By-Election

Despite the rout in LS polls earlier this year, the BJP has done well in the By-Election in both Gujarat & MP.

Modi has won 5 out of the 7 seats. And 6 of them has been held by Cong for the last 10 years.

And Shivraj Singh in MP has once again proved he is a consumate, unassuming politician by doing well.

Does these by-elections results say anything? I for one believe it is a commentary on the BJP Central Leadership. While the State leadership continues to deliver, the central leadership flounders. With Rajnath at the helm, you can not expect anything else.

I think the time has come to consider State Leadership of BJP as independent Profit Centres and integrate them at the national level to mount a serious challenge on the Congress. At the end of the day, the ordinary voter is interested in what the Govt has to offer and does not really care about what the ideological beliefs, etc. If ideology is going to sway voters, the Dravidan movement in TN would not be ruling the State since 1967.

I think it is hightime BJP gets into brasstacks and develop strong local leadership, who are honest, sincere, educated, committed (a la Parrikar) and let them lead.

Austerity

The UPA Govt is talking abt Austerity in these times of severe drought, job losses & economic meltdown. It sounds to me like lip-service and total hyprocrisy. If the Govt is serious about cost cutting, they must start with downsizing the Ministry. Any intelligent man will fail to understand why we must have 2 ministers for almost all portfolios (one with Cabinet rank and another Mos). While the Cabinet Minister goes around globe-trotting, the MoS has to be content with ribbon cutting in inconsequential public functions and delivering guest lectures in bogus universities. And why should it apply only to Ministers? What about the Bureaucrats, who escape the spotlight. Are they not equally culpable?

But in this whole drama, one thing that really amused me was the balls shown by Mr Tharoor. He says he can't live in Kerala House becos it does not have a Gym. Oh really? How about taking a membership in some swanky gyms in New Delhi? And he goes on to justify it by saying he is not using tax payers money but settles his bills from his hard-earned money, as a formel Diplomat.

I find both the Govt as well as Mr Tharoor's stand as extreme.