Sunday, June 16, 2013

Defending NaMo


Congress strategy to counter NaMo rests on a single point:  Deny Deny Deny the ‘Modi Miracle’.

This strategy entails belittling and denying every achievement NaMo has brought to the great state of Gujarat.  Let us address and demolish their silly arguments.

1.       Congress/Media Argument:  Gujarat was always progressive.  Gujarat is progressing thanks to the smart, entrepreneurial Gujarati and NaMo has merely taken credit for the hard work of intelligent, industrious Gujaratis

Answer: The same intelligent Gujarati keeps reelecting NaMo.  Because he/she can see the progress first-hand and gives NaMo the credit by voting for him

                                                               i.      There is no doubt that the Gujarati people are an intelligent and hardworking lot.   In every part of India and across the globe you will find them rising early and turning a dime into a dollar.  More importantly Gujaratis are highly patriotic people.  Is it any surprise than that Gandhiji and Sardar Patel, two of our greatest freedom fighters were Gujaratis?

                                                             ii.      NaMo has repeatedly given credit for Gujarat’s phenomenal progress to his 6 crore Gujaratis

                                                            iii.      But this same intelligent Gujarati keeps voting NaMo back to power, in election after election.  And in every election the margins improve as more and more Gujaratis imbibe the ‘Modi Miracle’

                                                           iv.      Congress trolls cannot have it both ways:  They cannot claim that Gujaratis are smart and implicitly call them dumb when they repeatedly support NaMo in election after election

                                                             v.      Bottom-line:  Gujaratis are smart, intelligent and hardworking.  There is marked progress in Gujarat over the past 12 years and Gujaratis give NaMo credit for it.  There is no better proof of this than the voting pattern of Gujaratis in election after election

2.       Congress/Media Argument:  The ‘Modi Miracle’ is not ‘inclusive’ as it excludes Muslims, Adivasis and Backward Castes

Answer: In 2012, these traditional Congress supporters voted heavily in favor of NaMo.  Clearly progress has reached them and their support for NaMo is proof of it

                                                               i.      Whether it was the ‘Garib Kalyan Melas’ or the ‘Van bandhu scheme’ no state has delivered such large scale progress to the lowest rungs of society as NaMo’s Gujarat

                                                             ii.      24x7 power supply, drip irrigation, girl child education, etc. have all become a reality for Gujarat’s poor under NaMo

                                                            iii.      And No.  You cannot argue that Muslims voted for NaMo out of fear.  If that was the case they would have voted for him in 2002 and 2007 as well

3.       Congress/Media Argument:  Gujarati Muslims did not vote for NaMo

Answer:  Are even Muslim clerics lying?

                                                               i.      http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/gujarat-muslims-are-voting-for-narendra-modi/1/258161.html

                                                             ii.      http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-hindus-muslims-christians-voted-for-modi-in-gujarat/20130515.htm

                                                            iii.      http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/why-this-muslim-majority-town-in-gujarat-voted-for-narendra-modi-s-bjp-330383

4.       Congress/Media Argument:  Has Gujarat turned into a Singapore?

Answer:  It’s not Singapore but it’s better than any other Indian state

                                                               i.      NaMo has never claimed he has turned Gujarat into another Singapore.  In fact, NaMo’s favorite line is that he has spent the past 12 years filling up the craters dug by successive Congress govts.

                                                             ii.      But Gujarat is heading in the right direction.  The progress is for all to see.  On every parameter – Roads, water supply, power supply, agricultural growth, industrial growth, Gujarat is now being compared to China, as it should be

                                                                   iii.      In early 2012 most of North India witnessed a 48 hour power cut.  Let me repeat that F-O-R-T-Y E-I-G-H-T hours.  That is the contrast NaMo has been highlighting.  He has given Gujarat 24x7x365 uninterrupted power supply.  Something no other leader has given his state.  This is the 'Modi Miracle'.  It is something developed nations such as Singapore take for granted. Well Singapore and Gujarat.

4b.       Congress/Media Argument:  NaMo is a liar

Answer:  Well…..let’s hear what Congress’ own – CMs, Ministers, Babus, etc. – have to say:

                                                               i.      Delhi CM – Mrs. Sheila Dixit, Maharashtra CM – Prithviraj Chavan, Congress MP and owner of IBNLokmat – Darda, and others in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO05lT0RjI4

                                                             ii.      Kashmir tourism minister (congress) – Gulam Ahmad Mir


                                                            iii.      Jairam Ramesh


                                                           iv.      Rajiv Gandhi Foundation



5.       Congress/Media Argument:  BJP and its supporters are perpetuating a ‘Cult of Personality’

Answer:  It’s not a ‘Cult of Personality’.  It is a ‘Cult of Performance’

                                                               i.      NaMo brings with him no lineages.  None in his family or even his caste belonged to a powerful political outfit.

                                                             ii.      NaMo’s only claim lies in his performance

                                                            iii.      You can only judge him by his performance.  Not his daddy or grand daddy or mummy or papa’s deeds

                                                           iv.      He is uncompromising with his devotion to his people.  If anything, it is NaMo who practices the ‘Cult of Service’ to his 6 crore Gujaratis

                                                             v.      How can a man who does not even promote his own family, promote a ‘Cult of Personality’

6.       Congress/Media Argument:  NaMo is intolerant

Answer:  Yes NaMo is intolerant.  Intolerant towards corruption, intolerant toward anti-Indian forces, intolerant against dynastic politics that is looting India and driving her poor citizens to suicide

a.       Gujarat is progressing precisely because NaMo is willing and able to withstand the forces of evil that have usurped Indian political establishment

b.      Forces that are stripping India of her wealth and if left unchecked will eventually lead to  her dismemberment

c.       In fact, it is this unbending attitude and intolerance of the corrupt which has unleashed the combined power of the Delhi Sultanate on NaMo

d.      NaMo could have easily caved-in and bought his peace with the Queen.  But the man is built from a different fiber.

e.      His intolerance is the shield that protects him and adds to his burgeoning army of apostles

7.       Congress/Media Argument: NaMo doesn’t follow Coalition-Dharma

Answer: Coalition Dharma = You plunder, I plunder, We plunder – And NaMo does not permit such plunder


Bottom line:  If we go by Congress party and paid media’s arguments, the smart Gujarati, despite being unemployed, unsafe, malnourished, thirsty, living in darkness, keeps voting for NaMo and his fake ‘Modi Miracle’. 

The Smart Gujarati is doing what he always does, putting his smart money where he’s sure to get the best returns – on NaMo and the galloping ‘Modi Miracle’.

 

More coming in Part 2

Saturday, June 8, 2013

How LKA’s shenanigans will help NaMo


For the past 5-6 years I have unflinchingly supported the idea that a despondent, helpless India will beg NaMo to take over as PM.  For this, I have been accused of being a NaMo chamcha (amongst other more colorful monikers).  As the inevitability of NaMo as PM plays out one final hurdle remains.

Lal Krishna Advani.

At first, like most NaMo and BJP supporters, I had that WT….H reaction.  What is wrong with this much loved patriarch? Why can’t he just ride into the sunset with his well-earned reputation intact?

That initial reaction was followed by a moment of panic.  Would this well-orchestrated tamasha seriously hurt NaMo’s march to Delhi?  Will this political fratricide, leave in its wake, an army too divided and ridden with self-doubt to confront and defeat an entrenched and ruthless evil empire?

It won’t.  In fact the opposite is likely to happen.  Here’s why:

1.       NaMo represents the Politics of Hope.  Unlike say, a John Kerry who was little-known outside the Washington beltway, NaMo is a well-defined entity.  People supporting him, are doing so based on a wealth of information and knowledge.  There’s very little if anything that is unknown about NaMo

a.       This knowledge has helped create the definition of NaMo we all admire and support

                                                               i.      Clean

                                                             ii.      Upright

                                                            iii.      Strong

                                                           iv.      Uncompromising in his patriotism

                                                             v.      Brilliant

                                                           vi.      Proven

                                                          vii.      Visionary

2.       Most importantly, NaMo represents the fledgling forces of meritocracy in Indian politics.  The Best man should win and NaMo is the best.

3.       Contrast these qualities and drivers with LK Advani’s USP – frankly, post Jinnah there is none.

a.       LKA represents politics for ambition sake

b.      Though no one would dare accuse LKA of corruption, proximity and mentorship of the likes of Ananth Kumar has put a question mark on LKA’s credentials vis-à-vis corruption

c.       Post MMS, both personal integrity and an uncompromising attitude toward corruption have become prerequisites.  LKA may qualify on the first test, but his coterie has severely dented his credentials on the second

4.       LKA also brings with him considerable baggage – Kandahar, 2004, 2009, an entourage that treats Sonia with kid gloves, apology to Sonia, Jinnah-was-secular, etc.

5.       For several election cycles, this baggage has hurt BJP’s chances at the center

a.       It has given BJP’s opponents an opportunity to create the golden argument:

                                                               i.      BJP-CONgress same-same

b.      It is this baggage which has allowed Sonia’s brilliant media strategists to paint BJP as CONgress’ B-team

 

LKA’s shenanigans and BJP’s ruthless projection of NaMo as PM candidate will help BJP in several ways:

c.       It allows BJP to cut loose from this baggage it has had to carry with having LKA as the Mentor-in-chief

d.      By unyieldingly supporting NaMo for PM, BJP will send a clear signal and set the agenda:  “We support Good and Clean Governance, We support Meritocracy”

e.      It will signal the new age of ‘Politics of Performance’ - http://inflextionpoint.blogspot.com/2012/02/politics-of-patronage-vs-politics-of.html

f.        Indians are clamoring for a new Political Paradigm – NaMo through his ‘Politics of Performance’ represents just this merit based paradigm

g.       It will give NaMo a clean slate to hand-pick his team

                                                               i.      No more old ideas, old faces and business-as-usual politics

h.      Perhaps, ABV’s biggest failure was that he perpetuated Nehruvian governance.  May be he was handicapped by a 17 party NDA

                                                               i.      Breaking from LKA, helps a NaMo-led BJP to set a new agenda which can convincingly promise to usher in an Indian renaissance based on Politics of Merit/Performance

                                                             ii.      This new hope will infuse all aspects of governance, from security to external affairs and of course the economy

All this is possible only if BJP displays the courage to jettison LKA and his entourage.  Without such a decisive move the aforementioned benefits will r
 
emain a mirage.

So my fellow NaMo Chamchas. Relax. All is well. NaMomentum is unstoppable.

 

 

 

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Lessons from Karnataka – (A few quick) Random Thoughts and Predictions


 

1.       You can’t go to war with a message that says: “Vote for us, we’re less corrupt”

2.       When attacked by CONgress, aim for the Queen and her brood. 

a.       Even if you get buried by CBI, etc. you will emerge a martyr, a hero to your people

b.      You could even play the regional card like NTR did when Rajiv humiliated AP CM

3.       BJP starts with a 20-25% handicap

a.       Minority voters will gang up against BJP

b.      Most states have a threshold of 40% vote share to win a comfortable majority of seats

                                                               i.      Having a lock on 20% minority votes gives CONgress a huge head start

                                                             ii.      While BJP has to win half of the remaining 80%, CONgress has to win just 25% of these votes to cross the aforementioned threshold

                                                            iii.      As explained here - http://centreright.in/2011/06/political-market-segmenttarget-and-deliver/#.UYr34CnD_mI  BJP’s real pool of voters come from approx.65 to 70% of voters.  10% non-minority voters (the elite) rarely vote

                                                           iv.      This further dents BJP’s chances

4.       BJP’s voter base is different

a.       This has been evident since (at least) 2005 when the Pramod Mahajan scandal broke

                                                               i.      If BJP is perceived as CONgress’ mini-me, BJP’s voter base will simply sit it out

                                                             ii.      CONgress, Mayawati, SP, etc have dedicated caste and religious vote banks that have a different set of demands beyond good and clean governance

                                                            iii.      BJP’s vote bank demands – Clean AND Good Governance

                                                           iv.      Hindutva is a nice to have.  Unlike RoL and RoP voters, BJP voters will not forgive/overlook a shady leadership which swears by Hindutva

                                                             v.      NaMo is the best example of this maxim – Clean and Good Governance with Hindutva elements kept on a short lease, in Hindutva’s original laboratory

5.       Mayawati’s win in 2007 was the first indication that people are tired of coalitions and instability

a.       When much-abused Brahmins voted for her in large numbers, days of coalition politics were numbered

                                                               i.      Mayawati 2007

                                                             ii.      UPA2    

                                                            iii.      Maharashtra 2009

                                                           iv.      UP 2012

                                                             v.      Gujarat 2012

b.      But there’s a caveat and it is this

                                                               i.      To harness a decisive mandate, voters must be presented a clear choice

                                                             ii.      At the national level NaMo is the only option and given a clear choice people will give him (not the BJP) a decisive mandate

c.       Example:  If Maharastra was presented with a decisive leader with a  can-do attitude/reputation, CONgress-NCP would be history

6.       Karnataka results are a warning for both Sonia and BJP’s D4: Your days are numbered

a.       Karnataka results suggest a high level of voter awareness

b.      A well informed voter is a decisive voter

c.       Most importantly Indian voter is PISSED OFF

d.      The anger is palpable – Politics of Patronage and cynicism is on its last legs

7.       The biggest winner of Karnataka Polls:  Narendra Modi

a.       “Here he goes again” before you spout that sentiment read this carefully

b.      BJP has little choice left

c.       Resolve of BJP’s cadre will grow stronger vis-à-vis NaMo

d.      With LKA and AK identified as villains any attempts to engineer a coup in their favor will be met with an open cadre-led revolt

e.      Fear of UPA3 will grow with this Karnataka win and make BJP voters more eager to vote – ensuring solid turnout

f.        Complacency will be rooted out “Remember Karnataka”

g.       Just as massive mandates have led to a short honeymoons and rapid voter disenchantment in UP and Bihar, so will Karnataka regret its mistake within 12 months – just in time for the LS elections

h.      With 9 CM contenders and a political machine hungry after 7 years in the wilderness, scams will multiply – BJP must prepare to pounce

i.         Karnataka will become Exhibit A of all that is wrong with the CONgress

8.       When allegations of corruption emerge – act swiftly and decisively

a.       What destroyed BJP in Karnataka was not the removal of Yeddy but the accompanying drama

b.      LKA was able to bounce back from Jain-hawala scandal thanks to his prompt resignation and his pledge not to return to public office till his name was cleared

c.       Try to enforce strong discipline amongst local and national leadership vis-a-vis corruption

                                                               i.      NaMo’s perfect reputation shielded him from lethal political vendetta

                                                             ii.      Learn from it

9.       Corruption has emerged as THE issue

a.       Contrary to conventional wisdom it was corruption that destroyed BJP’s chances

10.   In politics 1+1 is not always = 2.  If Yeddy had stayed in the BJP, CONgress would have gotten only slightly fewer seats.

11.   At best, BJP would have been forced into a coalition with JDS.  A disastrous move for 2014

12.   Recognize CONgress’ game plan – its favorite MO

a.       Divide opposition votes

                                                               i.      Either engineer splits – Keshubhai, Yeddy or

                                                             ii.      Create new opposition parties – RajT, Chiru, Kejriwal

b.      BJP must guard against these entities and neutralize them by

                                                               i.      Either co-opting them or

                                                             ii.      Destroying their credibility

13.   Arvind Kejriwal’s party will emerge as single largest party in Delhi or the main opposition party

a.       Delhi BJP is perceived as CONgress’s B-team

b.      SheilaD survives in Delhi the same way Sonia survives in India – on the tacit support of BJP’s opposition leadership

c.       AAP presents the aforementioned, viable alternative, capable of harnessing voter disenchantment