News Reading Practice #48
(100 Day Challenge)
CONGRESS HONES ITS CAMPAIGN TO TAKE ON CPI(M) AND BJP
AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala affairs Deepa Dasmunshi meets office-bearers of Congress-led service organisations, trade unions to equip the party to fight both parties
G. Anand
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
The Congress on Sunday moved to hone its campaign machinery by harnessing the resources of tributary organisations to take on an arguably more battle-ready and organisationally primed
Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in
charge of Kerala affairs Deepa Dasmunshi chaired a meeting of the office-bearers of Congress- led service
organisations and trade unions to equip the party to fight on two fronts simultaneously.
War rooms in 20 Lok Sabha constituencies will catalyse the Congress
campaign. They will spearhead
electoral battles on the airwaves and the ground.
Congress's gambit
reportedly centres around the strategy to eclipse
its perceived vulnerabilities
while accentuating the "faults" of the Union and State
governments. It wants to outdo the CPI(M) and the BJP by having more doorstep
conversations with voters.
Nevertheless, Congress's rivals
have sufficient policy ammunition
to undermine the party's electoral standing among crucial
electoral blocs.
For one, the CPI(M) has accused Congress of toeing a soft Hindutva line and being
"embarrassingly racked by indecisiveness" over whether to reject the BJP's invitation
to attend the consecration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, despite counting the
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) as a critical ally.
The Congress-led INDIA bloc had termed the event a
political spectacle orchestrated
by the Sangh Parivar to galvanise
Hindu votes ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP has, in turn, accused
Congress of turning its back on Hindu beliefs.
NSS, SNDP stances
It also did not help Congress that the NSS and SNDP, both
politically influential Hindu social organisations that have often hewed to Congress in varying degrees, have urged their supporters to celebrate the temple inauguration. Moreover, given NSS’s staunch objection to the move, the Congress was constrained to put on mute in Kerala its national leadership's pitch for a caste census to recalibrate the country's reservation policy.
Preserving strongholds The CPI(M)'s pro-rubber farmer politics, the BJP's overtures to the Christian community and the tangible threat from the KC(M), a key LDF ally, have forced
the Congress to walk the extra mile
to preserve its traditional heartlands
in central Kerala.
Congress leaders have also aired their visceral fear about
possible last-minute tactical voting by the CPI(M) and the BJP to sink its
prospects in crucial battleground constituencies, primarily Thrissur, Wayanad
and Thiruvananthapuram.
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HONE - Refines
or sharpens. (à´®ൂà´°്à´š്ഛകൂà´Ÿ്à´Ÿുà´•, à´¤ീà´µ്à´°à´®ാà´•്à´•ുà´•)
CAMPAIGN -
Organised activities with a particular goal, often related to elections. (à´ª്à´°à´šà´°à´£ം)
TAKE ON - Be
willing or ready to meet an adversary or opponent. (à´¨േà´°ിà´Ÿുà´•)
OFFICE BEARER -
Individuals holding positions in an organisation. (à´ാà´°à´µാà´¹ി, ഉദ്à´¯ോà´—à´¸്ഥന്)
CAMPAIGN
MACHINERY - Organized tools and efforts a political party uses during elections
or other campaigns. (à´ª്രചനരണ à´¸ംà´µിà´§ാനങ്ങള്)
HARNESS - Make
use of (à´ª്à´°à´¯ോജനപ്à´ªെà´Ÿുà´¤്à´¤ുà´•.)
TRIBUTARY
ORGANIZATIONS - Groups or entities that contribute resources, support, or
efforts to a larger or main organization (à´ªോà´·à´• à´¸ംഘടനകള്)
BATTLE-READY -
Prepared for conflict or competition. (à´¸ുസജ്ജമാà´¯)
CHAIR A MEETING
- Led or presided over. (à´¯ോà´—à´¤്à´¤ിà´²് à´…à´§്യക്à´·ം വഹിà´•്à´•ുà´•)
SIMULTANEOUSLY - Existing or occurring at the same time (à´’à´°േ സമയത്à´¤്)
CONSTITUENCIES -
Areas represented by an elected official.
CATALYSE -
Accelerate or stimulate. (à´¤്വരിതപ്à´ªെà´Ÿുà´¤്à´¤ുà´•)
SPEARHEAD
- Lead or initiate. (ആക്രമണത്à´¤െ)
നയിà´•്à´•ുà´•)
GAMBIT -
Strategic move or action. (à´•à´°ുà´¨ീà´•്à´•ം, à´¸ൂà´¤്à´°ം)
ECLIPSE - To
hide, surpass or overshadow. (ഇരുà´Ÿ്à´Ÿാà´•്à´•ുà´•, മറയ്à´•്à´•ുà´•)
PERCEIVED
VULNERABILITIES - Weaknesses that are understood or recognized. (à´ª്à´°à´¤്യക്à´·à´®ാà´¯ à´•േà´Ÿുà´ªാà´Ÿുà´•à´³്)
ACCENTUATE -
Emphasizing or highlighting. (à´Šà´¨്à´¨ിà´ª്പറയുà´•, à´Žà´Ÿുà´¤്à´¤ുà´•ാà´£ിà´•്à´•ുà´•.)
RIVALS -
Competitors or opponents. (à´Žà´¤ിà´°ാà´³ി, à´ª്à´°à´¤ിà´¯ോà´—ി.)
AMMUNITION -
Resources or arguments to use against opponents. (പടക്à´•ോà´ª്à´ª്, à´µാദത്à´¤ിà´¨ാവശ്യമാà´¯ വസ്à´¤ുതകള്.)
UNDERMINE -
Weaken or sabotage. (നശിà´ª്à´ªിà´•്à´•ുà´•, à´¦ുà´°്à´¬്ബലമാà´•്à´•ുà´•)
TOE - Following
or adhering to. (സമ്മര്à´¦്ധത്à´¤ിà´¨ുà´µിà´§േയമാà´¯ി à´…à´¨ുസരിà´•്à´•ുà´•-à´¸്à´µീà´•à´°ിà´•്à´•ുà´•)
RACK - Tormented
or distressed. (à´žെà´°ുà´•്à´•ുà´•, സമ്മര്à´¦്ധത്à´¤ിà´²ാà´•്à´•ുà´•)
INDECISIVENESS
- Lack of decisiveness or firmness. (à´¤ീà´°ുà´®ാà´¨ിà´•്à´•ാà´¨ാà´µാà´¤്à´¤
അവസ്à´¥, à´¨ിà´¶്ചയമിà´²്à´²ാà´¯്à´®)
ALLY - A
political partner or supporter. (സഖ്à´¯ം)
SPECTACLE - A
visually striking display or event. (à´…à´¤്à´ുà´¤ം, à´ª്രദര്ശനം)
ORCHESTRATED -
Coordinated or arranged. (ആസൂà´¤്à´°à´£ം à´šെà´¯്à´¯ുà´•.)
GALVANISE -
Energize or stimulate. (വര്à´¦്à´§ിà´ª്à´ªിà´•്à´•ുà´•.)
STANCE - A
publicly stated opinion. (à´¨ിലപാà´Ÿ് )
HEW - Obey;
adhere closely. (à´…à´¨ുസരിà´•്à´•ുà´•)
URGE -
Encouraged or recommended. (à´ª്à´°േà´°ിà´ª്à´ªിà´•്à´•ുà´• )
STAUNCH - Loyal
or committed. (ഉറച്à´š)
CONSTRAINED -
Restricted or limited. (à´¨ിà´°്ബന്à´§ിà´•്à´•à´ª്à´ªെà´Ÿ്à´Ÿു, à´¨ിà´°്ബന്à´§ിതനാà´¯ി. )
PUT ON MUTE -
Temporarily silenced. (à´¨ിശബ്ദമാà´•്à´•ുà´•.)
RECALIBRATE - To
make small changes or adjustments to a system. (à´ªുനക്à´°à´®ീà´•à´°ിà´•്à´•ുà´•.)
STRONGHOLDS -
Areas of strength or influence. (ശക്à´¤ിà´•േà´¨്à´¦്à´°ം, à´•ോà´Ÿ്à´Ÿ)
OVERTURES -
Initiatives or proposals. (à´•ൂà´Ÿിà´¯ാà´²ോചനനടത്തല്)
TANGIBLE THREAT
- A realistic and present danger that can be seen or felt. (à´ª്à´°à´•à´Ÿà´®ാà´¯ à´ീà´·à´£ി)
WALK THE EXTRA
MILE - Make an additional effort.
HEARTLAND - Core
or central regions. (പരമപ്à´°à´§ാà´¨ à´¸്ഥലം.)
VISCERAL FEAR -
Fear that you feel very deeply and find it difficult to control or ignore. (ഉള്à´à´¯ം)
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