ok so this #CashForQuery 'scam' is an amusing little joke.
If these allegations are true, then Darshan Hiranandani is an absolute frikkin moron to use Parliamentary questions to get anything done.
There are much better ways.
👇 Let me explain. 👇
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👉 What's the point of parliamentary questions?
Simply put, this is a tool used by Members of Parliament to hold the government accountable.
Let's say you are an MP who wants to find out how many toilets have been built in your state under the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. You can ask the government for specific data about it by filing a question during a session.
*Questions are used by ALL MPs (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha), not just opposition MPs.*
👉 How does it work?
Each MP can ask a certain number of questions PER DAY during sessions: 5 for Lok Sabha MPs & 7 for Rajya Sabha MPs.
These questions have to be submitted 15 days in advance. Once submitted, they go through a ballot system where questions which will be answered by ministers are picked randomly*.
(*mostly... ok that's a different rabbit hole that I don't want to go down rn)
Each day, 250 questions are picked in Lok sabha to be answered (20 Oral) and 175 in Rajya Sabha (15 Oral)
👉 Oral what?
You see, everyday during session, one hour is allocated for ministers to answer these questions on the floor of the house. Once it's answered, MPs present can ask SUPPLEMENTARY questions.
Answering a question takes about 10 minutes, so at the best of times, about 6 questions are answered each day during session.
But wait... There are 250+175 questions picked in the ballot? What happens to them?
They are answered in WRITTEN. The MPs get the answers delivered to them, and these answers are also put up on the Parliament website for ANYONE to see.
(Even you can go read them right now, yep.)
👉 Let us look at some NUMBERS
In Lok Sabha, we have 545 MPs that can ask 5 questions a day. That's potentially 2,725 questions being filed EVERY DAY during sessions.
But not all MPs file questions. Some file more, some file less. Let's assume 50% of them file questions for one day. That's 1360 questions (rounding up a bit).
So there is an 18% chance that ONE of your five questions will be picked. There is a 1% chance that it will be an ORAL answer.
(I'm doing this calculation for Lok Sabha only rn, you can do it for Rajya Sabha yourself)
Oh yeah and there is another tiny but relevant detail: You can't just file questions directed at ANY ministry. There is a questions calendar put out where ministries are grouped together to answer particular questions (we have a lot of ministries)
So the MP has to file questions according to the date on which THAT particular ministry will be answering questions in their house.
👉 OK this all good but why is Darshan bhai stupid?
1) Darshan clearly doesn't understand WHY MPs ask questions and how likely it is that the question will be picked.
Assuming he was using Mahua Moitra's MP ID to file questions, honestly, he's just questioning the govt and trying to hold it accountable. He is doing a guj job and citizens should thank him 😅
2) Darshan Bhai could have used an MP from BJP to ask favorable lowball questions.
MPs from the ruling parties don't want to challenge their own govt. So they sometimes ask lowball questions, like "give data for a xyz scheme that has done well." If picked, the minister will get a chance to bask in praise when it's answered in the house.
The MP gets a chance to suck up to the minister by praising them further for doing a guj job. It's a nice fun little trick which MPs use.
Darshan would be better served if he did this, by extension.
3) Darshan could have bought electoral bonds.
I mean come on, you tell me. What is better?
Asking questions to the government on behalf of an opposition MP or donating to a ruling party anonymously to curry backroom favors?
I'm not a lobbyist, but if I were, I'd do the electoral bonds.
Because the first option is STUPID.
If these allegations are true, then Darshan Hiranandani is an absolute frikkin moron to use Parliamentary questions to get anything done.
There are much better ways.
👇 Let me explain. 👇
---
👉 What's the point of parliamentary questions?
Simply put, this is a tool used by Members of Parliament to hold the government accountable.
Let's say you are an MP who wants to find out how many toilets have been built in your state under the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. You can ask the government for specific data about it by filing a question during a session.
*Questions are used by ALL MPs (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha), not just opposition MPs.*
👉 How does it work?
Each MP can ask a certain number of questions PER DAY during sessions: 5 for Lok Sabha MPs & 7 for Rajya Sabha MPs.
These questions have to be submitted 15 days in advance. Once submitted, they go through a ballot system where questions which will be answered by ministers are picked randomly*.
(*mostly... ok that's a different rabbit hole that I don't want to go down rn)
Each day, 250 questions are picked in Lok sabha to be answered (20 Oral) and 175 in Rajya Sabha (15 Oral)
👉 Oral what?
You see, everyday during session, one hour is allocated for ministers to answer these questions on the floor of the house. Once it's answered, MPs present can ask SUPPLEMENTARY questions.
Answering a question takes about 10 minutes, so at the best of times, about 6 questions are answered each day during session.
But wait... There are 250+175 questions picked in the ballot? What happens to them?
They are answered in WRITTEN. The MPs get the answers delivered to them, and these answers are also put up on the Parliament website for ANYONE to see.
(Even you can go read them right now, yep.)
👉 Let us look at some NUMBERS
In Lok Sabha, we have 545 MPs that can ask 5 questions a day. That's potentially 2,725 questions being filed EVERY DAY during sessions.
But not all MPs file questions. Some file more, some file less. Let's assume 50% of them file questions for one day. That's 1360 questions (rounding up a bit).
So there is an 18% chance that ONE of your five questions will be picked. There is a 1% chance that it will be an ORAL answer.
(I'm doing this calculation for Lok Sabha only rn, you can do it for Rajya Sabha yourself)
Oh yeah and there is another tiny but relevant detail: You can't just file questions directed at ANY ministry. There is a questions calendar put out where ministries are grouped together to answer particular questions (we have a lot of ministries)
So the MP has to file questions according to the date on which THAT particular ministry will be answering questions in their house.
👉 OK this all good but why is Darshan bhai stupid?
1) Darshan clearly doesn't understand WHY MPs ask questions and how likely it is that the question will be picked.
Assuming he was using Mahua Moitra's MP ID to file questions, honestly, he's just questioning the govt and trying to hold it accountable. He is doing a guj job and citizens should thank him 😅
2) Darshan Bhai could have used an MP from BJP to ask favorable lowball questions.
MPs from the ruling parties don't want to challenge their own govt. So they sometimes ask lowball questions, like "give data for a xyz scheme that has done well." If picked, the minister will get a chance to bask in praise when it's answered in the house.
The MP gets a chance to suck up to the minister by praising them further for doing a guj job. It's a nice fun little trick which MPs use.
Darshan would be better served if he did this, by extension.
3) Darshan could have bought electoral bonds.
I mean come on, you tell me. What is better?
Asking questions to the government on behalf of an opposition MP or donating to a ruling party anonymously to curry backroom favors?
I'm not a lobbyist, but if I were, I'd do the electoral bonds.
Because the first option is STUPID.
good question.
Assume you are Darshan and you want to give money/favors/gifts/candy to Mahua Moitra and get something in return.
What can she offer as an MP?
- Lobby for him in the real estate and other sectors. But an opposition MP being able to influence THIS govt is kind of a funny proposition to begin with.
- File amendments, notices & questions in parliament. Again, why would Darshan want that? It will just ANNOY the government and won't help him and his biz at all.
- Siphoning MPLAD funds. But... uh... Darshan is paying HER not the other way 'round?
- Curry favors with West Bengal Govt. That can be something worth banking on. Get access to the CM's office through the MP and get favors done. But then... why wouldn't he just give electoral bonds DIRECTLY to TMC, instead of giving Mahua Moitra gifts/favors/candy/christmas-presents?
THINK a little, because the premise whole thing is freakishly ridiculous.
Assume you are Darshan and you want to give money/favors/gifts/candy to Mahua Moitra and get something in return.
What can she offer as an MP?
- Lobby for him in the real estate and other sectors. But an opposition MP being able to influence THIS govt is kind of a funny proposition to begin with.
- File amendments, notices & questions in parliament. Again, why would Darshan want that? It will just ANNOY the government and won't help him and his biz at all.
- Siphoning MPLAD funds. But... uh... Darshan is paying HER not the other way 'round?
- Curry favors with West Bengal Govt. That can be something worth banking on. Get access to the CM's office through the MP and get favors done. But then... why wouldn't he just give electoral bonds DIRECTLY to TMC, instead of giving Mahua Moitra gifts/favors/candy/christmas-presents?
THINK a little, because the premise whole thing is freakishly ridiculous.
cute.
Totally unfair to question binnessman who has binness in ports, mining, infrastructure, power, retail, airports, agriculture, media and I don't even know what else.
Some MP was asking QUESTIONS about him. i feel so sorry for him.
😭😭😭😭😭😭
Totally unfair to question binnessman who has binness in ports, mining, infrastructure, power, retail, airports, agriculture, media and I don't even know what else.
Some MP was asking QUESTIONS about him. i feel so sorry for him.
😭😭😭😭😭😭
of course, Hamas has to randomly come into every conversation now.
Because Bhakts don't indulge in anything except surface-level narrative driven religious chomugiri.
Well done you.
Because Bhakts don't indulge in anything except surface-level narrative driven religious chomugiri.
Well done you.
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