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Vocab Booster Exercise

based on The Hindu editorial YouTube session 09 Sept. 2023
One nation, many elections: On the seven by-elections,
their political signals
The bypolls across the country were decided by local factors
Bypolls in seven Assembly segments in six States across the country threw up
mixed political signals. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won three and
Opposition parties won four. There is no national pattern to be sought in these
elections that answer widely different situations and calculations, but the polls
do offer pointers to local shifts. In Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP’s Dara Singh
Chauhan lost the election to the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate. Mr. Chauhan
represented a pattern of BJP expansion through defections and allurement. He
was the sitting SP MLA who crossed over to the saffron party and sought re-
election as a BJP MLA. The SP candidate was supported by the Congress, the
CPI(M) and the CPI(ML)-Liberation, broadly the INDIA bloc of Opposition parties
in the State. Uttar Pradesh is critical for the BJP’s fortunes in 2024, and the Ghosi
by-election had turned high profile after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had been
keeping his head down for some time, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath both
campaigned hard. The BJP also sought to reinforce its multi-caste Hindu coalition
in the by-election, but it did not find favour with voters in the end. The BJP
retained a seat in Uttarakhand, while it lost a sitting seat in West Bengal to the
ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha retained
Dumri in Jharkhand.

Dhupguri in West Bengal witnessed a combination of INDIA bloc parties facing off
against another constituent, while Puthuppally in Kerala had the parties in the
combination fighting each other. In Dhupguri, the CPI(M) and the Congress jointly
opposed a third INDIA partner TMC, and finished a distant third. The TMC is eager
to prevent an alliance between the Congress and the CPI(M), both of which are
confused and struggling to survive in West Bengal. In Kerala, fronts led by the
CPI(M) and the Congress, clashed for the seat vacated by the death of Congress
veteran Oommen Chandy. His son Chandy Oommen romped home comfortably.
Though it had repeatedly framed the by-election as a test of Chief Minister
Pinarayi Vijayan’s governance, the Left’s stakes in Puthuppally were not as high
as they were in Boxanagar in Tripura which it lost for the first time since 1988 to

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the BJP. The BJP also retained Dhanpur in the State. The CPI(M) has alleged
electoral malpractices and violence by the ruling BJP in Tripura. The outcomes
were largely decided by local factors, but they also indicate the political winds in
the respective regions.

1. In which state did the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retain a seat in the by-
election, signaling its multi-caste Hindu coalition efforts?
a) Uttarakhand, consolidating its hold on the northern region
b) West Bengal, securing its foothold in the east
c) Jharkhand, expanding its presence in the tribal heartland
d) Kerala, breaking into the southern stronghold of the Left

2. Who emerged victorious in the closely watched Ghosi by-election in Uttar

Pradesh, where political heavyweights Akhilesh Yadav and Yogi Adityanath
campaigned vigorously?
a) A Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate supported by the Congress, the CPI(M), and
the CPI(ML)-Liberation
b) Dara Singh Chauhan, the incumbent BJP MLA who defected from the SP
c) An independent candidate with grassroots support
d) A surprise candidate from a regional party with no prior political experience

3. What unique political dynamic unfolded in Dhupguri, West Bengal, during the
by-election?
a) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
formed an unexpected alliance against the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
b) The Congress and the TMC, traditionally bitter rivals, joined forces to counter
the BJP's rising influence.
c) Multiple INDIA bloc parties fiercely competed against each other, creating a
fragmented political landscape.
d) The TMC, despite facing opposition from the CPI(M) and Congress, managed to
secure a resounding victory.

4. Which state witnessed the BJP winning the Boxanagar by-election for the first
time since 1988, dealing a significant blow to the Left?
a) Kerala, where the Left was facing challenges from both the BJP and the
Congress
b) Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP sought to solidify its foothold before the 2024
elections

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c) Tripura, where the CPI(M) alleged electoral malpractices and violence by the
BJP
d) West Bengal, where the TMC emerged as the dominant regional force

5. What was the primary focus of the by-election in Puthuppally, Kerala, despite
it being overshadowed by the Boxanagar contest?
a) The test of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's governance and the Left's
stronghold in the state
b) The rivalry between the Congress and the BJP for dominance in southern India
c) The emergence of a third-party coalition challenging the established political
players
d) A referendum on the performance of the Congress veteran Oommen Chandy's
son in the region

Answers: 1. (a) 2. (a) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (a)

Vocab Booster Exercise

Match the following
1. Allure a) prevent, stop, thwart, foil
2. Repeatedly b) empty, clear, evacuate
3. Clash c) lure, tempt, beguile
4. Vacate d) again and again, often, regularly
5. Prevent e) contend, battle, fight,

 The bypolls were decided by local (facts/factors)

 Indication = sig____
 Bypolls in seven Assembly seg_______ across the country threw (down/up)
mixed pol______ signals.
 Local – regional (same/opp./diff.)
 There is no national pat_____ to be (shot/sought) in these elections that
answer w____ly different situations and cal______s, but the polls do offer
(points/pointers) to local shifts.

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 Dara Singh Chauhan lost the election (by/to) the (SP) ______date.
 Desertion – defection (same/opp./diff.)
 Mr. Chauhan represented a pattern of BJP exp_____n through defections
and al_____ment.
 He was the (seating/sitting) SP MLA who crossed (down/over) to the
saf_____ party.
 Faction = bl___ = wing
 Odd one out: critical, crucial, vital, trivial, important, significant
 Uttar Pradesh is critical (to/for) the BJP’s ____tunes in 2024.
 The Ghosi (bi/by)-election had turned high ____ after the SP chief and the
Chief Minister both cam______d hard.
 Strengthen = _____force = underpin = buttress
 The BJP also sought to reinforce its multi-(cast/caste) Hindu co____tion in
the by-election, but it did not find favour (from/with) voters in the
(ending/end).
 Hold onto something = ___tain something
 The BJP retained a seat in Uttarakhand, (when/while) it lost a sitting seat
in West Bengal to the (reigning/ruling) TMC.
 Saw = wit________
 Dhupguri in WB witnessed a c______nation of INDIA bloc parties facing
(of/off) against another con________nt, while Puthuppally in Kerala had
the part____ in the combination fight_____ each other.
 Together – jointly (same/opp./diff.)
 They jointly ___posed a third INDIA part_____ TMC, and finished a
(distance/distant) third.
 Keen = eg___
 The TMC is eager to prevent an al____nce between the Congress and the
CPI(M), both of (whom/which) are ____fused and struggling to ___vive in
West Bengal.
 Fight = cl_____
 Occupy – ___cate (opposite)
 The fro____ led by the CPI(M) and the Congress, clashed for the seat
vacated by the death of Congress vet____ Oommen Chandy.
 To win easily = _____ home

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 His son romped home com____tably.

 Spot the error: It had been repeatedly framed that the by-election will be
a test of Chief Minister’s governance.
 Claim – allege (same/opp./diff.)
 The CPI(M) has alleged electoral _____practices and ____ence by the ruling
BJP in Tripura.
 Result = ____come
 Indicate – imply (same/opp./diff.)
 Different – respective (same/opp./diff.)
 The outcomes were lar____ decided by local factors, but they also indicate
the political win___ in the respective regions.

10 Oct. 23

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