Slap 75 age-bar to contest elections!
Lok sabha elections 2019 BJP, List points generational shift
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) list of 306 candidates announced so far for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections points to a key generational shift in the ruling party, and also underscores worries about the personal anti-incumbency of sitting MPs, particularly in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.
PM Modi with BJP president Amit Shah(Photo: Vipin Kumar/ HT Photo)
Count the over 75s Please!
How many over 75s are in both parties?. Think of an Achudanandan, who has to be helped by other MLAS even to walk and enter the assembly hall. What about many others like AK Antony, K.V. Thomas, KM Mani, Karrat, who all may be above 75 (if not please correct) and have nothing new to contribute. Besides they are all an eye-sore when they appear on TV screens to stammer anything but irrelevant things.
Tell Election Cmmission!
This rule enforced by the BJP in the party should be in the priority list for the serious consideration of the Election commission. Pitty that we don’t have a commissioner like Seshan. All the dead woods in the parliament and legislative assemblies should be swept out into dust bins of history. What is worse, these antiquated, out dated persons are denying the youth of India, who constitute the vast majority of the voting public their due right to get elected and rule. Who else have the duty, courage and the get-up-and-go, physical, mental and vision to do it.
Dog-in-the-manger Policy
If these over-aged unfit people still stick on like leeches to political offices of power, perks and privilege, it is because they are mortally and incurably affected by the deadly illness called “Dog in the manger disease(policy!)” They will neither eat the hay – because they can’t eat it by any means – nor will they allow the cattle to eat it. They are the worst enemies in any political system, especially in every democracy! So be merciless against these weeds among the wheat!
The safest place for all the Oldies in office to survive unhindered, with no questions asked, it is said, used to be the Catholic Church. But even there is the written rule now that over 75 bishops should tender their resignation to the Pope. The good news is, it is enforced, which is the encouraging for the majority and bad news only for the reluctant few forced to resign. Those above 80 cannot even vote in the election of a new Pontiff.
Age limit for Pope?
One thing that remains to done in the Catholic Church is an age-limit also for the Pope to prevent the sad repeat of Popes like John Paul II, stricken with Alzheimer's disease for long at the end of his life. If ordinary bishops have to resign at 75 where is the rhyme and reason for a Pope to continue in his office which is thousand times weightier and wider than that of a Bishop?
One small request to our readers! Kindly send us the names of MPs and MLAs you know who are above 75 for our instruction and the pulic. We could even publish them, so that they could be enlightened and persuaded by friends and influential persons to do the service of retiring voluntarily so that better qualified youngsters may take their seats. After all, is not that the axiom: “Lead, follow or get out of the way,” commands. james kottoor, editor CCV.
Please read below news Report in Hindustan Times
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) list of 306 candidates announced so far for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections points to a key generational shift in the ruling party, and also underscores worries about the personal anti-incumbency of sitting MPs, particularly in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.
Nearly 50 sitting Lok Sabha members have been denied tickets so far, and veterans such as LK Advani, Kalraj Mishra, Shanta Kumar, BC Khanduri and Bhagat Singh Koshyari have been kept out of directly contesting elections by the BJP’s central leadership led by Prime Minister Modi and party chief Amit Shah.
The change started with Modi denying ministerial berths to leaders over 75 years old after storming to power in 2014. By not giving them tickets to contest the elections, the party has signalled that the generational shift in the party has reached the next level.
Most of the veteran leaders who have been left out were not involved in the BJP’s decision-making process over the last five years, and do not enjoy enough support from followers in the party to challenge the decision. Some of the “retirements” have been smooth, with leaders such as Kalraj Mishra and Karia Munda from Jharkhand making public statements accepting the party’s decision. Advani, 91, whose Gandhinagar seat has gone to Shah, has not spoken about the 75-year rule. “The party will take a call on the future role of these leaders after the elections,” said a BJP leader, who was a part of the internal consultations, on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, a general secretary of the party, who asked not to be named, said picking “winnable” candidates in Uttar Pradesh has not been easy given that the Bahujah Samaj Party-Samajwadi Party (BSP-SP) alliance poses a serious challenge because of the caste arithmetic in the state.
Of the 31 candidates announced in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has dropped six sitting MPs and denied a ticket to its candidate in Kairana, who lost the by-election in 2018. The BJP won 71 out of 78 seats it contested in the last election, but lost three bypolls last year. In the face of the BSP-SP tie-up, is BJP is trying to limit the damage that personal anti-incumbency of sitting MPs may inflict on its prospects.
“A lot of research has gone into the candidate selection exercise,” the BJP general secretary cited above said. “Once the list is out, we may end up denying ticket to up to one-thirds of sitting parliamentarian.”
The party changed its all 10 MPs in Chhattisgarh and dropped five in the list of 15 candidates announced so far for Madhya Pradesh. The BJP lost both these states to the Congress in December assembly elections.
In 17 seats of Bihar, where five parties formed an alliance, the BJP repeated 13 MPs, dropped three, and gave away five seats that it won in the last election to Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United). This, a Bihar minister said, reflects the BJP’s openness in giving away sitting seats to accommodate new partners.
Political observers Sidharth Mishra said the BJP’s list shows a “war plan”. “The war plan aims to achieve some larger goals, such as getting new faces… There is a battle plan for some states where the Opposition has come together… The battle plan demanded the party to change a few candidates,” said Mishra, the Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice’s president.
Congress spokesperson Pranav Jha hit out at the BJP, accusing the party of mistreating its “founding fathers”. “The way the elders and senior founding fathers of the BJP are being treated in the party is most unfortunate… It breaks our heart to see Advani ji, Murli Manohar Joshi ji, Uma Bharti Ji or Kalraj Mishra ji being treated as dispensable furniture. A society is known by the way it treats it elders. I’m sure what one sows today also has to reap it tomorrow,” he said.
Not only unlimited medical treatment, they enjoy huge non-taxable take-home package with personal allowance and also lifetime retirement benefits! It's a huge cost to the nation at the cost of the tax-paying citizens.
75 as the cut-off age to be eligible to stand for election is reasonable. But are our politicians ready for it? Recently Congressman K.V. Thomas, reported to be 72 or 73, made a show of himself when he learnt that his party was not fielding him this time around. Apparently Murali Manohar Joshi, nearing 80 or so, of BJP did the same. I will go one step further. There should be compulsory medical check-up of all candidates, just like recruitment to banks and army. Those found unfit should be denied the right to contest lest the people of India should end up paying for their medical bills. I believe that they enjoy unlimited medical reimbursement, including treatment abroad. It is a sham.