Hindi English Translation || Editorial || High stakes: On the 2022 Gujarat Assembly Elections and the BJP

High stakes: On the 2022 Gujarat Assembly Elections and the BJP

Gujarat holds an outsized (बहुत बड़ा, अतिकाय) importance in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s calculations

Being the launchpad of the prevailing (प्रचलित होना, प्रबल होना) model of the politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat has a special place in Indian politics. With the emergence (उद्भव, निकलना, आविर्भाव) of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a serious contender (प्रतियोगी) for power, the Assembly election scheduled for December 1 and 5 is going to be a triangular one, in which the incumbent (निर्भर) BJP appears to have a clear edge. The Congress, which came close to defeating the BJP in 2017, has been sliding since then, and has shown no will to fight so far. AAP’s enthusiasm is in stark contrast with the inexplicable (अकथनीय) indifference of the Congress. The collapse of a suspension bridge in Morbi and deaths, weakened the claim of the BJP regarding its governance track record, but any organic link between performance and voting preference is rather weak among the party’s supporters. The State’s politics is driven by deep Hindu symbolism (प्रतीकवाद), and often outright communal polarisation. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is trying to adopt this tested formula by promising Gujaratis free pilgrimage to Ayodhya and challenging the BJP to implement a Uniform Civil Code across the country. AAP has no game on the ground in terms of organisation or personnel (कार्मिक, कार्यकर्ता), and its successes have come from the mass appeal of Mr. Kejriwal, leading to automatic voter mobilisation (लामबंदी, संघटन, गतिमान करना). The party is hoping that the situation in Punjab, which it won in March, will be replicated in Gujarat — enough people looking for an alternative to the two key national parties.

The BJP may not be facing any intense (तीव्र, गहन, अत्यधिक) voter antipathy (विरोध, घृणा), going by the CSDS opinion poll conducted before the Morbi tragedy. More than 70% of the people were favourable towards the BJP; it remained popular even among those who noted that price rise was a concern. Compared to 2017, the BJP has improved its acceptance among most Hindus and tribal sections. The BJP calculates, with good reason, that AAP will split the votes opposed to it, and its pathway to victory would be easier than in 2017. That claim apart, the party is sparing no effort to retain its citadel (गढ़, किला). In quick succession, two big private industrial projects were announced, in a controversial demonstration of the benefits of a ‘double engine’ government — the same party being in power at the Centre and State. The investors were allegedly forced to change their original plans to locate in Maharashtra. The central investigative agencies are active against AAP leaders, very conveniently for the BJP. Despite (इसके बावजूद) its comfortable position, the BJP remains restless as the stakes (दांव लगाना, बाज़ी लगाना) are high. In the BJP’s perception (दृष्टिकोण, अनुभव, अनुभूति), it is much more than a State election.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Stake (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - दांव लगाना, बाज़ी लगाना
English Meaning - To tether to a stake.

2.Outsize (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बहुत बड़ा, अतिकाय
English Meaning - Exceptionally large

3.Prevail (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रचलित होना, प्रबल होना
English Meaning - To be superior in power.

4.Emergence (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - उद्भव, निकलना, आविर्भाव
English Meaning - The act of emerging.

5.Contender (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतियोगी
English Meaning - A person or group competing with others to achieve something.

6.Incumbent (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निर्भर
English Meaning - Necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility.

7.Inexplicable (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अकथनीय
English Meaning - Beyond comprehension

8.Symbolism (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतीकवाद
English Meaning - The practice of representing things by symbols.

9.Mobilization (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - लामबंदी, संघटन, गतिमान करना
English Meaning - The act or process of preparing something for action.

10.Personnel (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्मिक, कार्यकर्ता
English Meaning - A department in an organization that deals with matters related to employees.

11.Intense (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तीव्र, गहन, अत्यधिक
English Meaning - Having a characteristic or quality to a high degree.

12.Antipathy (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - विरोध, घृणा
English Meaning - An instinctive or opposition in feeling.

13.Citadel (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - गढ़, किला
English Meaning - A fortress that commands a city and is used in the control of the inhabitants and defense during attack.

14.Despite (Preposition)

Hindi Meaning - इसके बावजूद
English Meaning - In spite of

15.Perception (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - दृष्टिकोण, अनुभव, अनुभूति
English Meaning - The way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted.