Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Smoke and mirrors: on the political games in Maharashtra

Smoke and mirrors: on the political games in Maharashtra

The induction of Ajit Pawar as Minister can raise tensions (तनाव) with Shinde group for the Bharatiya Janata Party

In a dramatic finale (अंत, निष्कर्ष) to political intrigues (साज़िश, योजनाएँ) that had gone on (जारी रखना) for months, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has splintered (split, break, disintegrate, separate) away from his uncle and NCP patriarch (a powerful & eldest male head of a family or an organisation or a social system), Sharad Pawar, to finally join hands with (work together with) the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra. Junior Pawar was sworn in as the second Deputy Chief Minister in the Council of Ministers (मंत्रिपरिषद) led by Eknath Shinde, but it is hardly (barely, almost not) the final act in the ongoing (happening, occurring, continuing, in progress, under way, current drama in the State’s politics. Mr. Shinde had enacted a similar script to split from the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, and replaced him as Chief Minister last year. A disqualification petition against him under the anti-defection law (दलबदल विरोधी कानून) is to be decided by the Maharashtra Speaker anytime, and in the event of a vacancy in the top post, Pawar Jr. might make it. The meltdown (collapse, decline, ruination) in the NCP leaves several leaders in the middle (बीच में, मध्य में) territory (क्षेत्र, प्रदेश) between the uncle and the nephew (A nephew is the son of someone’s brother or sister. A niece is the daughter of the person’s brother or sister). The patriarch has vowed (affirm, commit oneself, assure, promise, swear, give one’s word) to take the defectors (दलबदलू) to task and rebuild the NCP with popular (लोकप्रिय) support, but at 82 that is going to be a test of his capacity. The splinter group (a small group, sector, wing of a larger one) has claimed it has the blessings (आशीर्वाद, अनुमोदन) of everyone in the party, implying (say indirectly, point to, indicate, signal, suggest, hint) a tacit (implied, indirect, understood, implicit, unexpressed, unvoiced) understanding with the party founder. This is a smoke and mirrors game in which reality and perception (अनुभव) are not easy to separate.

With the embrace (acceptance, collaboration, agreement, understanding) of NCP defectors, the BJP has done yet another somersault (an instance (as in gymnastics) of rotating (jumping/rolling) one’s body 360 degree with someone’s feet going over one’s head; gymnastics, stunt, flip-flop) in the State. The NCP and its leaders have been accused by the BJP of promoting dynastic (राजवंशीय) rule and corruption. Several of those who have joined the BJP bandwagon (a popular activity/event that is currently become fashion) are facing various investigations. The BJP, stung by the crossover (the method of attaining success in a different method; change from one situation to another; switchover) of its long-standing (continuing, long-lasting, enduring, long-term, dependable) ally (मित्र, साथी), the Shiv Sena after the 2019 Assembly (Legislative Assembly/Vidhan Sabha; a legislative body in the states and union territories of India) election, found an easy partner in Ajit Pawar, and he was Deputy Chief Minister in a short-lived (brief, short, short-term, temporary) government led by the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis. Pawar Jr. was Deputy Chief Minister again in the Congress-Shiv Sena-NCP government that followed. By assuming (undertake, accept, shoulder, take on (power or responsibility)) the office of Deputy Chief Minister as part of a third political configuration (arrangement, system, organization, disposition) within the same Assembly, he has demonstrated the limitless possibilities of opportunism (expediency, exploitation, taking advantage, pragmatism, realism). New Ministers sworn in along with him on Sunday represent various social groups in the State. The mother (founder, creator, originator) faction (a group of people acting together within a larger group) of the NCP has initiated disqualification proceedings (lawsuit, litigation, legal proceedings, legal action) against the MLAs of the splinter group, which in turn (in succession, successively, sequentially) is seeking the disqualification of MLAs Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from the Assembly, two loyalists (supporter, admirer, champion) of senior Pawar. The splintering (breaking, separation, disunion, disintegration) of the NCP casts a shadow on Opposition unity at the national level of which senior Pawar has been a proponent (advocate, champion, supporter, promoter). It also shows the endless schemes in the BJP playbook (strategies) to retain power, and adds fresh tensions in the existing alliance between the BJP and the Shinde faction of the Sena.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.smoke and mirrors (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - धुआं और दर्पण
English Meaning - this expression is particularly in the contexts of politics and marketing. When you refer to the statement made by someone (politician/businessman) as being nothing more than ‘smoke and mirrors’, you are suggesting that the individual is distorting or obscuring the truth; that he is, in fact, lying. When you say that a politician’s argument is ‘smoke and mirrors’, you mean it lacks substance (meaning).

2.tensions (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तनाव
English Meaning - strained relations, strain, unease.

3.finale (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अंत, निष्कर्ष
English Meaning - end, conclusion, termination.

4.intrigues (noun)

Hindi Meaning - साज़िश, योजनाएँ
English Meaning - schemes, plots, tricks, tactics, plans.

5.go on (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - जारी रखना
English Meaning - continue, carry on, last, persist, proceed.

6.the Council of Ministers (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मंत्रिपरिषद
English Meaning - the supreme executive organ in a government. The term is usually equivalent to the word “cabinet”.

7.Anti-defection law (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दलबदल विरोधी कानून
English Meaning - The 10th Schedule to the Constitution, popularly referred to as the ‘Anti-Defection Law,’ was inserted by the 52nd Amendment in 1985. The grounds of disqualification are specified in Paragraph 2 of the 10th Schedule. A member would incur a disqualification under paragraph 2 (1) (a) when he “voluntarily gives up his membership of a party” and under 2 (1) (b) when he/she votes (or abstains from voting) contrary to the directive issued by the party.

8.in the middle (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - बीच में, मध्य में
English Meaning - in a difficult or unpleasant position.

9.territory (noun)

Hindi Meaning - क्षेत्र, प्रदेश
English Meaning - domain, area, field, sphere.

10.defector (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दलबदलू
English Meaning - a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right.

11.popular (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लोकप्रिय
English Meaning - public.

12.blessings (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आशीर्वाद, अनुमोदन
English Meaning - approval, consent, support, backing.

13.perception (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुभव
English Meaning - notion, belief, thought, understanding, interpretation, discernment.

14.dynastic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - राजवंशीय
English Meaning - relating to a dynasty (leaders who are all from the same family).

15.ally (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मित्र, साथी
English Meaning - partner, supporter, confederate.

16.induction (noun)

English Meaning - swearing-in, introduction, admission, initiation, inauguration, appointment (of someone officially to a post/office).

17.splinter (verb)

English Meaning - split, break, disintegrate, separate.

18.patriarch (noun)

English Meaning - a powerful & eldest male head of a family or an organisation or a social system.

19.join hands with (phrase)

English Meaning - work together with.

20.sworn in past participle of swear in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - take an oath to induct/admit into office, inaugurate, introduce (into office).

21.hardly (adverb)

English Meaning - barely, almost not.

22.ongoing (adjective)

English Meaning - happening, occurring, continuing, in progress, under way, current.

23.in the event of something (phrase)

English Meaning - if something happens.

24.meltdown (noun)

English Meaning - collapse, decline, ruination.

25.nephew (noun)

English Meaning - A nephew is the son of someone’s brother or sister. A niece is the daughter of the person’s brother or sister.

26.vow (verb)

English Meaning - affirm, commit oneself, assure, promise, swear, give one’s word.

27.take someone to task (phrase)

English Meaning - criticize, reprove, censure, lambast, reprimand, reproach.

28.splinter group (noun)

English Meaning - a small group, sector, wing of a larger one.

29.imply (verb)

English Meaning - say indirectly, point to, indicate, signal, suggest, hint.

30.tacit (adjective)

English Meaning - implied, indirect, understood, implicit, unexpressed, unvoiced.

31.embrace (noun)

English Meaning - acceptance, collaboration, agreement, understanding.

32.somersault (noun)

English Meaning - an instance (as in gymnastics) of rotating (jumping/rolling) one’s body 360 degree with someone’s feet going over one’s head; gymnastics, stunt, flip-flop.

33.bandwagon (noun)

English Meaning - a popular activity/event that is currently become fashion.

34.stung past or past participle of sting (verb)

English Meaning - upset, distress, hurt, wound.

35.crossover (noun)

English Meaning - the method of attaining success in a different method; change from one situation to another; switchover.

36.long-standing (adjective)

English Meaning - continuing, long-lasting, enduring, long-term, dependable.

37.short-lived (adjective)

English Meaning - brief, short, short-term, temporary.

38.assume (verb)

English Meaning - undertake, accept, shoulder, take on (power or responsibility).

39.configuration (noun)

English Meaning - arrangement, system, organization, disposition.

40.Assembly (noun)

English Meaning - Legislative Assembly/Vidhan Sabha; a legislative body in the states and union territories of India.

41.opportunism (noun)

English Meaning - expediency, exploitation, taking advantage, pragmatism, realism.

42.mother (noun as modifier)

English Meaning - founder, creator, originator.

43.faction (noun)

English Meaning - a group of people acting together within a larger group.

44.proceedings (noun)

English Meaning - lawsuit, litigation, legal proceedings, legal action.

45.in turn (phrase)

English Meaning - in succession, successively, sequentially.

46.seek (verb)

English Meaning - ask for, request, appeal for.

47.loyalist (noun)

English Meaning - supporter, admirer, champion.

48.splintering (noun)

English Meaning - breaking, separation, disunion, disintegration.

49.cast a shadow on/over (phrase)

English Meaning - to make people feel less happy, to make situation appear less good or hopeful; disappoint, let down, discourage, demoralize, wear down.

50.proponent (noun)

English Meaning - advocate, champion, supporter, promoter.

51.playbook (noun)

English Meaning - strategies.