Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Winter contest: On the Delhi Assembly elections

Winter contest: On the Delhi Assembly elections

Assembly elections to Delhi have an oversized importance

The Delhi Assembly (विधानसभा) elections on February 5 is set to be a bipolar (द्विध्रुवीय) contest between the incumbent (पदाधिकारी, वर्तमान धारक) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress, once the most popular party in the national capital, is struggling to regain at least part of its lost prominence (प्रमुखता, ख्याति). Delhi is not a full-fledged (पूर्ण, पूर्ण रूप से विकसित) State, and its unique and convoluted (जटिल, उलझा हुआ) governance design often sets the Centre and the State government on a collision course (टकराव की स्थिति में). Still, there is national spotlight (सुर्खियों में) on Delhi politics, which the AAP and the BJP have dominated since 2012. Since then, the voters in Delhi have swung overwhelmingly (भारी बहुमत से) in favour of (के पक्ष में) the AAP in Assembly elections and the BJP in Lok Sabha elections. The AAP nurtures (पोषण करना, प्रोत्साहित करना) national ambitions and its chief, Arvind Kejriwal, fashions himself as a challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the run-up to the elections, the AAP has had its image (छवि, प्रतिष्ठा) of incorruptibility (भ्रष्टाचार से मुक्त, ईमानदारी) and of being a platform for the commoner (आम आदमी) severely stained (damage, tarnish, taint, dishonour) by corruption allegations (charge, accusation, indictment) against Mr. Kejriwal and several of his colleagues. It is true that the central investigative agencies (India has a number of investigative agencies like The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), The National Investigation Agency (NIA), The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and others) are selective in their anti-corruption probe, but that does not absolve (relieve, release, free, spare; clear acquit, forgive, pardon) AAP of suspicion (misgiving, doubt/qualm, scepticism). The frequent run-ins (fight, quarrel, tussle, clash, confrontation, disagreement, argument, dispute, difference of opinion) with the Lieutenant Governor appointed by the Centre have made it difficult for the party to deliver on what it has promised, even as it makes a bid (attempt, effort, try to achieve something) for a fourth term (tenure, period of/in office; period, time, stint, spell).

The BJP is pitching (try to convince someone to accept something) a double-engine government that will put an end to the tussle (fight, clash, quarrel, argument, contention) between the two powers that control Delhi. The election is likely (probably, presumably, in all probability) to bring up (raise, introduce, mention, propose, present, put forward a topic (for discussion/consideration)) issues concerning (regarding, with regard to, in respect of, with reference to, relating to) the integrity (honesty, probity, uprightness, morality; unity, coherence, cohesion, undividedness, togetherness, solidarity) of the election process itself. The AAP has submitted to the Election Commission that the names of bona fide (legitimate, legal, genuine, real, authentic) voters are being removed from the electoral rolls. When announcing the elections, the Chief Election Commissioner sought to allay (reduce, diminish, decrease, lessen, ease, relieve, assuage, alleviate, mitigate, temper, moderate) these fears saying deletion of names was not possible without adhering (conform to, abide by, comply with, stand by, stick to, follow, obey, observe) to strict protocols (procedure, convention; habit, pattern, method, system), and every party has the right to raise objections at various stages. In response, the BJP has said that the AAP is worried that illegal Rohingya (an ethnic Muslim minority group, in western Myanmar (Burma)) and Bangladeshi immigrants (emigrant, migrant, settler, foreigner) who are benefiting from the party’s welfare (a government program that provides (financial) assistance to individuals and families in need; social security, government/state benefit, public assistance) schemes will be struck off the list. The results, scheduled to be announced on February 8, will also be a test of the strength, the strategies (plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests)), and the coherence (unity, unification, wholeness, integrity, cohesion, undividedness, togetherness, solidarity) of the parties ranged against the BJP. While the AAP and the Congress fought the Lok Sabha elections with a seat-sharing agreement as INDIA partners in an attempt to defeat the BJP, they are opposing each other in this fight. For the BJP that considers every election as a life-and-death (vital, vitally important, all-important, significant, critical, crucial, serious) matter, Delhi is even more so (to a greater extent/degree).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.(Legislative) Assembly (noun)

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

2.bipolar (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - द्विध्रुवीय
English Meaning - having two extremities.

3.incumbent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पदाधिकारी, वर्तमान धारक
English Meaning - current, existing, present (holder, bearer or occupant of an office).

4.prominence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रमुखता, ख्याति
English Meaning - importance, repute, stature, standing, eminence.

5.full-fledged (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्ण, पूर्ण रूप से विकसित
English Meaning - fully established/developed.

6.convoluted (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - जटिल, उलझा हुआ
English Meaning - complicated/confused, complex, intricate.

7.on a collision course (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - टकराव की स्थिति में
English Meaning - having an approach that is likely to cause conflict with another.

8.spotlight (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सुर्खियों में
English Meaning - public attention; public eye; limelight.

9.swing (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बदलना
English Meaning - change, vary, shift, alternate.

10.overwhelmingly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - भारी बहुमत से
English Meaning - with a great majority; to a very great degree.

11.in favour of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के पक्ष में
English Meaning - in support of; to the advantage of.

12.nurture (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पोषण करना, प्रोत्साहित करना
English Meaning - improve, foster, cultivate, encourage, promote, further, boost.

13.image (noun)

Hindi Meaning - छवि, प्रतिष्ठा
English Meaning - public perception, impression, persona, identity; reputation.

14.incorruptibility (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भ्रष्टाचार से मुक्त, ईमानदारी
English Meaning - uprightness, righteousness, honesty, faultlessness

15.commoner (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आम आदमी
English Meaning - common person.

16.fashion oneself (phrase)

English Meaning - to think that one is important; to think that one is so special; to think that one looks too good for something.

17.run-up to (noun)

English Meaning - a period of time just before an important event.

18.stain (verb)

English Meaning - damage, tarnish, taint, dishonour.

19.allegation (noun)

English Meaning - charge, accusation, indictment.

20.central investigative agencies (noun)

English Meaning - India has a number of investigative agencies like The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), The National Investigation Agency (NIA), The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and others.

21.absolve (verb)

English Meaning - relieve, release, free, spare; clear acquit, forgive, pardon.

22.suspicion (noun)

English Meaning - misgiving, doubt/qualm, scepticism.

23.run-in (noun)

English Meaning - fight, quarrel, tussle, clash, confrontation, disagreement, argument, dispute, difference of opinion.

24.bid (noun)

English Meaning - attempt, effort, try to achieve something.

25.term (noun)

English Meaning - tenure, period of/in office; period, time, stint, spell.

26.pitch (verb)

English Meaning - try to convince someone to accept something.

27.“double engine” government theory (noun)

English Meaning - the concept behind “double engine” governments is that the same party (in this case BJP) should be in power in the state and at the Centre.

28.put an end to (phrase)

English Meaning - end, cancel, stop, block, thwart, prevent, wipe out.

29.tussle (noun)

English Meaning - fight, clash, quarrel, argument, contention.

30.likely (adverb)

English Meaning - probably, presumably, in all probability.

31.bring up (verb)

English Meaning - raise, introduce, mention, propose, present, put forward a topic (for discussion/consideration).

32.concerning (preposition)

English Meaning - regarding, with regard to, in respect of, with reference to, relating to.

33.integrity (noun)

English Meaning - honesty, probity, uprightness, morality; unity, coherence, cohesion, undividedness, togetherness, solidarity.

34.bona fide (adjective)

English Meaning - legitimate, legal, genuine, real, authentic.

35.sought past tense of seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

36.allay (verb)

English Meaning - reduce, diminish, decrease, lessen, ease, relieve, assuage, alleviate, mitigate, temper, moderate.

37.adhere (verb)

English Meaning - conform to, abide by, comply with, stand by, stick to, follow, obey, observe.

38.protocol (noun)

English Meaning - procedure, convention; habit, pattern, method, system.

39.Rohingya (noun)

English Meaning - an ethnic Muslim minority group, in western Myanmar (Burma).

40.immigrant (noun)

English Meaning - emigrant, migrant, settler, foreigner.

41.welfare (noun)

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

42.strike off (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - remove, cancel, delete, erase.

43.strategy (noun)

English Meaning - plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).

44.coherence (noun)

English Meaning - unity, unification, wholeness, integrity, cohesion, undividedness, togetherness, solidarity.

45.range against (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to join hands with other group to oppose/support a specific group.

46.life-and-death (adjective)

English Meaning - vital, vitally important, all-important, significant, critical, crucial, serious.

47.more so (phrase)

English Meaning - to a greater extent/degree.