How can you make the situation so trivial? How can someone dilute the situation without understanding the gravity of the situation? This is happening after the country’s has witnessed a 60 hour war. Mr. Deshmukh needs some serious thinking and a lot of time for himself. I hope they pick a better chief Minster for Maharastra.

The congress committee should expel both Deshmukh and Patil for their outrageous actions.

PS : No points for guessing the name of Ram Gopal Verma’s next movie. I called it first. It’s : ‘Ram ki Taj’

His answer was : Every sovereign nation has the right to defend itself. I strongly agree. That is a common sense. It does not take a Barack Obama to figure that out. Though our ministers are pointing fingers at Pakistan no swift action is yet taken. What other evidence are we waiting for? We tried diplomacy and that did not work out.

The time is running out. If we want to defend our nation and gain global support at the same time, the time is now. Not tomorrow not the day after. Immediate action with the help of other countries is the need of the hour. We don’t have to bomb Pakistan. We just have to target the military camps. I guess the US would help.

The attacks should come with our without Pakistan’s help. Will the US stop us? They might try to. But, that doesn’t mean that we should stop. Every Indian is busy blaming the politicians. I don’t want to join the bandwagon but here is my constructive criticism and advice.

Attack PoK or wherever the terrorist camps are. With our without Pakistan’s help.

Whether he was pressured to resign or he resigned, it really doesn’t matter. We don’t want a Home Minister who is more concerned with the dress he wears rather than the national security of the world’s biggest democracy.

India is looking for the next Home Minister. Finance Minister Chidambaram and External affairs minister Pranab Mukerjee  are the two names being considered. If Chidambaram was chosen Prime Minister will keep the Finance Minister portfolio.

Chidambaram is a perfect finance minister with his nonchalant talk. He can calm the markets in 2 minutes. But, he cannot be a very good Home Minister. Home MInister has to be tough and talk tough. In the current portfolio no one is more suitable to the post than Pranab Mukerjee.

More heads are ready to roll. Maharastra’s Chief Minister , Vilas Rao Deshmukh could be next in line.

Hindu reports that  a senior official in the Obama ranks has said this:

"It is not the other way around. A President-elect does not call foreign leaders and say ‘Listen, I am your new guy in Washington”

If that is the case why did Obama called the countries listed? I guess to tell them that I am your new guy in Washington.

Anyway’s, there are couple of reasons why Obama did not to call Dr. Singh :

1. Obama will be meeting Singh in the Economic and Financial Summit next week.
2. Dr. Singh has already called up Obama to congratulate.

Pick one of the two and let it go. There is no news that Obama has called up Chinese premier Hu Jintao or not.  Obama’s foreign policy is not complete without China and India. I guess he knows it.

I am very impressed with Mr. Advani’s website. The site has 150 videos, 300 photographs and over 700 pages of content. You can also read the letter of Mr. Advani to US President elect Barack Obama. You can also hear to his speeches and watch videos. Advani was born when there was no TV. Now he is 80 years old and using youTube. That is adaptability for you ladies and gentlemen. Also, interesting is, Advani chose to follow Barack Obama rather than John McCain. McCain was very reluctant to use technology and sent a telegram for canceling a meeting. 

This website would be in addition to the BJP’s own website. BJP’s website is one of the political websites which is frequently updated with press releases. Advani and BJP support the Jai Telangana (seperate state for Telangana) Movement. It is the first and only national party to support a seperate Telangana state.

Its about time Indian politicians have embraced Internet and launched their websites for a greater reach. I was expecting Praja Rajyam party and Chiranjeevi to launch a website. May be they are already working on it. But it has to be sooner than later.

Mr. Naidu’s opposition to the corridor was based on damage the coastal corridor would cause. Not only would the coastal environment would be in danger but the corridor would displace a lot of fishermen and other communities around the coast. After the corridor was initially announced the real estate prices surged through the roof in Vizag. There were layouts coming up almost overnight. The unique selling proposition for that was the coastal corridor. There was also a lot of confusion about land acquisition for the proposed corridor. Land registrations were stopped around the area for various reasons. We just have to wait and see what happens to the land registrations now.

With elections around the corner, Chief Minister Rajasekhar Reddy did not want to take any chances. If there was a mass support against the corridor that would be a death knell to the ruling party. Congress government in Andhra does not have any anti-incumbency factor. TDP does not have a wave going along with it. Given these scenarios it is best for Mr. Reddy to hold the corridor until the next election.

Forming a state is not as easy as everyone thinks. There are a lot of issues to be worked out. The natural resources available, the revenues of each region, rivers, dams etc..

Once formed Telangana would be a land locked state between Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.  This makes Telangana the only land locked state in south India. Not having a port for its trade and commerce is a major flaw for any state or a country. Most of the African nations are land locked with bad neighbors and hence do not prosper. However, in case of states it could be slightly different but the perennial problem persists. Telangana has to depend on Andhra, Karnataka and Maharashtra for its trade and commerce.

Other bigger issue is Hyderabad and Secunderabad.  I will use the word Hyderabad for all the 3 cities (Hyderabad, Secundarabad, Rangareddy) from now on. Andhra Pradesh has too much investment in Hyderabad. None of the cities in Andhra and Telangana can match Hyderabad’s development. Most of the coastal Andhra based companies have set their shop in Hyderabad. GMR is one, which immediately comes to my mind. I am not even talking about the Information Technology investments. If we look at the IT investments, it almost sounds like a disaster for Andhra.

Where will Hyderabad go? The obvious answer is to Telangana. Isn’t that the reason why we wanted a separate state to start with?

Let us look at other possible scenarios for Hyderabad.
· Will Hyderabad go to Telangana entirely? Most likely
· Will Hyderabad be a union territory? Likely
· Will Hyderabad be a common capital like Chandigarh? Geographically difficult.
· Will Hyderabad go to Andhra Pradesh? This is the least likely possibility of all.

Chandrababu Naidu who 2 days ago had shifted his allegiance to the Telangana movment was the CEO of Andhra Pradesh for 9 years. During those years none of the cities were looked after, except Hyderabad. If Telangana technically belongs to Telangana, the question to ask Naidu is : Why have you invested so heavily in Hyderabad then and why are you supporting for a separate state now? His answer really doesn’t matter. Naidu is not supporting Telangana for Telangana’s cause. He is doing it to get back into power.

Whether it is electoral gains or a noble cause, the Telangana movement is going on a rampage. None of the parties can come into power without other’s support. Not even Congress. So, a lot depends on which parties are for and which ones are against a separate Telangana.
Let us look at the scorecard for Telangana :

For Telangana :
Telugu Desam Party (TDP)
Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Nava Telangana Praja Party – For Telangana

Against Telangana :
Congress

Undecided
Praja Rajyam Party (Chiranjeevi is playing the people’s verdict card)

The key now rests with the Congress and the Praja Rajyam Party. TRS did not form any alliance with TDP for that reason. It is not TDP, which is a force to reckon with, but it is PRP, which is a game changer. TRS knows it very well. It had tried its luck with Congress in 2004. That alliance did not serve them well. If they have to strike an alliance it is with PRP. The ball is in PRP’s court.

Looking at the overwhelming support, it is only inevitable that Telangana will be formed. The only scenario where Telangana will not be formed in the next 5 years is, if Congress comes to power on its own. Looking at the Chiranjeevi Praja Rajyam Party’s wave and the response he is getting for his yatra, a congress sweep is highly unlikely.

The dilemma is not about Telangana. It is about Hyderabad. Everyone has their sentiments misdirected.

Sarah Palin, who is running for vice president of United States, got her passport only in 2007. Just to improve her foreign policy record she took this opportunity to meet the world leaders on a tatkal basis. Joe Biden, her opponent has much better track record of foreign policy and Palin is making a last ditch attempt to make up for that. In the process she met Zardari in one of those fast track meetings and Zardari made the most of the meeting. He said he might even hug Sarah Palin if the cameraman insists.

Western media did not make a mess out of it,  because of the economic turmoil they are facing. Indian media made it a top story. Zardari has forgot the diplomatic propriety and called Sarah Palin ‘gorgeous’. Now lets give Mr. Zardari a  break. He obviously is a man who cannot stop appreciating people. If he finds Sarah Palin attractive so what? He said that on camera. You need to give the man that. He has guts to say something like that. Let us leave if it is right or wrong. Because I am not here to judge that.

If the media did not explode it so much, Sarah Palin  might have a soft corner for Zardari. Imagine this little thing might yield to something big. If Sarah Palin becomes the President of United States (you know John McCain is old and stuff), her first trip might be to Pakistan. The relationships between the countries could get cozier. I still feel, Sarah Palin has a very soft corner for Zardari. She might not remember Manmohan Singh but she will definitely remember Mr. Zardari.

Zardari has also called Manmohan Singh as ‘Father of Modern India‘. You know the ‘father of nation’ is Mahatma Gandhi and Zardari puts Dr. Singh in that cadre. That is some thing which astonishes me. This man is lavish in his praise. It is only one month and he already won two friends or as they call powerful allies.

I guess Zardari has read two books : “How to win friends and influence people” and “Love is the killer app“. He appreciates and praises people and he shares some love. He also has a good sense of humor. If you have read those books and not sure how to implement the advise given, then follow Zardari’s lead.

The video certainly made Zardari look like he is horny but look beyond the video.

Those are the candidates from the two major national parties.

However, the regional parties will be playing a major role as always. Neither Congress nor BJP can come to power on their own. They need the support of other parties and other parties need the support of congress or BJP. So with this dynamics and volatility in mind let us take a look at the 10 possible prime ministerial candidates for 2009.

1. Manmohan Singh : The accidental politician might find himself involved in one more accident. Depending upon what Sonia Gandhi decides. He could serve one more time. The chances are bleak from two angles. One is the impending Rahul Gandhi threat and the other is congress might not come to power. He does not have anything to show off other than the nuclear deal. Nuclear deal is something which many voters don’t get.
2. LK Advani : Ex-Home Minister, Advani really wanted the top job for years now. He has to yield it to Atal Bihari Vajpayee out of his friendship and respect. Now, he does not have competition in BJP. That is both a problem and a virtue for him. He is the default candidate for BJP. BJP has won Karnataka and has a strong anti-incumbency factor in their favor. The alliances they strike with the regional parties is a key factor. Both pre and post alliances could make or break BJP’s ambitions.
3. Mayawathi : After a thumping victory with 400 odd seats in UP, Mayawathi made her ambitions clear. She wanted the top job. This is highly likeley because of the state she currently holds. UP is the most populous state, sending the most number of MPs. 80+. If Mayawathi gets 50 out of 80, she is the Prime Minister. She did gain some political mileage in the recently concluded nuclear deal saga.
4. Lalu Prasad Yadav : My favorite candidate. Lalu for Prime Minister. The way he turn around railways is just an indication of the potential has. To me he is the ideal candidate for the job. He is hilarious like hell. Sure, I would want a prime Minister with a sense of humor. He can turn India around.
5. Jayalalitha : Depends upon the incumbency or anti-incumbency factor in Tamil Nadu. It will be either or in Tamil Nadu. It will either be DMK or AIADMK. She could play a major role in national politics. She has bee quite for a while, which is a good indication that something gotta give this time around.
6. Karunanidhi : Same as above.
7. Chiranjeevi :  Surprise.Surprise. You did not see it coming did you? Every other candidate on this list has been in the political circuit for a while. Chiranjeevi is a unknown phenomenon in untested waters of national politics. If Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam gains at least 20 of 42 seats he could spin the wheels. Congress or BJP will not get a full majority and Left might not support them and their prime ministerial candidates. So they alternative front with an acceptable Prime Minister. Considering his recent entry into politics Chiranjeevi might accept.
8. Prakash Karat : Left has been a big pain in the neck for everything UPA government wanted to do. Finally they left UPA, Amar Singh came to the rescue. Though, the chances of left gaining 60 odd seats look bleak considering the backlash in West Bengal and Mamatha Banerjee’s Panchayat wins, Karat is a candidate who cannot be ruled out. Again, CPI has to align with BJP or Congress and they have to support them from outside. CPI could also spearhead by bringing all the regional parties under one umbrella.
9. Amar Singh : He does not look ambitious. But, he has been the Dark Knight and helped the government win vote of confidence. He enjoys a lot of good will right now. If his party does well and Congress or BJP perform as usual, then Amar Singh is a potential Prime Minister. Anil Ambani would love this. So would Amitabh Bachan.
10. Chandrababu Naidu : Mr. Naidu, former CEO of Andhra Pradesh, is struggling really hard to keep Congress and Praja Rajyam at bay in Andhra Pradesh. He has to win in Andhra first and then come back to the centre. His party TDP’s chances of winning the assembly election are minimal. He might try his luck at the national polls and could come back to the center with a weirdly named Front.
11. Rahul Gandhi : He is not ready but, the congress sycophant’s thinks he is. His mother does not want him to enter mainstream politics for fears of her own. For a Gandhi scion who is 38 years old, I am not sure why he is not ready yet. But, Congress if gained majority might flip the cards and propose him for the highest honor. Dr. Manmohan singh would not mind.

The candidates mentioned are potential candidates considering the history of indian politics for the past 60 years. I said top 10 candidates but Rahul Gandhi is a bonus.  My picks would be LK Advani, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mayawathi respectively in that order.

Who would be your pick or guess for the next Prime Minister of India?

Finally, Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yeduriyappa has made a statement that if Tata is willing to come to Karnataka he can allot the land. Bingo said Ratan Tata. Though nothing is finalized yet, the probability of Nano coming to Karnataka is pretty high. Karnataka (Bangalore + Mysore)  has a prominent place on the world map for its software exports. Bangalore (Benguluru) is dubbed as the silicon valley of India. Other than that people do not know much about Karnataka. Many people have criticized that Karnataka’s software exports are skewing the progress and stiffling other sectors. Now those people can have some solace in this recent development.

It would be a matter of pride for Karnataka to roll out the world’s cheapest car. The whole world is waiting for it. This is the first big improvement or step taken by the government in the past 4 years. The reason for this is stable single party government. Earlier they were too busy keep the coalition government in tact.

This could be first of many things to follow for Karnataka. Could karnataka be the next Gujarat? I am referring to the development and nothing else.

Coming to Nano, the price of the car is already increased if you take in the amount invested (drained out) in Bengal. So it is upto Ratan Tata to keep the cost as promised or increase the cost. If he increases the cost, his statement of “promise is a promise” will not hold good. If he absorbs the cost, Nano as a business model does not make any sense. Tata Motors have to sell more than expected cars to break-even. Either way Tata motors does not gain from this.

Depending upon the choice Ratan Tata makes, the world would know Tata either as a socially responsible person  (for having a vision of empowering every Indian with a car and not considering the environmental impact of it) or a astute business man (for increasing the price of the car and hence shareholders trust).

We just have to wait and see.

The perennial question remains. At what price Nano will come out?