What will the poor eat? Priyanka slams Modi govt on rising inflation

The Congress leader's comments come a day after data showed that retail inflation rose to about five-and-half year high of 7.35 per cent in December 2019, surpassing the RBI's comfort level.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday hit out at the government over spiralling prices of vegetables and essential commodities which is hitting the poor.

The Congress leader's comments come a day after data showed that retail inflation rose to about five-and-half year high of 7.35 per cent in December 2019, surpassing the RBI's comfort level, mainly due to spiralling prices of vegetables as onions were selling costlier.

Priyanka Gandhi accused the government of picking pockets of the common man and also taking away their livelihood.

"The prices of vegetables and other edible commodities is getting out of reach of the common man.

What will the poor eat when vegetables, oil, pulses and flour turns expensive. The poor are not even getting employment due to the economic recession.

The BJP government has not just picked the pockets of the poor but also kicked on their stomach," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

Business Standard

Govt's silence dangerous: Priyanka on reports of threat to 1 mn auto jobs

Priyanka Gandhi tagged the media report on Twitter which said auto parts industry is fearing that 1 million jobs could be at stake due to the slowdown.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday cited a media report to claim that jobs of one million people in the automobile sector were in danger and asserted that the BJP government's silence on job losses was "most dangerous".

Her remarks came after industry body ACMA on Wednesday said around 1 million jobs could be on the line if the prolonged slowdown in the automobile industry continues.

Priyanka Gandhi tagged the media report on Twitter which said auto parts industry is fearing that 1 million jobs could be at stake due to the slowdown.

ALSO READ: Auto parts industry fears 1 million jobs could be at stake due to slowdown

"Jobs of 10 lakh people working in the auto sector are in danger. People working in this sector will have to search for new job avenues," she said.

"The silence of the BJP government on job losses, weakening trade and policies damaging the economy is most dangerous," Priyanka Gandhi claimed.

The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), which represents the auto component industry that alone employs around 5 million people, has sought a uniform GST of 18 per cent for the entire automobile sector in order to revive the vertical which has now witnessed 10 months of continuous decline in sales.

ACMA president Ram Venkataraman had said considering the fact that the auto component industry grows on the back of the vehicle industry, a current 15-20 per cent cut in vehicle production has led to a crisis-like situation.

"If the trend continues, the layoffs are inevitable and an an estimated 1 million people could be laid off," he said.

Business Standard

Election 2019 may see the highest voter turnout, but will it benefit BJP?

Increased voter turnout seems to be concentrated in states where the voters have been at the forefront of the ongoing rural distress.

Business Standard : As the election 2019 season enters the final lap with polling left only for one phase of the seven scheduled, voter turnout this time around is likely to create a record. According to reports, the 2019 election is on track to achieve record voter turnout of around 67 per cent (55 – 56 million new voters relative to 2014 general elections), which would surpass the previous record of 66.4 per cent during the 2014 polls.

As per the data available with the Election Commission of India (ECI), voter turnout in the first four phases stood at 69.5 per cent (first phase), 69.44 per cent (second phase), 68.4 per cent (third phase) and 65.51 per cent (fourth phase).

ALSO READ: UP to dent BJP tally, BSP-NDA post-poll alliance possible: Ambit Capital

Constituency-wise comparison, as per a Nomura report suggests that in the first four phases (around 69 per cent of the seats), increased voter participation was concentrated in the key Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bastions of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Assam and Karnataka.

“The two outliers are Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, where voter turnout was high, but the BJP’s prospects have traditionally been weak,” the report says.

So, will the BJP/National Democratic Alliance (NDA) benefit from this higher voter turnout or will it succumb to anti-incumbency?

Both theoretical and empirical studies, according to Nomura, have struggled to find causality between voter turnout and election outcomes. In past Lok Sabha elections, there have been anti-incumbency outcomes during both high and low turnout elections.

“On the one hand, increased voter turnout may indicate a strong sense of dissatisfaction that has led to voters coalescing to boot out the incumbent, although studies have disputed this causality in previous elections,” wrote Sonal Varma, managing director and chief India economist at Nomura in a recent co-authored report with Aurodeep Nandi.

Adding: “On the other hand, high voter turnout could reflect active participation at the grass root level, with the party cadre coaxing citizens to vote. It may also be indicative of more structural, party-agnostic trends, wherein increased social media outreach, general political awareness and ease of voting contribute to participation of previously dormant registered voters.”

Want to make some easy money? You can try your luck in Lok Sabha elections

Media organizations also hire companies to improve election coverage.

Lok Sabha Election 2019 : Businesses offering image makeovers, political slogan writers and experts in bullet-proofing vehicles are in high demand in India, and they have a short window to make some fast money before the country’s marathon voting season draws to a close.

The world’s biggest election, in which about 900 million citizens cast their votes in seven phases, has created opportunities for a range of businesses. It also means a significant rise in election spending, making it the costliest poll on earth.

Expenditure is set to rise 40 percent to $7 billion, according to Centre for Media Studies, a New Delhi-based think tank.

As politicians lock horns, Sunchit Sobti, director of Laggar Industries Ltd., and his 70 staff are working overtime to fulfill orders from clients to customize vehicles with armor-plating that will withstand gunfire and grenade attacks while providing a comfortable ride on the campaign trail.

“We are getting a lot of orders,” said Sobti, whose Punjab-based firm installs engine firewalls, fuel protection systems and run-flat-tires along with armoring in vehicles. “So far, we have armored 30 to 35 vehicles during this election and it’s a good number.’’

The transformation could cost anywhere between Rs 600,000 ($8,650) to Rs 4 million. “It takes two-to-three months to armor and customize a vehicle,’’ Sobti said.

Image Makers

Saints Art, a strategic consultancy firm, also has its hands full. It conducts demographic analysis and identifies target audiences and issues. The company creates profiles, handles politicians’ social media accounts, writes speeches and grooms candidates on the importance of making eye contact, said Sudhanshu Rai, founder and chief strategist at communication firm Saints Art. He would not reveal the firm’s clients.

“Every image is carefully crafted,” said Rai. “It depends on the objective the client has. If he wants to portray himself as an educated politician, all publicity material will be designed that way.’’

Media organizations also hire companies to improve election coverage. “We are advising them by analyzing everything on social media platforms -- how are Twitter hashtags trending, what is the public sentiment on a topic, how are different parts of the country reacting to a particular news,’’ said Amarpreet Kalkat, co-founder of Frrole, a company specializing in analyzing social media data.

Business Standard

Priyanka's political play is about securing allies and cash: US media

Congress president Rahul Gandhi last month made his sister party's general secretary in-charge of crucial eastern Uttar Pradesh having 40 seats in the Lok Sabha.

It may not be clear as yet how Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joining Congress would impact its electoral fortunes, but it would help the party reduce its funding and resource gaps with the ruling BJP, an influential American foreign policy magazine has said.

The Congress Party's newest campaigner may not actually contest elections, but she will likely narrow a funding gap in a country where winning votes costs serious money, Milan Vaishnav from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace wrote in his latest article for the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi last month made his sister party's general secretary in-charge of crucial eastern Uttar Pradesh having 40 seats in the Lok Sabha. She made her maiden road show Monday in Lucknow along with her brother.

Her formal entry into politics, Vaishnav said, has imparted the much-needed enthusiasm to the party, which lost power in 2014 amid a historic victory of the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Headed into the 2019 general election, the Congress starts from a position of weakness, he said, adding "reports suggest that Congress state units have been starved of funds from the party high command due to the fiscal crunch.

"Priyanka Gandhi's entry into active politics comes at a time when the Congress needs all the help it can get. The party has seen few victories since a disastrous 2014 general election performance, and Gandhi provides a much needed morale boost to the Congress rank-and-file," wrote Vaishnav, co-author of a recent book Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India.

"Just last month, the Congress was unceremoniously excluded from a pivotal opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh, India's most electorally consequential state. With Priyanka Gandhi heading the Congress party's campaign in eastern Uttar Pradesh -- home to the parliamentary seats of her mother, brother, and Prime Minister Modi of the ruling BJP -- the party may gain new leverage with fellow opposition forces," he said in his write-up.

"But the Priyanka Gandhi play is not only about winning allies and lifting spirits; it's also about cash. The party is short of it, and Gandhi substitutes for the political finance that the Congress desperately needs," he said.

Stating that "Vadra, unlike Modi, is just a campaigner; there is no indication that she will contest elections herself", he said, "In 2014, the Congress faced three insurmountable deficits - of leadership, ideology, and resources."

Business Standard

Priyanka Gandhi to kick off campaign in UP on Feb 11 with four-day tour

This will be Priyanka's first visit after being appointed as a general secretary.

Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (UP)-East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and General Secretary for UP-West Jyotiraditya Scindia will visit Lucknow on February 11 along with Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

The tour is expected to last for four days. This will be Priyanka's first visit after being appointed as the general secretary.

As per information, the leaders are expected to carry out a 12-kilometre long road show.

Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal, on Thursday, informed that after the road show the leaders are expected to interact with the party workers at the Congress office in the city.

According to officials, the party office in the state has been revamped and preparations are on in full swing to welcome the newly-appointed general secretaries.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) is preparing to give Priyanka a grand welcome who will be on her first visit to the state and the UPCC headquarters after her appointment as general secretary.

Several rooms of the UPCC headquarters have been refurbished and a newly-built media hall will also be inaugurated by Priyanka.

During a meeting here on Thursday, she had said that she will eradicate divisive politics in the state and will work towards uniting people.

Moreover, Priyanka also assured people that she would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the party benefits in the state.

Business Standard

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Priyanka Gandhi meets Rahul for 'mission UP'

Priyanka attended the meeting at Rahul's residence with other Congress leaders and discussed the strategy for Uttar Pradesh-East as she has been made the general secretary for the region.

Business Standard : The newly inducted Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra returned to India on Monday. Soon after arriving in New Delhi, Priyanka met Congress president Rahul Gandhi at his Tughlaq Road residence

Priyanka attended the meeting at Rahul’s residence with other Congress leaders and discussed the strategy for Uttar Pradesh-East as she has been made the general secretary for the region.

Congress General Secretary for UP-West Jyotiraditya Scindia was also present during the meeting with Congress leaders. President of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee Raj Babbar and party’s general secretary for Karnataka K C Venugopal were also present in the meeting. The meeting lasted for over two hours.

Priyanka Gandhi has been made in-charge of 43 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. When Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's name was announced as the Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh-East, she was on a private visit abroad. She returned to India on Sunday.

A Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh told ANI that many prominent party leaders of the state were telephoned during the meeting and were asked about the welfare measures and development works being carried out ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

ALSO READ: In run-up to Lok Sabha elections, EC pads up to check illegal poll spending

The Congress got only 8.4 per cent votes in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 general elections. Congress won in Rae Bareli and Amethi.

This time it's going to be a tough challenge for Priyanka as Congress had 22 Members of Parliament (MPs) with four seats in Eastern Uttar Pradesh in 2009. The situation became worst for the party after the 2017 state assembly elections, wherein, the party secured only two seats in the eastern region.

According to sources, Congress has been discussing Priyanka's Uttar Pradesh tour and preparing a blueprint for the same. Earlier, the party had prepared the schedule for 13 rallies, however, after Priyanka's entry, the party is reworking on its plan.

Apart from this, the party is drafting a plan for 17 reserved seats and the Dalit majority seats along with that a strategy has been prepared for which the SC and ST department of the party has prepared a proposal for 4 rallies. Priyanka and Jyotiraditya Scindia will give a final nod to these plans.

Priyanka's resemblance to Indira Gandhi will benefit Congress: Shiv Sena

The BJP's ally also said that comments by ruling party leaders stating Priyanka was formally inducted due to the the Congress president's 'failure' had no substance.

The Shiv Sena Friday said that Priyanka Gandhi will emerge as the "queen" if she plays her cards well and held that with her induction, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has shown he will do whatever it takes to win the upcoming general elections.

The BJP's ally also said that comments by ruling party leaders stating Priyanka was formally inducted due to the the Congress president's "failure" had no substance.

It added that the Congress chief had increased the problems of the government by raising the Rafale fighter jet purchase issue.

Even if Gandhi's attacks on the Modi government over corruption in the Rafale deal are ignored, not giving him credit for the wins of the Congress in three states (in recent Assembly polls) would show a closed mindset, it said.

"In Uttar Pradesh, the SP and BSP tied up not giving space to the Congress. However, Rahul Gandhi, with a lot of patience, kept his cool," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamna'.

It said Gandhi played his cards well by announcing that the Congress would fight on all seats in Uttar Pradesh, while helping the SP and BSP wherever possible, and at the same time bringing Priyanka into mainstream politics.

"This will help the Congress. Even the Prime Minister had to speak over this (Priyanka's foray into politics). Even people have accepted a family, why does the stomach of some have to ache?" the editorial asked sarcastically.

It said the BJP harbours ill feelings towards the Nehru-Indira family because the former sees it as formidable competition.

The editorial said the BJP was scared of a stiff challenge to it (from the Congress) as it tries to retain power.

"Priyanka bears an uncanny resemblance to her grandmother Indira Gandhi in looks and manner of speaking.Therefore, the Congress will surely benefit in the Hindi heartland," the Shiv Sena said, lauding her for agreeing to join active politics not worrying about cases against her husband Robert Vadra.

Priyanka, like Indira Gandhi, will emerge as the "queen" if she plays her cards well, the Sena said.

Article Source BS

Priyanka takes up Congress role in UP after over a decade behind the scenes

The 47-yr-old to take over as gen secy for eastern UP; may contest from Rae Bareli.

With the general elections less than 90 days away, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday appointed his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, which constitutes roughly 40 Lok Sabha seats, including their family bastions of Amethi and Rae Bareli and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Varanasi constituency.

Priyanka, who turned 47 earlier this month, has been an important, behind-the-scenes figure in the party’s decision-making processes for over a decade, but Wednesday’s announcement marks her official political debut. With UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi having already indicated her desire to retire from electoral politics, the move could pave the way for Priyanka’s entry into the electoral arena and she could contest from Rae Bareli, the seat currently represented by her mother, party sources said.

Her appointment, however, opened the Congress to renewed attacks from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over “dynastic politics” and "lack of inner-democracy".

BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress had admitted to Rahul Gandhi having “failed” in providing leadership.

(Business Standard)

The Congress's allies, including Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, welcomed the news, though. Congress strategists believe Priyanka's charisma would help the party perform better in key states of UP and Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls. The appointment has ramifications, at least in UP, not just for the principal rival BJP, but also the frenemies Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP).

Speaking to reporters in Amethi, the Congress president indicated his party would be willing to renegotiate its electoral understanding in UP with the SP and the BSP. Earlier this month, the two parties had announced their alliance in UP for the Lok Sabha polls, keeping the Congress out of it but also promising that they would not field any candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli. The three parties are looking at what within the Congress is called the 'Jangipur model', where the Congress might put up strong fights in 15-20 seats in the state and help the SP and the BSP by eating into the BJP's upper caste votes in the rest. In bargain, the SP and the BSP would field weak candidates in the Congress strongholds.

For the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, nearly all hands are now on deck for the Lok Sabha polls. While their first cousin Varun Gandhi is currently a BJP Lok Sabha member from Sultanpur in UP, it is little secret that he is out of favour in the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah dispensation and there is speculation of his joining the Congress.

Many within the Congress view Priyanka's appointment as the dynasty sounding the war bugle against Modi and the Shah-led BJP. Some said the move was also the party's last throw of the dice to win over the electorate in not just UP, but also northern Bihar.

The loss of party's influence in UP and Bihar post-1989 has meant the Congress never winning a majority in the Lok Sabha in the last 30 years.