Venkatesh Kannaiah
Venkatesh Kannaiah is indianexpress.com's consulting editor for South India
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Explained: A primer on Dalit politics in Tamil Nadu
Mainstream parties in the state are wary of an independent Dalit political identity, and would prefer to subsume them using a mixture of co-option, corruption and at times coercion.
Thu, Apr 08, 2021
Left parties see a steady decline in Tamil Nadu’s electoral politics
While the 2016 Assembly polls saw them draw a blank, and 2021 is when they are contesting the lowest number of seats for the state assembly, it shows a sure and steady decline of their influence and relevance in electoral politics in the state.
Mon, Mar 22, 2021
Election history: BJP and the struggle to be more than the 2% party in Tamil Nadu
Whenever BJP contests alone in the assembly polls, it never seems to overcome this simple hurdle and mostly end up with 2 to 3 per cent of the popular vote.
Thu, Mar 11, 2021
Election history: How the Congress became irrelevant in Tamil Nadu and now survives at mercy of Dravidian allies
From being a deciding factor in state elections, Congress has now become a shadow of its former self, waiting for crumbs at the table of Dravidian parties.
Tue, Mar 09, 2021
Covid-19 and tech solutions: Why some cities coped better during the pandemic
The ongoing pandemic is one such contingency–with social distancing, remote working, large-scale migration – that tested governance and outdated disaster preparedness systems in cities.
Tue, Oct 06, 2020
Covid-19 and city finances: Time to come clean on accounts and go for reforms
To begin with, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in association with a Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation, has launched a new portal to encourage urban local bodies to publish their audited accounts.
Fri, Jul 10, 2020
A tale of two states: As hopes fade for Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh scores a self-goal
It was said that Telangana was a rich state with poor people and Andhra was a poor state with rich people. However, it is Andhra Pradesh which now looks and sounds like a failing state, unable to choose a capital or stick with a capital that has already been chosen.
Mon, Jan 27, 2020
How with the Periyar controversy, Rajinikanth has won the first round
Rajini’s fans are overjoyed that their star is finally taking a stand and is sticking his neck out, rather than buckling under pressure.
Sat, Jan 25, 2020
Rajnikanth, on the edge of politics for over two decades
Rajinikanth does not have it easy. He is a poor communicator offscreen, speaks in a rushed manner and is often struggling for words, particularly in Tamil, in a state where public speaking and oratory is considered a fine art in itself.
Wed, Nov 27, 2019
Why Tamil Nadu’s cutout culture will be hard to cut away from
In this age of information overload, it is apt to recall that the 23-year-old died when a truck ran over her on a busy Chennai road after she fell off her scooter as a cutout fell on her.
Sat, Sep 14, 2019
Yeddyurappa: The man who never takes it easy
Not the one to miss any opportunity, Yeddyurappa sensed a possibility of returning to power amid contradictions that was building up within the Congress-Janata Dal(Secular) alliance after its loss in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.
Fri, Jul 26, 2019
He might have come full circle, but Vaiko is not done yet
Vaiko is a demagogue and an expert at rousing the masses. A tireless politician and propagandist, people easily forget that he is around 75 years of age.
Wed, Jul 10, 2019
BJP sweeps Karnataka; puts Kumaraswamy govt in trouble
It has won with huge margins across the state, with Union Minister Ananthkumar Hegde winning with a margin of more than four lakh votes.
Thu, May 23, 2019
Bangalore’s love for BJP is reflected in Tejaswi Surya’s lead
In Bangalore South, Tejaswi Surya, the 28-year old lawyer who was selected as the party candidate for the constituency despite opposition from various party quarters, was leading with a majority of more than 3.2 lakh votes.
Thu, May 23, 2019
Jagan sweeps Andhra Pradesh; leaves Naidu clueless
As results are flowing in, YSR Congress is leading in 24 of the 25 parliament seats and in the assembly Jagan is leading in 150 of the 175 seats.
Thu, May 23, 2019
DMK sweeps Tamil Nadu, stops BJP in its tracks
The DMK led alliance which included the Congress, CPI, CPI (M), Viduthalai Chiruthaikal (VCK) and a host of smaller parties have swept the state, and is of now leading in 36 of the 39 seats. In many of the seats they have crossed leads of more than one lakh votes.
Thu, May 23, 2019
Cong-JD (S) coalition govt shaky as BJP sweeps Karnataka
Senior Congress leaders who are trailing badly or on the verge of losing are Mallikarjun Kharge, Veerappa Moily and Muniyappa. The veteran of many a battle, former prime minister Deve Gowda was trailing and this could shake up the Congress- JD (s) coalition no end.
Thu, May 23, 2019
No, the ‘overpaid’ IT worker might not be the cause of Bangalore’s low voter turnout
In the 2018 Assembly elections, Congress led the polls in the city with 14 seats and the BJP scored 11. So the voter is also aware and has been changing his preferences quite often.
Fri, Apr 19, 2019
How and why cash polls the votes in Tamil Nadu elections
In Tamil Nadu, there is no palpable public anger at the amounts being seized. It has come to such a pass that voters are getting angry if money is not distributed.
Wed, Apr 17, 2019
Why Tamil Nadu no longer seems a walkover for DMK-Congress combine
Tamil Nadu elections have become cash-centric over the years, and whichever party has a well-oiled capability to deliver the resources on the ground, has an edge.
Wed, Apr 17, 2019
In Andhra Pradesh, was it a grievance vote or gratitude vote? Wait for May 23
The grievance vote is the anti-incumbency vote where the voter wants to throw out the incumbent government and the gratitude vote where the voter wants to show his gratitude for some benefit that he has received. Which vote was it in Andhra Pradesh?
Sat, Apr 13, 2019
Andhra Pradesh elections: Campaigning gets personal and vicious
Facing the combined might of YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, K Chandrasekhar Rao and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said at a rally he could be arrested anytime.
Tue, Apr 09, 2019Lok Sabha Elections 2019: In Naidu versus Jagan, it is organisation vs chemistry
Naidu is relentless in his ability to build alliances while Jagan prefers to go it alone.
Sat, Apr 06, 2019
Telangana polls: Opposition fighting for breathing space
The 2018 assembly election has changed the electoral landscape of Telangana. There was a KCR wave and there are no signs that it is receding. The challenge for the opposition is to regain some face, and show that it still can put up a spirited fight.
Thu, Apr 04, 2019
Elections 2019: How will Bengaluru vote?
In 2014, all the three city constituencies; Bangalore South, Bangalore Central and Bangalore North went the BJP way with margins of more than one lakh votes.
Tue, Apr 02, 2019