Your assessment that unimaginable scenarios are playing out across Maharashtra was absolutely correct (‘Wrest assured’, May 19). I will go one step further—the alliance that sweeps Maharashtra will win Delhi. The rifts and the splits in the NCP and the Shiv Sena have definitely left the voter dissatisfied, disgusted and angry. But, I feel all that will surface in a bigger way in the assembly elections scheduled for later this year. In the Lok Sabha polls, people will either vote for the NDA or the INDIA alliance. The future looks bleak for those factions of the NCP and the Shiv Sena that will end up on the losing side.
Prashant Asthana,
On email.
Farmer issues have always dominated the electoral battle in Maharashtra, and it will remain so. Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar will pay a heavy price for taking their vote bank for a ride. After a few months, the BJP will surely pressure Shinde to quit the chief minister’s chair, and Ajit will see political oblivion. The people of Maharashtra will teach these politicians a lesson.
Vasudha K.,
On email.
Uddhav Thackeray is to be blamed for all the confusion in Maharashtra politics today. He should have been wiser in 2019. How could he even think of joining hands with the Congress and the NCP, only because he wanted to be the chief minister? The assembly poll verdict in Maharashtra was clearly in favour of the BJP, and Uddhav should have accepted the post of deputy chief minister. He was over-ambitious and that spoiled everything. Uddhav should have realised that things are not how they used to be under Bal Thackeray, and there was no harm in playing the second fiddle to the BJP in the state. We all move with the times.
Radhesyam Chavan,
On email.
Election outcomes can be as erratic as a new blockbuster. Any candidate can make a 360-degree turn, regardless of the political party they belong to. Like politicians, the general public also say one thing and do just the opposite when they cast their vote. Freebies and sweet talk triumph over loyal leaders.
Praveen Thimmaiah,
On email.
Rahul could lose
Rahul Gandhi may not win Rae Bareli; even if he wins he will win by a narrow margin (‘Shaky stronghold’, May 19). Rae Bareli owed its identity to the Gandhi family once upon a time, but that is no longer the case. The Gandhi family should get into a redemptive mode. They should spend more time in Amethi and Rae Bareli. People should feel connected to them. I wish Rahul the best. May democracy win.
Gaurav Malhotra,
On email.
Rahul may have won from Rae Bareli if he had not contested from Wayanad. The BJP candidate in Rae Bareli is strong. Rahul should have opted out of Wayanad, and focused only on Rae Bareli.
If Rahul continues to fight from Wayanad, the impression in the north Indian states, which have more seats, would be that he lacks the courage to take on the BJP there. No sensible Indian politician would want to have that kind of perception.
Vismay Kapur,
On email.
CPI and CPI(M)should merge
These so-called fiery young candidates of the CPI(M) cannot revive the party in West Bengal (‘Red shoots rising’, May 19). There is an urgent need for the CPI(M) to reinvent itself. In Kerala, the CPI(M) is turning into a commercial entity, and it does not address the concerns of the marginalised sections of society. I feel the CPI and the CPI(M) should merge to save the communist movement in the country.
Tanushri Nagaraj,
On email.
Don’t divide us
I was hurt after reading ‘Growing north-south divide’(‘Manifesto’, March 17).
Mani Shankar Aiyar said that India would have become the fifth largest global economy if the north had matched the south’s rates of economic growth, and that our per capita income levels would have been much higher if the north controlled its population growth.
The columnist has left no stone unturned to praise the development and the progress that the southern states are showing. It clearly shows that he has ill will towards northern states and the rest of the country. Lakhs of people migrate to southern states for better jobs and livelihood. But they also contribute in taxes, work force, labour, and other human resources.
The columnist should remember that a major part of wheat comes from Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. Jaggery and sugar come from Uttar Pradesh. The columnist said that the southern states are severely discriminated against in the distribution of tax revenue.
He said that the taxpayer in states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala average Rs20,000 a year in contributions to the national tax kitty, but the average contribution of the Bihar taxpayer is a measly Rs4,500.
The columnist has made us feel ashamed about our identity. He feels that India is not a developed country because of the incompetency of people from certain parts of the country.
If he feels that there is a bias against the southern states, he should start a movement to stop it, and not tarnish the image of the northern states.
Bhaskar Gangwal,
On email.