Fly on the wall
Numbers matter as Challenges mount
It
is now broadly conceded by the Opposition parties that the BJP is
emerging as the single-largest party in the 18th Lok
Sabha. As the polling in the longest and most strenuous ever
parliamentary elections is coming to an end, the debate has been
boiled down to numbers the ruling party may get on June 4. The INDI
Alliance's wishful thinkers may say that the BJP can be brought
down to 220 LS seats and the NDA will be forced to choose a new
leader in place of PM Narendra Modi. But there is no dearth of such
thinkers who are predicting a landslide for the BJP touching 350
seats mark. The truth could be somewhere in between tilting towards
the BJP because of a variety of reasons emerged during unending
TV debates 24X7. There are many experts who believe that the BJP's
bottom is in the range of 250-260 seats while an upper limit could
touch 300 seats mark and in all likelihood, Modi will lead the NDA
pack with a slander margin. More than the numbers game, the eyes are
also set on the victory margins of the BJP candidates in these
elections. Some of these candidates had been winning LS polls in the
past with a margin as high as more than five lakh votes in many
constituencies. Nearly 200 BJP candidates had a victory margin of
above one lakh votes in 2019. If the margin of victory falls
substantially for the BJP candidates, Modi baiters may cheer saying
he is no more invincible. In the event of BJP retaining huge victory
margins for its candidates, the country may see the emergence of
a tougher Modi 3.0 term and the journey will move on.
Modi's Task cut out
Prime
Minister Modi seems desperate to implement his agenda immediately
after June 4 and is giving final touches to the list of his new
Council of Ministers. He is planning to take oath early around June
10 and give a clear road map to them. In many of his interviews he
disclosed that he issued a sermon to all his ministers to prepare a
plan of what could be done during the first 100 days. Separately, he
formed 10 Groups of Secretaries, representing various sectors,
to prepare a list of decisions to be implemented within the next 100
days. Among the key ministries involved in these deliberations are
Agriculture, Finance, External Affairs, Defence and others. Inputs
from different ministers and secretaries are being collated in the
Prime Minister's Office to shape internal and external agendas of the
government. Modi has a task cut out beginning with notifying
four Labour Codes pending for almost a year. The notification will
help the workers on the one hand in terms of wages. But they will
also face a new “hire & fire” regime as well.
His another pet project, One nation one poll, is set to be brought before the new Parliament along with the initiation of Delimitation process to enhance Lok Sabha seats taking the strength to 700 plus MPs. It has been hanging fire for a long time. Modi is also to set up a Demographic Commission for senior citizens. A plan has already been announced to give Rs 7 lakh free health insurance cover to all above the age of 70 years.
Why US may mend fences on Nijjar
The USA and Canada may also mend fences in the Nijjar case if Modi gets a third term in a row with a comfortable majority. It is believed that the US & most of the European countries are largely business-like and economy driven. An indication of change emerged when an American political scientist and global political risk consultant Ian Bremmer, came out with his perception in favour of Modi at the fag end of the poll. He said "Countries want to get closer to it as India increasingly has a global strategy-with the global South, with the West, not quite with China though.” Earlier, reports from western media were not painting such a picture. The US MNCs are eagerly waiting to bring in mullahs once the poll process is over. Modi is contemplating charting out on a first foreign trip to Italy on June 15-16 to meet global leaders at the G7 Summit. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, invited India to attend the Summit. There are other international conferences in the coming months. The PM or the External Affairs Minister is also to attend the Ukraine peace conference to be held on June 15-16 in Lucerne, Switzerland, where G-7 leaders are expected to travel from Italy. The External Affairs Minister is also expected to travel to the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod for the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting on June 10-11. Sources said a final response on all these invitations could only be expected after the results are announced.
Friend or a Foe!
The Haryana Police have stationed its teams in Jharkhand and West Bengal to counter cybercrime, as these states are identified as primary sources of cyber fraud calls. Multiple teams have been deployed to identify gang members who dupe people from Haryana, resulting in a large number of arrests in the recent past. This has resulted in the reduction of cyber frauds. In a bid to counter the menace of cybercrime, Haryana Police have stationed their teams in Jharkhand and West Bengal. Interestingly, the BJP is in power in Haryana while Jharkhand and West Bengal governments are part of the INDI alliance. With cyber crimes rising rapidly, state governments are chalking out their own strategies.
