Jet grounded

Jet Airways has finally shut down after its repeated attempts to source funds failed. Incorporated in 1992 as a private limited company, its initial capital came from the Isle of Man, a self-governing British island. In the decades that passed by, it grew into a giant entity in the aviation sector through acquisitions and mergers. Jet’s net-worth went into negative zone years ago, leaving little chance for recovery. Its long-term debts kept rising to reach a whopping ₹8,400 crore. When Kingfisher Airlines pulled the shutters down in a similar situation, its long-term debts stood at ₹6,899 crore. However, while Vijay Mallya is fighting extradition and imprisonment, Naresh Goyal is planning future strategy with the help of lenders.

Kozhikode

With reference to ‘Backroom parleys on between AAP, Congress despite denials by leaders’ (April 18), it is intriguing to observe that the Congress and the AAP have all along been playing ‘hide and seek’ over seat sharing (5-2 or 4-3) in the national Capital.

But strangely, a 'workable' solution for sharing of its seven Lok Sabha seats still eludes them.

Interestingly, AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh has also gone to the extent of publicly claiming that the Congress is in no mood to block PM Narendra Modi from coming back to power.

But the curtains on a pre-poll alliance, are yet to be drawn.

However, one truly feels sorry for both the Congress party, which had ruled earlier this nation for many decades and the AAP too, which had won 67 Delhi Assembly seats (out of a total 70 seats) in 2015.

But both parties are fast losing the people’s confidence.

No wonder then that they both find themselves ‘incapable’ to take ‘NaMo’ head on of their own.

New Delhi

With the conclusion of Phase 2 of voting, the EC is faced with the issue of low voter turn-out, especially in urban areas.

The low voter-turn is mainly due to issues related to deleted/missing names, delays owing to EVMs glitches and also the long weekend.

It is ironical that despite sufficient knowledge about the series of public holidays, the second phase of elections was held during the week with a series of public holidays. Also necessary voter awareness drives as carried out under the flagship of SWEEP division has yet again failed to bring voters to the polling booth.

But one fails to understand as to why the option on e-voting or online voting still remains an elusive option even for PwD voters.

Online voting will help outstation voters and even NRIs.

To ensure high voter turnout, compulsory voting may be the only option.

Bangalore

As a constitutional body entrusted with the task of conducting free and fair polls (and vested with the power for it), the importance of the Election Commission cannot be overemphasised. It did well to eventually wake up to its powers, to borrow Supreme Court’s phrase.

It found the speeches of Yogi Adityanath, Mayawati, Azam Khan and Menaka Gandhi violative of the Model Code of Conduct and acted against them.

At the same time, quite inexplicably, it has found nothing wrong with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘majority, minority’ comment in the context of Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad and his ‘impassioned plea’ to the first-time voters to vote for the Pulwama martyrs. May be, it was because it does not have the fortitude to bracket him with others.

It is to be hoped that the Election Commission will outgrow its awe of the Prime Minister and consider all leaders impartially and without bias.

Maruthancode (TN)

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