Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Beyond the numbers: On the Rajya Sabha elections

Beyond the numbers: On the Rajya Sabha elections

The Rajya Sabha polls brought out internal dissension (कलह, असहमति, मतभेद) in both the BJP and the Congress

Elections for 57 Rajya Sabha seats in the latest round that concluded (निष्कर्ष निकालना, समाप्त हो जाना) on June 10 provide notable (प्रसिद्ध, महत्वपूर्ण, चिह्नित, स्पष्ट) signals (संकेत, सूचक, सूचना) about the political winds (trend, tide, tendency, leaning, orientation) in several States. Forty-one seats had single candidates who were elected unopposed (निर्विरोध, अप्रतिबंधित) from 11 States, while contests for 16 in four States — Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan — were eventful (घटनेवाला, क्रिया से भरपूर), and accompanied (साथ होना, साथ देना) by charges (आरोप, अभियोग) of horse-trading, sabotage (तोड़ फोड़, जानबूझकर क्षति), and misuse of power by incumbents (current/existing/present holder, bearer or occupant of an office) at the Centre and State. The BJP’s continued emphasis (ज़ोर, प्राथमिकता, आग्रह) on backward classes (अन्य पिछड़ा वर्ग) and weaker sections was evident (प्रत्यक्ष, स्पष्ट, दृश्यमान) in its selection of candidates — reflected (प्रतिबिंबित होना, इंगित करना, प्रदर्शित करना) in at least half of the 22 new members the party brings into the Rajya Sabha. Three Muslim BJP MPs who have their terms (period, time, spell, stint) ending in July were not renominated (पुनर्नामांकित करना), and the ruling party will not have a single Parliament member from the community now. The Congress, on the other hand (it is used to introduce the first of two contrasting different, points, facts, or ways of looking at something. It is always followed later by “on the other hand” or ‘on the other’), continued to be tone deaf (insensitive to the concerns or difficulties of others; unable to understand matters concerning others’ sentiment/opinion; having a lack of perception, having a lack of understanding) to the clamour (protest, complaint, outcry/commotion) for increased representation (प्रतिनिधित्व, भागीदारी) by weaker sections — eight of its 10 candidates were from dominant (supreme, authoritative, most influential, most powerful) communities. The party pointedly (directly, unambiguously, unquestionably) lost the first opportunity to demonstrate that its Udaipur declaration that promised reforms in the party such as the ‘one family, one person’ principle in allotting tickets was indeed (in fact, actually, undeniably) a serious effort.

The BJP’s manoeuvring (negotiate, navigate, manipulate (skillfully & carefully)) capacity yielded (produce, give, provide, return, bring in, fetch, generate) good results in Maharashtra and Haryana but in Rajasthan, it had to eat humble pie (to admit your fault in a humiliating way and/or make a humble apology; back down, admit defeat, surrender, capitulate, yield, give in, cave in, submit), losing an MLA to the Congress camp. In Karnataka, the elections saw the Congress distancing itself from the JD(S), trying to emerge as the singular opposition to the ruling BJP ahead of the Assembly election next year. The new situation makes the possibility of an alliance (association, union, partnership) distant (faraway, remote, detached, unapproachable), if not impossible. The BJP’s show of strength in Maharashtra has upset the calculations (computation, reckoning, estimation, assessment, projection, prediction, expectation) of the ruling tripartite (involving three parties) Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), and threatens its government. In 2019, the strength of the MVA, comprising the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress along with a few independents and smaller parties, stood at 169, comfortably above the halfway mark (level, stage) of 145. Two-and-half-years later, the BJP secured (obtain, gain, get) 123 votes in the Rajya Sabha elections, while the MVA’s tally (total, count) came down to 161 votes. Two NCP MLAs were in jail and could not vote, one Sena vote was declared invalid; one Sena MLA had died a month ago. Though the MVA government faces (encounter, confront, deal with) no immediate danger, the shift of at least 10 votes to the BJP has brought it closer to the majority mark amid (in the middle of, surrounded by; during) murmurs (whisper, report, speculation, rumour, gossip/talk) of discontent (disappointment, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement, resentment, grievances, unhappiness, displeasure) within the three parties. Fresh talk of welcoming ‘disgruntled (aggrieved, dissatisfied, unhappy/disappointed)’ and ‘dissatisfied’ MLAs could well be possible in the coming days. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel have reinforced (support, uphold, bolster, underpin, undergird, strengthen) their positions within the Congress amid demands for their exit. In Haryana, the loss of one winnable seat due to (owing to, as a result of, because of) internal feuding (argument, dispute, disagreement, quarrel, row, fight, squabble, difference of opinion) shows the inability (incapability, incapacity, powerlessness, impotence, helplessness) of the Congress high command (commander-in-chief, head, leader, boss) to enforce (force, compel, exact, demand, insist on, require, necessitate) discipline.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.dissension (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कलह, असहमति, मतभेद
English Meaning - disagreement, difference of opinion, dispute, dissent.

2.conclude (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निष्कर्ष निकालना, समाप्त हो जाना।
English Meaning - come to an end, halt, stop, terminate, finish, be over.

3.notable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रसिद्ध, महत्वपूर्ण, चिह्नित, स्पष्ट
English Meaning - important, significant, marked, striking, glaring, obvious.

4.signal (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संकेत, सूचक, सूचना
English Meaning - indication, pointer, intimation.

5.unopposed (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निर्विरोध, अप्रतिबंधित
English Meaning - unchallenged, unhindered, unimpeded.

6.eventful (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घटनेवाला, क्रिया से भरपूर
English Meaning - action-packed, lively, active, hectic.

7.accompany (verb)

Hindi Meaning - साथ होना, साथ देना
English Meaning - occur with, co-occur with, coincide with, coexist with, go with, appear with.

8.charge (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप, अभियोग
English Meaning - accusation, allegation, indictment.

9.sabotage (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तोड़ फोड़, जानबूझकर क्षति
English Meaning - disruption, deliberate damage, obstruction, vandalism.

10.emphasis (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ज़ोर, प्राथमिकता, आग्रह।
English Meaning - importance, significance; priority, insistence.

11.Other Backward Class (OBC) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अन्य पिछड़ा वर्ग
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.

12.evident (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रत्यक्ष, स्पष्ट, दृश्यमान
English Meaning - obvious, clear, visible, discernible, perceptible, noticeable, recognizable.

13.reflect (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबिंबित होना, इंगित करना, प्रदर्शित करना
English Meaning - indicate, show, display, demonstrate, reveal, disclose, exhibit, manifest.

14.renominate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पुनर्नामांकित करना
English Meaning - nominate again.

15.representation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिनिधित्व, भागीदारी
English Meaning - participation, involvement, taking part.

16.wind (noun)

English Meaning - trend, tide, tendency, leaning, orientation.

17.beyond (preposition)

English Meaning - more than, over and above; apart from, except, other than.

18.bring out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - call attention to, highlight, emphasize, underline.

19.horse-trading (noun)

English Meaning - it is normally used to indicate a hard & shrewd (clever) negotiation/bargaining between two bargaining (political) parties to show an understanding of the problem.

20.incumbent (noun)

English Meaning - current/existing/present holder, bearer or occupant of an office.

21.Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)(noun)

English Meaning - Economically Weaker Section (EWS) or Economically Backward Classes (EBC) in India is a subcategory of people belonging to the General Category having an annual family income less than ₹8 lakh and who do not belong to any category such as SC/ST/OBC across India, nor to MBC in Tamil Nadu.

22.term (noun)

English Meaning - period, time, spell, stint.

23.on the one hand (phrase)

English Meaning - it is used to introduce the first of two contrasting different, points, facts, or ways of looking at something. It is always followed later by “on the other hand” or ‘on the other’.

24.on the other hand (phrase)

English Meaning - as an alternative.

25.tone-deaf (adjective)

English Meaning - insensitive to the concerns or difficulties of others; unable to understand matters concerning others’ sentiment/opinion; having a lack of perception, having a lack of understanding.

26.clamour (noun)

English Meaning - protest, complaint, outcry/commotion.

27.dominant (adjective)

English Meaning - supreme, authoritative, most influential, most powerful.

28.pointedly (adverb)

English Meaning - directly, unambiguously, unquestionably.

29.Chintan Shivir or Udaipur declaration (noun)

English Meaning - The Congress’ three-day ‘Chintan Shivir’, a brainstorming session occurred in Udaipur, Rajasthan, from May 13 to 15, 2022. The conclave would focus on the time-bound restructuring of the Congress, finding ways to combat the politics of polarisation and getting battle-ready for upcoming electoral challenges.

30.indeed (adverb)

English Meaning - in fact, actually, undeniably.

31.manoeuvre (noun)

English Meaning - negotiate, navigate, manipulate (skillfully & carefully).

32.yield (verb)

English Meaning - produce, give, provide, return, bring in, fetch, generate.

33.eat humble pie (phrase)

English Meaning - to admit your fault in a humiliating way and/or make a humble apology; back down, admit defeat, surrender, capitulate, yield, give in, cave in, submit.

34.distance oneself from (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - denounce, disown, reject.

35.alliance (noun)

English Meaning - association, union, partnership.

36.distant (adjective)

English Meaning - faraway, remote, detached, unapproachable.

37.calculation (noun)

English Meaning - computation, reckoning, estimation, assessment, projection, prediction, expectation.

38.tripartite (adjective)

English Meaning - involving three parties.

39.mark (noun)

English Meaning - level, stage.