Vandita Mishra
Vandita is The Indian Express National Opinion Editor
Articles By Vandita Mishra
Rajasthan: In election time, where MeToo sits uneasy with Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao
The sense of little changing, despite the change, and of political leaders and their election campaigns bypassing the woman in Rajasthan is irrefutable, most of all, in the home of Bhanwari Devi.
Hurt by Congress silence, Muslims say choice between kuan, khai
In Mohalla Chopdaran, in the heart of the tiny town of Jhunjhunu, a group of young Muslim men talk of an increase in “bhed bhaav (discrimination)” and intolerance.
Rajasthan Assembly elections: Where Congress sets no poll agenda, counts on disenchantment with Vasundhara
If the Congress seems to be the missing middle of the Opposition on bijli-sadak-paani, it is even more elusive and evasive on another set of issues.
Rajasthan elections: Winds blowing against Vasundhara Raje govt — but Modi manages to rise above
On the ground, RSS workers also grumble about “Madam”. They accuse her administration of being non-responsive to their agitations — against the demolition and relocation of temples because of Metro work in Jaipur, or against “love jihad” in districts across the state.
Opposition still licks wounds, BJP has cracks within
The New Lucknow, Part 4: In the eight months of the Yogi government, SP is tongue-tied, the whir of BSP's formidable party machine, which prepares for polls so meticulously, is barely noticeable among the people, on issues of governance.
Aadhaar to NCERT: Madrasas and the new normal
The New Lucknow, Part 3: For long, cover of secularism was used as an excuse for neglecting madrasas, now govt harsh light casts a shadow
How cow crackdown in Uttar Pradesh feeds old fears and fuels new anger
The New Lucknow, Part 2: As Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath hits the road for civic polls, The Indian Express travels across the state to track the change he’s brought.
Yogi Adityanath govt’s carrots are few, it’s the stick that’s seen and heard
The New Lucknow, Part 1: Eight months on, in the mirror of the ongoing campaign for urban local body polls beginning this week, the delivering state is yet to be seen but it’s the disallowing state that’s making itself heard in UP.
The father, the son and the ally
It’s not about corruption, contradictions, or the Centre. Lalu bastion Raghopur’s sense of betrayal regarding Nitish comes from that fleeting promise of development.
Nitish back in NDA: In embrace this time, BJP has the upper hand
By breaking with Lalu, and joining hands with BJP again, Nitish could be trying to break the stasis, regain room for manoeuvre in his government - Modi is the domineering presence in the BJP today but the state BJP continues to lack a leader of Lalu’s stature — while counting on Central assistance to help get things moving in Bihar again.
Why results in Uttar Pradesh signals new politics, and a new voter
UP is seen as — and it sees itself as — India’s heartland. All the main faultlines of India’s politics, along the axes of caste, class and community, are etched here.
Akhilesh Yadav interview – ‘If jaat-dharam wins, we’ll have to ask: why build expressway?’
UP chief minister and SP chief on the CM vs PM clash, alliance with Congress and the power of political messaging. Excerpts from a conversation on the last day of campaigning.
Uttar Pradesh Elections 2017: On noteban, voters swayed more by spin than argument, says Akhilesh Yadav
The BJP would have been “wiped out” in UP had Prime Minister Narendra Modi not campaigned, Akhilesh says.
UP elections 2017: In Varanasi, Congress has straws to clutch but is adrift elsewhere
The Varanasi Congress may appear to be clutching at straws, but by all accounts, it is better placed than its party in most places in UP.
Cashing his notebandi currency, UP’s wish for badlav, Modi lifts himself above the fray
UP elections 2017: Modi’s BJP is also capturing the yearning for “badlav” and “parivartan” (change) — in this, it is helped by its decision not to project a frayed or closer-to-home CM candidate.
UP Assembly polls 2017: For Mayawati, getting Muslims is the answer but they ask questions
Mayawati, at her rally in Gorakhpur on Sunday, reiterated her main message of a strong and firm administration.
Anti-incumbency in Punjab: Akali roads fail to bridge the distance
What bothers the voter in spite of new infrastructure, from local power networks in villages to growth priorities in towns and cities.
How the Punjab contest has gone triangular
NRI enthusiasm, candidate freshness and what else AAP introduces to an election traditionally fought between Cong and SAD-BJP.
The father, the son and a spirit
Netaji may be old now, it is also said, but he hasn’t forgotten the names of people, or the way to their village — that is how he built the party, brick by brick.
Lucknow shift: Why father will remain Netaji but son is the neta
As the political family drama in the SP turns and twists every day, distance between two houses is being measured every day and party leaders are calibrating their positions accordingly.
