Tag Archives: parliament

Let’s celebrate AAP’s criminal MLAs!

AAP's recent electoral victory in Delhi was seen as a win for democracy. The Ballot beat the Bullet. Secularism beat Fascism. Development beat Divisiveness etc. etc. But AAP's electoral victory was also validation for another critical component of our democracy - backing of winnable candidates by political parties(often those with pending criminal cases), at any cost.  Arvind Kejriwal is the Delhi Chief Minister and National Convener/ Master and Read more [...]

Note from a Magnanimous Hindu to those other Indians

India is truly blessed that our population is dominated by those who identify as Hindu - the most noble and altruistic people in the history of mankind. Irrespective of your caste, gender or religion, we know what’s best for you and have now mobilized our government to work in your best interest. It’s been a tough ride for Hindus in India since we’ve constantly been under attack and oppressed. All we have going for us is a majority of the population, Read more [...]

Worst MPs of the outgoing Lok Sabha

Our parliament is made up of 543+ MPs who directly represent us and influence laws that rule our lives. Yet, during Lok Sabha elections, we stay obsessed with national political leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi. The reality is that there is no single political leader who can magically transform the country. If we keep electing MPs and MLAs who are incompetent and corrupt, the system will stay broken. So before you vote for your favourite Read more [...]

Assaulted, Abducted or Raped a Woman? Please be my MLA.

India has always been a world leader at electing those with pending criminal cases. Our political parties have forever provided us with a steady pipeline of criminally tainted candidates . And as electors, we always deliver by continuing to elect legislators who are accused of every crime under the sun from petty thefts to kidnappings and murders. We currently have the most criminalized Lok Sabha in history. #AccheDin. All data is courtesy Association Read more [...]

A crash course in India’s Farmer Crisis

Jan 2021: India's farming crisis has been on for decades and what we are seeing right now is just the tipping point of systemic issues that have existed forever. It is completely reasonable to hold the government of the day accountable irrespective of which political party is in power. Here's a post from 2017 explaining the various components of this crisis. India's leading rural journalist (and unfortunately one of our only ones), P. Sainath, recently Read more [...]

The ‘Criminal’ Quota in Indian Politics

Issues related to the criminalization of Indian politics are well known. Political parties are obsessed with winning elections, and have always provided tickets to candidates who are most likely to win - irrespective of a candidate's ability to be a competent legislator.  All data is courtesy Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). To better understand the magnitude of this problem, we looked at what our nationally recognized political parties Read more [...]

Lok Sabha Honours List 2017 – Our most useless MPs

We know that our MPs hate attending parliament and being productive - but some are worse than others. There is an official record maintained of the activity of all MPs in parliament including attendance, questions raised and debates participated in. It's been three years since we elected our Lok Sabha. We look at some of our most illustrious parliamentarians who are least bothered to show up or participate in the Lok Sabha. PRS Legislative Research, Read more [...]

Would you hire someone with this Resume? (He is now UP’s Chief Minister!)

BJP - the party with a difference, has given us another gem. Yogi Adityanath will be the next Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Yogi Adityanath will act as an inspiration for millions of UPites over the next five years as he brings a much needed regressive and narrow minded approach to governance. Here is his incredible resume which touches upon his impressive body of work: Ajay Singh Bisht (aka Yogi Adityanath) 361,Old Gorakhpur,Shri Gorakhnath Read more [...]

Arvind Kejriwal: An Insignificant Man

For a two-year period, cameras followed Arvind Kejriwal and his team to create An Insignificant Man, a documentary that chronicles the rise of Aam Aadmi Party to its present day leadership in Delhi. The documentary premiered on September 11th, 2016 to a packed house at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival. The film-makers have done a commendable job in documenting the personalities of some of AAP's key founders, specifically Arvind Kejriwal, Read more [...]

Thank You Smriti Irani for reinforcing the virtues of bigotry

Thank you Smriti Irani. The country was confused and in a precarious situation before your enthralling performance in parliament yesterday. But today we all have a clearer understanding of how to live our lives. For whatever reasons, university students thought that they can espouse opinions that differ from those of the government. For too long, we have allowed universities to be venues of active social debate where students are exposed to different Read more [...]

Women’s Empowerment in Indian Politics is here to stay (just kidding) !

We heard them loud and clear last year as they screamed hoarse about the need for empowering women in India. In the lead up to Lok Sabha 2014, all political parties told us how they plan to tackle gender equality. And boy did they perform, when it came to taking action during the elections, i.e. giving tickets to women. Overall, only (8%) of candidates in Lok Sabha 2014 were women and currently just 11% of the parliament is female. Among the major Read more [...]

7 stats on the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that will blow your mind into many pieces

Here are some heartwarming stats from last year's mega elections that may restore your faith in humanity and/or blow your mind.  1) 73% of voters in Vadodra or 8.45 lakh people voted for Narendra Modi  It’s no surprise that some of the most impressive victories in the election were seen in the state of Gujarat by BJP candidates. Narendra Modi’s victory in Vadodara was arguably the most comprehensive one across India. Modi and C.R. Patil Read more [...]

BJP’s Hindutva Superheroes are here to save India

Forget poverty and economic inequality. Forget dying children and crumbling infrastructure. Forget farmer suicides and even forget corruption. India’s biggest challenge today is combating the religious and cultural diversity that exists in the country. We must tackle this monster and thankfully Prime Minister Modi’s extended team includes a pack of super heroes who will guide India to a path of intolerance and cultural homogeneity.  Mohan Read more [...]

List of Gundas contesting Delhi Assembly elections

Hello Delhi, To make voting easier for you, we have created a list of candidates that you must vote into power. In last year's Lok Sabha elections, we voted in 186 MPs with pending criminal cases (36% of the Lok Sabha) - an all time record. Let's see if you can do better in #DelhiFightClub #DelhiShowdown #DelhiIsIndia #IndiaIsDelhi #NothingElseMatters. Please make sure that these candidates who have been given tickets by our political parties come Read more [...]

Lok Sabha Electoral Malpractice Awards for States 2014

The recent Lok Sabha elections were historic in many ways from record voter turnouts to landslide victories. Equally enthralling was the battle to see which states come out on top in terms of committing most electoral malpractice. As per the Compendium of Instructions on Election Expenditure Monitoring published by the Election Commission in January 2014, we have created six award categories: 1)      खुले आम रिश्वत Read more [...]

Gunda-Raj continues with Lok Sabha 2014 – Well done India!

Over the last month, we shattered voting records. An all time high of 66.4% of the national electorate voted. And the result is that we have resoundingly selected the most criminal parliament ever. For the last three years, we've been out on the streets protesting on empty stomachs and our fingers have gone numb sharing and liking status updates. But at the end of the day, it's been all worth it. We have proudly selected 186 parliamentarians (36% Read more [...]

Aam Aadmi to the rescue, or maybe not

It's the season of political rhetoric. Indian politics, is known for candidates making tall claims and promises during campaigning followed by non-action. The Congress and BJP have mastered this and much of the electorate, for justified reasons, has given up on these two parties following through on any of their promises. But this time we have Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party. An alternative view of politics. A party of the common man - the Read more [...]

Dear Indian Voter, why are you still voting for Criminals?

Dear Indian Voter, You have spent the last 3 years expressing your frustration with the Indian political system. You protested in the streets, went on hunger strikes and ranted on social media. You said you were fed up with corruption and the quality of parliamentarians. This time around, you are supposed to get into action, walk to the booth and vote for change. You must understand that change is not a silver-bullet. It will not be miraculously Read more [...]

Why should we accept ‘criminal’ Kejriwal?

Over the last two years, Arvind Kejriwal has been on a crusade to bring about societal reforms. Throughout this period, Kejriwal has consistently expressed his disdain towards parliamentarians who have pending criminal cases against them. On many occasions in the recent past, Kejriwal and his coterie  often harped on the presence of criminals in parliament in order to demonstrate the magnitude of political rot being faced by the country. For instance, Read more [...]

BJP vs Congress – Distribution of tickets to Muslims

The BJP compromises on needs of the Indian Muslim in order to come to power. The Congress is looking to appease minorities at any cost as long as it stays in power. Such statements have become common occurrences specially after the elevation of the status of Narendra Modi within the BJP. Almost any debate in the country these days seems to be linked back to religion and our two leading political parties. One factor in assessing the attitude of BJP Read more [...]

India’s Politicians Unite Against Transparency!

This month saw the passing of a judgement by India's Central Information Commission (CIC), that classifies nationally recognized political parties as 'public authorities'. What does this mean? This means is that common citizens can now file RTI applications to political parties to obtain information. For instance, a citizen could inquire about internal elections in a  party or about financial sources/expenditures of a party. The judgement is Read more [...]

Why do we elect rape-accused to parliament?

Jaya Bachchan, a Rajya Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party had an emotional breakdown earlier this week as she was shaken and shattered by the gruesome Delhi rape incident. Her teary-eyed speech in the Rajya Sabha and passionate statements thereafter got extensive media coverage. However, Bachchan’s Samajwadi Party currently leads the country in having MLAs who are accused of rape. Perhaps Mrs. Bachchan could start by reforming her own party by Read more [...]

Fasting Season Begins!

India's ''total revolution'' and ''second freedom struggle'' continue this year with another 'indefinite' fast. It's Team Anna's 4th fast in 16 months. At the peak of their fasting prowess, Team Anna had bellowed itself hoarse screaming that ''Anna is India and India is Anna''. The crowds that thronged various hunger-strike venues were showcased to testify that Anna Hazare was truly representative of what India wants. The novelty of a helpless old Read more [...]

Invest in Lok Sabha MPs for Guaranteed Returns!

The economy of India maybe going through troubled times right now. But one industry that is forever booming, is the Indian parliament. Our Lok Sabha MPs made fortunes even during the economic meltdown of 2008. Forget banks and the stock market. Just catch hold of your constituency’s MP and handover your assets to him for a guaranteed return. Candidates who contest elections in India, declare their financial assets on affidavits to the Election Read more [...]

Why should there be Women in Political Parties ???

It’s no secret that women are under-represented in Indian politics. However strategically speaking does it make sense for political parties to back female politicians? The answer to that question is a resounding YES, and not because it’s the ‘’right’’ thing to do. REASON 1: WOMEN ACTUALLY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF WINNING! In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections only 161 females received tickets from major* political parties. However, 36% of Read more [...]

Political Parties – Who is the Richest?

How much money do political parties in India receive in one year? Here’s a look at the amounts collected by India’s political parties as ‘contributions’ in the year right after the last Lok Sabha election in 2009. Under sections 29B and 29C of the Representation of the People Act political parties are entitled to accept monetary contributions. These contributions are exempted from tax under section 13A of Income Tax Act. Details of these Read more [...]

Open Letter from a Rajya Sabha MP to Sachin Tendulkar

The nomination of Sachin Tendulkar to the Rajya Sabha has caused a fair amount of anguish across the country. Here’s a letter from an anonymous Rajya Sabha member to the master explaining this. Dear Sachin, Till a few days back no one really cared for what was going on in the Rajya Sabha. Barring hyped up LokPal type debates, hardly did the average citizen care for our activities. However, since your nomination I have found that there is a new Read more [...]

Lok Sabha Honours List – Our most useless MPs

Parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha are our nation's pride. Here's a look at ones who have gone out of their way to do something special. There is an official record maintained of the activity of all MPs in parliament including attendance, questions raised and debated participated in. The record is not maintained for ministers since they are not mandated to sign attendance registers and initiate debates. Honour List 1 - MPs with less than 50% attendance Read more [...]

Quotable Quotes – The best of 2011

As the year ends, we decided to compile some of the most interesting quotes of the year from the political sphere. 1. “The country did not get actual freedom even after 64 years of independence and the only change was that the whites have been replaced by the blacks.” ~ One of Anna Hazare’s many rhetorical statements during the year. 2. “I believe that Janlokpal Bill will put break on at least 65% corruption in the country.” ~ Anna Hazare’s Read more [...]

Neta Profiling – Party Wise

Are your favourite politicians Aam Aadmis or Ameer Gundas? Here is an analysis of current Lok Sabha MPs from various political parties based on criminal and financial backgrounds. This analysis is a follow-up to our state wise analysis which showed the importance of money power and muscle power in the parliament. All candidates who contest elections in India submit to the Election Commission, a self sworn affidavit with details of criminal records Read more [...]

Open Letter from Anna Hazare to all Indians

Anna Hazare is back. Here is his message to one and all. In-case you are already an Anna follower, you are doing well. In case you are not one, please have some shame, read his message and follow him to a glorious corruption free India. Dear Citizens of India, For the past 6 months I have been regularly starving myself for you, to give you a nation that is free of corruption. I have successfully convinced you that corruption is an event that occurs Read more [...]

Heads, I win. Tails, You Lose – Victory margins of Indian MLAs

  Five states went to poll earlier this year. Elections were conducted in a total of 823 assembly constituencies across Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu & West Bengal. 364 out of 823 MLAs (i.e. 44%) had more people voting against them than for them. Despite this they won due to the nature of our electoral setup. Here is a break-up of MLAs sworn in earlier this year: The above graph shows a split of MLAs between those who managed Read more [...]

Anna & Friends – Fast Facts

India is in the midst of its ‘second freedom struggle’. Time has come for us to liberate ourselves from  this evil power forcefully ruling over us innocent, law abiding, disciplined, incorruptible citizens. Wah Sarkar here lists a bunch of facts related to various aspects & the main protagonists of this ‘second freedom struggle’. No conclusions are drawn from the facts stated below. The interpretation of these facts is completely open Read more [...]

Baap Beta Pvt. Ltd. – India’s Political Dynasties

India’s democracy can at times be looked at as a ‘family business’. For decades, tickets have been  distributed by political parties to the children of party stalwarts & Chief Ministerial berths have been randomly shared between spouses. Here is a closer look at this problem. Most of this data is courtesy the research of writer & historian, Patrick French. Lok Sabha Dynasty 156 out of 545* Lok Sabha members come from political Read more [...]

Neta Profiling – Aam Aadmi to Ameer Gunda

Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha represent each one of us. However their financial assets & criminal backgrounds are a different story. Here we compare MPs from different states in the country and figure out whether they are Aam Aadmis or Ameer Gundas or a mixture of both. All candidates who contest elections in India submit to the Election Commission, a self sworn affidavit with details of criminal records & financial assets. These Read more [...]

Murderers Eleven

Indian cricket teams have notoriously been known for lacking the ‘killer instinct’. Here’s a look at one Indian team which has all possible predatory instincts. Wah Sarkar decided to select 11 of our finest parliamentarians from the Lok Sabha to form a team of world beaters/killers/murderers/thugs. Out of 543 members, 162 MPs have pending criminal cases*. Thus it was a tough task narrowing this immensely talented bunch down to just 11. We have Read more [...]