Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Two plus one: On the April 9 Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry

​Two plus one: On the April 9 Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry

Anti-incumbency (सत्ताविरोधी भावना) is not a strong factor in the two States and one UT going to polls

Public campaigning for the April 9 Assembly (विधानसभा) elections in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry concluded on Tuesday and voting will take place in a single phase across all three regions — 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry. The results will be declared on May 4. In Kerala, the incumbent (वर्तमान पदधारी, सत्तारूढ़) LDF led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking (प्रयास करना, पाने की कोशिश करना) a third consecutive (लगातार, क्रमिक) term (कार्यकाल). No alliance (गठबंधन) has achieved such a feat (उपलब्धि, कारनामा) in the State, but the LDF mounted an audacious (दुस्साहसी) campaign premised on (आधारित होना, किसी चीज़ पर आधारित करना) a claim (दावा) that ‘there is no alternative (विकल्प)’ to the LDF. The emergence of the BJP — it won its first Lok Sabha seat in the State in 2024 — as a notable (उल्लेखनीय, महत्वपूर्ण) force in the State has further confused the Kerala electorate (मतदाता वर्ग). Each of the three formations has accused the other two of having an understanding (agreement, pact, arrangement, deal) beneath (under, below, underneath, lower than) the open (transparent, public, overt, explicit) posturing (grandstanding, attitude, posing, stance). The UDF is attempting to convert the momentum (impetus, energy, thrust, traction) that it gained in the Lok Sabha and local body elections into an Assembly victory. The LDF is counting on (rely on, depend on, bank on, trust) its 10 years of welfare governance (the system or process of governing that focuses on protecting and promoting the economic and social well-being of citizens). The Congress has replicated (duplicate, copy, reproduce, imitate) its model of guarantees (an electoral or governance strategy centered around making firm, actionable promises or welfare guarantees to voters; assurance framework, promise-based strategy) covering (encompass, include, involve, contain) key vote blocs (a group of voters that are strongly motivated by a specific common concern or group identity to vote together) such as college students and women. The party managed to resolve the internal disputes over ticket distribution, but senior leaders are angling for the Chief Minister’s post, counting their chickens before they hatch. The CPI(M) had to contend with (to deal with a difficult or unpleasant situation; deal with, cope with, face, tackle) at least four of its senior leaders leaving the party and contesting as UDF candidates.

In Assam, the campaign (अभियान, चुनाव ) has been dominated (to be the most important or conspicuous person or thing in a situation; control, command, monopolize, overshadow) by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is seeking a second term and a third for the BJP-led NDA. He has formulated (to create or prepare something carefully; devise, develop, create, frame) a strident (expressing opinions or criticisms in a very forceful and often harsh way; harsh, loud, vociferous, forceful) version of anti-Muslim rhetoric (language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content; bombast, oratory, eloquence, wordiness), Hindutva, and indigenous (native, aboriginal, original, local) identity politics and welfare schemes, particularly the Orunodoi (an official poverty alleviation scheme launched by the Government of Assam providing direct benefit transfers to vulnerable families, primarily targeting women) direct benefit transfer to around 40 lakh women. Other promises by the BJP are measures (action, step, procedure, move) against illegal encroachment (intrusion on a person’s territory, rights, etc.; intrusion, invasion, trespass, infiltration), implementation (execution, application, carrying out, enforcement) of the Immigrants (a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country; migrant, settler, newcomer, alien) (Expulsion from Assam) Act, a Uniform Civil Code (a proposed legal framework in India aiming to replace personal laws based on the scriptures and customs of each major religious community with a common set of rules governing every citizen) excluding tribal areas, and two lakh government jobs. The campaign concluded with the Congress responding in kind to (responding in the same way or with a similar action towards someone or something; in the same manner, similarly, equivalently, correspondingly) Mr. Sarma’s highly personalised (directed against an individual personally rather than their arguments or policies; personal, ad hominem, individual, subjective) campaign against Congress’s campaign leader Gaurav Gogoi. Mr. Sarma has been alleging that Mr. Gogoi has links with Pakistan. The Congress alleged (to claim or assert that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically without proof; claim, assert, declare, state) that Mr. Sarma’s wife holds (possess, own, have, keep) three passports — the UAE, Antigua and Barbuda, and Egypt — and may be preparing to flee (to run away from a place or situation of danger; escape, abscond, run away, bolt) in the event of (if a specified situation or event occurs; in case of, if there is, in the situation of, providing that) defeat. A six-party alliance led by the Congress is fighting on (battle on, campaign on, contest in, struggle on) an uneven (unequal, unfair, one-sided, unbalanced) battlefield (battleground, arena, combat zone, field of operations) in Assam. In Puducherry, an NDA government led by All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) leader N. Rangasamy has been in power (having political control or authority; in office, in charge, ruling, commanding) since 2021. With only 30 seats, the personal standing (the status, reputation, or public image of an individual; reputation, status, prestige, stature) of individual candidates could play a bigger role in the outcome (result, consequence, conclusion, aftermath) than grand politics (high-level political strategy or ideological political dynamics as opposed to local or personal politics; macro-politics, ideological politics, national politics) in the Union Territory.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Assembly (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधानसभा
English Meaning - legislature, council, parliament, congress.

2.Anti-incumbency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सत्ताविरोधी भावना
English Meaning - a sentiment or vote against the elected officials currently in power; anti-establishment feeling, opposition to the ruling party, dissatisfaction with the government, desire for change.

3.incumbent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - वर्तमान पदधारी, सत्तारूढ़
English Meaning - currently holding office; reigning, ruling, sitting, present.

4.seek (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रयास करना, पाने की कोशिश करना
English Meaning - to attempt to find or obtain something; pursue, try for, aim for, strive for.

5.consecutive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लगातार, क्रमिक
English Meaning - successive, succeeding, continuous, uninterrupted.

6.term (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यकाल
English Meaning - period, stint, spell, duration.

7.alliance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गठबंधन
English Meaning - coalition, union, partnership, bloc.

8.feat (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपलब्धि, कारनामा
English Meaning - achievement, accomplishment, deed, triumph.

9.audacious (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - दुस्साहसी
English Meaning - bold, daring, fearless, intrepid.

10.campaign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियान, चुनाव
English Meaning - an organized course of action to achieve a particular goal, especially a political one; drive, movement, push, crusade.

11.premise on (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - आधारित होना, किसी चीज़ पर आधारित करना
English Meaning - to base an argument, theory, or undertaking on something; base on, found on, ground on, build on.

12.claim (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दावा
English Meaning - assertion, affirmation, declaration, contention.

13.alternative (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विकल्प
English Meaning - option, choice, substitute, replacement.

14.notable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लेखनीय, महत्वपूर्ण
English Meaning - remarkable, significant, prominent, important.

15.electorate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मतदाता वर्ग
English Meaning - all the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election; voters, voting public, constituency, constituents.

16.Public campaigning (noun)

English Meaning - the process of trying to persuade people to vote for a particular candidate or party through public events and rallies; electioneering, canvassing, rallying, soliciting votes.

17.mount (verb)

English Meaning - launch, organize, initiate, stage, set up, put in place.

18.formation (noun)

English Meaning - group, grouping.

19.two plus one (phrase)

English Meaning - referring contextually to the two States (Kerala and Assam) and one Union Territory (Puducherry) going to the polls; trio, triad.

20.Legislative Assembly (noun)

English Meaning - the lower house of a state legislature in India whose members are directly elected by the people to make laws for the state; state legislature, Vidhan Sabha, lower house, lawmaking body.

21.emergence (noun)

English Meaning - appearance, arrival, rise.

22.force (noun)

English Meaning - political entity; group, body, entity.

23.understanding (noun)

English Meaning - agreement, pact, arrangement, deal.

24.beneath (preposition)

English Meaning - under, below, underneath, lower than.

25.open (adjective)

English Meaning - transparent, public, overt, explicit.

26.posturing (noun)

English Meaning - grandstanding, attitude, posing, stance.

27.momentum (noun)

English Meaning - impetus, energy, thrust, traction.

28.count on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - rely on, depend on, bank on, trust.

29.welfare governance (noun)

English Meaning - the system or process of governing that focuses on protecting and promoting the economic and social well-being of citizens.

30.welfare (noun)

English Meaning - social security, public assistance, well-being, benefit.

31.governance (noun)

English Meaning - administration, management, rule.

32.replicate (verb)

English Meaning - duplicate, copy, reproduce, imitate.

33.model of guarantee (noun)

English Meaning - an electoral or governance strategy centered around making firm, actionable promises or welfare guarantees to voters; assurance framework, promise-based strategy.

34.cover (verb)

English Meaning - encompass, include, involve, contain.

35.key (adjective)

English Meaning - important, crucial, vital, essential, major.

36.vote bloc (noun)

English Meaning - a group of voters that are strongly motivated by a specific common concern or group identity to vote together.

37.angle for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to try to get something, usually indirectly or by hinting; scheme for, aim for, try for, seek.

38.count one’s chickens before they hatch (phrase)

English Meaning - to make plans based on a good event that might not happen; anticipate success prematurely, jump the gun, be overconfident, count on.

39.contend with (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to deal with a difficult or unpleasant situation; deal with, cope with, face, tackle.

40.dominate (verb)

English Meaning - to be the most important or conspicuous person or thing in a situation; control, command, monopolize, overshadow.

41.formulate (verb)

English Meaning - to create or prepare something carefully; devise, develop, create, frame.

42.strident (adjective)

English Meaning - expressing opinions or criticisms in a very forceful and often harsh way; harsh, loud, vociferous, forceful.

43.rhetoric (noun)

English Meaning - language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content; bombast, oratory, eloquence, wordiness.

44.indigenous (adjective)

English Meaning - native, aboriginal, original, local.

45.identity politics (noun)

English Meaning - a tendency for people of a particular religion, race, social background, etc., to form exclusive political alliances; sectarian politics, minority politics, exclusionary politics.

46.Orunodoi (proper noun)

English Meaning - an official poverty alleviation scheme launched by the Government of Assam providing direct benefit transfers to vulnerable families, primarily targeting women.

47.direct benefit transfer (DBT) (noun)

English Meaning - a mechanism by the Government of India to transfer subsidies and cash benefits directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries.

48.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, step, procedure, move.

49.encroachment (noun)

English Meaning - intrusion on a person’s territory, rights, etc.; intrusion, invasion, trespass, infiltration.

50.implementation (noun)

English Meaning - execution, application, carrying out, enforcement.

51.Immigrant (noun)

English Meaning - a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country; migrant, settler, newcomer, alien.

52.Expulsion (noun)

English Meaning - removal, deportation, eviction, banishment.

53.Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act (proper noun)

English Meaning - an Act of the Parliament of India enacted in 1950 to provide for the expulsion of certain immigrants from Assam to protect the local population.

54.Uniform Civil Code (UCC) (proper noun)

English Meaning - a proposed legal framework in India aiming to replace personal laws based on the scriptures and customs of each major religious community with a common set of rules governing every citizen.

55.in kind to (phrase)

English Meaning - responding in the same way or with a similar action towards someone or something; in the same manner, similarly, equivalently, correspondingly.

56.personalised (adjective)

English Meaning - directed against an individual personally rather than their arguments or policies; personal, ad hominem, individual, subjective.

57.allege (verb)

English Meaning - to claim or assert that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically without proof; claim, assert, declare, state.

58.hold (verb)

English Meaning - possess, own, have, keep.

59.flee (verb)

English Meaning - to run away from a place or situation of danger; escape, abscond, run away, bolt.

60.in the event of (phrase)

English Meaning - if a specified situation or event occurs; in case of, if there is, in the situation of, providing that.

61.fight on (phrase)

English Meaning - battle on, campaign on, contest in, struggle on.

62.uneven (adjective)

English Meaning - unequal, unfair, one-sided, unbalanced.

63.battlefield (noun)

English Meaning - battleground, arena, combat zone, field of operations.

64.in power (phrase)

English Meaning - having political control or authority; in office, in charge, ruling, commanding.

65.personal standing (noun)

English Meaning - the status, reputation, or public image of an individual; reputation, status, prestige, stature.

66.play a role (phrase)

English Meaning - to have an effect or influence on a situation; be a factor, contribute, influence, have an impact.

67.outcome (noun)

English Meaning - result, consequence, conclusion, aftermath.

68.grand politics (noun)

English Meaning - high-level political strategy or ideological political dynamics as opposed to local or personal politics; macro-politics, ideological politics, national politics.