ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Congress high command’s Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan moves suggest the mojo is back
Mallikarjun Kharge has managed to strike back for the Congress high command against the party’s satraps in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Bhupesh Baghel has been forced to accept a Deputy CM, TS Singh Deo has yielded on his claim to CMship, Sachin Pilot is smoking the peace pipe, and Ashok Gehlot was told clearly that collective leadership is the way forward
BUSINESS
BJP Ally-Hunt Explained: Ajit Pawar turns NDA’s 5% point deficit in Maharashtra to a 10% point advantage
An analysis based on 2019 Lok Sabha poll data suggests that NDA possessed only a 42.5% vote share against 47.9% for MVA before the NCP split. Now with Ajit Pawar’s entry, tables have turned and NDA is at a 50.4% notional vote share and MVA has slipped to 40%
BUSINESS
Is NPS the best retirement planning tool?
NPS can be a viable investment option for retirement planning, considering the tax benefits and asset mix. However, investors need to evaluate the tax implications and future returns, especially regarding annuity investment and withdrawal policies
LOK-SABHA-ELECTIONS
Road to 2024: Can these five focus areas delineated by PM Modi take BJP to victory?
PM Modi has set up a five-pillar strategy for BJP to focus its messaging. The emphasis is on tapping votes of five different and overlapping constituencies. While some elements of the strategy could become clearer in the months ahead, the push for the Uniform Civil Code has already begun
POLITICS
Road To 2024: In 375 head-to-head contests against BJP, what is the Opposition strategy?
Lok Sabha polls have four possible permutations in 543 seats: BJP vs INC, BJP vs Regional Parties, INC vs Regional Parties, and Regional Parties vs Regional Parties. Opposition’s hope that unity will help it in the 375 head-to-head contests against BJP cannot ignore the party’s powerful nationalism narrative. Opposition needs a common minimum programme (CMP), not just one-seat one-candidate
BUSINESS
Opposition Unity: In a national election, it should be regional parties making more sacrifices, not the Congress
To project itself as a national player and counter BJP more effectively, Congress needs more space in big states like UP, Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra and TN. Regional parties are unlikely to be generous in any of these states. A situation where Congress underplays its national heft to make more space for regional parties doesn’t help its or the opposition’s cause in a national election
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
To be or not to be? – Sachin Pilot’s Hamletian dilemma in Rajasthan
Four options lie before Sachin Pilot: float a regional party and be his own boss, remain in Congress and wait for Ashok Gehlot to fade away in Rajasthan or focus on national politics, join Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party or cross over to the BJP. None of the options are particularly attractive
POLITICS
Road To 2024: Congress victory in Karnataka complicates opposition unity efforts
Congress gaining at the cost of regional parties is a very likely prospect in 2024. Opposition parties hoping to reduce Congress to a regional player like the rest of them could turn insecure at the prospect of Congress gaining at their expense. That certainly does not bode well for opposition unity efforts
BUSINESS
Road To 2024: Modi magic intact, Rahul’s ratings improve, economic concerns
If Karnataka and recent state polls hinted at elections turning bipolar, a new survey shows this could happen in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls too. Parties hoping to prop up a third front should watch out: Resilient support for PM Modi and uptick in Rahul Gandhi’s ratings may be foreshadowing BJP, Congress performances
BUSINESS
The new Parliament building could significantly alter the political landscape of India
The new Parliament building can seat 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 300 in the Rajya Sabha chamber. So is a fresh delimitation exercise in the works? With this, as many as eleven states may improve their heft in Parliament while nine others could slide a bit
BUSINESS
Independent Politicians: Heroes in local body elections but zeroes in general elections
The share of elected Independents in total seats falls progressively as we move upwards from the lowest tier of local body polls to mayoral posts to even higher tier general elections (assembly and Lok Sabha polls). In the recent UP municipal polls, smaller the constituency size more Independents could win, including as heads of smaller local bodies
ASSEMBLY-ELECTION
Eleven lessons for BJP from Karnataka elections for the grand finale in 2024
The Karnataka defeat hands BJP a wake-up call before the general elections next year. While BJP is ahead of other parties thanks to the weakening of Congress in many states and the latter receding as a national presence, Karnataka shows there are chinks that could come back to hurt BJP, even in a national election
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Karnataka verdict is yet another indication that 'third fronts' are being squeezed out of state politics
The marginalisation of Karnataka’s third force JD(S) is indicative of increasing bipolarity in state politics. In most states, vote shares of the party that finished third show them trailing the winner and runner-up by a huge margin
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Karnataka Elections: History repeats, Bommai gets knockout punch from Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar jodi
The much awaited Karnataka elections results are out. History repeats itself in the state, with the trend maintained of no Chief Minister being re-elected to power since 1985
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: Exit polls add to the confusion with huge disparities, contradictory conclusions
Karnataka Elections 2023: The exit polls show Congress ahead, but track record and the split nature of predictions from various pollsters keep up the suspense. The lower end and higher end of projections show wild divergence: BJP from a low of 62 to a high of 117, Congress from 86 to 140 and JD(S) from 12 to 33
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Karnataka Elections: Can the Modi factor pull it off for the BJP?
In the last leg of the election, PM Modi is BJP’s best bet to woo voters to retain power in the party's Gateway to the South. If he can do it, he will also have rewritten a historical trend of Karnataka booting out incumbents since 1985, which would be quite an achievement in itself
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: Can its hardfought foray into JD(S)’s Vokkaliga base backfire for BJP?
Karnataka Elections 2023: Both BJP and Congress are aiming to grab JD(S)’s Vokkaliga base. For Congress, DK Shivakumar’s chief ministerial ambitions is its only card but BJP has attempted inroads into the community at multiple levels. But who will the dent in JD(S)’s Vokkaliga votes help?
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Learnings from 2008-09, 2013-14 and 2018-19 election cycles: Karnataka matters not for 2023 state or 2024 Lok Sabha polls
Karnataka Elections 2023: Since national polls are next year, there is intense debate on Karnataka’s impact on the 2024 grand finale. It will disappoint those creating a hype to know that 2008, 2013 and 2018 Karnataka results had no bearing on elections that followed
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: It is a case of six regional elections rolled into one
To win Karnataka, Congress and BJP have to chalk out strategies for each of the six regions of the state. Sweeping all six regions concurrently is difficult because of unique complexities and characteristics. In 2018, when BJP was single largest party, two of the regions leaned towards Congress and one towards JD(S)
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: The BJP’s four big weaknesses in its jinxed march to the not-so-simple majority mark of 113
Karnataka Elections 2023: Unlike every other state where BJP quickly moves into a dominant position, in Karnataka it has continued to struggle to reach the simple majority mark on its own despite being in government for over 10 years and becoming the single largest party thrice
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: For the JD(S) and Gowda family, political relevance hinges on a hung assembly
Karnataka Elections 2023: In case of another hung assembly, HD Kumaraswamy could become third time lucky and bargain hard with BJP and Congress to get the CM chair. But if not, the family and party must endure another long wait for a shot at the executive office
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: Keys to Vidhana Soudha are with the numerous, but smaller, non-Lingayat-Vokkaliga-Kuruba OBC groups
Karnataka Elections 2023: The numerically significant but socially weaker OBC voters belonging to dozens of smaller groups have been switching sides over the years and acting as kingmakers though it is the two dominant groups Lingayats and Vokkaligas who manage to corner most of the tickets and ministerial berths
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: Five reasons why the state has been every incumbent CM’s Waterloo since 1985
Karnataka Elections 2023: CM Bommai is up against a strong historical trend as an incumbent government has never got re-elected since 1985. Congress, meanwhile, hopes to squeeze through without having to depend upon the JD(S) to form the government. But what’s the voter thinking?
BUSINESS
Cracking Rent vs Buy, the classic personal finance dilemma
Property prices are fairly high in India. It perhaps comes as no surprise then that buying versus renting is among the top 5 searches on Google related to financial planning. So, should you rent or buy? We crunch data to help you decide.
