The world's largest democratic event

[Vikrant]

Modi-fied India: An interesting play on words by RT.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stormed into power on Friday riding on the crest of a Narendra Modi tsunami which gave a clear majority to a single party for the first time in India for 30 years and swept the ruling Congress into oblivion.

It has become the worst-ever electoral performance by the Grand Old Party. With Modi emerging as the undisputed strong man of India, this will have its own implications for the world.

Here is my take on the specific countries and regions that are crucial for India.

...

?Modi-fied? India: Implications of BJP?s landslide win ? RT Op-Edge

 

[Vikrant]

[MENTION=46168]Statistikhengst[/MENTION]

I finally found two links that remotely resemble statistics.

This link gives you male and female voter turnouts for each state:
RptSTATE_WISE_TURNOUT

This link gives you the number of seats won by each political party:
Partywise Trends & Result

 

[Statistikhengst]

[MENTION=46168]Statistikhengst[/MENTION]

I finally found two links that remotely resemble statistics.

This link gives you male and female voter turnouts for each state:
RptSTATE_WISE_TURNOUT

This link gives you the number of seats won by each political party:
Partywise Trends & Result

Thanks! I will definitely check it out.

 

[Vikrant]

India is getting ready for swearing ceremony of its new PM.

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Narendra Modi will take the oath as India's new prime minister on 26 May, his BJP party has announced.

On Tuesday, he met President Pranab Mukherjee and formally claimed his right to form the government after his party's landslide win in the election.

Earlier, BJP MPs elected Mr Modi the leader of the parliamentary party.

In a very emotional speech to them, Mr Modi fought back tears and promised to lead a government dedicated to the poor and to young people.

On arrival at the parliament house to attend the meeting with the newly-elected BJP MPs and their allies, Mr Modi bowed and kissed the steps of the building.

His name was proposed by senior BJP leader LK Advani to lead the party and seconded by several senior leaders, including Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.

Mr Modi broke down while referring to his former mentor Mr Advani and promised to serve the BJP and India as his "mother".

In his speech to the party MPs, Mr Modi said the "common man has got renewed self-confidence and faith in democracy" after his party's victory last week.

"For rural areas, farmers, dalits [formerly Untouchables], the weak and the pained, this government is for them. To meet their aspirations and hopes, this is our responsibility because our weakest and poorest have sent us here," he added.

Decisive triumph
After his meeting with the president, Mr Modi showed reporters the letter he had received from Mr Mukherjee inviting him to form the government and said the oath taking ceremony will take place at 18:00 IST (12:30 GMT) on Monday.

A group of senior ministers are also expected to be sworn in at the ceremony which will be held at the presidential palace.

Mr Modi has been holding a series of meetings to finalise his cabinet.

Given the margin of victory, the BJP will be able to govern without coalition partners - 272 MPs are required for an absolute majority.

Narendra Modi secured the most decisive election victory in India in three decades, campaigning on promises to revive the economy.

The Congress party finished with just 44 of the 543 seats and under 20% of the vote in what was its worst ever performance.

BBC News - India sets date to swear in Narendra Modi as new PM

 

[georgephillip]

The political scientist/poet Manash Bhattacharjee seems to think Indian voters have just martyred thinking with their overwhelming support for the Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi:

"Does national pride need thinking? Does hatred of a neighboring country need thinking?

"Does hatred of another community need thinking?

"Neither pride nor hatred needs thinking. Pride and hatred are feelings that don't have any future, because they belong to a past that never changes, a past that remains the same.

"Pride remains like dolls in the cupboard and trophies on the walls, and hatred, like numerous unnamed graves and forgotten cremations.

"Pride and hatred are not necessarily tied to each other.

"You don't need to hate another country to have pride in your own.

"But that is the logic fascism manages to instill: Patriotism is not sporty competition, but war.

"Fascism argues the fearful logic that pride is useless without bloodshed. It is a logic without thought, an unthinking logic.

"But it comes with a price people pay because the ability to think has been abandoned for feelings that inspire trophies and graves.

"There is no thinking in fascism, but there is reason..."

Are the ghosts of Gujarat about to cast their ballots?

Fools of Fascism

 

[Vikrant]

Indian PM (elect) invites Pakistani PM to his inaugural.

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New India PM Invites Pakistan Leader to Inaugural - ABC News

 

[Statistikhengst]

Indian PM (elect) invites Pakistani PM to his inaugural.

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New India PM Invites Pakistan Leader to Inaugural - ABC News

Now, THAT is news!


Wow. Who would have ever thought that possible 40 years ago...


[MENTION=43534]Vikrant[/MENTION]

 

[Vikrant]

[MENTION=46168]Statistikhengst[/MENTION]

One interesting thing about this election was that Muslims voted for BJP in large number rejecting fear mongering that was being done by Congress party.

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Muslims also wanted change ? rejecting fear, many voted for BJP: Sirajuddin Qureshi - The Times of India

 

[Vikrant]

Nawaz Sharif accepts PM Modi - Designate's invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony.

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(Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has accepted an invitation to attend the inauguration of Indian Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, a first in the history of the nuclear-armed rivals, an official said on Saturday.

"There will be a bilateral meeting on the sidelines between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Mr. Modi," Mohyuddin Wani, the joint secretary of the prime minister's office, told Reuters. "Mr. Sharif will also be calling on the Indian president."

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence in 1947. Ties have been particularly tense since the 2008 attacks on Mumbai blamed by India on Pakistan-based militants.

Sharif came to power last year promising to rebuild relations with India but has been under pressure to toughen his stance from hardliners at home, particularly within the army.

The top source of friction is his aim to boost trade with India. Many army officers say India must vacate its part of the disputed territory of Kashmir before ties can improve.

In India too, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's efforts to rebuild economic and diplomatic ties fell apart when deadly skirmishes broke out along the border in Kashmir last year.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party has long advocated a tough stance on Pakistan, a view reflected in his election campaign that produced a parliamentary majority. The new Indian leader is seen as a hardliner on issues of national security.

Officials in Pakistan are also hopeful that Modi will seize an opportunity to rebuild ties, because he is much less vulnerable to the charges of weakness that plagued Singh.

...

Pakistan prime minister to attend inauguration of India's Modi | Reuters

 

[longknife]

Nawaz Sharif accepts PM Modi - Designate's invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony.

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(Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has accepted an invitation to attend the inauguration of Indian Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, a first in the history of the nuclear-armed rivals, an official said on Saturday.

"There will be a bilateral meeting on the sidelines between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Mr. Modi," Mohyuddin Wani, the joint secretary of the prime minister's office, told Reuters. "Mr. Sharif will also be calling on the Indian president."

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence in 1947. Ties have been particularly tense since the 2008 attacks on Mumbai blamed by India on Pakistan-based militants.

Sharif came to power last year promising to rebuild relations with India but has been under pressure to toughen his stance from hardliners at home, particularly within the army.

The top source of friction is his aim to boost trade with India. Many army officers say India must vacate its part of the disputed territory of Kashmir before ties can improve.

In India too, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's efforts to rebuild economic and diplomatic ties fell apart when deadly skirmishes broke out along the border in Kashmir last year.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party has long advocated a tough stance on Pakistan, a view reflected in his election campaign that produced a parliamentary majority. The new Indian leader is seen as a hardliner on issues of national security.

Officials in Pakistan are also hopeful that Modi will seize an opportunity to rebuild ties, because he is much less vulnerable to the charges of weakness that plagued Singh.

...

Pakistan prime minister to attend inauguration of India's Modi | Reuters

This is truly great news! Few of us outside the region understand the full import of this. It is vital that these two decades-long foes find a way to make a sort of peace.

 

[Statistikhengst]

Nawaz Sharif accepts PM Modi - Designate's invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony.

---

(Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has accepted an invitation to attend the inauguration of Indian Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, a first in the history of the nuclear-armed rivals, an official said on Saturday.

"There will be a bilateral meeting on the sidelines between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Mr. Modi," Mohyuddin Wani, the joint secretary of the prime minister's office, told Reuters. "Mr. Sharif will also be calling on the Indian president."

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence in 1947. Ties have been particularly tense since the 2008 attacks on Mumbai blamed by India on Pakistan-based militants.

Sharif came to power last year promising to rebuild relations with India but has been under pressure to toughen his stance from hardliners at home, particularly within the army.

The top source of friction is his aim to boost trade with India. Many army officers say India must vacate its part of the disputed territory of Kashmir before ties can improve.

In India too, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's efforts to rebuild economic and diplomatic ties fell apart when deadly skirmishes broke out along the border in Kashmir last year.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party has long advocated a tough stance on Pakistan, a view reflected in his election campaign that produced a parliamentary majority. The new Indian leader is seen as a hardliner on issues of national security.

Officials in Pakistan are also hopeful that Modi will seize an opportunity to rebuild ties, because he is much less vulnerable to the charges of weakness that plagued Singh.

...

Pakistan prime minister to attend inauguration of India's Modi | Reuters

This is truly great news! Few of us outside the region understand the full import of this. It is vital that these two decades-long foes find a way to make a sort of peace.

I concur with you.

 

[Vikrant]

New PM is going to have much smaller sized cabinet.

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The Indian government on Tuesday announced its list of cabinet ministers along with their portfolios, a day after Narendra Modi was sworn in as the new prime minister.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies won a landslide victory in a mammoth general election, grabbing 336 of the 543 seats and ending the Congress-led government’s decade-long rule.

Besides Modi, 45 other members were inducted into the new council of ministers, a third smaller than the previous government. Modi himself would look after atomic energy, space, personnel and any ministry not allocated to a cabinet colleague.

Modi announced on Sunday that a smaller cabinet was a move to a more centralised system of governing, aimed at breaking bottlenecks widely blamed for dragging down India’s economic growth.

Arun Jaitley, a former commerce and law minister, takes charge of finance, corporate affairs and defence, although he said the defence ministry charge is temporary. Rajnath Singh is India’s new home minister.

Narendra Modi?s new team of ministers | India Insight