Road names

In our country a lot of significance is attached to names, the location of a premises and its effects on the person or the institution. The conspiracy theorists working overtime in India's political circles state that this cultural belief is clearly evident in the fortunes of two of the most important political parties in the country, namely the Congress and the BJP.
These political parties are headquarters at two important roads in the national capital, with both these roads named after a great ruler from a different era in the nation's history. The Congress, which heads the ruling coalition, has its headquarters at Akbar Road, named after the greatest Muslim ruler of the medieval era. The political pundits are quick to point out that in national
politics the Congress seems to have evolved and established itself as an inheritor of the secular credentials as a political outfit. Much like Akbar was termed after he introduced the Din-e-elahi faith and conducted an exhaustive discussion on matters of faith with other religions. This despite the fact that both Congress and Akbar were, at some point of time during their rule,
blamed for excesses against minority communities.
These political theorists are also quick to add that the main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has its headquarters at Ashoka Road. The name of the road being derived from the one of the greatest Hindu rulers that the country has seen (Ashoka only became Buddhist after gaining control and establishing his kingdom).
The party's Hindu nationalist outlook on things is being blamed on this association. The name's association is also being seen as one which has affected the party's fortunes as it has been able to squander its superior position it had till a few years ago and becoming a weak party without a
proper planning for future.

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