Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Raining promises: Competitive populism in the Assembly elections in five States

Raining promises: Competitive populism in the Assembly elections in five States

Competitive (प्रतिस्पर्धी) populism (लोकलुभावनवाद) seems to have replaced communalism (सांप्रदायिकता) in the campaign (अभियान)

The ongoing Assembly elections in five States are seen as a prelude (प्रस्तावना) to the general election expected in the first half of 2024. Polling has concluded in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram while campaigning is peaking (reach a climax) in Rajasthan and Telangana, which will vote on November 25 and 30, respectively. Competitive populism has been the defining (परिभाषित) theme (विषय) of campaigning so far (अभी तक), and attempts at communal polarisation (ध्रुवीकरण) have been relatively (अपेक्षाकृत) understated (make light of, gloss over, underemphasize, downplay, deemphasize). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, the main contestants in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, have sought to outdo (आगे बढ़ना) each other in promising a widening array (collection, range, variety, mixture, raft, line-up) of welfare (कल्याण) schemes. In Telangana, the Congress, which is mounting (increase, rise, soar, escalate) a serious challenge to incumbent (current, existing, present (holder, bearer or occupant of an office)) Bharat Rashtra Samithi, has promised (वादा) to expand the State’s saturated (flooded, overloaded, oversupplied, swamped) welfare regime (प्रशासन) even further. Incumbents (the present holder or occupant of an office) in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the Congress and the BJP, respectively, have relied on new welfare architectures (structure, formation, composition, organization) to fight for another term (period of office; spell, stint, duration, incumbency). Voter response to the Congress’s demand for a countrywide caste based census (an official survey, particularly of a population) has been mixed. The BJP has been ambivalent (having mixed feelings about someone or something; in two minds; equivocal, uncertain, doubtful, indecisive, inconclusive, irresolute, undecided, unresolved, fluctuating, wavering) on the question, and will wait for the outcomes (result, consequence, ramification, repercussion, aftermath) on December 3 before making up its mind. The party, however, has been vocal (vociferous, outspoken, forthright; relating to someone who expresses his/her views frankly) in electioneering (canvassing, campaigning), about the inauguration (beginning, start, launch, initiation, commencement) of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in January.

Tribal voters have received special attention (notice, regard, recognition, heed (as interesting or important)) from the BJP and the Congress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a ₹24,000-crore PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan for last-mile (referring to delivering a product/service to the customer at their home) welfare scheme delivery and protection for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (previously known as a Primitive tribal group), it is a sub-classification of Scheduled Tribe or section of a Scheduled Tribe, that is considered more vulnerable than a regular Scheduled Tribe). Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Mr. Modi have both claimed a better track record ((previous) performance, accomplishments, achievements) in delivering on election promises they make. Welfare schemes can result in (cause, lead to, bring about, bring on, produce, give rise to) more equitable (fair, just, fair-minded, even-handed, impartial, unbiased) development outcomes as research shows, but a more thoughtful and researched approach would be healthier for public (governmental) finances. Parties should seek more common ground (a base of common/mutual interest; shared interests or opinions between two groups of people) in electioneering. Mr. Modi remained the centre of the BJP campaign, relegating (downgrade, lower, assign a less important position) the party’s regional satraps (local leader/ruler) into the shadows. The party also shuffled (restructure, rearrange, reorganize; change, alter/adjust) the pack (group) by fielding (nominate, propose, put up (a candidate) to stand in an election) several Parliament members including Union Ministers in Assembly seats. Though the Congress campaign is being helmed (lead, steer, manage, be in charge of) by Mr. Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge, its regional leaders are empowered (authorize, allow, entitle, permit, approve, endorse) to steer the strategy (plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests)), in stark (clear, distinct, evident, obvious, striking) contrast to the BJP. The nascent (just beginning, emerging, rising, advancing, burgeoning) coalition (alliance, partnership, union, bloc) of Opposition parties has run into rough weather, with constituent (member) parties turning on (criticize, blame; attack suddenly) the Congress in several States. Evolution (progress, advancement, progression, development) of the Opposition space ahead of 2024 will be influenced (impact on, effect, have an affect on; determine) by the results of these elections, though the voters have clearly made a distinction (difference, differentiation, variation, variance, dissimilarity) between Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in recent times.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.raining (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बारिश
English Meaning - flowing, showering, flooding; overwhelming, uncontrollable.

2.promise (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वादा
English Meaning - assurance, guarantee, pledge, vow.

3.competitive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिस्पर्धी
English Meaning - aggressive, contentious, ambitious, zealous.

4.populism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लोकलुभावनवाद
English Meaning - related to policies that supposedly represent the opinions of ordinary people.

5.communalism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सांप्रदायिकता
English Meaning - adherence/obedience to one’s own ethnic group (against the principle/practice of living together in wider society).

6.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.

7.prelude (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्तावना
English Meaning - an introduction to the main event; intro, start, beginning, curtain-raiser, overture

8.defining (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - परिभाषित
English Meaning - decisive, determining, deciding; critically important.

9.theme (noun)

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

10.so far (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - अभी तक
English Meaning - until now, up to this point, thus far, hitherto.

11.polarisation (noun)

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

12.relatively (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - अपेक्षाकृत
English Meaning - to a certain extent/degree; comparatively, somewhat, reasonably, satisfactorily.

13.outdo (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आगे बढ़ना
English Meaning - beat, trump, outperform, do/be better than.

14.welfare (noun)

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

15.regime (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशासन
English Meaning - system.

16.peak (verb)

English Meaning - reach a climax.

17.understate (verb)

English Meaning - make light of, gloss over, underemphasize, downplay, deemphasize.

18.sought past tense of seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

19.widening (adjective)

English Meaning - expanding, extending, increasing.

20.array (noun)

English Meaning - collection, range, variety, mixture, raft, line-up.

21.mount (verb)

English Meaning - increase, rise, soar, escalate.

22.incumbent (adjective)

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

23.saturated (adjective)

English Meaning - flooded, overloaded, oversupplied, swamped.

24.incumbent (noun)

English Meaning - the present holder or occupant of an office.

25.rely on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - depend on, bank on, count on, have recourse to, place reliance on.

26.architecture (noun)

English Meaning - structure, formation, composition, organization.

27.term (noun)

English Meaning - period of office; spell, stint, duration, incumbency.

28.census (noun)

English Meaning - an official survey, particularly of a population.

29.ambivalent (adjective)

English Meaning - having mixed feelings about someone or something; in two minds; equivocal, uncertain, doubtful, indecisive, inconclusive, irresolute, undecided, unresolved, fluctuating, wavering.

30.outcome (noun)

English Meaning - result, consequence, ramification, repercussion, aftermath.

31.make up one’s mind (phrase)

English Meaning - to make a final decision, especially after thinking for a long time.

32.vocal (adjective)

English Meaning - vociferous, outspoken, forthright; relating to someone who expresses his/her views frankly.

33.electioneering (noun)

English Meaning - canvassing, campaigning.

34.inauguration (noun)

English Meaning - beginning, start, launch, initiation, commencement.

35.attention (noun)

English Meaning - notice, regard, recognition, heed (as interesting or important).

36.last-mile (noun)

English Meaning - referring to delivering a product/service to the customer at their home.

37.Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) (noun)

English Meaning - previously known as a Primitive tribal group), it is a sub-classification of Scheduled Tribe or section of a Scheduled Tribe, that is considered more vulnerable than a regular Scheduled Tribe.

38.vulnerable (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a weak/neglected person who is in need of special care/support.

39.track record (noun)

English Meaning - (previous) performance, accomplishments, achievements.

40.result in (verb)

English Meaning - cause, lead to, bring about, bring on, produce, give rise to.

41.equitable (adjective)

English Meaning - fair, just, fair-minded, even-handed, impartial, unbiased.

42.public (adjective)

English Meaning - governmental.

43.common ground (noun)

English Meaning - a base of common/mutual interest; shared interests or opinions between two groups of people.

44.relegate (verb)

English Meaning - downgrade, lower, assign a less important position to.

45.satrap (noun)

English Meaning - local leader/ruler.

46.in the shadows (phrase)

English Meaning - in a position of being not seen as all the attention is provided to someone else.

47.shuffle (verb)

English Meaning - restructure, rearrange, reorganize; change, alter/adjust.

48.pack (noun)

English Meaning - group.

49.field (verb)

English Meaning - nominate, propose, put up (a candidate) to stand in an election.

50.helm (verb)

English Meaning - lead, steer, manage, be in charge of.

51.empower (verb)

English Meaning - authorize, allow, entitle, permit, approve, endorse.

52.strategy (noun)

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

53.stark (adjective)

English Meaning - clear, distinct, evident, obvious, striking.

54.in stark contrast to (phrase)

English Meaning - very different from (something else).

55.nascent (adjective)

English Meaning - just beginning, emerging, rising, advancing, burgeoning.

56.coalition (noun)

English Meaning - alliance, partnership, union, bloc.

57.run into rough weather (phrase)

English Meaning - hit rough weather; run into difficulties or experience problems

58.constituent (noun as modifier)

English Meaning - member.

59.turn on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - criticize, blame; attack suddenly.

60.evolution (noun)

English Meaning - progress, advancement, progression, development.

61.influence (verb)

English Meaning - impact on, effect, have an affect on; determine.

62.distinction (noun)

English Meaning - difference, differentiation, variation, variance, dissimilarity.