Our country is developing well under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah and this has been exemplified by the party’s victory in the Assam assembly elections. This is the first time that the saffron party has won election in the state. The victory will pave way for the expanding its foothold in the north east. The results will also boost the BJP’s confidence ahead of assembly election next year in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. It is a must-win poll if Modi is ever to realise his hope of controlling both houses of parliament.
I am expecting that a good state like Assam will develop under the leadership of Sarbananda Sonowal. Mr. Sonowal was the Assam BJP chief till his return to the Lok Sabha in the 2014 polls. He was made a Minister of State in the Narendra Modi government. He was appointed Assam unit chief again in 2015, a year ahead of the State polls. BJP must now address the issue of rampant migration of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, development of tea gardens, conservation of wildlife, rural electrification and providing basic health care services for the poor people.
Mamata Banerjee too made history after she retained power in West Bengal with a record win. I could sense this when I listened to the interview between Amit Mitra and Shekhar Gupta. I visited Kolkata about a year ago and saw that streets of the city were clean and well maintained. Mamata needs to undertake skill development programmes and give a boost to the industrial sector for reviving the state’s economy. She should show magnanimity and invite TATAs to set up their plants in Bengal. Even though Mamata won handsomely but she practices simplicity in public life.
Kerala has high literacy rates as compared to other states in the country. The operation of Kochi port is affected due to recurring labour problems. The Cochin Steamer Agents Association has requested to the port management to set up a permanent panel to address all the labour issues in the terminal and in the port area. The newly formed communist government must try to resolve this issue. Communism must now mean pragmatism and progress.
India needs to seek the assistance of foreign technicians from countries like Japan, Norway and Russia. The nation is facing shortage of electricians therefore training must be offered to youth for addressing this issue. Such enhanced training modules can be arranged with the participation of experts drawn from foreign countries. In our country, we must focus on the work of enhancing electric power generation and distribution.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)