ASSEMBLY-ELECTION
Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir Elections: Crucial test for BJP’s strength
The Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir elections, scheduled for September/October 2024, will be pivotal for the BJP. They will test the party's strength and influence, affecting future alliances, especially in Maharashtra. BJP faces challenges from the INDIA alliance and declining voter support, particularly in Haryana
LOK-SABHA-ELECTION
Lok Sabha Elections: How do we predict the exit poll numbers?
Are the exit poll numbers reliable? Can an election be called without looking at the details of each and every poll separately? Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions
LOK-SABHA-ELECTION
Lok Sabha Elections: Last phase of voting kicks off with high-stake risk for all parties
PM Narendra Modi from Varanasi, Ravi Kishan from Gorakhpur, Kangana Ranaut from Mandi and Manish Tewari from Chandigarh are some of the candidates in fray for the 7th phase of polling
LOK-SABHA-ELECTION
Lok Sabha Polls 2024: It's advantage BJP in the sixth phase of voting, Congress on the back foot
In this phase of polling, the BJP and its allies are defending 45 seats while Congress and its alliance looks to better their 2019 record. The fates of prominent leaders like Maneka Gandhi, Manohar Lal Khattar and Sambit Patra are on the line
LOK-SABHA-ELECTION
Lok Sabha Elections: What's at stake for BJP, Congress in 5th phase of polling
Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani and Piyush Goyal will battle it out from Lucknow, Amethi and Mumbai North, respectively. Rahul Gandhi, too, is in the fray from Rae Bareli. Here are details of some interesting contests in store from this phase
LOK-SABHA-ELECTION
Lok Sabha Elections: It's the battle for Deccan in the fourth phase of polling
The voting in this round of election is for 96 seats across 10 states and UTs but all eyes are on the crucial battle of the Deccan. Here's what to expect
INDIA
Lok Sabha Polls: BJP has a lot to defend in the third phase of voting
It is a crucial phase for the BJP, as it will be defending 73 of the 93 seats that it had won in 2019 while its allies would be defending eight Lok Sabha seats. Its noteworthy that the BJP had won these seats with a whopping vote share of 48%, nearly 11% higher compared to its national average vote share of 37%
LOK-SABHA-ELECTION
BJP dominates battle of narratives as 88 seats vote in phase 2 of Lok Sabha polls
In the second phase of voting, the BJP is defending its 52 Lok Sabha seats won during the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
ELECTION
Lok Sabha elections: What to watch out for in first phase of polling?
The first phase is going to witness an interesting contest between the two main alliances, the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led INDIA alliance. Who is in the poll fray and what do the past showing reflect? Read on
INDIA
Lok Sabha Polls: BJP’s Sankalp Patra - full of promises, but will it gain voters' trust?
BJP's Sankalp Patra has managed to send out a message to different sections of society; for women, young and elderly, farmers, Adivasi and the middle class, making the party’s concern for the common man very clear
LOK-SABHA-ELECTION
Lok Sabha polls: Anxieties yes, can that be enough to upset the electoral calculations of BJP?
What works for BJP, as per the survey, is the Modi factor. Even the issue of electoral bonds has hardly managed to dent the PM's image. The leadership of Modi seems to be pulling votes for the party
LOK-SABHA-ELECTION
Lok Sabha Polls: Will Kejriwal’s arrest create sympathy for AAP or dent party’s image?
Arvind Kejriwal's arrest on corruption allegations has dented AAP's image and if he is not released before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections it could cause further damage
LOK-SABHA-ELECTION
Lok Sabha Polls: BJP-led NDA looks for new partners, can it achieve the target of 400 paar?
It seems BJP’s search for new alliance partners before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is mainly to establish an absolute dominance in Indian politics
BUSINESS
Can BJP expand its support base south of the Vindhyas in 2024?
While Karnataka reaped a good bounty for BJP in 2019, BJP is this time going the extra mile to do better in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana
INDIA
Bihar: The Karpoori Thakur legacy and the BJP-JD(U) battle for the Lower OBC vote
Even when the JD(U)-RJD alliance swept the 2015 assembly polls, BJP cornered maximum lower OBC votes. Karpoori Thakur’s formulation of separate quotas for most backward groups endeared him to Lower OBCs. The JD(U)-RJD alliance is looking to wean away the Lower OBCs from BJP, while BJP aims to make further inroads into the OBC vote. The clashing imperatives make the Karpoori legacy one worth fighting for
POLITICS
Ram Mandir: How much electoral gain can BJP expect
CSDS surveys noted increasing religiosity among Hindus, correlation between this increasing religiosity and voting for BJP, and this correlation becoming progressively stronger in the 2014 and 2019. These big numbers came much before the present day euphoria around Ram Mandir, which suggests that this will be the biggest votecatcher for BJP in 2024
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Voters deliver key messages in assembly polls, but will the opposition pay heed?
The opposition is faced with key challenges like how to overcome the Modi magic and how to make voters, especially women, believe that delivery will match promises. Unemployment and price rise are real issues where people are feeling the pinch but the opposition is unable to muster the credibility to show they can do better
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Assembly Elections 2023: Does voter turnout indicate any electoral trend?
Assembly Elections 2023: Turnout figures don’t give us any indication of pro- or anti-incumbency. Nor does turnout reveal anything about extreme social polarisation at the constituency level. It is just an indicator of whether voters showed interest in the election
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Assembly Elections 2023: Can smaller parties upset BJP, Congress calculations in Hindi heartland?
Assembly Elections 2023: Both SP and BSP in Madhya Pradesh in 2018 and BSP in Chhattisgarh in 2008 and 2013 played what can be said to have been crucial roles in the final seat tally in elections that were closely fought
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Assembly Elections 2023: Will BJP decision to not project CM faces help or hurt?
Assembly Elections 2023: Past surveys and vote share data from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh indicate that a CM face has helped BJP only when the leader’s personal popularity is of a higher order than the party’s vote share. A pre-poll survey of the current elections suggest Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Raman Singh and Vasundhara Raje are trailing their party in popularity, suggesting they aren’t net votecatchers any more
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Assembly Elections 2023: Why the battle in MP and Rajasthan looks close, but not in Chhattisgarh
Assembly Elections 2023: In MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the sitting chief ministers are seen as steady hands. But Shivraj Singh Chouhan faces the burden of a long anti-incumbency and Ashok Gehlot’s fate lies somewhere between the Rajasthan trend of alternating governments and BJP’s disjointed campaigning, while Bhupesh Baghel benefits from a leaderless opposition
INDIA
Bihar Caste Census: Can social justice be the big issue of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?
The Opposition attempt to foreground “continuing” injustice to OBCs has potency. While the failure to satisfy OBC aspirations can be traced back to all political parties, BJP’s superior messaging could negate the opposition onslaught by selling its own efforts like greater OBC representation in BJP since 2014 and especially for lower OBC groups that feel dominant OBCs cornered the benefits of Mandal 1.0
BUSINESS
Women’s Reservation Bill: Why almost every party is supporting the government’s legislation despite misgivings
BJP is poised to benefit in 2024 for bringing the law and also in 2029 when it is implemented. Opposition parties, even while supporting the bill, have raised the quota within quota for OBCs. Those who opposed the 2010 version are now supporting women’s reservation because they recognise that rising women voter turnout and the discourse on gender parity cannot be reversed
BUSINESS
PM Modi’s exclusive interview to Moneycontrol: What message does it carry?
PM Modi has addressed a diverse audience effortlessly while foregrounding the big strides India has taken under his leadership and the painstaking efforts during India’s G20 Presidency to make a positive difference for people all over the world. With elections on the anvil, his answers also added up to perfect political messaging
