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Delhi Elections – 2020
Radhika Mall
The results for the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, held on February 8th 2020, were declared on February 11th 2020. The Aam Adami Party (AAP) witnessed a landslide victory with 62 seats yet again, while BJP secured 8 seats and Congress was left with 0 seats. The voter turn-out was 62.59 percent, approximately 5 percent lower than 2015 elections, but marked a 2 percent increase from the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Election Commission stated that there has been an additional 2 lakh women voter turn-out in this election.
While AAP ran the election campaign on its developmental aspects laying down its previous achievements as a marker for good governance, BJP fell prey to a more nationalistic agenda. AAP swept a strategic win by not indulging into more controversial issues in hand like the CAA and NRC alongside popular political narrative and foul wordplay. BJP has been exposed to criticism post results despite a game up in their footing from 3 seats in 2015. A 12 percent increase in the vote share of BJP has also been observed. Congress has yet again shown a historic pattern of defeat to state born parties despite ruling the capital for around 15 years previously.
Women had a great role to play in these elections. Across caste, class and religion AAP has emerged victorious amidst the women of Delhi. This election thus also becomes a counter to the popular narrative that questions the individuality of women in Indian politics.
Both BJP and Congress have given out statements on prospective changes in the party working in Delhi post elections. After a popular win of a more socialistic over capitalistic manifesto in place, Delhi politics – commitments and achievements should be closely scrutinized keeping the economics in mind. The success of the socialistic narrative is yet to be proven.
Nepal Lawmakers Consider LegalisingMarijuana
Epcita Shukla
Lawmakers from Nepal’s ruling Communist Party have introduced a legislation to legalise cannabis. “The country’s terrain is suitable for cannabis cultivation and would be a boon to the agricultural economy”, said Birod Khatiwada, a member of the Communist party. In 1960s, Nepal was especially known as the town of hippies which openly consumed and sold Marijuana. However, in 1970s, the world witnessed a global crackdown on drugs and with pressures from the West, especially United States of America (USA), Nepal sanctioned a ban on the production, consumption and sale of cannabis throughout the country by 1973. Lawmaker Birodh Khatiwada, from Makawanpur district, proposed the motion, which got the support of other 45 lawmakers of the party in the House of Representatives. “Legalizing marijuana will help the poor farmers and since most of the Western world, which was the reason for making it illegal in the first place, have already ended the prohibition, Nepal should also lift the ban.”, stated Khatiwada to the Associated Press.
The lawmakers also propounded that the legalisation of cannabis will lead to expediting the growth of economy, by bringing in more foreign currencies, help in producing medicines and improving the living standard of the households. 11 states in USA have legalised weed, Canada has legalised it nationwide and Germany has legalised its medical use. This proposal is yet to be debated in Nepal’s Parliament before any changes are made to the existing laws. The government spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communications Technology Gokul Baskota said the government was yet to take any steps towards legalising it.
White House Proposal of $1.5 billion for Indo-Pacific Region
Pratishtha Kaushik
A sum of about $1.5 billion for the Indo-Pacific region has been allocated by the Trump administration for the fiscal year 2021. The Indo-Pacific region contains approximately half of the world’s population along with a number of flourishing economies. The US considers it to be critical for their security and long term economic goals. The budget that is allocated highlights a strong administrative commitment to ensure that the region stays ‘free, open, and independent of Chinese influence’. This budget aids democracy programs, strengthens security cooperation, improves economic governance and facilitates private sector-led economic growth, as held by the White House. As for the global engagement centre dedicated to countering foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation from China, the budget includes a sum of $30 million. The funds also indicate a sum of $0.8 billion for the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) for international private sector development to help corporate growth in underdeveloped and developing countries and to put forth a transparent, high-quality alternative to Chinese international lending in the Indo-Pacific and other strategic regions.
The Pentagon (Headquarter building of the US Department of Defense and often used as a metonym for its leadership) believes that Beijing has continued to violate the sovereignty of Indo-Pacific nations and has expanded its control abroad by way of the Belt and Road infrastructure investments. It also holds that in the Indo-Pacific, the Department of Defense is making efforts towards strengthening and evolving US partnerships into a security framework that helps maintain "free and open" order. The Pentagon has also stated that the Department of Defense has also been expanding military-to-military cooperation with India and has been working on improving interoperability by establishing a new tri-service amphibious exercise – Tiger Triumph. It is the first bilateral tri-service amphibious military exercise involving the armed forces of India and the United States.