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Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 132
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
The Morung Express “
www.morungexpress.com
What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
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Saturday, May 17, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4 –Vincent Van Gogh
THUS, SPOKE THE PEOPLE
Narendra Modi scripts history, to become PM; Congress decimated
New Delhi, May 16 (iaNS): In a historic election that would could have far-reaching implications for India’s polity and its policies, Narendra Modi, a rank outsider to Delhi’s politics, was poised Uh-Oh, A Single majority? to become the 14th prime minister This is not good, you have of this diverse nation of 1.2 billion plan Z, Sir ? people, storming into its citadels of power by decimating the Congress party that has ruled the country for much of the period since its independence. “I have been elected as the prime worker of the people,” said Modi, seeking to project his humility in a victory speech at Vadodara, in Gujarat, to almost rockstar-like adulation from screaming supporters, both men and women and thousands of young people. Modi won with a parliamentary record margin of over 570,000 votes from Vadodara, one of the two constituencies from which he contested, the other being Varanasi, from The Morung Express where also he won. “All the people of this country POLL QUESTIOn are ours. It is our responsibility to Vote on www.morungexpress.com take everyone along. Our mission SMS your anSwer to 9862574165 will be: With all, development for Has the Church and civil all,” said he, seeking to allay fears society organizations among minorities about his rise. been silent over poll Modi pointed out to resoundmalpractices in Nagaland? ing cheers from the crowd how this was the first time that a non-Congress party had got a majority on its Yes no Others own in a national election in India
2014 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS
Alliance NDA UPA AAP AITC AIADMK Others
Total seats won 337 58 4 34 36 74
In addition, two Anglo-Indian members may be nominated by the President Source: TOI
Factors that helped Modi win
India’s next prime minister narendra Modi listens to his 90-year-old mother Hiraben during a visit to seek her blessings after preliminary results showed his party winning by a landslide, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on May 16. AP Photo)
that was followed keenly around the world. A host of global leaders from Britain, Japan, Israel, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia rang up or sent congratulatory messages to Modi, who is widely expected to have a more muscular foreign policy and even changes some of India’s international equations. The Congress faced its worst humiliation, raising question marks about the future of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has given India most of its prime ministers. Congress’ de facto prime ministerial candidate Rahul Gandhi, whose father, grandmother and great grandfather were all prime ministers, was humbled by Modi in a way that the Congress plummeted to its lowest ever two-digit tally in a national election. “It is the start of a new era in Indian politics,” exclaimed Rajnath Singh, the BJP president whose audacious move to name Modi as the
prime ministerial candidate of the party late last year upset the veterans but was wholeheartedly endorsed by the party rank and file. Even political pundits gasped at the sheer scale of the BJP’s sweep. The Congress did not win a single seat in seven states and it was unlikely to win more than 10 seats in any state. The elections proved a graveyard for Congress stalwarts. At least 23 ministers of Manmohan Singh’s government lost. Manmohan Singh, who had announced his retirement earlier this year, did not contest. Many Congress veterans bit the dust. They included Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, Communications Minister Kapil Sibal, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot and Sports Minister Jitendra Singh. After the win became clear in the morning itself, a visibly jubilant Modi promptly called on his
some prominent winners & losers WINNERS
Gourav Gogoi, Innocent, Kirron Kher, LK Advani, Maneka Gandhi, Moon Moon Sen, Poonam Mahajan, Rahul Gandhi, Rajnath Singh, Shashi Tharoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonia Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj, Varun Gandhi
LOSERS Ambika Soni, Arun Jaitley, Arvind Kejriwal, Bappi Lahiri, Bhaichung Bhutia, Farooq Abdullah, Jaya Prada, Kapil Sibal, Meira Kumar, Priya Dutt, Raj Babbar, Rakhi Sawant, Sachin Pilot, Sharad Yadav, Sushil Kumar Shinde
ageing mother, the one person he respects the most, in Gandhinagar and hugged her as television cameras relayed the scene to the nation. More on page 8
ECONOMY: India’s once-impressive economic growth slowed to below 5 percent in the last year while inflation rocketed into double digits. The BJP and Modi maintained a laser focus on the economy throughout the campaign, hammering the Congress party for stalled development projects while touting Gujarat as a model of success. In fact, Gujarat’s growth has been mediocre compared with others of India’s 28 states. But Modi’s message resonated with an electorate aching for change and upward mobility. CORRUPTION: Indians are incensed over the enduring culture of corruption at every level of government. While some scandals have involved BJP members, Modi and his reputation are unscathed. Voters believe Modi has the political strength to curb any corrupt tendencies within his government. YOUTH: India’s electorate is particularly young, with half the country’s 814 million voters under 35 and eager to secure employment with promise. They are also impatient with India’s political tradition of whipping up communal loyalties to secure votes. TECHNOLOGY: The BJP and Modi ran a breathless and tech-savvy campaign that dazzled and engaged voters directly through social media. Modi snapped campaign selfies that went viral and even appeared as a holograph at campaign events. He has tweeted daily for years. By contrast, his main rival from the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, shunned Twitter himself while his party took to the site only this year. INFRASTRUCTURE: India’s crumbling roads and ports, plus lack of adequate electricity supply, were high on the list of problems that make business projects hard to get off the ground. In Gujarat, Modi made infrastructure improvements a priority, building thousands of kilometers of highways and attracting investment to build up the country’s largest modern port. Associated Press
sonia, rahul take responsibility for defeat
New Delhi, May 16 (iaNS): Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday took responsibility for the party’s worst drubbing in the national election, but did not give credit to Narendra Modi for the BJP victory. Making a short statement to the media - without entertaining any questions at the party headquarters after it became clear that party wouldberelegatedtoaround 50 seats, Sonia Gandhi said: “The Congress faced its rivals in the elections on the basis of policies and principles. Despite that we failed to get the majority we had thought we would get.” “We believe that in a de-
Congress party Vice President Rahul Gandhi addresses the media, as his mother and party President Sonia Gandhi stands by his side outside the party headquarters in new Delhi, India, Friday, May 16. (AP Photo)
mocracy winning and losing is part of the game. This time the mandate is clearly against us. I accept the mandate with humility. I hope that the incoming government will not compromise with the interests of soci-
ety.” “I want to congratulate the new government,” she said, but did not name the Bharatiya Janata Party or its leader Narendra Modi, who is set to become India’s next prime minister. “The Congress will always fight and
never compromise with the interests of people. “I want to thank the people for their votes, and as president of the party I accept responsibility for its defeat,” she said Rahul Gandhi said he wanted to congratulate the new government, but he too did not mention either the BJP or Modi. “They have been given the mandate by the people, I want to wish them the best.” “The Congress has done pretty badly, and there is a lot to think about. As vice president I take the responsibility for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls,” Rahul said. Mother and son then quickly left, declining to take any questions from the thronging media.
neiphiu rio wins a seat in lok sabha
VOTES POLLED: •Neiphiu Rio – 7,13, 372
•KV Pusa – 3,13,147 •Akhei Achumi - 9695 •NOTA - 2696
Rio to leave for Delhi today
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DiMapur, May 16 (MexN): The Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha polls to the lone parliamentary seat from Nagaland state, results for which were declared on Friday. The results show that the NPF candidate, Neiphiu Rio had 7,13,372 votes polled in his favor, followed by Congress candidate, KV Pusa with 3,13,147 votes coming at a distant second. Socialist Party (India) candidate, Akhei Achumi had 9,695 votes polled in his favor. “Margin is not the issue. The DAN Alliance has won and that matters,” said Rio, who is also the Chief Minister, as he arrived at the Nagaland Returning Officer’s office in Kohima after the formal declaration of results. Rio stated that the results indicate how the Naga people “are united under one voice for resolution of the political issue and for ensuring progress and development.” Rio informed that he had also spoken to the BJP
der the category of None of the Above (NOTA). The Nagaland CEO further informed that 189 votes, cast through postal ballots, were rejected.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio receiving the Certificate of Election from the Returning Officer Nagaland, Temjen Toy IAS on May 16. (DIPR)
Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, earlier during the day to congratulate him on his victory. Modi is said to have thanked the people of the North East and Nagaland in particular for the sweeping victory. Rio is scheduled to leave for Delhi on May 17, Saturday. “I am going to Delhi to serve our people,” stated Rio. The newly elected Member of Parliament said that he will be “demitting” the office of the Chief Minister shortly and thanked all rank and file of the NPF, its allies, various organizations and the Naga people for their support and co operation. Rio further stated that despite the NPF losing
in the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and the Assembly Constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh, the party would continue working towards “bringing our people together.” He appealed for the people to strive towards “unity, understanding and oneness in the greater interest of the people.” The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for Nagaland state informed that the final voter turnout for the Nagaland LS polls was 88.23%. The final percentage turnouts for male and female voters were 88.74% and 87.71 percent respectively. Interestingly, a total of 2696 votes were cast un-
Pusa congratulates Rio Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland, KV Pusa congratulated Neiphiu Rio for winning the Nagaland LS seat and expressed hope that the latter will “deliver goods to the people of the state,” which “have been neglected for more than a decade.” Pusa, in a press note, thanked the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) President, S I Jamir and his colleagues and leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), Tokheho Yepthomi. “Above all I thank the voters who have fearlessly exercised their franchise for the congress which stands for secularism,” he added. Pusa asserted that the Congress party “will never let our people down but would continue to fight the communal forces and in the interest of people of the state.” Constituency wise final result on page 9
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