Democracy's Dance '09: Pre-Game Round-Up

Preview!: This looks like a fairly comprehensive preview if you want to know what's what and who's who... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-the-worlds-most-remarkable-election-1667541.html

U.S. Implications: Obama's off to a bad start in regards to South Asia, via Instapundit. http://newledger.com/2009/04/obamas-india-pakistan-mess/


David v Goliath: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7989395.stm From the Beeb, a piece on the woman running to unseat BJP Opposition Leader and Prime Ministerial Front Runner LK Advani.

Family Feud: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103070161 From NPR this very morning, a piece you can listen to about the family feud brewing within the Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty- well, not exactly brewing, as it's been running for about twenty-five, thirty years now. But basically, Varun Gandhi (cousin to Rahul, Priyanka, nephew to Sonia and a big fan/candidate in the opposition BJP) gave an inflammatory speech full of pro-Hindu and anti-Muslim sentiments that got him thrown in prison. The Supreme Court of India is set to decide whether or not he can get out. (Pro-Hindu, Anti-Muslim speeches being bad news in the India- the state tends to frown on people who try and whip up communal violence.)

More On That: (Hate speeches/whipping up communal violence, not the Gandhi family) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hate-speech-BJPs-candidate-from-Kandhamal-held/articleshow/4399948.cms?TOI_latestnews


Third Option?: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/No-personal-ambition-to-be-PM-Jayalalithaa/articleshow/4399577.cms?TOI_latestnews AIDMAK Party leader from Tamil Nadu claims she has 'no ambitions to be Prime Minister' but depending on how the election shakes out, her party could be a key player in any attempts to form a coalition.

Ain't Nothing But A Family Thing: Let's see here, um... I think this would be the fifth generation of Gandhis to hit the campaign trail? Proving that apparently, you can never start too early. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Early-start-Gandhi-Gen-Five-hits-the-campaign-trail/articleshow/4398205.cms

And finally: You know you have a vibrant, insanely complex democratic system when this happens.

This I think wins the award for Best Week EVER! Which I just made up and will be awarding once a week for the next month... I mean, you gotta love this guy. He's running around, campaigning like crazy for the BJP and goes to the wrong election rally. Where he starts to denounce the Congress-led government to, of course, Congress supporters!

Oops.