TOPIC OF THE DAY :- “Common And Minimum: On Common Agenda Against BJP”
OPPOSITION PARTIES WILL HAVE TO MAKE COMPROMISES TO BUILD A COHESIVE FRONT
Political stability is a necessary but not sufficient condition for good governance. But the promise of stability is now such a recurring theme in the speeches of senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is almost as if nothing else matters. As Opposition parties of different persuasions are beginning to stitch together a motley coalition, the response of the BJP is in the form of raising visions of the years of instability in the latter half of the 1990s when neither the BJP nor the Congress could get a majority in the Lok Sabha. The BJP would like to believe that 2014, when it became the first party to win a majority on its own since the Congress in 1984, was no aberration. A call to vote for stability used to be the Congress’s slogan in the 1990s, but it is now appropriated by the BJP as the biggest party on the political landscape. The more the prospect of a united Opposition draws close, the greater the BJP harps on the need for stability. In Maharashtra and Goa, the BJP runs coalition governments without too much trouble, but it is acutely conscious of the possibility of a coming together of Opposition parties if it falls short of a majority. Finishing as the single largest party might not be enough for the BJP in a situation where it has alienated even its existing allies. The Shiv Sena is a difficult ally, and the Janata Dal (United) an undependable one. A post-pollpolarisation of smaller parties could hurt the BJP more than the Congress.
The rhetoric around stability is forcing a response from the major Opposition parties. After the rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party in New Delhi, the push seems to be towards forming pre-poll alliances and formulating a common agenda as part of developing a more cohesive coalition. Congress president Rahul Gandhi is now talking of a common minimum programme, and of working together with Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool and Arvind Kejriwal of the AAP, and Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party. The AAP rally may have just turned out to be more than a show of hands. But for the Congress, the challenge is to build alliances with different parties in different States to take on the BJP. In Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where it is the dominant party, it might still need the support of the BSP to maximise the yield in terms of seats. In Punjab and Delhi, it could do with the help of the AAP. In Karnataka, it would have to deal with a demanding partner in the Janata Dal (Secular). In Bihar and Tamil Nadu, it is the smaller partner in alliances. A common minimum programme might thus have to be truly minimum in order to remain common.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1.) persuasions
Meaning: the action or process of persuading someone or of being persuaded to do or believe something.
Synonyms : temptations
Antonyms : coercions
Example : “Monica needed plenty of persuasion before she actually left”
2.) motley
Meaning: incongruously varied in appearance or character; disparate.
Synonyms : assorted
Antonyms : Uniform
Example : “a motley crew of discontents and zealots”
3.) aberration
Meaning: a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, typically an unwelcome one.
Synonyms : deviation
Antonyms : regularity
Example : “they described the outbreak of violence in the area as an aberration”
4.) alienated
Meaning: experiencing or inducing feelings of isolation or estrangement.
Synonyms : estranged
Antonyms : United
Example : “an alienated, angst-ridden twenty-two-year-old”
5.) rhetoric
Meaning: the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
Synonyms : oratory
Antonyms : quiet
Example : “he is using a common figure of rhetoric, hyperbole”
6.) dominant
Meaning: having power and influence over others.
Synonyms : superior
Antonyms : humble
Example : “they are now in an even more dominant position in the market”
7.) polarisation
Meaning: division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.
Synonyms : clocking
Example : “the polarization of society between rich and poor”
8.) coalition
Meaning: a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government.
Synonyms : league
Antonyms : discord
Example : “a coalition between Liberals and Conservatives”
9.) reforms
Meaning: make changes in (something, especially an institution or practice) in order to improve it.
Synonyms : improves
Antonyms : worsens
Example : “the Bill will reform the tax system”
10.) acquisition
Meaning: an asset or object bought or obtained, typically by a library or museum.
Synonyms : attainment
Antonyms : loss
Example : “the legacy will be used for new acquisitions”
11.) diplomatic
Meaning: of or concerning diplomacy.
Synonyms : considerate
Antonyms : impolite
Example : “diplomatic relations with Britain were broken”
12.) bid
Meaning: offer (a certain price) for something, especially at an auction.
Synonyms : order
Antonyms : reject
Example : “a consortium of dealers bid a world record price for a snuff box”
13.) estimated
Meaning: (of a value or number) roughly calculated; approximate.
Synonyms : gauged
Antonyms : calculated
Example : “an estimated cost of £1,000 million”
