PILOT's GHARWAPSI

PILOT CRASH LANDS INTO CONGRESS

जान बची तो लाखो पाए, लौट के बुद्दू घरको आये |

Much like the 'Buddu' who felt grateful for having escaped death in whatever misadventure he had embarked upon, Sachin Pilot should be relieved that the Congress agreed to take him back nearly a month after he had launched a revolt against the CM Ashok Gehlot. It is difficult to judge who is the ultimate winner in the short-lived rebellion that once threatened to destabilize the regime in Jaipur; is it the Gehlot who not only got rid of his bitter rival but also managed to save his government or was it former CM Vasundhare Raje who stood her ground against the inclusion of Pilot Jr in the saffron ranks and showed her influence in the state BJP. What is clear though is that the ultimate loser is the young leader from Tonk. Not only was he stripped of his position of the being the second-in-command in the state government, he has also lost the position of the president of Rajasthan Congress. 

In what was more than a symbolic reflection of the changing times, the former Deputy Minister was made to sit in the corner in the state assembly as he along with his former 'brothers-in-arms' voted to the save the very same government that they had vowed to overthrow. Pilot Jr. though put a strong defence, claiming that the strongest soldiers are sent to guard the borders. However, the sad reality for the young Turk is that apart from losing his ministry and the party presidency, he has lost the one thing that matters the most in the grand old party, the trust of the Gandhis. This was the ultimate fall from grace for a leader who was believed to be a close confidante of former INC chief Rahul Gandhi. The home coming is going to be anything but easy for him; he is going to be a marked man, every move of his, is going to be looked upon with suspicion and Gehlot & Co. will only be waiting for him to keep a wrong foot to finish off whatever is left of his political career within the INC. 

Now that he is no more than an 'ordinary worker' in the Rajasthan Congress, the former Corporate Affairs minister should spend considerable amount of his time contemplating what went wrong for him. One thing though is quite clear, he grossly over estimated his strength. After all, he could only muster the support of 18 MLAs, much less than his initial estimate of 30 that would have put pressure not only on the Congress High Command to take him seriously but also entice BJP to overrule Raje and try to woo him. In fact, across the length of the whole episode, it was evident that Sachin was mostly on the defensive, largely reacting to the agenda that CM Ashok Gehlot was setting. This is certainly not a trait of a strong regional satrap that Pilot aspires to be.

The former MP now has to start from scratch and work very hard to regain his lost political fortunes. At 43, he has still a long way to go and can afford to make mistakes. The whole imbroglio should remind Sachin Pilot that politics is more often than not, a game of numbers. It is now up to him to see how he can resurrect  himself from this debacle and emerge as the strongest Congress leader within Rajasthan. But then, that only seems possible as of now, once Ashok Gehlot hangs his boots.

PILOT HITS TURBULENCE

GEHLOT CATCHES SACHIN ON A STICKY WICKET

Sachin Pilot - Courtesy: Face Book

Last week, former Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot hit the headlines as he along with his band of loyalists shifted base to BJP ruled Haryana in revolt against his bête noire - CM Ashok Gehlot. Though there have been reports of his differences with Gehlot ever since the Congress came to power in the state in 2018, it seems that police summons to the young leader from Tonk, asking him to join investigation in a probe related to alleged efforts on parts of the BJP to topple the government seemed to have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. As talks to resolve the crisis failed to achieve any success, in spite of involvement of the Gandhi siblings, the Congress decided to take action.

Not only was he stripped off his position as the state's Deputy CM and the chief of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC), Sachin and the 18 MLAs who came out in his support were served notices for disqualification under the anti-defection law which was later challenged by them in the Rajasthan High Court; in a relief, the court has directed the Speaker of the state assembly to wait till it delivers its judgement in the case on Monday. With Ashok Gehlot consolidating his position and upping the ante against the rebels, it seems that doors within the grand old party are finally shutting on party's former blue-eyed boy in the dessert state. Aware that numbers are not on their side and the factional feud within, the BJP has not expressed much interest in the affair, at least for the time being though its sympathies seem to be completely with Pilot Jr. as seen in the way the rebel MLAs were protected when a team from Rajasthan police reached Thanesar to grill them.

Ashok Gehlot - The Chanakya of Rajasthan politics: For over three decades, the incumbent CM has been the face of the party in the state and Sachin Pilot is just the latest of the many detractors he has taken on in his illustrious career. Serving as a Union Minister under Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao, the leader from Jodhpur first took over the reins of the state in 1998, when the INC bagged 153 seats against the BJP led by Bhairon Singh Shekawat. This in spite of the fact that the party campaign was led by Jat leader and Gehlot's mentor Parasram Maderna, who was later made the Speaker in the state assembly. In what seemed like an action replay, the Sadarpur MLA later beat his rival C P Joshi to became the CM again in 2008 though it was the latter who was the party's face in its electoral campaign. Back then, what made matters difficult for Joshi, currently serving as the Speaker was that he lost from his constituency Nathdwara by a single vote. Ditto in 2018; while the INC won the mandate under Pilot's leadership, he had to contend with being second in command to Gehlot who is not only a close confidante of Sonia Gandhi but also enjoys an enormous clout within the state Congress unit.

A close analysis of Gehlot's moves in the last few months indicate that he left Pilot with no option but to rebel. At the onset of 2020, he convinced six MLAs from Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) to join the Congress, thereby increasing the party's tally to 107. After being able to keep the party flock together in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha polls, he decided to take on Pilot who had been critical of the state government, especially after the Congress drew a blank in the 2019 General Elections in Rajasthan. A probe was set up to look into allegedly efforts made by the BJP to topple the state government in collusion with some Congress leaders, though it was very clear who the target was, when the former Deputy CM was asked to appear before the police. When the news of Sachin's rebellion became public, the CM began wooing the two MLAs of the local outfit Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) to bolster his numbers. While the party's central leadership was working on a rapprochement between two of their tallest leaders in the state, Gehlot went on the offensive, accusing Sachin of being hand-in-gloves with the BJP to bring the government down. This was seen by many as a conscious effort on part of Gehlot to make Pilot's ghar wapsi impossible, thereby cementing his position as the sole leader of the INC in Rajasthan.

What next for Pilot? While Sachin Pilot's association with the Congress seems to be all but over, the suspense over his political future continues to deepen with each passing day. The former Minister of Corporate Affairs has denied all reports of him joining the BJP though the saffron camp has extended tacit support to him.

To begin with, it looks like the Tonk MLA miscalculated his strength within the party. With Rahul Gandhi stepping down from the post of the INC President, there has been a steady decline in the political fortunes of the young brigade seen to be close to him. Sachin only joins a growing list of Congress leaders including Jitin Prasad, Milind Deora, Navjyot Singh Sidhu etc who have been sidelined with the resurgence of the old guard after the debacle in 2019 General Elections. Coming back to Rajasthan, not only did Pilot walk into the trap that Gehlot seems to have been setting for him, he also seems to have over estimated his strength within the Congress Legislative Party in the state. With only 18 MLAs joining him in his rebellion and the BJP having its own set of problems to deal with, Gehlot seems to be set to occupy the CM's chair for some more time.

Considering that he enjoys substantial political power in the Ajmer region, Sachin Pilot may even launch his own regional outfit in his bid to fight Gehlot though the electorate has not been keen on voting for a non-BJP, non-Congress government in Jaipur. Prior to the 2018 state elections, BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari who had been a vocal critic of then then CM Vasundhara Raje floated his own outfit - Bharatiya Vahini Party (BVP) to offer a third alternative to the people. The Brahmin leader failed to win a singe seat and merged his party into the Congress last year. Nagaur strongman Hanuman Beniwal fared a little better, winning three seats though his Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) is a part of the NDA today. Similar attempts made by political heavyweights including Kirodi Lal Meena, Devi Singh Bhati and Lokendra Singh Kalvi have been rejected by the electorate. Will Sachin succeed where these men failed is something to be seen.

Meanwhile, it is believed that former CM and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje is not very keen in bringing the young leader into the saffron fold. Moreover, Pilot too may not be comfortable with joining the BJP; after all, his former colleagues like Jyotiraditya Scinda and Hemanta Biswa Sarma who left the Congress to be in the saffron fold have not been able to lead the BJP in their states, something that Sachin is eager to do.

Though he may have been out smarted by the wily Gehlot, age though is firmly on Sachin Pilot's side. At 43, he still has a long way to go. Besides, he comes from an illustrious family and there is still a lot of good will for his father Rajesh Pilot who died tragically in a car crash in 2000. It is expected that for the time being, Sachin will wait and watch out for disgruntled Congress MLAs who might be willing to join him in his rebellion so that he can pull the plug on the Gehlot government before either launching his own party or joining the BJP prior to the next state polls.

The Internal Mess Within the BJP: While it is true that the numbers may not be with them, the lethargy on the part of the BJP's top leadership in Rajasthan to even come out openly in support of Pilot shows the fissures that run deep within the saffron camp in the state. It is fact that for sometime now, former CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia has been miffed with attempts to sideline her within the party though she enjoys the support of over 30 party MLAs. In fact, her absence at the pro CAA rally organized at Jodhpur and attended by Home Minister Amit Shah was seen by many as her symbolic protest against the treatment meted out to her after the party's defeat in 2018 state polls. The appointment of Satish Poonia as the state BJP chief and the elevation of Om Birla as the Speaker of Lok Sabha both seem to have rubbed the former royal in the wrong way since she has not been on good terms with either of them. RLP leader Hanuman Beniwal, an ally of the NDA and a known Raje baiter has questioned her silence on Pilot's rebellion.

Apparently, Raje sees the younger Pilot as a potential threat to her claim to the CM chair's in case the BJP comes back to power in the future. Moreover, she may want her own son Dushyant Singh, four time BJP MP from Jhalawar-Baran constituency to continue her political legacy and may see Pilot as a rival to her son's rise in the saffron ranks. The internal feuds within the Rajasthan BJP, in sharp contrast to the unity it displayed in MP under Shivraj Singh Chauhan and in Karnataka under B S Yeddyurappa has relegated the BJP to be more of a passive player in the whole imbroglio, which just does not fit in the aggressive brand of politics that the saffron outfit has displayed in the Modi-Shah era.

RAJASTHAN DIARIES - Day 2

AJMER & PUSHKAR

Victoria Tower, Ajmer

We left for Ajmer early in the morning and took a rickshaw to the Gopalbari Railyway Station which is about 1.5 km from the Hotel Sunder Palace. We boarded the Garib Rath Express that operates between Chandigarh and Ajmer at 7:15 am and had our breakfast on the way. In spite of the fact that it was a public holiday on account of Gandhi Jayanti, there were hardly any people in the train. I spent most of the time observing the scenes form the window; the ones I remember are that of women in traditional attire walking along the lush green fields and of men in turbans resting in the shade of the trees as they cattle grazed nearby. In course of time, these would become common sights, yet their charm was not lost. The train covered a distance of about 140 km passing through Kanakpur, Asalpur Jobner, Pholeru Junction, Narana, Kishangarh and Madar. Minutes before the journey ended at about 9:30 am, we also caught a glimpse of the picturesque Taragarh fort.

Located to the west of Jaipur amidst the Aravallis, Ajmer is the fifth largest city in the state in terms of population. It is believed that the city grew around the hill fort of Ajay-Meru that was established by Chauhan chieftain Ajayraj Singh in late seventh century. From these humble origins, the fortunes of the town grew exponentially in the coming centuries with the slow rise in the political power of the Chauhans who would rule most of north-western India by the twelfth century. As such long before cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota came into existence, Ajmer was one of the most important urban centres in Rajputana. When the Chauhans supplanted the Tomaras, Ajmer along with Delhi served as the capital of their Empire. It was around this time that the great Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti who is today, synonymous with Ajmer settled here after a vision from the Prophet himself directed him to do so. Following the victory of the Ghurid forces over the forces of Prithviraj III Chauhan in AD 1192, this city emerged as a base for the strongest amongst the Delhi Sultans to subdue recalcitrant Rajput princes. In the mid 14^th century, Ajmer became a bone of contention between the kingdoms of Marwar and Mewar. The next important chapter in Ajmer's history comes during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great who is believed to have been a regular visitor to the dargah of Gharib Nawaz. Besides him, his two immediate successors - Jehangir and Shah Jahan are believed to have occasionally held their royal durbar here. After the disintegration of the Mughal Empire, the city was held by the Marathas who in turn sold it to the British in AD 1818. Queen Mary of England visited the town and paid her respects to its patron saint during her visit in December 1911. Thus, Ajmer is one of the few cities in the this part of the country that can boast a blend of Rajput, Muslim and British heritage, something that I believe has not been celebrated the way it should be.

We had not booked any room in Ajmer since we were to spend the evening at Pushkar. As such, we left our luggage at the cloak room in the railway station. I and Da bought four locks from a shop nearby since they do not accept any baggage without a lock. As I mentioned earlier, it was Gandhi Jayanti and PM Narendra Modi had just launched his ambitious 'Swach Bharat Abhiyaan' or 'Clean India' programme. From railway officials to school kids, everyone present there was busy cleaning the railway station. As you come out of the station, spend some time looking at the terracotta wall pieces (Link) that embellish the structure on the front side; it is definitely worth a look. The we walked towards the Magazine (Link) - a residential palace built by Emperor Akbar that serves as the ASI museum today. The next stop was Ajmer's most popular attraction - the sepulchre of Gharib Nawaz (Link). En route we had tasty Lassi by the roadside and gorged on some fresh Singhada (Water Caltrop). We left our footwear and other belongings at a shop near the entrance and bought a green chaddar (carpet) and some flowers as offerings to the revered saint. A man at the shop guided us towards the tomb at the Center of the complex. We managed to negotiate through the crowds and entered the shrine through the small opening with great difficulty.

After paying our obeisance to the Khwaja, we went to the Adhai Din ka Jhopra (Link), a temple that was converted into a mosque by Sultan Qutubuddin Aibak. Having spent about half an hour at this twelfth century masjid, we hired a taxi for Rs. 600/- from the Jhopra to the Taragarh Fort (Link) that overlooks Ajmer and offers some spectacular view of the city. On the way, we had a five minute stop over at the Anna Sagar Lake (Link) which is believed to have been constructed by Anaji Chauhan and beautified by the Mughals. For lunch, we went to Hotel Elite which is situated next to the King Edward VII Memorial and close to the Railway station. I had Shahi Paneer and Rotis whereas the rest had Vegetable Thalli. The food was cheap and very tasty too. From there we took a rickshaw to the Soneji ki Nusiyan (Link) which is a 19^th century temple dedicated to the first Thirthanker Rishabnath which showcases some episodes from Jain mythology. From there we returned back the station, picked our luggage and went to Pushkar in an Omni costing Rs. 450/-.

Nearly 15 km west of Ajmer, the town of Pushkar is referred to in the Puranas as 'Teerth Raj' or the holiest of all pilgrimage centers. Hindu mythology tells us that it was here that Lord Brahma began his herculean task of creating the universe and its myriad inhabitants. In fact, it is one of the handful of places in India where the 'Creator' is worshiped. Moreover, Pushkar is also the center of the annual camel fair which is touted to be world's largest animal fair. Over the last few decades, besides pilgrims, the town has been attracting a large number of foreign tourists too.

After reaching Pushkar at 4:30 pm, we checked in to hotel Kanhaiya Haveli. Run by the Heda family, the hotel is situated close to the holy lake at the heart of the town. Similar to Hotel Sunder Palace, the hotel is huge and spacious; the verandahs and the staircase are decorated with paintings and other show pieces native to the state. Although the rooms are small and not all have proper ventilation, one needs to understand that it is a budget hotel and expectations need to be set accordingly.

After resting for some time, we headed to the Pushkar Lake to spend the evening and watch the aarti on the Varaha Ghat. We had tea at a stall near the entrance of the Raghunath Swamy Temple and then walked to the lake. Surrounded by 52 Ghats, the 22 square km large lake is 'the most happening place' in the small town. We sat at the Kali Ghat with our feet in the tank as small fishes came and nibbled on them. The view of the sun going down amongst the temples on the Ghats with birds flying by was truly stunning. After witnessing the pooja at the Varaha temple, we took a parikrama (round) around the lake. In the evening, Mom and Bhabi did some shopping in the bazaar on the way to the Brahma temple.

RAJASTHAN DIARIES - Day 1

BANGALORE to JAIPUR

Hand painted Ganesha at Hotel Sunder Palace

Earlier this month, we went on a trip to the colorful state of Rajasthan. In the 19 days we spent there, we covered most of the top tourists attractions here be it the magnificent palaces that speak of the grandeur of an bygone era or the impregnable fortresses that stand testimony to the brave Rajput men and women who always chose death before dishonor, the great Thar which has become synonymous with the western state or the dry, deciduous jungles that are inhabited by the magnificent stripped felines. The entire trip was the brain-child of Da who spent months going through Lonely Planet Guide Books and travel websites to meticulous plan the smallest of details including accommodation, the places to see, train tickets and so on.

We i.e. Mummy, Da, Bhabi and me left for Jaipur on October 1 at 10:00 am in the morning. Though the driver booked via Mantri Cabs did not turn up, the guys at Meeru arranged for an airport drop within 20 minutes. Our flight - JetLite was on time and we reached the Delhi airport at 4:00 in the afternoon after a three hour journey. As we neared the national capital, we spotted some of the hallmarks of the city from the sky including the Purana Quila, the Lotus Temple, the Commonwealth Games Stadium (CWG), the Qutub Minar Complex and my favorite - Humayun's Tomb.

Mummy and Bhabi pose for the camera

After having our lunch at McDonald's, we passed walked through the Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport to catch our connecting flight to Jaipur. Inaugurated in July 2010, the Terminal 3 is huge and with its state-of-art infrastructure, it is bound to impress any person coming here, me being no exception. Effort has been made to showcase glimpses from our rich and ancient culture to visitors; the ones that I can remember are the sculptures depicting the twelve asanas (postures) of the Surya Namaskar, the Hiranya Garbha mural and the Mudras or Hand Gestures of Buddha.

We reached our destination - the Pink City at 6:40 pm later that evening; the second journey that lasted for little over an hour was much comfortable when compared to the earlier one. This was the third time that I was visiting Jaipur and I must confess, I am totally mesmerized by it. After all, it is one of those few places in the country that despite of all the growth, has managed to hold on to its medieval heritage as evident from the massive walls around the old city. Take for example the Chhatris that have been built at the end of flyover close to the airport; the statues of the peacocks around the cenotaphs only add to the charm. We hired a pre-paid taxi to reach Hotel Sunder Palace where we had booked our room.

Rasleela painting at Sunder Palace (Left) & Raj Mandir Cinema (Right)

Located in the vicinity of the Hathroi Fort near the Vidhayakpuri Police Station, Hotel Sunder Palace was one of the best hotels that we stayed in during our trip. The rooms here are spacious, well maintained and like in so many hotels across Rajasthan, the ceilings and the walls are decorated with elegant hand paintings. The verandahs are full of paintings depicting scenes from Hindu Mythology (Lord Krishna being the favorite), gun metal statues and the best - Medieval Rajput arms. Then there is this big canvas of a royal procession going past Jaipur's most famous icon - the Hawa Mahal in the lobby area. I was too tired to click the pictures of the various things that are on display here. We were to come back to Jaipur a fortnight later and we had thought that we would stay in the same hotel. Thus I assumed that I would get all the time to get some good snaps of the exhibits. Unfortunately, the hotel was completely occupied when we returned back to the city for the last leg of the tour.

We wanted to go to Bappu Bazaar for some shopping in the evening. However, we were told that most shops in the city close by eight and going to the markets would be futile, we would find later that the old city is 'awake' till 9:30 pm. A rickshaw driver took us to Maharani Market - a large shop selling some local items which was a complete waste of time. It seems that the shop owners here have some sort of 'setting' with rickshaw wallas who insist on taking you there, probably because they get some commission. Next, we went to Gulab Chand Prints which is renowned for its block printed ladies wear. It is located opposite Raj Mandir cinema which is Jaipur's most famous theatre.

We returned to our rooms at 9:30 pm where we were joined by Dad; he had taken an evening flight to the Pink City via Hyderabad. We had our dinner at the Peacock Roof Top Restaurant which is located on the terrace of the Hotel Pearl Palace which was hardly 100 meters from our room and next to the Hathroi Fort. The place seems to be popular with foreign tourists. Amongst the dishes we had there were Lasooni Kebab, Lal Maas, Chicken Lababdar and Paneer Butter Masala. Though slightly over-priced, food was tasty and the staff were quite friendly. We came back to our rooms close to midnight and were off to sleep since we had to catch a train to Ajmer at 6:00 am on the following day.

RIOTS IN UP: ADVANTAGE BJP?

AFTER THE BIHAR SET BACK, CAN THE BJP MAKE A COMEBACK

Courtesy: In.Com

The euphoria over PM Narendra Modi's victory came crashing down after the saffron outfit was beaten 4-6 by the 'Mahaghatbandan' or the Grand Alliance comprising of the RJD, the JD-U and the Congress in Bihar. In spite of sweeping the state in the last Lok Sabha polls, the BJP was humbled in the by-polls with the entire opposition in the state joining hands to successfully stall the Modi juggernaut. With the state going to elections next year, the mega coalition does hold the edge. In Karnataka, where too the party had far exceeded all expectations by winning 17 parliamentary seats in May earlier this year, the saffronists were embarrassed by the INC in its stronghold of Bellary. Besides, the loss of one seat to the Congress in MP also was unexpected. Of course, I will write a more elaborate article on the by-poll results after September 13 when the outcome of the second round of by-elections will be declared.

One of the highlights of the 2014 General Elections was BJP's emphatic win in the mega state of Uttar Pradesh. Having been appointed as the in-charge of UP, former Gujarat Home Minister and Modi's Man Friday Amit Shah got down to task, working out the caste equations, stitching together agreement with smaller parties and organizations and selecting winnable candidates besides giving communal speeches. While the party did extremely well in all the parts of the country, its performance in UP was spectacular; the 71 seats that the BJP won here catapulted it past the 272 mark on its own. Buoyed by the party's fabulous showing in the Lok Sabha 2014 pols, the BJP gone on the offensive, hitting out at the Akhilesh Yadav led government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Amit Shah, now elevated to the position of the BJP president (Link) has his eyes set on the 2017 state assembly polls where the saffronists are hoping to form the next regime in Lucknow after a span of 12 years. The rise in communal tensions following last year's Muzzaffarnagar riots (Link) has only helped their cause. Remember, when the clashes had first broken out, BJP MLAs - Sangeet Som, Suresh Rana and Bharatendu Singh were accused of stoking communal flares. The EC had even rapped Shah for his inflammatory speech at a rally in western UP. A sharp rise in incidents of communal riots over the past few months has put a question mark on the 'secular' credentials of the NDA regime. What has shocked many is the fact that Yogi Adityanath has been put in charge of the by-polls for the 11 assembly segments, scheduled next month. The controversial Gorakhpur MP had earlier in a video, called on the people from the majority community to avenge 'Love Jihad'. With four of these constituencies - Saharanpur Nagar, Bijnor, Thakurwada and Noida situated in Western UP, it remains to be seen if the BJP's attempt at polarization can help it do well.

The other constituencies in UP that will go the by-polls on 13^th September include Sirathu, Balha and Rohaniya in Purvanchal, Hamirpur and Charkhari in Bundelkhand as well as Nighasen and Lucknow - East in Awadh. All the 11 seats fell vacant since the incumbent BJP MLAs were elected to the Lower House of the Parliament. The Samajwadi Party (SP) that swept the polls in 2012 assembly polls is clearly on the back foot. The complete failure of the Akhilesh administration in keeping the law and order situation under control over the last two years has led to an anti-incumbency wave that led to the rout of the Mulayum Singh led outfit in the General Polls. Ahead of the by-polls, the SP chief who has based most of their policies on 'minority appeasement' under the garb of 'Secularism' seems to have become desperate. Nearly three years after he was shown the door, the Yadav strongman was seen sharing the stage with his friend turned foe Amar Singh. This was seen as a move to cut the party's Muslim face Azam Khan to size. In fact, he was even ready to join hands with his bête noire BSP leader Mayawati if Lalu Prasad was ready to mediate terms between the two political rivals. However, the latter turned down the offer since her party never contests by-polls. On the other hand, with the fight expected to be primarily between the BJP and the SP, the Congress is not expected to be a serious contender. Meanwhile, with Mulayum retaining the Azamgarh parliamentary seat, the elections to the seat he vacated - Mainpuri will also be held together with the state by-polls. Retaining his home turf will be a matter of prestige for the former wrestler whereas the BJP would want to pack a powerful punch by causing an upset.

Nine constituencies in PM Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat will also go to by-elections in the next two weeks. These include Tankara, Khambhalia, Mangrol, Talaja (Saurashtra), Matar, Limkheda, Maninagar, Anand (Central Gujarat) and Deesa (North Gujarat). Having being sworn in as the Chief Minister of the state three months ago, the elections will be a test for Anandiben Patel too. It remains to be seen if she can win the kind of trust that her illustrious predecessor enjoyed amongst the people of the state. The saffron outfit seems to be confident and has put up as many as eight fresh faces. Like in UP, the elections to Vadodara parliamentary seat which was won by Modi will be also be conducted next month. In May, the PM had won this seat with a record of over 3 lakh votes. Up north in Rajasthan, again a state ruled by the BJP, it is another straight fight between the two major national parties. Like in Gujarat, the seats fell vacant after sitting BJP MLAs from Surajgarh, Weir, Nasirabad and Kota - South made the cut to the Lok Sabha. Having painted the state orange twice within a span of six months, CM Vasundhara Raje and her party are expected to sail though easily despite of the INC trying hard to rediscover its winning streak here. In Chhattisgarh though, the fight for Antagarh constituency in the Bastar region may be neck and neck since the grand old party did better than the ruling BJP in this part of the state last year.

In the east, as many as four different states will witness by-elections. Assam which has been hit by communal and racial clashes in the last few months will see polls being conducted in Silchar (Barak Valley), Jamnunamukh and Lakhimpur (Upper Assam). For the saffron camp which bagged 7 of the 14 parliamentary seats from the state this year, it is a good opportunity to perform well and portray itself as a strong contender in 2016. On the other hand, Congress CM Tarun Gogoi needs to first put his own house in order and placate the section of the party unhappy with him so that he could face off the tough challenge posed by the opposition. In the Rangang-Yangang seat in Sikkim, incumbent CM Pawan Kumar Chamling's brother Rup Narayan is in the fray as an independent. The serving CM had won two seats and had vacated this constituency. This has become a major embarrassment for the SDF. In Tripura, the only state where the Communist continue to do well, the CPI(M) is most likely to retain the Manu seat. In Bengal, the TMC is engaged in a four cornered fight with the Lefts, the Congress and the BJP over Basirhat - South and Chowringhee. Though Didi holds the edge, it will be interesting to see if any of the three opposition parties can beat the Trinamool. Moving into the peninsular region, with KCR taking oath as the first CM of Telangana, his parliamentary seat of Medak will see by-polls. While the TRS is expected to win the seat with a huge margin, the INC is looking for revenge for Rao's renegade on his promise of merging his outfit into the Congress. The TDP-BJP alliance too is in the fray. For Nandigama by-elections in Andhra, the contest is between the TDP and the INC after the YSRCP refused to field any candidate. Meanwhile, the date of counting is on 16^th September, three days after the voters cast their votes.

For more on the August-September 2014 By-polls, click here (Link)

IMAGES

(1) Courtesy: In.Com (Link)

RAJASTHAN & LOK SABHA 2014

CAN THE BJP STORM THE DESERT STATE

The 2013 state elections, especially those held in the months of November and December have been a big morale booster for the BJP. Except for Delhi, it ended up forming the government in other three states, a huge achievement since it was facing anti-incumbency in at least two of these. The win in Madhya Pradesh was expected and the party was always believed to be holding an edge over its rivals in Chhattisgarh. However, it has been the victory in Rajasthan or the extent of the victory that surprised me the most. The saffron outfit under its Chief Ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje Scindia won over 80 percent of the seats even as the Congress limped to a humiliating tally of 21, a decline of about eighty seats from the last polls in 2008. Remember in 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Rajasthan was swept by the Congress as it took home 20 of the 25 seats from the state. With the saffron party's figures plummeting to a lowly 4, the top brass asked Raje to take moral responsibility and kept out of the state politics. However, five years down the line she was brought back into the forefront and made the chief of BJP's electoral campaign. After successfully leading her party and scoring an amazing win over her arch rival Ashok Gehlot, the former royal is the new queen of the desert state.

ISSUES

(1) The Ripple effect of the 2013 elections: With the gap between the state elections and the 2014 General Elections being just a few months, the results of the local polls are expected to have a big effect on how the electorate votes while choosing the next Central government. The extent of BJP's victory in 2013 has been enormous; the very fact that it crossed the 150 mark quite comfortably indicates a massive wave in its favor. At a time when the masses want development, the previous Gehlot regime did not take any worthwhile measure in this direction during its tenure. Not so surprisingly, it was booted out. Meanwhile, Raje's Suraj Sankhalp Yatra helped her connect with the people on the ground. The saffron outfit wants to ride on the wave and wrest Rajasthan back from the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

(2) The UPA II government's performance: The general perception is that the UPA II government in New Delhi has failed to deliver and the desert state is no exception. A plethora of corruption allegations including 2G, Commonwealth and Coalgate have tarnished the image of the incumbent regime at a time when the country was awakened by developments triggered after the fast by anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare in August 2011. The policy paralysis and economic slowdown has led to a general sense of unhappiness with the Singh government. One of the biggest failures of the Congress has been its inability to control inflation and the price rise has only made the matters worse.

(3) Modi at Centre and Raje in Jaipur: During the Madhya Pradesh state elections it was being speculated that there were some differences between Narendra Modi and Shivraj Singh Chauhan as both were once considered for the post of BJP's PM nominee for 2014. However, no such issues exist between the Gujarat strongman and Raje. In fact, during the polls she was more than happy to play second fiddle to him in election rallies they attended together. The combined popularity of both the leaders is expected to swing the balance heavily in BJP's favor. After Gujarat, Rajasthan is one state where Modi has a large fan base. On the other hand, after coming to power, Raje has looked drastically different from here earlier stint when she was labelled indifferent and haughty.

CONTENDERS

(1) BJP: The saffron outfit is in the driver's seat. After a spectacular performance in the state polls, the party is all set to score big in the General Elections too. The Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia however, is taking no chances. In spite of romping home to power, she is putting in all the efforts to maximize her party's poll prospects. She is trying to connect to the ordinary people by travelling in trains, a clear attempt at image makeover. The former royal who was known to lead a lavish life during her earlier tenure has to play a major role in case the BJP has to form the next government at the Centre.

(2) Congress: The INC in Rajasthan, as in many states in the Hindi heartland, is in a soup. After the drubbing it got in last state polls, the party seems to be headed for a rout in upcoming Lok Sabha elections from here. The priority of the Congress will be to cut down its loses as far as possible. Choosing the right candidates could well make the difference. At the same time, you can even expect the grand old party to refuse tickets to some of its sitting MPs and field new faces.

The Aam Admi Party (AAP) will make its electoral debut in the state in the upcoming General Election. The National People's Party (NPP) which fielded several dissidents from the national parties and won four seats in the assembly does have an outside chance to cause upsets though it may not win any seats. The Bahujan Smamajwadi Party and the National Unionist Zamindar Party (NUZP) have just pockets of influence but are most likely to finish with no seats. Amongst the parties that constitute the Third Front, the Samajwadi Party and the Janata Dal (United) are marginal players.

PAST PERFORMANCE

As it is evident from the below chart, Rajasthan is a swing state i.e. either of the two national parties sweeps the state, winning an overwhelming majority of the seats from the state. Between 1999 and 2007, the saffron outfit was the dominant player here. It did exceedingly well in 1999 General Elections and dislodged the Congress government from power in 2003. The very next year when the NDA faced a shock defeat, the desert state still elected 21 BJP representatives to the Parliament. Things started changing in 2008 when Gehlot extracted revenge from Scindia as the INC came to power in Jaipur. In the following year, the Congress won 20 of the 25 seats during the General Elections as it defied anti-incumbency to script a famous win. Now with the BJP winning with a thumping majority in the recently concluded assembly polls, people here are expecting the party to perform strongly in 2014 too.

Political Party	2013 SE	2009 GE	2008 SE	2004 GE	2003 SE	1999 GE
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)	162	4	78	21	120	16
Congress	21	20	96	4	56	9
Others	17	1	26	-	24	-

(1) SE: State Elections (The Rajasthan state assembly has 200 seats.)
(2) GE: General Elections (Rajasthan sends 25 MPs to the Lower House of the Parliament.)

MY PREDICTIONS

In my opinion, the saffron brigade is all set to finish with a superb tally of around 20 seats. The Congress is heading to a massive defeat in the state and it will be an achievement if they can even cross five seats. The Aam Admi Party (AAP) may open its account in the state.

	Political Party	Expected Seats
1	Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)	16-22
2	Congress	4-8
3	Aam Admi Party (AAP)	0-1

WATCH OUT

(1) The Battle for Jhunjhunu: The Aam Admi Party (AAP) has named former Lt General of Army Raj Kadyan as its candidate from Jhunjhunu constituency in North Western Rajasthan. After former Army Chief General V K Singh joined the BJP this week, there are speculations that he may be made to contest against Kadyan from here. Considering that Kadyan and Singh have had several bitter war of words in the past, the contest could gather momentum in the next few weeks. Besides, both ex-servicemen belong to the two dominant yet rival castes from the Shekawati region of the state - Singh is a Thakur whereas Kadyan belongs to the Jat community.

(2) Future of Ashok Gehlot: What will be the political future of former CM Ashok Gehlot? Born in 1951, he is still young by political standards. However, after the kind of beating that Congress party got, it remains to be seen if the Gandhis trust him with some important responsibility in the future. There was some buzz in political circle that Rahul Gandhi wanted to chose a new face to led the party prior to the 2013 polls. However, Gehlot still managed to convince the high command to retain him. After a utterly humiliating defeat, can he still make a comeback. well, that remains to be seen.

For more posts in this series:
(1) Telangana & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(2) Karnataka & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(3) Maharashtra & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(4) Goa & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(5) Kerala & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(6) Assam & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(7) Tripura & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(8) Haryana & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(9) Chhattisgarh & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(10) Jammu Kashmir & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(11) Madhya Pradesh & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(12) Bihar & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(13) Jharkhand & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(14) Sikkim & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(15) Arunachal Pradesh & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(16) Nagaland & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(17) Manipur & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(18) Meghalaya & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(19) Mizoram & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(20) Delhi & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(21) Uttarakhand & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(22) Himachal Pradesh & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(23) Gujarat & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(24) Punjab & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(25) Bengal & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(26) Odisha & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(27) Tamil Nadu & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(28) Andhra & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)
(29) Uttar Pradesh & Lok Sabha 2014 (Link)

THE STATES THAT MATTER: NOV-DEC 2013

THE DRESS-REHEARSAL BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTIONS

The State elections - November/December 2014

As a politically eventful year nears its end, five states will go to the polls in November-December 2013, most of these seeing a straight fight between the two major parties in the country - the Congress and the BJP. On the eve of the impending battle in 2014, the upcoming elections are an excellent opportunity for the ruling UPA (United Progressive Alliance) to asses the performance of the central government in the last decade of its rule or as its detractors say, its misrule. Though anti-incumbency is on a all time high and the ratings of the PM and his party are falling at a rather alarming rate, the INC is putting its 'best foot' forward with Vice President Rahul Gandhi talking on issues that affect the aam admi like his mother's deteriorating health, the assassination of his father and grand mother in spite of their 'great' contribution towards the country and the startling claim of ISI's role in instigating violence in Muzzaffarabad. I must say that Baba is quite courageous; to go on the big stage and talk 'nonsense' in front of thousands of people hit by poverty, price rise and unemployment is no mean feat.

For the principal Opposition - the BJP, their prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is on a blitzkrieg, addressing rallies in these states, asking people to support his outfit while personally targeting the Prime Minister. While conveniently forgetting his administrative failure during the 2002 Godhra riots - the primary reason for the fall of the Vajpayee regime way back in 2004, he is being portrayed by the right wing as a 'Super Hero' who will rid India of all the problems that plague her. In a country which traditionally draws its strength from cultural, religious, regional and linguistic diversity, a 'divisive' leader like NaMo is a complete misfit. Needless to say, in a democracy like where its only the numbers that count, who actually cares about morals after all? And the BJP is no exception. Thankfully for the people, none of the constituents of the much hyped Third Front have any significant presence here. Although the General elections may be just about seven months away, we also need to realize that state elections are to a large extent fought on local issues and a great performance here may not be easy to replicate at the Center in the days to come. Nonetheless, a good show will for sure, boost the morale in the victor's camp.

In Delhi, Sheila Dixit will lead the charge for the Congress as she battles for a forth consecutive term. Although there seems to be wide spread dissatisfaction about her government, she still continues to be quite popular amongst the masses, something that her party is hoping will work in their favor. In spite of her personal image, the furor over the Delhi Common Wealth Games corruption scandal, the outrage following the Nirbhaya rape case and rising prices will make it extremely difficult for the Congress to cross the half way mark of 35 on its own. In fact, for the INC, winning this poll on its own will be like climbing the Everest without any oxygen cylinders. Meanwhile, the BJP should be credited for completely messing up the situation which till recently was heavily tilted on its side. The indecisiveness over its leadership here, something that we generally associate with the INC, has stolen the thunder off its campaign. The Aam Admi Party (AAP) born out of Anna Hazare movement's Lokpal movement is emerging as a serious contender as it is raking up the issues that affect the people of the capital. With Arvind Kejriwal training its gun over the two major national parties, the newly launched outfit may severely damage the prospects of both Sheila Dixit and Harsh Vardhan.

In Madhya Pradesh, CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan is relying on his work in the last seven years at the helm of affairs to win a third straight term in Bhopal for the BJP. I wonder whether not taing any strict action against the sand mafia here is also one of his many 'developmental' schemes. While trends seem to indicate that his party is likely to reach the magic mark of 115 quite comfortably, even though it may end up losing about 20 seats, the saffron brigade cannot be complacent and drop its guard. Hope the party remembers the disaster of 2004 when its complacency allowed the Congress to script a famous win. MP and young Turk Jyothiraditya Scindia, with his clean image and connectivity with the youth, is overlooking the elections for the Congress, which like its nemesis in Delhi seems to not have learnt any lessons from bitter experiences in the earlier elections. In neighboring Chattisgarh too, the charisma and the development work of Raman Singh is working for the BJP, in spite of the fact that parallel government of the Maoists is controlling several parts of the state. Unfortunately for the Congress, it lost most of its top brass in the ghastly Darbha attack and ever since has become directionless. Ajit Jogi, the former CM is its only hope in giving some competition to the BJP.

If media reports are to be believed, Vasundhara Raje Scindia is all set to return as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan for a second term, five years after losing power to Congress' Ashok Gelhot. Raje has done her homework well this time around, mending differences with other leaders in the state as well as those in Delhi. For the state government, fighting anti-incumbency that seems to be looming large, will be rather difficult. However, writing off a veteran like Gelhot can be a costly mistake. The last state to go to the polls is Mizoram in the North east where the Congress is presently in power. CM Lal Thanawla will face a potent threat from the Mizo National Front led by extremist turned politician Zoramathanga. As the fight for the five states intensifies in the coming days, expect fireworks, numerous allegations and counter allegations, many defections and several mammoth rallies to woo the voters. While local issues may ultimately decide the winners, there is no doubt they will impact the big general elections scheduled in May 2014 in more ways than one.

ATITHI DEVO BHAVAH

Credit: International Crane Foundation

The real India, as Mahatma Gandhi once said, lies in her myriad villages and no worthwhile development is possible on the national front without the active participation of our rural brothers. Although most of our villages are still plagued by social evils and insufficient infrastructure development, there is no doubt in the fact that village communities have the potential to improve their living, without much assistance from the government, when the people are inspired and their infinite energies are directed in the right manner. The village of Khichan in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan is a perfect example of how community development and social activism at the rural level can help villagers improve their living standards. The village, which has become popular among bird watchers, achieved international recognition when it was featured in Birding World magazine in an article titled, “Khichan - the Demoiselle crane village."

Located in the pristine sands of the Thar desert, Khichan is just like any other village located in the region. From the outside, there is not much in the village that makes it stand apart from the other villages that surround it. The economy is agrarian and the nearest town, Phalodi, located 4.5 km away, is renowned for its salt industry. However, with the onset of winter, winged visitors from plains and steppes of Eurasia and Mongolia come to this village, primarily due to the tradition of feeding wild birds established here, a few decades ago. The feeding programme, coupled with the presence of sand dunes and water ponds, has made this place a favourite destination for the migratory Demoiselle cranes, while on their stay in India.

The Demoiselle cranes (Anthropides virgo) are the smallest and second most abundant species of cranes in the world, with sightings being reported from as many as 47 countries. They weigh about 2-3 kg with a height of 89 cm and wing span of 155 -180 cm. Essentially grassland birds, the cranes have plain bluish gray plumage and are omnivores. They mainly feed on plant materials, insects, peanuts, beans and other cereal grains, and small animals. Demoiselle cranes have to take one of the toughest migrations in the world. In late August through September, they gather in flocks of up to 400 individuals and prepare for their flight to their winter range. Along their arduous journey they have to cross the Himalayan mountains to get to their over wintering grounds in India, many die from fatigue, hunger and predation from birds such as eagles. At their wintering grounds, Demoiselles have been observed flocking with Common cranes, their combined totals reaching up to 20,000 individuals.

The annual feeding spectacle began when a local, belonging to the Jain community, started offering grains to the feathered visitors or Kurjars, as they are locally known here. Soon as the number of people looking after the cranes grew, the feathered visitors seem to have been deeply impressed by the 'Khichan brand of hospitality'. This can be inferred from the fact that the number of Demoiselles arriving in this place annually, grew from a few dozen in the 1980s to well over 15,000 today. Although omnivores, villagers in the Khichan, like in other parts of the Thar, venerate them for their perceived vegetarian eating habits and for the norm of keeping a single life partner all through their lifetime. In fact both of the above perceived behavioral patterns of these cranes are consistent with the teachings of Mahavir, the founder of Jainism.

Credit: International Crane Foundation

With the donations coming primarily from the Jain community, the villagers have constructed a rectangular enclosure 50x60 m at the edge of the village, known locally as Chugga Ghar (Feeding Centre). The children of the village chip in their bit and it is their duty to spread the grains before the flocks of cranes arrive for their breakfast session of about 90 min. After feeding, the cranes, in large congregations, are seen at some of the water bodies and sand dunes to the north of Khichan. They face the sun, their tie-like black chest feathers contrasting with the blue winter sky. A short while later they depart in different directions in small family flocks in a disciplined order led by the female, followed closely by two young ones with the male forming the rear guard. Again, during mid-day, they assemble for a drink, followed by an occasional bath, and a second feed. Acrobatic exhibition of mutual affection between couples is also seen. They roost in faraway agriculture fields and return to the same water bodies next day, early in the morning. As per the report of the International crane Foundation:

"All cranes engage in dancing, which includes various behaviors 

such as bowing, jumping, running, stick or grass tossing, and wing flapping.

Dancing can occur at any age and is commonly associated with courtship, however, 

it is generally believed to be a normal part of motor development for cranes 

and can serve to thwart aggression, relieve tension, and strengthen the pair bond."

The people of this village are very protective of their annual visitors. This fact comes into prominence from the story of Sevaram Mallu Parhivar, a local contractor. Seeing that a large number of birds were getting electrocuted, he filed a complaint with the District Administration, asking for placing the electric transmission lines underground. As the DC ignored his repeated complaints, he approached the High Court against the State Electricity Board. However, inspite of his noble intentions, the Court imposed a fine of Rs. 4 lakhs on him. But with the help of the State Forest Department, Sevaram filed an appeal in the High Court and eventually won the case.

Credit: International Crane Foundation

In fact such is the love and admiration of the Demoiselles that they have become a part of the local tradition and culture. They are an integral part of the desert love lore about Marwari migrants of yore who were forced to live separately from their loved ones due to compulsions of trade. Fussy eaters amongst the kids are known as 'Kurjars' and engaged girls are fondly referred to as 'Kurjaris'. The birds are revered as messengers of God and are believed to yield magical powers.

The place is soon developing into a magnet for tourists. A large number of travelers, both local and international, come to Khichan to see and study these migratory birds from such close range and in such large numbers. Their flights, in the setting of the conventional mansions (some of them are heritage buildings being converted to tourist lodges) of the village, present brilliant photo-ops. The Marwar Crane Foundation has pledged financial support to the feeding program. A director of the International Crane Foundation has visited Khichan. This foundation is also supporting the efforts of Marwar Crane Foundation in feeding the cranes. The government, for a change, has been quick enough to realize the potential of this place as a popular tourist attraction, thanks to the cranes and peculiar indigenous architecture. As such, the State government has given heritage status to the village and it has also got a package of Rs. 75 lakhs from the Union government in the last budget.

In recent times, the cranes have been disturbed by dogs and passing villagers. To add to the problems, illegal encroachments have developed over the years, much to the consternation of bird watching vacation tourists. There has been also an effort to move the prevailing feeding area as it has become too crowded but it has not yet been implemented. Also, the feeding program has led to a drastic increase in the number of crows, pigeons and rats in the village, which has increased the vulnerability to diseases. Besides, a significant number of the people here feel that it would be better if the money was spent on the poor and the needy, rather than the migratory birds.

Although there will be skeptics, the village of Khichan is a testimonial to the fact that man and nature can co-exist peacefully. The villagers here have realized the fact that their own survival is inter-linked with that of their feathered friends. It is instances like this that bring to light, the amount of knowledge that is present in the interiors of India, and make us proud to be Indians.

Credit: International Crane Foundation

Special Thanks to : Vishwanath Bhat

SOURCES

(1) NDTV Profit: Apollo Presents - The Unstoppable Indians (Link)

(2) The Hindu - Desert turns birds’ paradise (Link)

(3) Lal Nivas - Demoiselle Cranes: The Royalty of Khichan (Link)

(4) Wikipedia – Khichan (Link)

IMAGES

(1) Credit: International Crane Foundation (Link)

Original: Demoiselle Cranes

(2)  Credit: International Crane Foundation (Link)

Original: Demoiselle Cranes

(3) Credit: International Crane Foundation (Link) 
Original: Demoiselle Cranes

 (4) Credit: Wikipedia (Link)

Original: Anthropoides virgo at Twycros Zoo