: The Incredible Change in Bihar
Nitish Kumar: India’s Man from Hope?
Dramatic Change in India’s Poorest State
How Nitish Conquered Bihar
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar likely to consolidate Muslim vote bank after his Pak visit
Bihar bats for Nitish Kumar as PM
Nitish Kumar invites India Inc to Bihar
In driver's seat, Nitish Kumar moves Bihar into top gear
Nitish: Bihar migrants can never be a burden on anyone
Nitish Kumar: Engineering change in Bihar
Building on Bihar

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Live Pink Or Dye

I thought that was quite a turn of phrase.

Romney Is President

Mitt Romney is the president of white male America. .... Maybe the group can retreat to a man cave in a Whiter House, with mahogany paneling, brown leather Chesterfields, a moose head over the fireplace, an elevator for the presidential limo, and one of those men’s club signs on the phone that reads: “Telephone Tips: ‘Just Left,’ 25 cents; ‘On His Way,’ 50 cents; ‘Not here,’ $1; ‘Who?’ $5.” .... In its delusional death spiral, the white male patriarchy was so hard core, so redolent of country clubs and Cadillacs, it made little effort not to alienate women. The election had the largest gender gap in the history of the Gallup poll, with Obama winning the vote of single women by 36 percentage points. ..... As W.’s former aide Karen Hughes put it in Politico on Friday, “If another Republican man says anything about rape other than it is a horrific, violent crime, I want to personally cut out his tongue.” .... the more they insulted the president with birther cracks, the more they tried to force chastity belts on women, and the more they made Hispanics, blacks and gays feel like the help, the more these groups burned to prove that, knitted together, they could give the dead-enders of white male domination the boot ..... Romney was still running in an illusory country where husbands told wives how to vote, and the wives who worked had better get home in time to cook dinner. But in the real country, many wives were urging husbands not to vote for a Brylcreemed boss out of a ’50s boardroom whose party was helping to revive a 50-year-old debate over contraception. ........ More women voted than men. Five women were newly elected to the Senate, and the number of women in the House will increase by at least three. New Hampshire will be the first state to send an all-female delegation to Congress. Live Pink or Dye. ........ as Bill Maher said, “all the Republican men who talked about lady parts during the campaign, they all lost.” ..... The voters anointed a lesbian senator, and three new gay congressmen will make a total of five in January. Plus, three states voted to legalize same-sex marriage. ..... wanted to see an openly gay cabinet secretary and an openly gay ambassador to a G-20 nation.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

What Is Nitish Thinking?

Breaking Free: How Nitish Kumar Turned Bihar Into a Model of Indian Reform
From Bihar, a New Approach to Flood Control
Fall of Nitish govt is certain: Lalu Prasad
Nitish Kumar: The Chief Minister who changed Bihar
Nitish Kumar-ruled Bihar safer than Narendra Modi-led Gujarat: JD(U)
A Look Back: The Incredible Change in Bihar
Nitish Kumar: India’s Man from Hope?
Dramatic Change in India’s Poorest State
How Nitish Conquered Bihar
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar likely to consolidate Muslim vote bank after his Pak visit
Bihar bats for Nitish Kumar as PM
Nitish Kumar invites India Inc to Bihar
In driver's seat, Nitish Kumar moves Bihar into top gear
Nitish: Bihar migrants can never be a burden on anyone
Nitish Kumar: Engineering change in Bihar
Building on Bihar

I don't know what Nitish is thinking.

He is saying he is not a candidate for PM. Then he is saying the NDA candidate for PM has to be a BJP person. He is also saying he will contest the 2014 elections along with the BJP. As in he is not in mind to leave the NDA. Then he is on record saying he will snap away from the NDA "in a minute" should the BJP project Modi as its PM candidate. He has also insisted the BJP must decide on its prime ministerial candidate before the elections.

This might partly be his way of tricking the Congress into believing he is up for grabs. Perhaps the Congress can be tricked into giving Bihar special status. I don't see that happening, but nice try.

If Nitish does not want to become PM in 2014 he wants to support someone who will grant special status to Bihar.

It is so obvious Modi will be the face of the BJP in 2014. It is his party after all. Modi is the most popular face inside the BJP. So if he is projected as the face of the BJP in 2014 does Nitish quit the NDA? I don't see him joining the Congress led alliance, the UPA.

I think Nitish as Chief Minister of Bihar for 10 more years will be great for Bihar's development. Most Biharis don't want him to go to Delhi because they want him to continue in Patna.

On the other hand I also feel India deserves Nitish. Nitish is the best politician India has today. Nitish has a better economic record than Modi. Nitish does not have the Godhra taint. In the Nitish model there is a better focus on human development. In the Modi model sometimes the poor get left behind. Modi is urban, India is rural, Nitish is rural.

The scenario I see is Modi gets projected as the BJP candidate. Nitish breaks up the NDA. There is no more NDA left. The BJP is on its own. After all Nitish is the BJP's biggest ally. He decides to contest in all 40 seats in Bihar and wins 35, because he has been so good as Chief Minister.

Start with the fact that Gujrat is small. It is almost half the size of Bihar. Modi starts with 16 MPs in Gujrat, Nitish with 35 in Bihar. There is a Nitish wave nationally created from his decision to break up the NDA. Because of that wave both the Congress and the BJP stay below the 150 mark. The non Congress, non BJP parties together get over 243 seats. 243 is not 271. Or maybe the non Congress, non BJP parties do manage to cross the 271 mark. Or if they do not, the Congress or the BJP is forced to extend outside support.

You might be looking at a scenario where there is no more a UPA, there is no more a NDA. But there is a newly constituted Third Front. And the JD (U) is the biggest member of that Third Front with 35 seats.

JD(U) - 35
Mayawati - 30
Mulayam - 30
Mamata - 25
Biju - 15
DMK - 20
CPI (M) - 20
Pawar - 10
AIADMK - 10
CPI - 5
TDP - 5
JD (S) - 5
Laloo - 4
Paswan - 1
Others - 30 or more
Congress - 150 or less
BJP - 150 or less

A better scenario is one where the Third Front forges a pre-poll alliance. So there is only one Third Front candidate in each of the 543 constituencies. I think the Third Front could cross the 300 tally in that circumstance.

The slogan wold be, Nitish ne Bihar ke liye jo kiya, ab wo pure Bharat ke liye karega. That would be the message, but the slogan would have to be shorter, catchier.

A better option still would be to codify Nitishism, so that what is happening in Bihar is not attributed to the charisma of any one person but can be replicated everywhere where the basic programs are followed.

Codifying Nitishism, now that's a thought.

A pre-poll alliance means a manifesto, a code of conduct.

2009 Results

Support of Bihar MPs must for next government: Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today exuded confidence that the next government at the Centre will have to grant special status to Bihar as that government cannot be formed without the support of 40 MPs of the state.

NDA's PM candidate should be from BJP: Nitish Kumar

A day after the BJP ruled out the possibility of Nitish Kumar becoming the NDA's prime ministerial candidate, he said he was never a contender for the post. .... Nitish Kumar had said earlier that it would not take a minute for his party to break ties with the BJP if the latter projected Modi as its prime ministerial candidate. ..... He had also objected to his photographs with Modi in newspaper advertisements during the BJP national executive meeting in Patna in June 2010.

Nitish Kumar anxious about outcome of Gujarat polls: Ram Vilas Paswan
Nitish silent on Modi's win, Bihar BJP 'surprised'

When asked about Kumar's silence on Modi's victory, state BJP President C P Thakur told reporters he couldn't fathom why Kumar did not make a customary gesture of congratulating Modi, which was common in public life. .... On Kumar's insistence, the BJP had kept Modi away from campaign in Bihar for both, the 2009 general election and the 2010 state assembly poll. Upset over the publication of an advertisement in newspapers about donation provided by Modi for Kosi flood victims of Bihar, Kumar had cancelled a dinner he had to host for BJP leaders during the BJP's national executive meeting at Patna in 2010. ..... "Left to myself, Modi should be BJP's prime ministerial candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha poll", said Thakur the Bihar BJP chief. ..... Even senior BJP leader and deputy chief minister Sushil Modi, who, like Nitish, in May this year, had black-flagged Narendra Modi's credentials to be NDA's PM candidate, made a salutory reference to the Gujarat victory. "Narendra Modi's victory for the third consecutive term has proved beyond doubt that people do not ignore development", Sushil Modi told reporters.

Didi sees friends in Mayawati, Nitish Kumar

Banerjee is working on a strategy to bring around an alliance of regional parties as a possible alternative to both the Congress and BJP after the next Lok Sabha elections.

BJP's remarks on Narendra Modi for PM causing confusion: Nitish Kumar's party

After senior leaders of the BJP appeared to endorse Narendra Modi's bid for Prime Minister, the party course corrected yesterday. Speaking to NDTV, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said, "The party has not taken any decision on the Prime Ministerial candidate. Our allies in the NDA need to be consulted before taking a decision." ...... "The BJP should decide who their leader will be. If their party speaks in one voice it will be better for all of us," said JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh. ..... Ms Swaraj said that she believes Mr Modi is fit to be Prime Minister. Mr Advani followed a day later with this tribute - "Someone once asked me if Modi has become bigger than the party. I replied that in a family sometimes the younger ones are more capable then then the seniors and in such a case, seniors do not feel bad, they feel happy that a youth from their family is so capable." .... The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has repeatedly stressed that his alliance with the BJP, with whom he runs Bihar, will collapse if Mr Modi is named the NDA's prime ministerial candidate. ..... The communal riots of Gujarat in 2002 in which nearly 1200 people were killed, most of them Muslims, have led to leaders like the Bihar chief minister wanting to be politically distant from him. Mr Kumar is supported by the large Muslim population in his state; he has refused to let Mr Modi campaign in Bihar.

Nitish Might Not Have The BJP Option
Modi's Night
The Nitish Magic
Narendra Modi
Godhra, Gujrat, Modi
A Roadmap For Nitish
The NDA Option For Nitish
Nitish Is My Lula

Force Modi on a Roll

more than a triumphant testament of the politics of prosperity .... In a country where the attitudes of its ruling class are invariably incompatible with the aspirations of its people ..... a politician with integrity and vision ..... in an India of calcified reputations in governance, change becomes Modi, and going by the velocity of his ascent, his domain is bound to be larger than Gujarat. .... India's most popular chief minister-and BJP's only regional leader with a national fan following .... In Moditva, the bestselling idea of Indian Right, merges the uses of good economics and the reach of evangelical politics..... he buys his goods for mass consumption from the marketplaces of twenty-first century...... an ability to deliver on economic promises

Nitish Kumar's silence on Narendra Modi win speaks of unease

now unquestionably the tallest mass leader of the BJP, with whom his own party, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), has been running a coalition government for seven years....... The state unit of the BJP was euphoric over the Gujarat results and was quick to proclaim Modi as the top prime ministerial contender within the party. BJP leaders and workers distributed sweets and burst crackers in Patna and other parts of Bihar on Thursday...... Political observers believed that Nitish's silence only reasserted his party's unchanged stand on Modi. ..... "We respect the people's mandate in Gujarat," JD-U spokesman Neeraj Kumar said. "As far as the prime ministerial candidate is concerned, we have made the qualification criteria clear. The candidate should have secular credentials." ..... Sharad Yadav said:"The matter will be discussed at the NDA meeting."

Narendra Modi's win generates debate on his possible projection as BJP's prime ministerial candidate in 2014 elections

Modi does not get along with Gadkari ..... There is heady talk among Modi loyalists of the party under his leadership getting 200 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. But this is a tall order for a party - it will have to come up with a new version of the NDA. ...... If Modi's influence can gain the party 180-plus seats, then he is the natural choice. But a lower tally could result in a candidate more acceptable to allies. In that event, the prime ministerial race would be wide open. .... the RSS. Modi is a pracharak (ordinary member) of the organisation. But it is no secret that his relations with the outfit, which does not brook the kind of personality cult that he fosters, are not the best.

India's Shilpa Singh enters top 16 at Miss Universe 2012

Shilpa from Bihar is a Computer Science graduate. The ravishing beauty is currently an Infosys Technologies' employee

Gujarat election victory gives Narendra Modi firepower to take on BJP's Delhi Durbar, RSS

"Gujarat to jhaanki hai, Dilli abhi baaki hai" (Gujarat is only a trailer, Delhi is the real battle). .... "This is a win for all those people across the country who want India to prosper" ..... And in a typical wisecrack, he announced that he would visit Delhi on December 27 for a day, though aware that the path to Delhi is strewn with obstacles in the form of RSS and the Delhi Durbar.... common knowledge that BJP president Nitin Gadkari and senior party leader Sushma Swaraj both harbour prime pinisterial ambitions. Former party president L. K. Advani too is considered an impediment in Modi's chalo Dilli plan. ..... "We have narrowed down on 250 winnable constituencies across country. We think the BJP can at least 200 of these if Modi is made the PM candidate," said a Modi strategist. ..... the urban centres are considered key catchment areas ..... he hopes to defeat the politics of caste and religious division. ..... his plans include a nationwide " Swami Vivekananda yatra" .... Modi's Mission PM is to become its star campaigner in next year's assembly polls in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi.

Congress fares better than BJP in north Gujarat; Modi's charisma works again in rest of state
Modi gets Muslim vote: With Modi's emphatic win, it's clear that Muslims in Gujarat have moved beyond 2002

In spite of not fielding a single Muslim candidate, the BJP managed 12 out of the 19 seats which had Muslim voters as the determining factor. ..... "The Congress has always treated Muslims as a block to be exploited politically, but has done nothing in real terms for the community..... Muslims in this state are getting equal opportunities to grow and most importantly with a steady law and order situation, business is flourishing unhindered ..... "The community has moved beyond 2002 in Gujarat and has voted overwhelmingly for BJP in the state."

People's leader! How does Narendra Modi charm the masses and keep the votes coming in? The story behind the charismatic Gujarat CM's people connect

In the urban centres it appears as if Modi has cast a spell and turned Gujarat into 'Modidum'.... In the final phase of the campaigning the swaying crowds that flocked to Modi's poll rallies to hear his power packed speeches inter-spread with sharp rhetoric , unprecedented colour and cutting language calculated to emotionally move the people the public response to him could only be compared with the response that perhaps Mrs. Gandhi got in her heady days or Rajiv Gandhi triggered in the emotional wave following her assassination or , as old timers say, Pandit Nehru got soon after independence. .... "Brothers and sisters, you are happy but I am not. For, I know in the past 12 years I have only done the job of filling the pot holes left behind by Congress's misrule since independence. But now the surface is ready. And on it we shall start constructing a shining and magnificent Gujarat from January 1, 2013." ..... "All of you take a holiday at least once year. I am that labourer of six crore Gujaratis who has not taken a single holiday in 12 years. I have only chanted Gujarat, Gujarat, Gujarat." ..... "Astonished by the pace of development old timers in villages often ask from where does this Modi fellow bring the funds. I have been like a sentinel sitting on the treasury, not allowing any palm (Congress symbol) to fall on it. Earlier this money used to go into the pockets of Congressmen and the middle men but now I am spending it on the people." ..... the record 70 per cent turnout in the first round of polling on December 13. ....... "Rahul Baba recently said that once when Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru was in jail Mahatma Gandhi , who was at that time staying in the Nehrus' ancestral home, Anand Bhavan, purposely slept on the floor to express his sympathy with Nehru . But what Rahul Baba didn't tell you was that Motilalji who was Pt. Nehru's father and was staying in the same house slept on the cot". ..... in 15 days beginning December 1 to December 15, Modi carried out 102 public meetings hopping all over the state. On an average, he addressed more than six meetings daily ..... While he has been very active on Twitter, his website Narendramodi. in continues to draw large number of visitors. Then came the Google hangout where he interacted with the youth, in a first for the politicos in India...... pulled out the biggest rabbit when he campaigned across the state through three dimensional holographic projection technology, again a first for Indian politics..... He waves like a king .... Modi's biggest strength lies in his direct connect with the people, whom he engages with ease. Instead of delivering a speech, he talks to the crowd, asking questions and touching nerves. He makes them laugh as he derides Congress, and even the mention of "Soniaben" raises laughter from the crowd, which expects acerbic deliveries to follow. He laughs with them, obliges them and then turns derision to anger. From asking Sonia to do her "homework", he roars on Prime Minister's comment on "minorities living in fear" as he tears into the Congress and many in the crowd nod in agreement...... In between he punches in the most important message - vote for BJP in Gujarat to get rid of Congress in Delhi. .... Gujarati superstar Paresh Rawal too has been a big hit with the voters.

Narendra Modi knocks on doors of Delhi: Uddhav Thackeray

Even the CBI was used to contain Modi. All NGOs painted Modi as a villain at the international level, but it was all in vain

Narendra Modi's victory in Gujarat polls elates India Inc

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) president Adi Godrej said Modi's being in office again would further boost investors' confidence in the state and provide political stability. .... Modi has delivered on a basic inclusive development agenda that goes beyond Roti Kapada Makan - education and healthcare ..... heavy investments are flowing into Gujarat because Modi has adopted industry-friendly policies and improved basic infrastructure and governance.

Win raises questions for nation

a younger generation has no memory of Congress rule. He said that to talk of the incumbency effect makes little sense when Congress ceased being a local party years ago..... He created new constituencies among youth, professions and the digerati making the Congress helpless and showing the old BJP to be yesterday's newspaper. His control of power made party politics an ineffective exercise. Modi had turned problem solving in Gujarat into a one stop window himself...... However, results indicate that this mainstream juggernaut had no place for Dalits and Muslims. Tribals were a bit more ambivalent being anti-Muslim and yet development did not really touch them...... Modi is almost singular and unitary in his style of power. The question is if such a style fits a coalitional politics at the centre. The doubts are at several levels..... The cadres see him as a match-winner but does the RSS want a gamechanger whom they cannot control? ..... We also have to ask whether the party will be comfortable with him. He is not a man who likes to share the stage. .... Modi represents majoritarian fears which increases minoritarian anxieties.... He wants growth and urbanisation but one has little sense of his foreign policy or his federal vision of India. Rahul is almost a tabula rasa. He acquires identity but little character through family. .... Democracy needs something more thoughtful than Modi or Rahul. In fact the spectre of Modi entering Delhi might force our society to think more creatively. The idea of Modi versus Rahul says little about the imagination of India...... is the Gujarat model of growth relevant for India? Secondly is Modi's style of leadership appropriate for governing a nation?

Narendra Modi breaches caste, religion barriers in Gujarat

The most satisfying outcome for Modi would be that the Muslim indifference to his Sadbhavana rallies failed to halt his juggernaut. Even his decision not to grant any ticket to Muslim candidates could not harm the BJP. ..... BJP's ally in the NDA -- JD(U) -- however was not impressed much by Modi's victory. Its leaders made it clear that the party would not back him as the NDA's prime ministerial candidate.

Modi rides high on development in Gujarat, New Delhi doesn't seem far now

Gujarat is a role model for elections. The entire election was fought on the development plank. ...... It was not just the Congress that Modi fought, it went much deeper as he fought a section his own party high command, RSS, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, all of whom rallied behind rebel BJP veteran Keshubhai Patel, who was propped up to contain Modi in Saurashtra, the heartland of the saffron movement. .... In his thumping win, Modi has not only vanquished his detractors in the saffron fold, but has also crushed the Gujarat Congress irreparably.

Assad's key ally Russia says it's 'not concerned' about his fate

Last week, more than 100 nations, including the United States, recognized the new Syrian opposition council as the legitimate representative of the country, a boost for the opposition forces that have been bombing regime targets in and around Damascus, once an impregnable stronghold of the Assad regime.

Putin Defends Position on Syria and Chastises U.S. on Libya

he sharply chastised the United States for its role in toppling Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya, describing that outcome as a mistake that created chaos and ultimately led to the death of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens in Benghazi. .... “No matter how they explained their position, the state is falling apart,” he said. “Interethnic, inter-clan and intertribal conflicts continue. Moreover, it went as far as the murder of the United States ambassador.” He added, “I was asked here about mistakes: Isn’t it a mistake? And you want us to constantly repeat these mistakes in other countries?” ..... Thousands of Syrian men who attended universities in Russia and returned to live in Syria have Russian wives.

Putin further distances Russia from Syria's Assad

Russia, along with Iran, has been one of the Assad government’s few dependable international allies. However, there has been a change of tone in recent comments from Moscow. .... “Obviously the Kremlin tried to assert its influence recently to compel Assad make some compromises in his unwavering stand based on violence and military pressure and even start some negotiations and make some other steps toward reconciliation, but to no avail” .... “That certainly rubbed Putin the wrong way, and the Russian leader is having a hard time hiding his irritation with Assad” .... “The Kremlin’s rhetoric we heard today in regard to Assad was unthinkable just a few months ago.”

WikiLeaks to release files on 'every country' in 2013: Assange

WikiLeaks will release one million documents next year affecting every country in the world, founder Julian Assange said in a speech from the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London on Thursday..... "True democracy is not the White House, true democracy is not cameras, true democracy is the resistance of people armed with the truth against lies from Tahrir to London"

House Republicans push ‘Plan B’ toward passage, but that’s hardly the end of the cliff talks

“Our bill would protect 99.81 percent of the American people from an increase in taxes.” .... Democrats said Boehner’s abrupt decision to shift to his Plan B — legislation drafted unilaterally by Republicans — reflected a calculation that he lacked support from his own rank and file to win the votes needed for the type of agreement he was negotiating with the president. ..... He also has offered more than $800 billion in spending cuts over a decade, half of it from Medicare and Medicaid, $200 billion from farm and other benefit programs, $100 billion from defense and $100 billion from a broad swath of government accounts ranging from parks to transportation to education. .... In a key concession to Republicans, the president also has agreed to slow the rise in cost-of-living increases in Social Security and other benefit programs, at a savings estimated at about $130 billion over a decade.