News, Opinions & Updates

March 9, 2017

Exit poll results have begun to come on every TV news channel and it’s like the reality show. Everybody who is interested in politics is hooked to his or her favourite TV channel, according to what he or she would like to hear.

Most eagerly awaited results, of course, are from Uttar Pradesh, and the situation is still hazy simply because it is a very large state. The results can sway any way. The gist of the entire scenario is that nobody is sure of its victory. Initially everybody was very upbeat about the BJP but things could get dicey and if this happens, the BJP itself will to be blamed.

It was only in the last days that the party woke up to the necessity of activating its cadres and politicians in the state because otherwise, it was looking totally clueless and the SP was all set to come back. There is still a chance that the SP may come back in Uttar Pradesh. If somehow the BSP comes it will not just be very unfortunate for the state, it would also be very surprising.

In Punjab, a well-deserved route is expected for the Shiromani Akali Dal. These guys have managed to turn a prosperous state into a slightly better Bihar. My own family has suffered great losses due to the drug and alcoholism problem in Punjab. They thought revamping the area around Harimandir Saheb was going to get them votes but the situation for them is beyond repair. They are predicted to win just 4-5 seats and it is the worst ever performance for them. Things have literally turned sad for the party..

The rise of AAP was predictable, and a big cause for concern as the party is known to hobnob with Khalistani terrorists and extremists. It is a no holds barred party. Most of the exit polls are predicting a neck to neck race between the AAP and the Congress in Punjab. For the poor people of Punjab, it must be a choice between the devil and the deep sea.

In Uttarakhand CVoter says it’s neck to neck between the BJP and the Congress but the Chanakya poll says it may be 53 seats for the BJP and 15 for the Congress.

The most important and the most anxiously awaited results are of course from Uttar Pradesh because many stakes are involved. The fortunes of the entire Yadav clan rest on the results. Narendra Modi's reputation is also at stake, and this time, actually. Mayawati, although an important contender, has run out of steam.

Most of the exit polls say that the BJP is going to get between 175-210 seats whereas SP + Congress may manage 96-130. So, unless some big upset takes place, we're going to have a BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.

What if SP, BSP and Congress form a Mahagathbandhan? Given the history Mayawati has had with SP, there's a remote chance. But then, anything goes in the name of keeping the BJP out.

Good news is that the AAP hasn't been able to make a significant entry in Goa. The BJP is all set to retain its position in the state.

This Exit Polls page on Swarajya is constantly being updated.

We often think, because such is the way news is covered in the media, Dalits are always at the receiving end of caste-based atrocities, but in Rohtak, Haryana, the opposite has happened. A Dalit woman has been killed by his parents for marrying a Brahmin boy.

Yesterday the International Women’s Day was celebrated. From Western and Weston-influenced spectacles whenever you look at Indian women, you think of this constantly repressed and subjugated class that is toiling in abject misery under the weight of patriarchy and misogyny. Although much remains desired when it comes to giving the women of the country there right place, historically, India has fared better compared to other countries and civilisations. We have had a long tradition of having influential women whether in religious texts, mythology, folklore, tradition, and even contemporary history. Recently it was discovered that an entire fleet of the INA consisted of women.

Guru Gobind Singh had women commanders in his army.

This IndiaInfo article chronicles, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, 4 historical women that have brought glory to the Indian culture and its way of life. We have had a rich culture of respecting our women but somehow, now there is a strong need to revive it as, due to external influences, the Indian culture too started treating its women shabbily.

The case in India has been opposite of the Western world. The Western world was living in an utterly dark age and now, at least on the surface, its women seem emancipated. In India on the other hand, women were actually emancipated and the conditions worsened as India got overrun first by Islamic invaders and then Christian colonisers.