Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Straws in the wind: On defections from BJP ahead of U.P. polls

Straws in the wind: On defections from BJP ahead of U.P. polls

The spurt of defections (दल-बदल, परित्याग, भागना) away from the party in Uttar Pradesh should worry the BJP

The stereotypical (common, ordinary; overused, standardized, clichéd) image of politicians in India in popular culture (लोकप्रिय संस्कृति) is mostly unflattering (अनाकर्षक, स्पष्टवादी, निंदात्मक ढंग से पेश करने वाला), but it is also somewhat unfair (अनुचित, अन्यायपूर्ण, असमान). Politics as a vocation (a trade or business or profession; post, position, occupation, profession) is not an easy one and no one receives more scrutiny (जांच, अनुसंधान) than legislators (विधायक, व्यवस्थापक) and politicians in public life and despite there being several things to improve upon, electoral democracy in India allows for a fair amount of accountability (जवाबदेही, दायित्व, जवाबदेही) by empowering (सशक्तिकरण, अनुमति देना, अधिकार देना) the voter to evaluate those contesting to represent them. Yet, if there is one act that reminds citizens of the tendencies (प्रवृत्ति, झुकाव, स्वभाव) of politicians, it is that of switching (change) sides on the eve of (की पूर्व संध्या पर) fresh elections in a State. No State is spared (leave unhurt, free) of this act, and hardly (मुश्किल से, लगभग नहीं) any party escapes defections. In a world where principles and ideologies (विचारधारा, विश्वास की एक प्रणाली) determine party affiliation (संबद्धता, साझेदारी, संघ, गठबंधन), switching parties at the last minute would be a rare anomaly (something different, abnormal, unusual; oddity, peculiarity, deviation, aberration, exception) for there would have been ample (पर्याप्त, प्रचुर, बहुत) time for disgruntled (असंतुष्ट, दुखी/निराश, व्यथित) partymen (a member of a political party) to rethink the bandwagon (a popular activity/event that is currently become fashion) they had hitched (fasten, connect, attach, tie; lift, raise) themselves to. But in the real world, elections bring in (introduce, cause, bring about, create) hard calculations — politicians who sense a whiff (trace, hint, note) of change in the mood of the electorate (all the people who entitled to vote in an election) are ready to take the risk to switch. These occurrences (event, incident, happening) are more pronounced (noticeable, marked, strong, conspicuous, striking, distinct, prominent, notable) when parties select their legislators on considerations such as caste/community identity (a social category, a set of persons marked by a label and distinguished by rules deciding membership and (alleged) characteristic features or attributes; individuality, character, originality) — but they are no longer (not anymore) rare events even in States where the polity features a clear ideological (relating to a system of ideas (ideology)) divide (division, separation, difference, polarity, divergence), for instance (as an example), Kerala. But there are also occurrences — dime a dozen (be very common; of very little value; tedious, dull, monotonous)— when the electorate does not punish political opportunists (a person who is selfish, self-centred, self-seeking, egocentric) and considerations (factor, issue, point, concern, matter) other than legislative (relating to a legislature; law-making, policymaking) ability alone determine the electoral fortunes of contestants.

In the case of Goa, a State with a small Assembly and which has a history of party-hopping (an act of moving often from one place (party) to another place (party)), the spurt (sudden increase, rise, surge) of defections of late (recently, lately, in the past few days) should not come as a surprise. But the fact that electoral contestation (contention, disagreement, disputation, argument) in an already fractious (argumentative, quarrelsome, contentious, controversial, difficult (to control), disagreeable) polity (a politically organized society) with a high number of competitive political parties has now increased with the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party in the fray (contest, competition), has exacerbated matters by widening (increase, enlarge, expand) the choices for the political opportunist. In Uttar Pradesh, even considering the fact that such defections are routine, the spurt of MLAs switching sides from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the Samajwadi Party (SP) should worry the ruling party, more so if the party hoppers (a person who pass/go quickly from one place to another; defector, betrayer, turncoat, traitor (a person who changes sides)) are from the Other Backward Classes (In the Indian Constitution, OBCs are described as socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC), and the Government of India is enjoined to ensure their social and educational development) who had been diligently (conscientiously, particularly, meticulously, painstakingly, attentively, carefully) wooed and represented in the BJP to get an edge over (to have a slight advantage over) the Mandal parties. The BJP could still take consolation (comfort, solace) in the fact that (Used to refer to a particular situation under discussion) last minute defections in West Bengal had little effect on the ruling Trinamool in the election last year but unlike in the eastern State, the politics of identity is more salient in Uttar Pradesh. This indicates that the political contest in a State where the ruling coalition secured 51.2% of the votes and led in 284 of the 403 Assembly segments in the State in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, is getting to be a close call (narrow escape) with the SP putting up a spirited (energetic, active, vigorous, dynamic, enthusiastic, passionate, fiery) fight. At the very least, the aura (atmosphere, quality, aspect, character, feeling/mood, spirit) of invincibility (unconquerability; unbeatable & powerful quality) that the BJP had since 2014 is markedly (noticeably, strikingly, distinctly) absent. Although the Opposition camp is still divided, the erosion (destruction, undermining, weakening, sapping, deterioration, disintegration) in the BJP support base is unmistakable (definite, obvious, evident, well defined).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.defection (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दल-बदल, परित्याग, भागना
English Meaning - desertion, absconding, decamping.

2.popular culture (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लोकप्रिय संस्कृति
English Meaning - a culture that depends on the tastes of ordinary people instead of an educated & higher society people.

3.unflattering (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनाकर्षक, स्पष्टवादी, निंदात्मक ढंग से पेश करने वाला
English Meaning - unattractive, unbecoming, ugly, ugly-looking, incorrect.

4.unfair (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनुचित, अन्यायपूर्ण, असमान
English Meaning - unjust, inequitable, prejudiced, biased; unequal, uneven.

5.scrutiny (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जांच, अनुसंधान
English Meaning - examination, inspection, investigation.

6.legislator (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधायक, व्यवस्थापक
English Meaning - a member of a legislature (parliament/legislative assembly); lawmaker, representative.

7.accountability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जवाबदेही, दायित्व, जवाबदेही
English Meaning - responsibility, liability, answerability.

8.empower (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सशक्तिकरण, अनुमति देना, अधिकार देना
English Meaning - authorize, allow, entitle.

9.tendency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवृत्ति, झुकाव, स्वभाव
English Meaning - inclination, disposition, leaning, penchant.

10.on the eve of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - की पूर्व संध्या पर
English Meaning - a period or day before an important event.

11.hardly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - मुश्किल से, लगभग नहीं
English Meaning - barely, almost not.

12.ideology (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विचारधारा, विश्वास की एक प्रणाली
English Meaning - a system of belief, set of principles.

13.affiliation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संबद्धता, साझेदारी, संघ, गठबंधन
English Meaning - relationship, partnership, association, coalition, union, alliance.

14.ample (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पर्याप्त, प्रचुर, बहुत
English Meaning - enough, sufficient, adequate, plenty of.

15.disgruntled (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - असंतुष्ट, दुखी/निराश, व्यथित
English Meaning - aggrieved, dissatisfied, unhappy/disappointed.

16.spurt (noun)

English Meaning - sudden increase, rise, surge.

17.stereotypical (adjective)

English Meaning - common, ordinary; overused, standardized, clichéd.

18.a straw in the wind (phrase)

English Meaning - a slight indication/sign of what might happen in the future.

19.vocation (noun)

English Meaning - a trade or business or profession; post, position, occupation, profession.

20.switch (verb)

English Meaning - change.

21.spare (verb)

English Meaning - leave unhurt, free.

22.anomaly (noun)

English Meaning - something different, abnormal, unusual; oddity, peculiarity, deviation, aberration, exception.

23.partyman (noun)

English Meaning - a member of a political party.

24.bandwagon (noun)

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

25.hitch (verb)

English Meaning - fasten, connect, attach, tie; lift, raise.

26.hitch one’s wagon to (a star) (verb)

English Meaning - to try to get advantage/benefit from something or someone else’s success or strength by closely associating with it or them.

27.bring in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - introduce, cause, bring about, create.

28.calculation (noun)

English Meaning - forecast, projection, prediction, expectation; assessment, judgement.

29.whiff (noun)

English Meaning - trace, hint, note.

30.electorate (noun)

English Meaning - all the people who entitled to vote in an election.

31.occurrence (noun)

English Meaning - event, incident, happening.

32.pronounced (adjective)

English Meaning - noticeable, marked, strong, conspicuous, striking, distinct, prominent, notable.

33.identity (noun)

English Meaning - a social category, a set of persons marked by a label and distinguished by rules deciding membership and (alleged) characteristic features or attributes; individuality, character, originality.

34.no longer (phrase)

English Meaning - not anymore.

35.ideological (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a system of ideas (ideology).

36.divide (noun)

English Meaning - division, separation, difference, polarity, divergence.

37.for instance (phrase)

English Meaning - as an example.

38.dime a dozen (phrase)

English Meaning - be very common; of very little value; tedious, dull, monotonous.

39.opportunist (noun)

English Meaning - a person who is selfish, self-centred, self-seeking, egocentric.

40.consideration (noun)

English Meaning - factor, issue, point, concern, matter.

41.legislative (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a legislature; law-making, policymaking.

42.fortunes (noun)

English Meaning - luck, fate, destiny, predestination, karma.

43.party-hopping (noun)

English Meaning - an act of moving often from one place (party) to another place (party).

44.of late (phrase)

English Meaning - recently, lately, in the past few days.

45.come as a surprise (phrase)

English Meaning - to make someone feel surprised.

46.contestation (noun)

English Meaning - contention, disagreement, disputation, argument.

47.fractious (adjective)

English Meaning - argumentative, quarrelsome, contentious, controversial, difficult (to control), disagreeable.

48.polity (noun)

English Meaning - a politically organized society.

49.fray (noun)

English Meaning - contest, competition.

50.exacerbate (verb)

English Meaning - intensify, increase, heighten, aggravate, make worse, worsen.

51.widen (verb)

English Meaning - increase, enlarge, expand.

52.more so (phrase)

English Meaning - to a greater degree; to a greater extent.

53.hopper (noun)

English Meaning - a person who pass/go quickly from one place to another; defector, betrayer, turncoat, traitor (a person who changes sides).

54.Other Backward Class (OBC) (noun)

English Meaning - In the Indian Constitution, OBCs are described as socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC), and the Government of India is enjoined to ensure their social and educational development.

55.diligently (adverb)

English Meaning - conscientiously, particularly, meticulously, painstakingly, attentively, carefully.

56.woo (verb)

English Meaning - tempt, coax, persuade, pursue, chase.

57.get an edge over (phrase)

English Meaning - to have a slight advantage over.

58.Mandal party (noun)

English Meaning - a party which supports the (socially and educationally) backward castes.

59.consolation (noun)

English Meaning - comfort, solace.

60.in the fact that (phrase)

English Meaning - Used to refer to a particular situation under discussion.

61.identity politics (plural noun)

English Meaning - it is also called as identitarian politics, refers to political positions based on the interests and perspectives of social groups with which people identify. Identity politics is when people of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, or religion form alliances and organize politically to defend their group’s interests.

62.salient (adjective)

English Meaning - important, main, major, primary, notable.

63.secure (verb)

English Meaning - obtain ,get, acquire, find something with difficulty.

64.close call (noun)

English Meaning - narrow escape.

65.put up a fight (phrase)

English Meaning - retaliate, counterattack, strike back, hit back, reply, respond, react, reciprocate, give tit for tat.

66.spirited (adjective)

English Meaning - energetic, active, vigorous, dynamic, enthusiastic, passionate, fiery.

67.at the very least (phrase)

English Meaning - to put it mildly, without any exaggeration.