Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Dispiriting politics: On the BJP’s Gujarat campaign

Dispiriting politics: On the BJP’s Gujarat campaign

The BJP is trying to divert (ध्यान हटाना, विचलित करना) attention from its governance (प्रशासन, नौकरशाही) record in Gujarat

In the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections on Thursday, a turnout (participation, attendance. (Voter turnout refers to the number or percentage of eligible voters who cast their ballots)) of over 60% was recorded in 89 seats spread across the 19 districts of Saurashtra, Kutch and South Gujarat. A total of 788 candidates are in the fray (प्रतियोगिता, प्रतिस्पर्धा) in the first phase. In the second phase, the remaining 93 seats will vote on December 5. The entry of the Aam Admi Party (AAP) has opened new possibilities (संभावना) in the State where the BJP and the Congress have traditionally (परंपरागत रूप से, प्रसिद्ध रूप से) been the two poles (the completely opposite & extreme points/ends). The AAP appears to have emerged as a strong force in certain parts of Surat city and the Saurashtra region, turning the contest triangular (त्रिकोणीय) in seats such as Varachha Road, Katargam and Olpad. The party’s chief ministerial candidate, Isudan Gadhvi, is contesting from Jam Khambhalia in Saurashtra and the president of its State unit, Gopal Italia, is contesting from Katargam in Surat. In the 2017 elections, the Congress had done well in the Saurashtra region, winning seats in the districts of Amreli, Morbi, Surendranagar, Gir Somnath, and Junagadh; while the BJP had retained its hold (पकड़, नियंत्रण) over Surat city and other South Gujarat districts. The extent of the AAP’s impact (प्रभाव, असर) is difficult to measure given (दिया गया, विचार करना, ध्यान में रखना) its top-down approach to campaigning and the non-existence (absence, lack, unavailability, scarcity, shortage) of any party structure on the ground (in a situation/place where things are happening really/practically).

The Morbi bridge tragedy (disaster, catastrophe, devastation, mishap, misfortune, affliction, blight) that claimed at least 141 lives was a prelude (प्रस्तावना, भूमिका) to the poll season but the massive governance failure and corruption associated with it did not become an issue in the campaign. The Congress chose to run (do, organize, implement, carry out, perform) a low-key (कम महत्वपूर्ण, शांत) campaign, avoiding direct attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and trying to keep the focus on day-to-day issues of governance, corruption, inflation (मुद्रास्फीति) and unemployment. Party leader Rahul Gandhi, who fronted (lead, steer, usher) its campaign in 2017, visited the State only once this time. The BJP campaign is being spearheaded (lead (a movement); be in the forefront of, be in the vanguard of) by Mr. Modi who increased the frequency (आवृत्ति, दुहराव) of visits to his home State from March this year. After the announcement of the poll, he held a dozen rallies (meeting, gathering) and roadshows (a travelling political campaign) in Surat, tribal pockets in South Gujarat, and Saurashtra. The BJP relied on emotive (भावनात्मक, विवादास्पद) issues such as the alleged (supposed, so-called, claimed, professed, reported, ostensible) insults of Mr. Modi by the Congress, the communal violence of 2002, and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, mostly aimed at communal polarisation (separation of two contrasting groups (based on different opinions/beliefs)), and sidestepped (circumvent, avoid, dodge, escape) any discussion on governance in the State where it has been in power for 27 uninterrupted (unobstructed, untroubled) years. The BJP’s reluctance (unwillingness, disinclination, hesitation) to seek (try, aim, attempt) votes on its governance record can be read (understand, interpret, take, construe) as admission (acceptance, acknowledgement, owning up, confession) of its failure. But this still might not cost (damage, hurt, harm; cause the loss of, result in damage to) it heavily.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.dispiriting (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निराशाजनक
English Meaning - disheartening, discouraging, disappointing, depressing, demoralizing.

2.divert (verb)

Hindi Meaning - ध्यान हटाना, विचलित करना
English Meaning - distract, detract, draw away, put off.

3.governance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशासन, नौकरशाही
English Meaning - administration, bureaucracy.

4.fray (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतियोगिता, प्रतिस्पर्धा
English Meaning - competition, contest.

5.possibility (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संभावना
nglish Meaning - chance, probability, prospect.

6.traditionally (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - परंपरागत रूप से, प्रसिद्ध रूप से
English Meaning - well knowingly, famously.

7.triangular (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - त्रिकोणीय
English Meaning - three-sided, three-cornered.

8.hold (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पकड़, नियंत्रण
English Meaning - control, dominance, sway, power, influence, grip, clout.

9.impact (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रभाव, असर
English Meaning - effect.

10.given (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - दिया गया, विचार करना, ध्यान में रखना
English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

11.prelude (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्तावना, भूमिका
English Meaning - an introduction to the main event; intro, start, beginning, curtain-raiser, overture.

12.low-key (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कम महत्वपूर्ण, शांत
English Meaning - low-profile, understated, modest, restrained, toned-down, played-down.

13.inflation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुद्रास्फीति
English Meaning - simply meaning “cost of living”; increase of price level of goods & services and vice versa decrease of currency value.

14.frequency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आवृत्ति, दुहराव
English Meaning - repetition.

15.emotive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - भावनात्मक, विवादास्पद
English Meaning - controversial, contentious, emotional.

16.campaign (noun)

English Meaning - canvassing, electioneering, an act of soliciting (asking for/requesting) votes; an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group.

17.attention (noun)

English Meaning - notice, observation, awareness, scrutiny, surveillance.

18.turnout (noun)

English Meaning - participation, attendance. (Voter turnout refers to the number or percentage of eligible voters who cast their ballots).

19.poles (noun)

English Meaning - the completely opposite & extreme points/ends.

20.bottom-up approach (noun)

English Meaning - In bottom up approach, we solve smaller problems and integrate it as whole and complete the solution. In the top-down approach, we focus on breaking up the problem into smaller parts.

21.non-existence (noun)

English Meaning - absence, lack, unavailability, scarcity, shortage.

22.on the ground (phrase)

English Meaning - in a situation/place where things are happening really/practically.

23.tragedy (noun)

English Meaning - disaster, catastrophe, devastation, mishap, misfortune, affliction, blight.

24.run (verb)

English Meaning - do, organize, implement, carry out, perform.

25.front (verb)

English Meaning - lead, steer, usher.

26.spearhead (verb)

English Meaning - lead (a movement); be in the forefront of, be in the vanguard of.