BUSINESS
Tripura Elections: Tribal vote is the key
A new party, the Tipra Motha, which has strong support among the tribal population, could play the kingmaker in the upcoming election
BUSINESS
Government vs Governor: the face off saga
A conflict that took place between Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi and the DMK has hit the headlines. Such conflicts have a long history in the political system of independent India
BUSINESS
Nine steps to reach the 18th Lok Sabha
By declining to join or ignoring the Bharat-Jodo yatra, Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav have made one thing very clear--the chance of opposition unity in the next Lok Sabha election is almost nil
BUSINESS
BJP’s outstanding win in Gujarat overshadows the Himachal and Delhi MCD reversals
From the initial available data it is clear that BJP has got votes from almost all sections of society. The Patel votes and tribal votes, where Congress had a strong hold, have shifted heavily towards the BJP. A majority of women’s votes also have gone in favour of the BJP. Indeed, the BJP has been favoured across all castes
BUSINESS
The political implications of BJP’s Muslim outreach
The BJP’s courting of Pasmanda Muslims, if it succeeds, will not only expand its base but also enable it to shed the ‘majoritarian’ tag
BUSINESS
While BJP has an edge, AAP is a major contender for power in Gujarat
The Gujarat election will tell us how far AAP’s positioning as an alternative Hindu party with an emphasis on social welfare works
BUSINESS
Voters must be told the true cost of every political free lunch
As the mess in Sri Lanka shows, the public must understand that there can be no free lunches and the bill has to be paid at some date
BUSINESS
Close fight in Himachal Pradesh election, with AAP as the X-factor
Although Himachal has alternated between Congress and BJP governments, this time the Congress seems to be weak
BUSINESS
Political splits and symbols
When parties split and the symbol is in dispute, the Election Commission goes by the procedure as laid down in the ‘Electoral Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) order 1968’. The first case which was decided by this procedure was a dispute over the symbol of the Congress party in 1969, when the Indira Gandhi faction split from the old guard
BUSINESS
The loyalty factor in Congress elections and its history of chaos
Only a stiff fight for the post of Congress president will indicate the return of genuine inner party democracy in the party
BUSINESS
Opposition disunity and the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’
The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is an attempt by the Congress to claim leadership among the opposition
POLITICS
Ghulam Nabi Azad's exit yet another indication of the rot in Congress
The decline in the Congress has been going on for decades. There are many reasons, but dynasty culture and the lack of connect with the grassroots social forces are the main ones
POLITICS
Police vs Police: Growing confrontations between the police of different states
The confrontations point to the increasing use of the police to settle political scores
BUSINESS
Will Mamata Banerjee be able to brush off the Partha Chatterjee scandal?
From the very beginning of the TMC’s rule in the state, senior party leaders – MLAs, MPs and ministers – have been tainted in a series of scandals, such as the Narada videos, which showed party heavyweights accepting huge sums of unaccounted cash, and the Sharada chit-fund scam. Yet the TMC has won election after election under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee
POLITICS
The politics of selecting Jagdeep Dhankhar as vice-presidential candidate
There could be many reasons for the BJP choosing Dhankhar as its candidate, but what has been most interesting is the reaction of the Trinamool Congress
POLITICS
The growing trend of regional assertiveness in state politics
Appeals to regional pride are becoming common in the present Indian political scenario, to fight the BJP’s nationalist tide
POLITICS
Choosing Draupadi Murmu as its presidential candidate is a masterstroke by the BJP
Fielding Yashwant Sinha against Murmu displays the Opposition’s poverty of thought, laying it open to the charge that the only glue that binds it together is being anti-BJP
POLITICS
Maharashtra Politics: Sena Vs Senapati
It is almost certain now that the political drama in Maharashtra, which has split the Shiv Sena vertically, will not end up in the floor of the assembly but in the court of law, in the office of the election commission and on the streets
