Has the BJP finally learnt its lessons

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If I am to reply in one word on my title, the answer will be a flat 'NO'. Also at the very outset it is pertinent to state that for a democracy to function effectively, a strong opposition is critical. I have been covering the BJP for nearly three years now and I must admit that there isn't a better party for a political reporter to be covering than this offshoot of the Jan Sangh. News is always in plenty but may I add not always for the right reasons. Its intriguing that like any other party the BJP too has its share of problems but it's the strange knack of all the wrong stuff making news headlines which separates the BJP from the rest. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections the BJP failed to topple the UPA and what made matters worse was the fact that....

When the hand plucked the lotus

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The people of India have spoken, the elections are over and the fifteenth Lok Sabha is in place. Though much was spoken and written about a hung parliament, the mandate for the Congress-led UPA is as clear as a whistle. Many questions need to be addressed, why did the Congress do this well? And what led to the debacle of the BJP? For a political reporter much of what has happened in the elections wasn't surprising. The BJP never learnt from the outcome of the Delhi and Rajasthan election results and carried on with a campaign which was focused against the Congress than for the BJP. Negativity writ large in the saffron brigades posters, advertisements and speeches. For every issue the BJP lashed out at the prime minister and tried to project L K Advani as a viable alternative. The theme of the BJP's campaign was 'Mazboot Neta, Nirnayak....

Welcome to the political slugfest

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If there is one word to describe the impending elections to the 15th Lok Sabha, it has to be 'Unpredictable'. As a political reporter these are exciting times, times when we witness the political flower bloom to its full potential. It was not too long ago when the Indian electorate had proven that it takes much more than glittering words like 'India Shining' to earn their vote. It was a wake up call for all political parties who just spoke and did little to substantiate their claims. Narendra Modi might have certain leanings but to me they have never come in the way of his development model, he has shown that development can happen without a political angle. It's the people of Gujarat who reposed their faith in a leader who was getting whipped by the media and opponents alike. Yes, there was the ghost of Godhra and there....

How would our forefathers feel?

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We won freedom in 1947and it wasn't without a fight or without a cost, for the fight took away from our motherland lakhs of brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. It's a cost generations will remember and time shall remind us year after year of this gigantic sacrifice for the love of our nation, a nation called India. It was the great Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who was adept and astute to understand that even after India had attained independence, a lot needed to be done. So he began getting the princely states on board. In this, we saw the perfect modern day use of diplomacy and aggression, those who relented were dealt with an iron hand and eventually brought on board. And so India was free, young and raring to go, for all those who ruled over India could never puncture the indefatigable spirit of the Indian....

Is the Indian National Congress in a tailspin?

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I vividly remember that prior to the 2004 Lok Sabha elections most so-called 'political pundits' had written off the Congress. The BJP's India Shining campaign according to most had been a success and the elections were seen as a return of the saffron brigade. However, the people of India once again proved to everyone especially the politicians that they are aware, alert and in-touch with the developments and do possess the ability to see through hollow claims. Before the Emergency, the Congress was an unstoppable political force having scaled all political heights imaginable. The Opposition prior to 1976 though present was nothing more than a lonely set of individuals struggling to take on the might of the Congress. There are many who will claim to have an exact reason and explanation on a situation that India faced, which came to be called the 'Emergency'. For a political correspondent....

Karnataka: Land Of The Krishna, Gowda’s And More

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I was born in the late seventies when politics was changing at a rather brisk pace, the dominance of the congress was being challenged for the very first time and the Janta government was at the helm of 'mountain politics'. India was getting a taste of its vast political reserves. It is also a fact that at this point the vast army of anti congress brigade was mostly a group of disgruntled congress leaders, those who were not appreciative of Indira Gandhi's style of functioning. Today, some decades later India is still grappling with inherent political lacunae, the public perception of a majority of political leaders is that they are corrupt, unethical, opportunists so on and so forth. Its indeed ironical that for a country which has had leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri leaders who kept top class morals and ethics are increasingly....

Raj or Goonda Raj - Whose Mumbai is it?

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Much has been said and written about Raj Thackeray and his politics. However, the point that needs to be addressed is - can a political leader with a particular inclination hold an entire city or state to ransom? Can he dictate the daily chores of a state as big as Maharashtra and get away with it? Well, he has. Three hours of arrest and a heroic release, making a mockery of all established norms and procedures. As a political reporter, I do understand Raj Thackeray's compulsions, his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is going nowhere and his political career is devoid of any clear future. It is also true that he is more politically sound than his cousin Uddhav. But such are the ways of dynasty politics. Raj Thackeray needs a lot to keep afloat his political career, so desperate measures are needed. Polarizing the....

The secret of being Narendra Modi

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The Gujarat CM has enemies in the RSS, state BJP but why he doesn't have to make peace.
The election countdown has begun in Gujarat, and though we may like or dislike Narendra Modi he will be on TV and in newspapers more than even before in days to come. As a political reporter, I quite struggle to define Narendra Modi. A shrewd politician is too simple a term to define someone as complex as him. His journey from being a RSS worker to the Chief Minister of Gujarat is simply amazing. Modi has always been a politician who has used situations to his advantage: a fast learner who gauges moods and finds out the best way to use them to his advantage. No wonder then we often find him quoting and eulogising Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi in his speeches. How did Modi become so successful? He is at....

The Deputy Now

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It's official now. We now have our first lady President. The next date to look out for is the August 10, when we elect our Vice-President. Interestingly all the three Vice-Presidential candidates in the fray are from the minority community. However, that's the only similarity between them. That apart, their background has an interesting mix. Also, all the three candidates have been chosen by their respective parties purely because of political compulsions driven by impending elections. First, the UPA-Left candidate: An intellectual, a career diplomat and a vice-chancellor. Thankfully, a clean past, nothing here to rake up a controversy. Though it needs to be pointed out that here as well the comrades did have the final say. After dashing Shivraj Patil's hopes of being catapulted to the president's chair, they continued to hold on to the crimson flag. No Congress' choice as far as the vice....

A Passing Thought

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So the elections to choose our President and Vice-President are almost here. And it has been one hell of a road leading up to them. A road typical of the Indian countryside - dirty, bumpy and yes, one which is not comfortable to tread on. So what began as a seemingly comfortable and straightforward election has ended up becoming the most controversial one - from Shivraj Patil and his unacceptability to the comrades - a feeling which the Congress-led UPA was informed about clearly by the Left parties. And yes, for once they proved that they could hold a red flag and KEEP HOLDING IT. This, perhaps, was one of the rare occasions when the left really carried on its objection to the hilt. Till now the prevalent impression was the Left sees red outside but inside it's completely with the government. So where did the stand of the....