There's an unspoken rule of international politics. It is advisable not to pass judgment on any other country's election campaign.
India is thus simply keeping a close watch and testing the ground. And rightly so.
In any democracy, elections provide opportunities for sizing up of the polity. There would be no exception to this even for England, often acclaimed for being the mother of parliamentary democracy.
The 2015 general election in United Kingdom slated for May 7 will be contested using the same constituencies and boundaries as in 2010. Of the 650 constituencies, 533 are in England, 59 in Scotland, 40 in Wales and 18 in Northern Ireland.
Each parliamentary constituency of the United Kingdom elects one MP to the House of Commons using the 'first past the post' system. If one party obtains a majority of seats, then that party is entitled to form the Government. If the election results in no single party having a majority and there is a hung parliament, the law gives options for forming the Government either a minority government or a coalition regime.
Cameroon and Ed Miliband |
The major parties in the husting in United Kingdom are Labour Party, Conservative Party, SNP in Scotland, Liberal Democrats, the Greens, UKIP and Plaid Cymru.
As the D-Day approaches fast the battle has only intensified.
The England poll watchers thus say, elections in the UK will determine not only who forms the next national government but
also the control of town and city. Thus, it is not without good reason that the Conservative Party of Prime Minister David Cameron is offering a bonanza of new powers for cities, which adopt ‘metro mayors’, while the opposition Labour Party is promising to devolve a huge amount for spending from central government to all local authorities.
Cameroon's Conservatives have also promised to decentralise powers over transport, economic development and social care to any metro area which agrees to introduce a directly elected mayor system.
Most parties in general have pledged the devolution process of more powers to Scotland and Wales after the election even as the Labour Party has suggested that nations and city regions of the UK should be included in a reformed Parliament.
Labour and the Green Party also have supported a post-election Constitutional Convention to determine the pace and shape of future reform process and devolution of powers within the UK.
In a significant announcement vis-a-vis safe guarding the environmental concerns, The Greens has said that while they are in favour of science and technology, they will not support research that damages the environment.
Pragmatic politician Cameroon trying street food in Kolkata |
In yet another interesting pre-election talks, the Liberal Democrats have said that the high speed broadband would be made available to 99.9 per cent of households and businesses in rural and urban areas. It also pledged to ensure that the licence fee does not increase faster than inflation.
The party also vowed to maintain the UK as a global leader in clean technology and the digital industries.
The Conservatives for their part have promised to make the UK the “technology centre of Europe” promising higher investment.
From the Indian sub-continent point of view, the elections in United Kingdom are always important. The sagacity of the leadership in both India and UK has always laid emphasis on deeper strategic partnership and adequate use of socio-economic potentials.
Prime Minister David Cameroon's party appreciates this factor well and also acknowledges the power of Indian origin voters in UK. Thus, it was no surprising that the party recently launched a 'new campaign song in Hindi' aimed at wooing Indian-origin voters.
Since Prime Minster Narendra Modi took charge in India, it is generally appreciated that he also developed a good good workable cordial relationship with David Cameroon.
Modi held his first meeting with Cameroon in November 2014 in Brisbane wherein the British premier made it absolutely cleat that the relations with India are at the top of priorities of UK's foreign policy.
Lately, Cameroon has not only praised PM Modi's initiative on 'Make in India' to make India a global manufacturing hub; he also offered technological assistance to achieve its targets. Britain would also offer help to Indian government in developing "own world class fighter aircraft".
Cameron also said that he will host Prime Minister Modi for a state visit if he returns to power after the May 7 polls.
From the Indian sub-continent point of view, the elections in United Kingdom are always important. The sagacity of the leadership in both India and UK has always laid emphasis on deeper strategic partnership and adequate use of socio-economic potentials.
Prime Minister David Cameroon's party appreciates this factor well and also acknowledges the power of Indian origin voters in UK. Thus, it was no surprising that the party recently launched a 'new campaign song in Hindi' aimed at wooing Indian-origin voters.
Since Prime Minster Narendra Modi took charge in India, it is generally appreciated that he also developed a good good workable cordial relationship with David Cameroon.
Modi held his first meeting with Cameroon in November 2014 in Brisbane wherein the British premier made it absolutely cleat that the relations with India are at the top of priorities of UK's foreign policy.
Lately, Cameroon has not only praised PM Modi's initiative on 'Make in India' to make India a global manufacturing hub; he also offered technological assistance to achieve its targets. Britain would also offer help to Indian government in developing "own world class fighter aircraft".
Cameron also said that he will host Prime Minister Modi for a state visit if he returns to power after the May 7 polls.
Cameroon offered to promote 'Make in India', pledges help to make fighter aircraft |
A similar cordial relationship with India has been offered by the Labour Party's prime ministerial candidate, Ed Miliband. “I care very much about my relationship with India and my relationship with Prime Minister Modi," Miliband has said.
The political apparatus in Britain and India have always drawn exciting interests globally.
Indians have shown historic tendency to favour the Labour party, once considered as supportive of India’s independence from Britain in 1947. But this year, the Labour party had not mentioned India in its manifesto, whereas the Conservatives have.
At the same time, anti-immigration rhetoric has angered many Indians who see UK as a gateway to Europe. But yet again, under Cameroon, the UK has expanded its presence in India and has made expanding trade a key objective.
Ultimately of course the taste of the cake is in its eating. A good relationship between India and UK will be significant even at the global scale.
It’s good to pick a winner, as Bill Clinton did with Tony Blair in 1997. But it’s awkward and embarrassment when the guess goes wrong, as Angela Merkel was when she sided with the eventual loser, Nicolas Sarkozy, in France’s 2012 presidential vote. Narendra Modi is not burning his fingers.
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