The writer is Contributing Editor, The Indian Express
March 05, 2025 20:31 IST
It is not surprising that with elections a year away in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and given Karnataka’s importance to the BJP, Shashi Tharoor, D K Shivakumar, and M K Stalin have attracted media attention. Is there, then, a common thread binding them?
Fri, Mar 07, 2025February 24, 2025 21:14 IST
The module that Gupta has to navigate is different from what Kejriwal or Atishi had to work with. It’s the PMO – and not the LG office – which will have a lot to do with Delhi’s governance now.
Tue, Feb 25, 2025February 18, 2025 07:30 IST
The belief that the Congress and its regional allies can gain or lose only at each others’ expense is only a half-truth and underlines their failure to tap into the BJP’s base.
Tue, Feb 18, 2025February 14, 2025 07:03 IST
It is losing steam because it does not have the will to stay the course 24x7x365
Fri, Feb 14, 2025February 09, 2025 07:15 IST
Voters have become that much more transactional and pragmatic, aspirational and demanding. Delhi holds out lessons which other states can ill afford to ignore.
Sun, Feb 09, 2025February 05, 2025 07:23 IST
Delhi, understandably, is a make-or-break battle for Arvind Kejriwal and AAP. But why are the stakes so high for the BJP, which is coming off the backs of wins in Haryana and Maharashtra?
Wed, Feb 05, 2025January 27, 2025 19:41 IST
Moulded by the middle-class-driven anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal made a successful transition to politics with the support of the poor. Before Delhi votes on February 5, he is assiduously reaching out to the middle class.
Tue, Jan 28, 2025January 21, 2025 08:00 IST
For many in the BJP, Arvind Kejriwal could be the “biggest threat” to the party in the future. He is politically savvy, reads the popular mood, uses the same idiom as the BJP, and focuses on welfarism.
Sat, Jan 25, 2025January 14, 2025 14:36 IST
Statehood must be restored in J&K “soonest”, because unless it becomes a fully empowered state, it will “not have the complete powers of democracy”, says Congress veteran, weeks short of 94
Wed, Jan 15, 2025January 06, 2025 18:54 IST
Developments from the year gone by point to major trends that may influence the political trajectory this year.
Tue, Jan 07, 2025December 26, 2024 22:40 IST
During our conversation last year, it was clear that what worried him the most was the enormous “bitterness” that had crept in the relations between the ruling side and the Opposition, which he felt was “not good” for democracy.
Fri, Dec 27, 2024December 24, 2024 07:18 IST
Parliament fracas and what followed reflects the realisation by political parties of the speed with which Dalit youth can galvanise now.
Tue, Dec 24, 2024December 16, 2024 21:26 IST
A decision on who should lead the Opposition alliance does not mean the projection of a PM face. For now, the Congress has to do the unglamorous, painstaking work of rebuilding its organisation.
Tue, Dec 17, 2024December 09, 2024 07:04 IST
Gone are the days when swearing-in ceremonies were staid affairs. With the business, movie, and political elite in attendance, the oath-taking event of the new Maharashtra government went beyond just pomp and show.
Mon, Dec 09, 2024December 02, 2024 17:08 IST
BJP is yet to stake claim, nor has Governor invited it; CM face yet to be announced, and Eknath Shinde is sending mixed signals. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar can’t be more clear. What gives the confusion post Maharashtra landslide?
Tue, Dec 03, 2024November 24, 2024 08:35 IST
Shinde and Ajit Pawar emerge as the “asli (real)” Sena and NCP; will the 84-year-old Sharad Pawar exercise the option of merging his party in the Congress, a possibility he spoke about during the Lok Sabha elections?
Sun, Nov 24, 2024November 19, 2024 15:53 IST
Some estimates suggest there could be at least as many prominent political families in Maharashtra, which votes on Wednesday, as there are districts in the state. What does that mean for our democratic system?
Wed, Nov 20, 2024November 12, 2024 18:00 IST
Maratha quota activist says his decision to withdraw candidates came after he felt the alliance between the Marathas, Dalits and Muslims would break and him contesting will not benefit society
Wed, Nov 13, 2024November 11, 2024 20:45 IST
While there could be a Maratha consolidation behind the MVA, the Mahayuti is banking on women's votes to act as a countervailing force.
Tue, Nov 12, 2024November 05, 2024 07:49 IST
Shifting individual loyalties apart, even parties like that of Uddhav Thackeray are slowly transforming. Should that be read as a growing acceptance of a centrist, middle-of-the-road approach?
Tue, Nov 05, 2024October 28, 2024 07:20 IST
If she wins Wayanad, as is likely, how does she navigate this tricky terrain? With all three Gandhis in Parliament, what message does it send to the party?
Mon, Oct 28, 2024October 21, 2024 16:57 IST
The Haryana results have put a new spring in the BJP step and confidence that it can win a losing fight. But no one rules out Pawar Senior’s capability to combine sympathy with realpolitik to pull off a surprise.
Tue, Oct 22, 2024October 14, 2024 16:23 IST
Moments come in the life of a nation (or an erstwhile state, in this case) when a window of opportunity suddenly opens up for forward movement on intractable issues. Can this be one?
Tue, Oct 15, 2024October 09, 2024 07:42 IST
The results need a deeper study to understand the message that voters have tried to give: that those on the margins now want their place in the power structure and that the Congress has no option but to become an umbrella party again.
Wed, Oct 09, 2024October 07, 2024 07:33 IST
While Jat anger helped create a pro-Congress sentiment, non-Jat consolidation that propelled the BJP to power in 2014 and 2019 was not as compelling this time.
Tue, Oct 08, 2024