The Narendra Modi government completes one year in office on May 26. What are their plans for the remaining four years of their term? Will a flagship scheme be announced? Will new members be added to the government? All these questions will be answered this week as ministers launch into a blitzkrieg of press interactions to showcase what the government has done.
Panchayat polls take centre stage in Karnataka
Panchayat elections in Karnataka will begin on May 29. Because they are being held at the height of summer, the government, for the first time, has introduced compulsory voting - except this time, it will not punish those who do not vote, only try and persuade voters that it is their social responsibility. However, the state government has passed new rules under which it can punish people for not voting if it so decides.
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The elections, not held on party lines in theory, nevertheless represent strong political divisions. Siddaramiah, chief minister of the Congress-led government, opted not to go to China with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing his preoccupation with these elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party is seeing an opportunity for itself in the future. Karnataka assembly elections are due in 2018.
Mega elections in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is also getting ready for elections to a staggering 59,164 posts of gram pradhans, 743,297 posts of gram panchayat members, 77,925 posts of members of kshetra panchayats, and 3,128 posts of zila panchayat members. Although the elections are due only in October, given the fact that 110 million people will vote, the process of revising electoral rolls has begun. The state Election Commission has already begun the exercise. A notification for the polls will be issued later. These elections too will not be fought on party lines - which means political parties will not lend symbols or nominations to candidates.
End to stand-off between Keriwal, Jung?
This week should see some resolution of the stand-off between the government of Delhi headed by Arvind Kejriwal and the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Delhi, Najeeb Jung. The fight began with Jung naming an officiating chief secretary - Shakuntala Gamlin - while the chief secretary, K K Sharma, went on leave for 10 days. The leave period will end on Monday, unless Sharma decides to extend it. In the meantime, unwilling to be drawn into a conflict between the Centre and the city government, bureaucrats have pleaded to leave them out of the political clash. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has announced that bureaucrats will have to work according to a "code": The implication being that they should obey orders issued by the CM and not the L-G. Some resolution should be expected this week.
