Renunciation is a card that a dynasty can only play once
HINDUSTAN TIMES | Rahul hoped to avoid the taint of misgovernance by staying outside government. Unfortunately, power is poison; if you have it, you must drink it too, and suffer the consequences.
The onus is now on the Leader himself
ECONOMIC TIMES | Modi fought and won a presidential-style election promising helmsmanship of mythic proportions, but the system he now heads is parliamentary not presidential, federal not unitary
The promise, and peril, of Modi’s mandate
If the struggle of Narendra Modi for power is the struggle of forgetting over memory, his victory represents a collective leap towards an uncertain future.
Elections 2014 – Chat with Siddharth Varadarajan
In which I fielded live questions from readers at a new ‘town hall’ type website…
The arithmetic of alliances is still the key
If 180-200 seats range represents a danger zone for the BJP, anything beyond that would provide a comfortable platform for Modi.
Of Hindus and Indians: Modi’s refugee stumble on Times Now
Ever since February, when Modi said “harassed” Hindus from Bangladesh and the rest of the world had the right to come back to India, the BJP has been tying itself in knots over the issue.
If Narendra Modi wins …
The argument that the BJP leader would be constrained either by his allies or India’s institutions is deeply flawed.
Refugee, ‘infiltrator’ talk part of Modi’s dog-whistle politics
The easy, communal equation Modi draws between the observance of Hindu religious practices and Indian identity is a reminder of how central the idea of a ‘Hindu rashtra’ is to his own belief system and to the politics of the BJP.
The best democracy that money can buy
Should we worry that Modi may be spending as much on advertising as Obama spent on his entire 2012 campaign?
Money power in elections
A study finds that wealth increases the chances of winning, and a combination of wealth and criminal record increases it further.
Azam Khan’s poison tongue
Azam Khan wanted to drive fence-sitting Hindus into the BJP’s arms in order to ensure fence-sitting Muslims stay with SP.
Skip the apology Modi saheb, tell us about Kodnani
The exertions of journalists who interviewed Modi have been as weak as the SIT’s which questioned him on the riots.
What lies behind the corrosive effect of dynasty?
Indian politics is becoming increasingly dominated by the richest sections of society; dynasty is merely a symptom of that sickness.
Votes and vengeance
Despite the talk of ‘development’, Amit Shah’s speeches suggest that hate remains a key mobilising tool for the BJP campaign.
Siddharth Varadarajan 