Columnists

Suhas Palshikar

The writer taught political science at Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, and is chief editor of 'Studies in Indian Politics'.

Delhi Assembly elections 2020: How the capital voted — and why

Thu, Feb 13, 2020

Takeaways from AAP victory: Governance matters most in state polls, having a popular face is crucial, emotive issues take backseat to govt performance

By ignoring ideological questions, AAP remains within BJP’s framework

Wed, Feb 12, 2020

AAP's win in Delhi elections provides relief, hope. But the romance with the Delhi outcome must halt.

CAA protests have inspired a new vocabulary of citizenship, but the Republic needs much more

Sat, Jan 25, 2020

An agitation that began in response to an assault on the constitutional idea of citizenship has opened the doors for redefining the idea in a manner that would have made the Republic’s founding fathers proud of today’s protesters.

Explained: How Jharkhand Assembly elections result fits into a pattern

Thu, Dec 26, 2019

In keeping with recent trends across the country, this Assembly poll saw a focus on local issues and a limited influence of the central leaders of parties, particularly the BJP.

Despite losing assembly elections, BJP has been successful in setting the agenda

Tue, Dec 24, 2019

BJP loses another state, but continues to make its opponents become more like BJP to fight it

Response to politics and policy: Kejriwal remains popular among Delhi voters, survey shows

Sat, Dec 14, 2019

Kejriwal remains popular among Delhi voters, most of whom appear satisfied with his govt’s performance in the last five years, a Lokniti-CSDS survey shows.

Scars of CAB protests will further burn bridges between northeast and rest of India

Sat, Dec 14, 2019

Politics after CAB: On the one hand, are principles emptied of meaning. On the other, a clear-headed majoritarian project.

In Maharashtra, failure of politics is coupled with institutional abdication and rigging

Tue, Nov 26, 2019

When the fig leaf of decency is gone, the minimal requirements of rule of law can be thrown out of the window as useless appendages to the elixir of power. This is what Maharashtra is witnessing.

Ayodhya verdict opens door for claims based on community identity, construction of faith

Mon, Nov 11, 2019

Even as it is possible to criticise the Court’s ruling, what social and political spaces exist to critique, dispute and contest the political narrative in which the Ayodhya agitation originated?

Haryana, Maharashtra results show Modi model may be reaching its plateau

Sat, Oct 26, 2019

We may be looking at voter fatigue with the Modi model amid continued voter endorsement of Modi.

In Maharashtra, BJP works on constructing all-India politics while also appropriating the regional space

Fri, Oct 18, 2019

In Maharashtra, the party works on constructing all-India politics while also appropriating the regional space

The PM’s ideas remain short on promise, high on word play

Fri, Aug 16, 2019

On Independence Day, we heard the aspiring statesman, the man of ideas, the debater, the polemicist, the ruthless executive.

Sonia Gandhi as interim Congress chief represents desperation at best and abdication of politics at worst

Tue, Aug 13, 2019

Sonia Gandhi’s return as party president is likely to impede the real task of party-building that the Congress has been postponing since the 1980s. Rajiv Gandhi reminded the party of this when it was celebrating its centenary. Sonia could not do it when she took over in the late Nineties.

We have lamented political events in Karnataka. We must also note their significance

Wed, Jul 31, 2019

The current processes of in-flow and out-flow underline the weakness of the way parties are organised. Parties do talk about membership drives, but they often obfuscate intra-party democracy and intra-party competition.

One more quota

Wed, Jul 10, 2019

We are moving away from the constitutional logic behind enabling clauses such as Articles 15 and 16.

People’s demand for a strong leader feeds into the BJP’s majoritarian politics perfectly

Wed, Jun 26, 2019

Over the past decade-and-a-half, the idea that claims made by the majority are a natural corollary of democracy has settled itself quite comfortably in India’s collective imagination of democracy

Dear Yogendra, I disagree

Wed, May 22, 2019

Why the Congress is necessary.

Modi has brought into practice a style of one-way communication: Giving out messages

Tue, May 21, 2019

Modi probably believes that he doesn’t need the media because his power derives from the people. He forgets that without the prolonged love affair that the media had with him, his image could not have been built in the way it was between 2013 and 2018.

A debate has two sides

Thu, Apr 11, 2019

BJP shows it will weave nationalism, security with religious identity. So far, Opposition has no response.

Book review: History, process and pious hope

Sat, Apr 06, 2019

A former chief election commissioner does not apportion blame, but focuses on pivotal poll issues

Opinion & Edits