Coomi Kapoor
Coomi Kapoor has been a journalist for the last four decades. Her forte has been political reporting. She has witnessed the shifting
power equations in the capital — from Indira Gandhi’s regime to the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party. She is presently contributing editor to The Indian Express. Earlier, she worked for the newspaper as chief reporter, special correspondent and editor, Delhi. Coomi has worked in several publications in different capacities. She was principal correspondent, India Today, editor news, Sunday Mail, bureau chief, Indian Post and political editor, Illustrated Weekly. She has been writing a political diary in a lighter vein since 1985 and her syndicated column was carried by many newspapers. She was also stringer for The Times, London, and columnist for The Star, Malaysia.
Articles By Coomi Kapoor
Amit Shah has mounted an ambitious gameplan to trigger enough defections in Rajya Sabha by year-end
The BJP is focused on Uttar Pradesh since any MP who resigns will automatically be re-elected to the Upper House on a BJP ticket with the help of its large numbers in the state Assembly. Two BSP MPs and two SP MPs have been earmarked as potential targets.
With Rahul Gandhi’s resignation, there is a big question mark over who is in charge of the Congress
The president’s resignation is effective only after it is accepted by the Congress Working Committee (CWC). But no one is sure who has the authority to call a CWC meeting.
PM Modi should caution all BJP politicians who assume they have the licence to throw their weight around
Swaran Singh was Defence Minister and he banged his car into a man driving a scooter. The next day Singh sent a member of his staff to their house and asked if they would like to register a police complaint against him since he was driving the car.
Inside Track: Rahul Gandhi’s decision to quit has left Congress in limbo
The old guard is pushing three names for president — Mallikarjun Kharge, Ashok Gehlot and Sushil Kumar Shinde — since they are considered loyalists and have the requisite experience. Kharge’s performance as the party's leader in the previous Lok Sabha gives him an edge, particularly as he is from the south.
It is unlikely that Emergency will return, but eternal vigilance is the price for freedom
Authoritarianism does not necessarily come about like Indira Gandhi’s Emergency in one fell swoop. Dictatorships sometimes creep in slowly and insidiously without any official declaration. The health of a democracy is judged by several parameters.
Inside Track: Modi’s choices
Modi does not go by the traditional logic of job suitability. More than language skills and parliamentary experience, Om Birla was rewarded for outstanding social work and public service in his constituency.
Without a clear cut central authority, open warfare has broken out in some state units of Congress
There is near anarchy in Haryana with followers of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda and PCC chief Ashok Tanwar practically coming to blows.
Inside Track: Pecking order
Though Singh may be officially No. 2 in Cabinet hierarchy, few dispute that Amit Shah ranks next only to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in real terms.
Inside Track: Advani syndrome
Shah wants to be perceived as not just a wizard organisation man, but as Modi’s eventual successor. This is similar to the L K Advani syndrome, where for years Advani was the backroom boy and Atal Bihari Vajpayee the face of the BJP.
New look Cabinet: Some familiar faces in Modi Cabinet might be missing in his second innings
Incidentally, the only three Cabinet ministers on the dais when Narendra Modi was felicitated at the BJP office were Rajnath Singh, J P Nadda and Thawarchand Gehlot.
Unseeing The Wave
When it comes to elections, experts and politicians tend to wear blinkers.
Few believe that PM Modi used the term ‘Khan Market Gang’ as it would resonate more with voters than ‘Lutyens elite’
. The shopkeepers in Khan Market are, however, most upset over its sudden prominence. They fear that the civic authorities could come down heavily on them for unauthorised and unsafe renovations.
Whatever the strength of the BJP, it will be entirely due to Modi and no replacement for him is possible
In this election, Modi has completely overshadowed his party. Supporters seldom mention the BJP, they simply say they are voting for Modi.
Unlike a section of BJP, VHP doesn’t feel the need to be apologetic about Thakur’s remarks against Karkare
The VHP is focusing on three constituencies to establish the primacy of its views on Hinduism: Bhopal; Begusarai, where Kanhaiya Kumar is contesting; and Pathanamthitta in Kerala, where the Sabarimala temple is located.
Hisar: It’s family versus family versus family
The scions of these families are fighting the Lok Sabha elections from here to establish their credentials amid the intertwined histories and old vendettas of the clans.
Rohtak & Sonipat: Two seats and a high-stakes battle for Hoodas
With Khattar accuses Hooda of being an outsider, Hooda responds by saying that he is the “son-in-law” of Sonipat (his wife is from the constituency) and that the bachelor Khattar cannot appreciate such important social ties in Hindu society.
Haryana: In land of Lals, CM Khattar, BJP hope to ride Modi appeal to breast the tape
Prior to 2014, the BJP had never won more than nine seats in the 90-member Assembly. But six months after its impressive showing in the parliamentary polls, the BJP won 47 seats out of 90 in the Haryana Assembly.
Pragya Thakur was nominated in the belief that she would be the antithesis of Digvijaya Singh’s pro-minority community image
The BJP did not anticipate that Digvijaya would play the soft Hindutva card to the hilt and project himself as a defender of the Hindu faith, a title he inherited as a scion of the Raghogarh royal house.
Inside track: Plane unfair
By the time Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress woke up to the need for helicopters for the campaign, there were no aircraft for hire.
Inside Track: Sub-editor needed
Many in the BJP are convinced that L K Advani did not pen his nuanced, well-crafted blog on the eve of the BJP’s foundation day entirely on his own. The blog was a source of considerable embarrassment.
