Nine long years

[Sachin=GOD]

Nine long years

Nine uninterrupted years in office cannot be made light of. After all, the last government to reach this milestone bowed out of power 36 years ago. Besides, history has held that feat to be dubious because Indira Gandhi, whose first stint lasted 11 years, from 1966 to 1977, imposed the Emergency in 1975. In the event, the United Progressive Alliance government cannot be faulted for feeling a sense of achievement in staying the course, and that too in an environment rendered unpredictable and difficult by coalitional politics. Yet what ought to have been a champagne-popping moment for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi has turned into a mere statistic thanks to the regime’s track-record of misgovernance, corruption and worse. If anything, there is astonishment over the government’s durability in the face of unceasing scams and scandals. UPA-II’s biggest accomplishment would appear to be that it is hanging in there — and thinking up ever new ways to fend off the next crisis. It is not that things went swimmingly for UPA-I, one of whose low points came in July 2008, when the government was accused of purchasing support to pass a crucial vote of confidence. But the unedifying drama did not in anyway detract from Dr. Singh’s image as a man of unimpeachable integrity. UPA-I’s shortcomings were more than offset by the overriding advantage it derived from pushing the envelope on social welfare. The 2009 mandate was for a largely progressive government that combined a string of landmark rights-based legislation with measures such as the farm loan waiver. By contrast, UPA-II’s balance-sheet is a story of overwhelming negatives. From misused and wasted funds in the Commonwealth Games to massive irregularities in the allocation of precious natural resources such as coal and spectrum, the scams have unspooled one after another, revealing brazen execution and complete disregard for norms of governance. But rather than learn from its misadventures, the government sought to clumsily cover up its tracks, bringing not just further ignominy on itself but earning the wrath of the Supreme Court which was hearing the coal block allocation case. Team Manmohan has attempted to salvage its reputation by sacking Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar from the Union cabinet. But that is unlikely to change adverse perceptions about a government seen to hold institutions in contempt, be that the office of Comptroller and Auditor-General or the apex court itself. As the UPA enters the final year of its second term, it will surely also reflect on the damage the scams have done to the image of the Prime Minister himself.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/nine-long-years/article4736785.ece

[Clarke]

In a 12-city poll conducted by CNN-IBN in age group of 18 years or more, the verdict is emphatic and overwhelmingly against the current regime. The poll reveals that UPA government has lost credibility and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh no longer enjoys confidence of urban India. An overwhelming 61 per cent of those polled said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should be replaced as prime minister while only 37 per cent said they were in favour of him continuing in the post. A meagre two per cent could not decide. When asked out the UPA rule, 67 per cent said that the government has lost its credibility while only 31 per cent felt the UPA is still better than other options available. But a majority of those polled stand by Manmohan Singh's integrity with 40 per cent people believing that the Prime Minister is an honest man, 33 per cent believe he wasn't while 24 per cent said his perception of honesty has come down in the past one year. The Achilles' heel of the UPA is massive corruption and here the UPA government is on a very shaky ground. Asked to rate the Manmohan Singh government on the corruption index, 71 per cent felt that corruption has increased in the last four years, 20 per cent say that corruption levels are the same as before while only eight per cent say that corruption levels have come down. Even Manmohan Singh is not spared with 64 per cent of the respondents saying that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was trying to cover-up scams like coalgate or 2G spectrum allocation scam and 65 per cent blaming Singh himself for coal blocks allocation. Also read: PM must quit for alleged role in Coalgate : BJP Only 28 per cent say that Singh cannot be blamed for the massive corruption in coal blocks allocation while seven per cent have no opinion. But it's not corruption which is the biggest worry for urban India. Instead rising prices are its prime concern followed by corruption and safety.. For 53 per cent of the respondents spiralling price rise is the biggest worry while 26 per cent say rampant corruption and eight per cent point to lack of safety and security as the major concern. The poll shows that a majority of the respondents said that the UPA did not deserve a second chance. An overwhelming majority of 56 per cent are against UPA getting another chance while 40 per cent want the same political group to come back to power. Only four per cent of the respondents have no opinion. The bad news for UPA may mean good news for Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi as 38 per cent want him to be the next prime minister of I ndia while Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is a distant second with only 14 per cent votes in his favour. Manmohan Singh is third (13 per cent) followed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi (six per cent) and senior BJP leader LK Advani (five per cent). So what goes in Modi's favour? Forty-one per cent say that Modi's ability to take strong decisions is his biggest strong point while 40 per cent are enamoured by his business friendly approach while 34 per cent are impressed with his governance record.. Only 19 per cent say that he is not fair to all sections of the society. In contrast Rahul Gandhi was held to be immature and inexperienced by 32 per cent of those polled, 29 per cent pointed out that he had no past record of governance while 28 per cent said that he is business friendly and will bring development. Rahul Gandhi is seen as an honest and a man of personal integrity by 26 per cent respondents while 23 per cent voted for him saying he represents youth and understands the aspirations of a young nation. The Third Front too might have reasons to worry as the poll shows that 44 per cent respondents have given thumbs down any of the Third Front leaders. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu's J Jayalalithaa are all within striking distance of each other. While 17 per cent of the respondents back Nitish Kumar, Mamata has the support of 16 per cent followed by Jayalalithaa at 12 per cent.

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/politics/pm-should-be-replaced-upa-has-lost-credibility-poll_877249.html Take it with a pinch of salt though, for one its urban India only and the other, its yet another "poal"

[jiggo]

The voters who will decide the elections can not take part in these polls for they can't read and write.