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During the current elections there is neither a pro-Modi wave as in 2014 nor a strong anti-incumbency against the Modi Government. While drawing overall balance-sheet, everyone, including many sober BJP organisers, agrees that Modi’s 2014 tally would come down but by what number is the billion dollar question. So, in a scenario of wave-less impasse, secondary factors like vote-banks, index of opposition unity, strength of the booth-level election machinery of the parties and even choice of candidates etc., might play proportionately a greater role compared to a wave-situation.

It is good to note that for the first time the civil society, professional bodies, human rights activists and, even, school children are actively taking up with political parties and aspiring MPs to include people’s rights, healthcare, education and climate protection as part of their election manifestos. One of the groups — Civil Society Forum (CSF) — has prepared a draft manifesto for consideration of all major political parties. It demands include abolition of a host of antiquated and draconian laws that have been widely misused to curtail personal liberty and intimidate political activists. The Forum has sought reforms to repair the damage done to anti-corruption institutions, putting in place institutions to deal with the grievances of the public.

The unhappy Indians voted for a change in 2014 hoping for good days to come with Narendra Modi ascending to the throne. However, it was destined otherwise. The country which ranked 117th in World Happiness Index that year, started becoming unhappier day by day, year by year. After five years of his rule, World Happiness Index shows a steep fall pushing India to the rank of 140th among the 156 countries surveyed. The decline was primarily due to declines in average life evaluations typically suffered from some combination of economic, political, and social stresses.

BHOPAL: Both the Congress and BJP are yet to decide their candidates for the Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh. However, informal discussion on the likely choices continues. The most difficult task is to decide the fate of former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Both Chief Minister Kamal Nath and AICC General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia have suggested that Singh should contest from the toughest seat.

Development, progress and economic growth of the society and country is proportional to the participation of workforce in these activities. Health of people is therefore of utmost importance. Only a disease free healthy person can contribute effectively in the process of advancement. Unfortunately India accounts for a relatively large share of the world’s disease burden and there is an epidemiological transition from the communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases in the total disease burden of the country. It is therefore important to review the national health profile. The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), the 71st round report on ‘Health in India’, has brought out certain facts which are of serious concern.

Smriti Irani takes on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. A repeat of 2014. And with that, it’s definite that this time around, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will end her Amethi campaign with more Indira Gandhi saris the worse for wear. One of the stories of this general election is that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is stuck with the sari and the saris she’s seen sporting are those which Indira bought! It also means, no more jeans and salwar-kameez for Priyanka, at least not as long as she remains active politician.

Slowly, subtly, almost imperceptibly, the BJP is changing the issues in the Lok Sabha elections. Vikas or development is no longer the issue. The Government will not tell the people what it achieved during the past five years regarding employment generation, poverty alleviation, de-hoarding black money, suppressing terrorism, improving health care, etc. The Government owes no explanation to the people about these issues. It is for the opposition has to prove its credential of nationalism, of patriotism, of loyalty to the country. The opposition has to convince the people that it does not support Pakistan when it questions the outcome of India’s airstrike at Balakot. The very positing of this question, the people are told, becomes ipso facto a proof of the questioner’s sympathy with our enemy – Pakistan.

Political parties are making a big virtue of crowd-sourcing their manifestos, claiming it is the ultimate way to democratise their promise and performance. They claim this will help them come up with the real manifesto that people want, rather than handing them down something that is arbitrary and unwanted.

With the campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha election slowly and steadily heating up, BJP and Congress have firmed up alliances barring a few hiccups. The BJP, however, seems quicker on this score. It has displayed pragmatism to promptly seal seat-sharing deals in important states like Maharashtra, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. The party’s top brass appears to have implicitly acknowledged it faces anti-incumbency and therefore can’t ride roughshod over allies. And given that today’s BJP is pretty much centred on the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the decisive messaging from the top has ensured that seat sharing isn’t thwarted by regional satraps.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The two dominant groups in Congress in Kerala continue to have a vice-like grip on the candidates list published after protracted negotiations vitiated by hard and no-holds-barred bargaining.