Hindi English Translation || Editorial || For plurality: On CSDS-Lokniti’s post-poll survey

For plurality: On CSDS-Lokniti’s post-poll survey

The Lokniti post-poll indicated an exhaustion (थकावट) with the politics of Hindutva

A drop in satisfaction levels with governance, the stagnating (स्थिर होना, जम जाना) popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the resilience of regional parties and the rejuvenation of the Congress party, and the fading of Hindutva for marginalised sections in the Hindi heartland. All these contributed to the National Democratic Alliance’s reduced majority in the 2024 general election, according to the CSDS-Lokniti’s post-poll survey. In its pre-poll survey, the agency had indicated that “unemployment” and “price rise” were key issues for a majority of the electorate and despite the healthy 46% support for the NDA, a chunk (टुकड़ा) of those favouring the incumbents (पदाधिकारी) were willing to back the Opposition during the course of the election. The final vote share for the NDA, at 43.6%, was 1.4 points lower than what the constituents of this year’s coalition received in 2019 even as the INDIA bloc secured a significant 41.4% support (if the Trinamool Congress’s shares are included), a leap from 2019. In the previous Lok Sabha election, the Balakot action, the PM-Kisan scheme and 10% reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections category had helped the Bharatiya Janata Party romp home with 303 seats, according to Lokniti. But this time around, multiple narratives and political issues tied the party down in its strongholds. Even its ascendance in Odisha and Telangana was not enough to recoup its losses in the Hindi heartland.

The strong support by Dalits, other OBCs and minorities to the Congress in States such as Uttar Pradesh, and the Samajwadi Party’s terming the BJP’s agenda as a threat to the Constitution put the wind in the Opposition’s sails. That Congress leader Rahul Gandhi enjoyed a four-point lead (36% versus 32%) over Mr. Modi among respondents in Uttar Pradesh, when asked about their preference (पसंद, प्राथमिकता) for the Prime Minister’s post, must alarm the BJP. Clearly, the party can no longer expect to rely (भरोसा करना) on Hindutva as a cementing factor except in States such as Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, which are distinguished by a lack of a diligent (परिश्रमी, मेहनती) Opposition. For the INDIA bloc, and the Congress in particular, its credible (विश्वसनीय) performance notwithstanding, its task is cut out in these States. The Congress also increased its vote share in Karnataka from what it was in the 2023 Assembly elections, but the NDA’s strong social coalition proved a hindrance (बाधा, रुकावट) in converting those increased votes into more seats. The message for the Opposition is clear — wherever it is in power, it must strive to provide a clear alternative to the NDA in terms of governance. And where it is not in power, it must rely on building unity among like-minded forces and a narrative of bringing change through alternative policies that offer a strong contrast (विपरीत) to the centralising and unitary nature of the BJP.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Exhaustion (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - थकावट
English Meaning - A state of extreme physical or mental fatigue.

2.Stagnate (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - स्थिर होना, जम जाना
English Meaning - To cease to flow or move; become stagnant.

3.Chunk (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - टुकड़ा
English Meaning - A thick, solid piece of something.

4.Incumbent (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - पदाधिकारी
English Meaning - Necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility; currently holding office.

5.Preference (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - पसंद, प्राथमिकता
English Meaning - A greater liking for one alternative over another or others.

6.Rely (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - भरोसा करना
English Meaning - To depend on with full trust or confidence.

7.Diligent (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - परिश्रमी, मेहनती
English Meaning - Having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties.

8.Credible (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विश्वसनीय
English Meaning - Able to be believed; convincing.

9.Hindrance (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - बाधा, रुकावट
English Meaning - A thing that provides resistance, delay, or obstruction to something or someone.

10.Contrast (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - विपरीत
English Meaning - The state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association.