Something is wrong here. This isn't an accident at 25 kmph. Seems maybe LPs regularly disregard that limit and who is responsible? Maybe LPs do it under pressure from someone above. Need thorough investigation. Lot of govt employees circumvent rules and this is the result.

---

It doesn't look like the accident is on a blind curve. I'm assuming the LP was not sleeping and emergency brakes applied. At 25kph, emergency brakes should be enough to prevent major damage. It seems here like it was at 50kph or so.

---

Someone's gotta stop this madness. I can understand VB Sleeper but I'm pretty sure IR doesn't need any more CC VBEs in the short term future. Amrit Bharat- yes definitely.

---

Lalu started the tradition of not increasing fares. Only one RM tried to increased the fares after Lalu, Dinesh Trivedi who was then promptly removed by his own party chief Mamata. Other RMs do not want to meet this fate so they are increasing fares through backdoor. Unlike what many people think, Lalu was one of the worst RMs. Mamata was way better than Lalu as RM. Even Nitish was better. Lalu also started the SMB in GRs which is now finally removed. He had the idea of putting SMB in all trains, thankfully he was removed as RM before he could implement this. In NDA, Suresh Prabhu and Piyush Goyal were decent RMs. Ashwini isn't the right guy, more of a technocrat.

---

It's a political hot potato. AC vs non AC won't gain much traction even if opposition points it out. Fare increase across the boards is something the opposition will easily latch onto and lead to larger public outcry. Hence the use of backdoor like VB, Suvidha, conversion to SF etc. to increase fares.

---

Also having more AC coaches isn't a break with tradition. Yes they accelerated the pace but even in UPA era, AC coaches were slowly being increased. NDA did the change too quickly.

---

Do you even understand what I said? What can opposition use against Lalu? He kept the fares same for 5 years. Which is great as a populist measure, but unsustainable for long term financial health. Now if someone suddenly increase fares across the board, opposition will be up in arms. Applies to both sides. Even if there is a INDIA alliance govt, no one will dare to increase fares.

---

Well if you keep increasing, at some point no of AC coaches will be more. At start of UPA era, most trains had 2 or 3 AC, at end of 10 years UPA, most had 6-7 AC. Now after 10 years NDA most have 10-11 AC. Most premium trains introduced by UPA - Garib Rath, AC express, Duronto all max. AC.

---

That's what you aren't understanding. Before Lalu's time it was a tradition to increase fares every year by small amount. So no one would have bothered if he raised in line with earlier RMs. But he broke from tradition to stop the yearly fare increase to get political brownie points. Dinesh Trivedi tried to reinstate that tradition and got fired immediately. So now no RM would have the guts no matter if he has majority, coz he will be removed by his own party and opposition will pounce on this.

---

It's unfair to criticize Ashwini Vaishnaw for this one accident, but in general, he has been below par. All fancy stuff but overall deterioration of even basic services. He isn't the right person for IR even not considering this accident. Also should be seen whether LP was overworked or the signal was obscured by something rather than just blame the dead LP, which is the easiest getaway here.

---

Home min is impossible. Amit Shah will remain. Deputy PM is possible but Deputy PM isn't an official ministry. And I doubt they will offer deputy PM to Nitish. Remember opposition cannot dislodge NDA even if Nitish leaves. NDA has 292 and Nitish leaves it makes it 280 which is still more than 272. CBN has more bargaining power coz he holds the key. His son may receive a good ministry, could be Railways. And I think BJP will prefer dealing with CBN, who is more stable than Nitish and has no ambition for PM.

---

External affairs is not a plump ministry. In fact it requires a lot of tact and guile and even in coalition govt it is never given to partners. Also no coalition partner would want to be responsible for External affairs. External, Defence, Home and Finance is almost always handled by the party in power no matter what.

---

It's not as easy as you think tho. If INDIA bloc offers any of these to Nitish, Mamata didi won't take it lightly. She has more than double the seats as Nitish and almost double of Naidu. It will be very difficult for INDIA bloc to form a govt simply because there's too many stakeholders and even with a jumbo sized ministry its near impossible to satisfy all of them. Even if they form by some miracle, those who didn;t get a ministry will likely be lured by BJP and govt will collapse in a years time.

---

Lol if you think people voted for these issues, you're delusional. What happened was BJP angered Rajputs and Jats in North and West and INC wooed Dalits with reservations increase plank. All these factors collectively cost the BJP 50 seats in the Hindi belt of Rajasthan, Haryana and UP. Everything else was same as 2014 or 2019.

---

Whatever happens, my prediction is the next general election will take place by end of 2026.

---

Do you know who those others are ? Please have a look at the 'others' from Punjab and Kashmir. That is the biggest debacle of this election. Whether BJP wins or INC wins is immaterial. But those 3 people who won should be condemned and that is the real worry for India this election. Not BJP losing majority or losing UP.

---