Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Turnout and tropes: On phase two voter turnout and election rhetoric

Turnout and tropes: On phase two voter turnout and election rhetoric

Voter turnout has been lower in most States compared to the 2019 election

A comparative assessment (विश्लेषण, मूल्यांकन) of polling in the second phase of the general election on Friday, for 88 seats from 13 States/Union Territories, shows that high turnout (मतदान, उपस्थिति) (more than 70%) in the East and the North East (Assam, Manipur, Tripura, and West Bengal) and low turnout (less than 60%) in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have followed earlier trends (प्रवृत्ति, दिशा). The turnout seems to be lower in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan too, but any parsing (an act of examining something carefully in order to understand it) of the reasons should wait for comprehensive (व्यापक, पूर्ण) post-poll surveys. That said, voter turnout has indeed (वास्तव में, सचमुच) reduced in comparison (तुलना में) to 2019 in the first phase as well (additionally, in addition, apart from, besides), compelling (बाध्य करना, दबाव डालना) the Election Commission of India to look into (जांच पड़ताल करना) whether the heat-wave conditions in many States were responsible. That could be a factor but one cannot rule out (अस्वीकार करना, खारिज करना) the notion (opinion, view ,thought, belief, impression, understanding) that voters seem to be less compelled about their choice (विकल्प, चयन) this time in comparison to 2019. Considering the fact that (यह तथ्य कि) the BJP won a comfortable majority and its highest vote share in 2019 coinciding with the higher voter turnout, a lower turnout could be a sign of worry for it, even if (यद्यपि, भले ही), conventionally (परंपरागत रूप से, आम तौर पर), a higher turnout has generally been a message about anti-incumbency (a situation which is against elected officials currently in power; discontent against ruling government/ party in power) in earlier polls before the BJP became the pole (one of two opposite political parties (ideologically)) of the Indian party system.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the lynchpin (most important, main, focal, central (person/thing)) of the BJP, and whose leadership of the party and the Union government is marshalled (gather/group (together), arrange, organize, line up) by the party as a key campaigning (अभियान, चुनाव प्रचार) tool, had taken recourse to coarse (discourteous, impolite, uncivilized, ill-mannered, offensive, dirty, filthy) communal rhetoric (भाषणबाजी, अत्युक्ति) and criticising the Congress party’s manifesto ((policy) statement, declaration, pronouncement (issued by a political party before a General Election)). This suggests (indicate, denote, point to, signify) a two-pronged (having two different parts/aspects) ploy ((cunning) plan, scheme, tactic/trick). To whip up (excite, evoke/provoke, stimulate, encourage (strong emotions in someone intentionally); it also means to prepare something (specifically food) very quickly) the sentiments (feeling, emotion) of the ardent (emotional, passionate, wholehearted, avid, zealous, impassioned, fervent) support base (a group of people considered as supporting an organization/party) of the party who believe in the Hindutva agenda and to seek (ask for, request, appeal for) higher participation (engagement, contribution, involvement) in voting by these sections. And, to discredit (criticize, tarnish, devalue, demean, belittle, slander; castigate, condemn, denounce, censure, hit out at, find fault with, slam) the Congress’s studied (deliberate, intentional, careful, thoughtful, conscious, purposeful) pivot (focus/focal point, focus, centre, foundation, cornerstone) to the agenda of social justice (the equal access to wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society) (although it hinged on (depend on, be based, be dependent) an idea of recognition (acknowledgement, acceptance, understanding, realization) made possible by a caste census) and expanded welfare (a government program that provides (financial) assistance to individuals and families in need; social security, government/state benefit, public assistance) (through neo-Keynesian (relating to the school of thought in modern macroeconomics that evolved from the ideas of John Maynard Keynes (a British economist). Keynesian supporters believe capitalism is a good system. They believe government should play an active role in controlling the economy) policies). The Congress lost its base in the Hindi heartland (the most important part of a field of activity; the central part of something) to the parties that favoured (support, back, advocate, subscribe to, stand up for, recommend, champion) “Mandal” politics of intermediate and lower caste-based mobilisation (the act of bringing forces/people/resources together for a particular cause) and patronage (support, backing, protection) since the 1990s. The BJP, then, successfully managed to upend (overturn, overthrow, topple over, knock down, capsize, cancel; turn something upside down) these parties by mobilising sections of the OBCs, who felt left out (omitted, eliminated, overlooked, ignored, rejected, neglected, excluded, disregarded) due to the hegemony of select intermediate castes in the Mandal parties, besides (apart from, other than, barring, excluding; as well as, in addition to, moreover, additionally) using Hindutva to form a solid base of support. Now, the Congress seeks (try, aim, attempt) to revive (restore, revitalize, renew, bring back; give new life/energy to) itself in alliance (coalition, partnership, bloc, union) with the Mandal parties who also seek a new resurgence (recovery, revival, rebound, resurrection, renaissance, re-emergence). This has led the BJP and Mr. Modi to take to (resort to, turn to, have recourse, star, begin) slandering (defame, misrepresent, give someone a bad name, tell lies about, make false statements) the grand old party’s manifesto, particularly its emphasis (importance, significance; priority, insistence) on welfare, using familiar communal tropes. It remains to be seen whether the electorate will be emotionally swayed (affect, influence, control, persuade, prevail on) by this rhetoric or logically match it against its expectations of better jobs and livelihoods (means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income). This will decide the course (way, path, direction, trajectory) of the election as it moves on to the next phases.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.turnout (noun)

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

2.rhetoric (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भाषणबाजी, अत्युक्ति
English Meaning - bombast, loftiness, hyperbole/extravagant language.

3.assessment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विश्लेषण, मूल्यांकन
English Meaning - analysis, evaluation, valuation, appraisal.

4.trend (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवृत्ति, दिशा
English Meaning - tendency, direction, fashion, mode.

5.comprehensive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - व्यापक, पूर्ण
English Meaning - all-inclusive, broad-based, complete, thorough.

6.indeed (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - वास्तव में, सचमुच
English Meaning - in fact, actually.

7.in comparison (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - तुलना में
English Meaning - when compared.

8.compel (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बाध्य करना, दबाव डालना
English Meaning - force, push, impel, urge, demand, require, necessitate.

9.look into (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - जांच पड़ताल करना
English Meaning - examine, investigate, probe, inquire about.

10.rule out (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - अस्वीकार करना, खारिज करना
English Meaning - exclude, eliminate, dismiss, reject, disregard, preclude.

11.choice (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विकल्प, चयन
English Meaning - option, alternative.

12.the fact that (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - यह तथ्य कि
English Meaning - used to refer to a specific situation under consideration/discussion.

13.even if (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - यद्यपि, भले ही
English Meaning - despite the fact that.

14.conventionally (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - परंपरागत रूप से, आम तौर पर
English Meaning - usually, commonly, generally, mostly, normally, typically.

15.campaign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियान, चुनाव प्रचार
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.

16.heatwave (noun)

English Meaning - (a long period of) hot weather, hotness, humidity.

17.trope (noun)

English Meaning - figurative expression, metaphor, comparison, symbol.

18.parsing (noun)

English Meaning - an act of examining something carefully in order to understand it.

19.as well (phrase)

English Meaning - additionally, in addition, apart from, besides.

20.notion (noun)

English Meaning - opinion, view ,thought, belief, impression, understanding.

21.anti-incumbency (noun)

English Meaning - a situation which is against elected officials currently in power; discontent against ruling government/ party in power.

22.pole (noun)

English Meaning - one of two opposite political parties (ideologically).

23.lynchpin (noun)

English Meaning - most important, main, focal, central (person/thing).

24.marshal (verb)

English Meaning - gather/group (together), arrange, organize, line up.

25.key (adjective)

English Meaning - important.

26.take/have recourse to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - utilize, use, employ, resort to, make use of.

27.coarse (adjective)

English Meaning - discourteous, impolite, uncivilized, ill-mannered, offensive, dirty, filthy.

28.manifesto (noun)

English Meaning - (policy) statement, declaration, pronouncement (issued by a political party before a General Election).

29.suggest (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, denote, point to, signify.

30.two-pronged (adjective)

English Meaning - having two different parts/aspects.

31.ploy (noun)

English Meaning - (cunning) plan, scheme, tactic/trick.

32.whip up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - excite, evoke/provoke, stimulate, encourage (strong emotions in someone intentionally); it also means to prepare something (specifically food) very quickly.

33.sentiment (noun)

English Meaning - feeling, emotion.

34.ardent (adjective)

English Meaning - emotional, passionate, wholehearted, avid, zealous, impassioned, fervent.

35.base (noun)

English Meaning - a group of people considered as supporting an organization/party.

36.seek (verb)

English Meaning - ask for, request, appeal for.

37.participation (noun)

English Meaning - engagement, contribution, involvement.

38.discredit (verb)

English Meaning - criticize, tarnish, devalue, demean, belittle, slander; castigate, condemn, denounce, censure, hit out at, find fault with, slam.

39.studied (adjective)

English Meaning - deliberate, intentional, careful, thoughtful, conscious, purposeful.

40.social justice (noun)

English Meaning - the equal access to wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.

41.hinge on (verb)

English Meaning - depend on, be based, be dependent.

42.recognition (noun)

English Meaning - acknowledgement, acceptance, understanding, realization.

43.census (noun)

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

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.neo-keynesian (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the school of thought in modern macroeconomics that evolved from the ideas of John Maynard Keynes (a British economist). Keynesian supporters believe capitalism is a good system. They believe government should play an active role in controlling the economy.

46.heartland (noun)

English Meaning - the most important part of a field of activity; the central part of something.

47.favour (verb)

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

48.Mandal politics/campaign (noun)

English Meaning - politics/campaign related to a rebellion against upper-caste dominance and it guided the political destiny of north India to a large extent in the past.

49.mobilisation (noun)

English Meaning - the act of bringing forces/people/resources together for a particular cause.

50.patronage (noun)

English Meaning - support, backing, protection.

51.upend (verb)

English Meaning - overturn, overthrow, topple over, knock down, capsize, cancel; turn something upside down.

52.mobilise (verb)

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

53.left out (adjective)

English Meaning - omitted, eliminated, overlooked, ignored, rejected, neglected, excluded, disregarded.

54.besides (preposition)

English Meaning - apart from, other than, barring, excluding; as well as, in addition to, moreover, additionally.

55.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

56.revive (verb)

English Meaning - restore, revitalize, renew, bring back; give new life/energy to.

57.alliance (noun)

English Meaning - coalition, partnership, bloc, union.

58.resurgence (noun)

English Meaning - recovery, revival, rebound, resurrection, renaissance, re-emergence.

59.take to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - resort to, turn to, have recourse, star, begin.

60.slander (verb)

English Meaning - defame, misrepresent, give someone a bad name, tell lies about, make false statements.

61.emphasis (noun)

English Meaning - importance, significance; priority, insistence.

62.sway (verb)

English Meaning - affect, influence, control, persuade, prevail on.

63.match against (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to compare something with something else so as to find things that are the same.

64.livelihood (noun)

English Meaning - means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income.

65.course (noun)

English Meaning - way, path, direction, trajectory.

66.pivot (noun)

English Meaning - focus/focal point, focus, centre, foundation, cornerstone.