Bharat Bhushan

Is the AAP imploding? Swati Maliwal episode points to the fractures within

Several AAP leaders are uncertain about their next political step, and some have already quit. More may desert the party either before the polling in Delhi and Punjab or after June 4

An election opens up: Kejriwal's bail and other straws in the wind

The India VIX (volatility index) has jumped nearly 80% from a low in April. Volatility in the markets may also be indicating an uncertainty about election outcomes

Hunt for grand victories and impact on democratic culture

In the Indian system, margins of win are irrelevant. Searching for an ever-higher margin of victory is, therefore, pure hubris

Can the Congress build on the BJP's fascination with its manifesto?

The Opposition, especially the Congress, will have to go much beyond press conferences and urban election meetings by taking these issues to voters in the rural hinterland

An election snapshot: No wave, voter apathy and a dead candidate

The BJP's Moradabad candidate is now no more. Even if the dead candidate wins in Moradabad, the BJP will be one seat less in UP till the re-election

Food, community and elections

Like all good businessmen who think anything below the previous financial year's profits a 'loss', the BJP too wants each election to bring in higher returns

The BJP and the political turncoats

The BJP's assimilation of turncoats from other parties essentially contributes to its expansion not only numerically and geographically but also by enlarging the party's social base

Should I-T babus or voters decide the fate of the Congress?

It can be nobody's case that I-T Department must not do its job. However, blindly following bureaucratic rules cannot be allowed to tamper with democratic processes on the eve of the general election

An uncommon man behind bars: Fallout of Arvind Kejriwal's arrest

The arrest and the trial of Kejriwal will have a profound impact on his governments in Delhi and Punjab as well as on the party itself

Elections 2024: Electoral bonds may not be Opposition's core campaign issue

Without establishing quid pro quo and given their own handicaps, it is unlikely the Opposition parties can present an effective narrative about 'corruption' involving electoral bonds to the voters

Will unemployment be an issue for young voters?

Youth unemployment is set to be a major issue in the Congress' campaign for the general election, but a lot will also depend on how effectively the party can take its campaign to the young

The North-South divide: The 'fiscal injustice' rhetoric is biased

It should not be forgotten that in the 1950s and 1960s, the North Indian states subsidised Southern and Western India as part of the cooperative model of nation-building

Reorienting policy towards West Asia, chasing the Hindu vote at home

India's alignment with the US-Israel axis, especially after October 7, has been difficult for the Arab world to swallow. Hence, the pressure felt by India to modify its international stance

Bangladesh: A pyrrhic victory for Sheikh Hasina's Awami League

Awami League's victory, ensuring a fourth consecutive term for PM Sheikh Hasina, was expected. The one-sided victory is unlikely, however, to end the political deadlock or restore democracy credibly

BJP unable to leverage Sandeshkhali protests

Anti-incumbency against TMC and Mamata Banerjee cannot be discounted. In the end, it all depends on whether she is able to address the deeper structural problems in her party

How the government lost the script on MSP to farmers

An agitation, perhaps scripted to end in a compromise, is unexpectedly rewriting itself

Choking election funds for the Congress

While the Congress party has been allowed to operate its account, the ITAT has put a lien of Rs 115 crore on its accounts. It has been allowed to spend only from the remainder

Imran Wins. Army defeated. Instability ahead in Pakistan

The general election in Pakistan is a watershed moment in its patchy democratic history. Never before have the Pakistani people defied the Army so openly by voting against the parties it supported

Speed dating by Nitish and why the BJP embraced him

It is quite likely that Kumar expects to benefit as member of the NDA from the religious fervour built by the inauguration of the Ram temple, Centre's welfare schemes and PM's larger-than-life persona

Red Sea impact: Who would a price rise hurt the most?

The Indian economy will not remain untouched by the effect of Houthi attacks. Indian exports and imports will be adversely affected if the Red Sea route cannot be used