Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Towards the endgame: on the fourth phase of the general election

Towards the endgame: on the fourth phase of the general election

Opposition parties are getting better with their tactics

In the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024, 96 constituencies voted on Monday. With this, the voting process in 23 States and Union Territories has been completed. So far, 379 constituencies have voted, which include all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh and all 17 seats in Telangana on Monday. Polls were also held in the simultaneous Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, for all 175 seats and in Odisha, in 28 of 147. In these States, the BJP has had a blow hot, blow cold rivalry (प्रतिद्वंद्विता) with ruling regional parties — the YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh and BJD in Odisha, in its elaborate (विस्तृत) plans to make some gains. Of the 96 seats up for the take in this phase, the BJP had won 42 in 2019, while the YSR Congress had won 22 in Andhra Pradesh, and the BRS nine in Telangana. The Congress held six. With no overarching (व्यापक) theme (विषय) defining the ongoing campaign (अभियान) in this general election, parties and leaders have been testing various slogans to rally voters around. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the principal Opposition party had an unsavoury (अप्रिय) exchange (argument, debate, war of words, row). Responding to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s questioning of the delay in the release of voter turnout (मतदान) data, the ECI said people held such doubts in “contempt”. Mr. Kharge hit back saying it was “puzzling (perplexing, mystifying, bewildering)” that the ECI was not acting on “communal and casteist (जातिवादी)” statements by the Prime Minister and the BJP.

The BJP and the Congress have continued to mobilise (जुटाना) voters largely (ज्यादातर) around questions of religious and caste identities (पहचान), respectively. A mischievous (शरारती) presentation of the demographic (जनसांख्यिकीय) trends in the country by a government adviser came in handy for the BJP to make insinuations (आक्षेप) about Muslims with the aim of polarisation (separation of two contrasting groups (based on different opinions/beliefs)). The BJP continued to accuse the Congress of favouring (support, back, advocate, subscribe to, stand up for, recommend, champion) Muslims. The Congress created trouble for itself as one of its advisers used racist vocabulary (terminology, language, terms, words (used in a particular subject)) to describe India’s diversity (existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group; variety, variance, difference). While aspersions (condemnation, criticism; disparagement, defamation; character assassination, libel) against Muslims by the BJP about their population share were dressed up (present, portray, represent, depict (something in a method to make it more appealing/better)) as a concern for their well-being (healthy state/condition), the Congress’s proclamation (a formal public statement, announcement, declaration, pronouncement) about diversity landed ((of something undesirable/unexpected) come suddenly) as racism. The interim (अन्तरिम) bail (conditional, temporary release of an arrested/imprisoned person when a specified amount of security is deposited or pledged (as cash or property) to ensure his/her appearance in court when required) given to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Supreme Court of India facilitated (assist, help, aid, ease, make easy, make possible) his return to the campaign trail (path/way, pathway, course, route). Quick on his feet, Mr. Kejriwal has dragged the BJP into explaining that Narendra Modi would remain the PM even after completing 75 years of age in September next year. Mr. Kejriwal has claimed for himself the central position in the Opposition beyond the 2024 election, by putting forth a list of nationwide welfare (a government program that provides (financial) assistance to individuals and families in need; social security, government/state benefit, public assistance) guarantees (promise, assurance, pledge, vow, oath, commitment). This has added to (strained relations, strain, unease) the tensions in the Opposition space, where a delicate (subtle; fragile; easily broken), dynamic (energetic, powerful, effective, vigorous) equilibrium (balance, evenness, parity, symmetry) holds together ideologically disparate (contrasting, different, diversified, separate, differing, dissimilar) forces (party, outfit, group).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.rivalry (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिद्वंद्विता
English Meaning - competition, opposition, conflict, discord, friction, enmity.

2.elaborate (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विस्तृत
English Meaning - rigorous, detailed, intricate, complete, comprehensive, intensive, extensive.

3.overarching (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - व्यापक
English Meaning - comprehensive, all-inclusive, across-the-board, all-embracing, all-encompassing, sweeping, extensive, broad

4.theme (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विषय
English Meaning - subject, matter, topic, issue.

5.campaign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियान
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.

6.unsavoury (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अप्रिय
English Meaning - disreputable, unpleasant, disagreeable; dirty, unsavoury, disgusting, dishonest, shameful.

7.interim (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अन्तरिम
English Meaning - provisional, temporary, short-term, transitional.

8.turnout (noun)

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

9.casteist (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - जातिवादी
English Meaning - relating to something which has an attachment to a caste system.

10.mobilise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - जुटाना
English Meaning - (of people) bring together for a particular cause.

11.largely (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - ज्यादातर
English Meaning - mostly, mainly, generally.

12.identity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पहचान
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.

13.mischievous (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - शरारती
English Meaning - bad, wicked; hurtful, evil-intentioned.

14.demographic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - जनसांख्यिकीय
English Meaning - relating to the statistical study/structure of populations, especially human beings.

15.insinuation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आक्षेप
English Meaning - (unpleasant) implication, reference, indication, suggestion; cutting/mocking remark, insult, affront, jibe, slight.

16.get better (phrase)

English Meaning - improve, progress, pick up, rally, advance.

17.held past participle of hold (verb)

English Meaning - conduct, organize.

18.blow hot and cold (phrase)

English Meaning - keep changing one’s mind/opinion, change mood/attitude frequently; vacillate, oscillate.

19.up for grabs/the take (phrase)

English Meaning - available and ready to be won or taken; available for anyone to get.

20.held past participle of hold (verb)

English Meaning - receive, get, obtain, acquire.

21.rally around (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to join together to help or support someone in a difficult time or situation.

22.hold in contempt (phrase)

English Meaning - to regard someone with disdain or disrespect; to be disrespectful or disobedient to a body, usually a court.

23.hit back (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - retaliate, counterattack, take revenge, take vengeance for, avenge, settle a score, hit back at someone, pay someone back, get even.

24.puzzling (adjective)

English Meaning - perplexing, mystifying, bewildering.

25.act on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - take action according to; act in accordance with.

26.come in handy (phrase)

English Meaning - to be useful.

27.polarisation (noun)

English Meaning - separation of two contrasting groups (based on different opinions/beliefs).

28.favour (verb)

English Meaning - support, back, advocate, subscribe to, stand up for, recommend, champion.

29.vocabulary (noun)

English Meaning - terminology, language, terms, words (used in a particular subject).

30.diversity (noun)

English Meaning - existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group; variety, variance, difference.

31.aspersion (noun)

English Meaning - condemnation, criticism; disparagement, defamation; character assassination, libel.

32.dress up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - present, portray, represent, depict (something in a method to make it more appealing/better).

33.well-being (noun)

English Meaning - healthy state/condition.

34.proclamation (noun)

English Meaning - a formal public statement, announcement, declaration, pronouncement.

35.land (verb)

English Meaning - (of something undesirable/unexpected) come suddenly.

36.exchange (noun)

English Meaning - argument, debate, war of words, row.

37.bail (noun)

English Meaning - conditional, temporary release of an arrested/imprisoned person when a specified amount of security is deposited or pledged (as cash or property) to ensure his/her appearance in court when required.

38.facilitate (verb)

English Meaning - assist, help, aid, ease, make easy, make possible.

39.trail (noun)

English Meaning - path/way, pathway, course, route.

40.quick on one’s feet (phrase)

English Meaning - sharp-witted, with shrewd intelligence, mental acuity; to be agile and responsive.

41.drag into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - involve someone in an (inappropriate or unnecessary) situation.

42.claim for oneself (phrase)

English Meaning - to declare something as one’s authority/property/jurisdiction.

43.put forth (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - suggest, put forward, propose, present, recommend.

44.welfare (noun)

English Meaning - a government program that provides (financial) assistance to individuals and families in need; social security, government/state benefit, public assistance.

45.guarantee (noun)

English Meaning - promise, assurance, pledge, vow, oath, commitment.

46.add to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - increase, intensify, heighten, deepen.

47.tensions (noun)

English Meaning - strained relations, strain, unease.

48.delicate (adjective)

English Meaning - subtle; fragile; easily broken.

49.dynamic (adjective)

English Meaning - energetic, powerful, effective, vigorous.

50.equilibrium (noun)

English Meaning - balance, evenness, parity, symmetry.