Election 2009 was special for more than one reason. In this blog, I am listing out the biggest winners & losers of this election. The winners are those , who will have a enduring impact in Indian polity. And the losers are those, who had very high stakes & have suffered a major setback
THE BIGGEST WINNERS OF ELECTIONS 2009
Manmohan Singh
SINGH IS KING: Election 2009 was the mandate for Manmohan Singh. His honest and decent image, along with the unshakable stand on the nuclear deal, made him emerge, as one of the best prime minister ever. He is the face of reforms & progress that can give India a better future.
Rahul Gandhi
THE SAVIOUR: He has emerged as the messiah of the poor & youth. The youth wanted a leader who was forward looking and could lead them in the future, while the poor wanted a leader who can fulfil their needs and aspiratons. Rahul Gandhi is that leader. His decision of going alone in UP was the turning point for the Congress.
Sonia Gandhi
THE UNDISPUTED LEADER: This election puts to rest, as to who is the strongest leader of this great nation. The manner in which she held the UPA coalition together was nothing short of remarkable. Her faith in Manmohan Singh as the prime ministerial candidate & Rahul Gandhi to lead the Congress campaign paid huge dividends. The Congress has been revived, thanks to her relentless efforts.
Nitish Kumar
THE PERFORMER: In an election that saw the power of regional leaders emaciating, he emerged as the strongest regional leader. His performance as the chief minister of Bihar has won him accolades across party lines and his popularity has surged across North India. His success underscores the fact, that people want development over caste & communal politics.
Mamata Banerjee
THE REBEL: Finally after 3 decades the ‘Left’ hegomony in West Bengal has been broken. Not only has she challenged the future of the 'Left' in their strong hold, but has also emerged as the ‘Voice of Bengal’.
The Indian Voter
THE KING: The Indian Voter has emerged as the King maker and chosen its own destiny. By choosing a secular, stable & strong government, it has proved that India is not only the biggest but the most powerful & vibrant democracy of the world.
Election Commission
THE UNSUNG HEROS: The most under-rated people of this election. Election Commission has proved that in this complex country, beset by terrorism & dirty politics, it is still possible to hold free & fair elections. The EC’s meticulous planning and execution is remarkable. A round of applause, for the team, that made this excercise a resounding success.
THE BIGGEST LOSERS
L.K Advani
END OF THE ROAD: His dream of becoming the prime minister crashed. The milestones of his great political career included the formation of BJP & the ‘Ram Mandir’ campaign which bolstered his popularity among the Hindu harliners. But he lacked the charisma and acceptability that Vajpayee enjoyed.
Narendra Modi
THE FAILED CHARMER: Many thought that the BJP had found the charismatic personality in him which was missing post Vajpayee. But his charm & magic was restricted to Gujarat. The star campaigner of the BJP failed to garner any extra support outside his stronghold. His unacceptability among other NDA parties, may dash his hopes of becoming the prime minister.
J Jayalalitha
OVER CONFIDENCE: Her overconfidence before elections was one of the biggest factors for not posting an impresssive performance. People were incredulous about the promises she made with regards to the ‘Tamil’ issue in Sri Lanka. Even a strong pre poll alliance could not help her to register a huge victory.
Mayawati
DELHI IS FAR AWAY: This election was a reality check for Mayawati. She still has a long way to travel, before she reaches Delhi. During the UP assembly elections, her ‘social enginneering’ earned her a thumping victory. But her failure to live up to their expectations, led to a disappointing performance this time around
The Yadavs (Mulayam, Lalu Prasad & Ram Vilas Paswan)
NO WHERE TO GO: Their selfish and arrogant aprroach pre elections has cost them dearly. Not only did they loose badly, but also lost out on an opportunity, of becoming a part of a stronger government at the centre. With all three out of power both at the centre & state, the future looks bleak.
Prakash Karat
BROUGH T TO THE GROUND: His dogmatic attitude and ideology, which is out of tune with reality has brought him & his party to the ground. His stand on the nuclear deal, which he potrayed as ‘anti- national’ and continous blackmailing during the UPA regime back fired. The masses taught him & his party a lesson.
Published on http://www.behindindia.com/india-news-stories/slideshows/election-winners/manmohan-singh.html - 21st May 2009
http://www.behindindia.com/india-news-stories/slideshows/election-losers/l-k-advani.html - - 21st May 2009
6 comments:
Nice analysis Sam .. You missed Naveen Patnaik. I am sure he is one of the heroes of this election. Moving away from the NDA was one of the best decisions he made. His massive victory in the assembly elections followed by the excellent performance in these elections have proved once again that the voters have chosen development over caste.
Agreed to all, but I am not sure abt Sonia Gandhi. Somehow, I dont believe its her effort which keeps the UPA going. Well, that also means UPA is a great team.
I think congress will also have less haters without her. Its the Gandhi which does it for her, somehow I cant see her as a great leader. Not too media friendly, not very vocal except in planned campaigns... Feels like she is a front. Personal opinion, dont have anything to back it up :)
But Rahul Gandhi was surprising. He did it.
BJP... well. Deserved the loss, down to every single vote missed. I dont even think they have a future anymore.
@Ramesh- I wanted to include Naveen Patnaik in the list, but, the only reason, why I didnt include him was because can't be considered politically as potent as Nitish Kumar for 3 reasons-
1) Naveen Patnaik has consolidated his position with out BJP, no doubt, but the reason for his success is his charismatic personality more than developement
2)Naveen Patnaik's popularity is still restricted to Orissa. Beyond that he is still to make a mark
3)Lastly, he is considered valuable, merely for the number of seats he holds. He is still to win genuine respect across party lines. Nitish would still pip him if it boils down to popularity across North India
@Ram- Sonia Gandhi is the main reason why the Congress has been resurrected in the last decade or so..
1)For the first time in close to 60 years, in the 2004 elections, Congress decided to have pre poll alliance, which led to their surprise victory
2)The move to decline the PM's post, which is famously known as the' great renunciation' was the best political move ever in Indian polity i wud say- Coz that earned her invaluable respect & following across parties & states
3)She was the key reason behind the UPA stiking togther for 5 years, even when political pundits had predicted the downfall of the UPA within 2 years
Rahul gandhi has taken it to another level, but she laid the foundation. And this elections I , think has further strenghtened her position
And reclusive aprroach surprisingly has done her more good than harm
i dont disagree with all those points above, but is it cos fo her that congress got sucha huge victory, was it her master plan to reject the PMs post? Why do you think that she held UPA together?
Mabbe I am just being too suspicious, but I think it is too simplistic to assume she is so influential and strong. I might be wrong, yeah. But my opinion abt her, I think she is the puppet rather than MMS.. :P
@Ram- hahah.well, the puppet statement is really surprising, specially given to tthe contrary view. But one thing pivotal about Sonia's position is that, since she is not a part of the government, it in a way makes her not directly accountable. And the smart thing she has done by choosing MMS is that he is going to do much more good than harm to the country. So, its a safe bet..
Hmmm yeah, that sounds fair. He can do the good while she plays the politics.. Lol..! :)
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