History has an uncanny way of intruding into contemporary life and shaping our public conversation. A new controversy emerged recently over the relationship between Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose.
Articles by Chanakya
Signals from the south for next round of polls
Karnataka gave the Congress and the Opposition contours of a successful vision. Its challenge is to now tweak and scale up this model
The myth and reality of the SCO grouping
India recognises the group’s limitations, uses it for limited purposes and intends to work more closely with its real partners
How the Karnataka elections may play out
The contours of the polls are clear. BJP will want to protect its Lingayat citadel, the Congress capitalise on corruption and the JDS retain its local dominance
Can a regional front put up a credible challenge to BJP?
With a year to go for the 2024 general election, regional parties are trying to forge a common platform. But internal contradictions, the Congress’s weaknesses and the BJP’s formidable machinery remain hurdles
Decoding India’s economy and its impact on politics
The economy faces 3 headwinds — the dissipation of pent-up demand; the slow-down in exports; and the possibility of another spring heatwave.
A year later, the Ukraine war changes the world
Even as there were tectonic shifts in geopolitics and India faced enormous pressure, New Delhi secured its interests, remained friends with both the West and Russia, and emerged as a champion of the Global South
The election of an Opposition in Gujarat
It is not the BJP voter, but the voter who wishes to see the BJP face questions and an effective Opposition, who holds the key in Gujarat 2022
In the Gujarat of 2022, a triangular electoral battle
The BJP, which has been in power since 1998, enters the race with an edge, the AAP enters as an aspirational force; and the Congress, with an attempt to repeat its 2017 showing. And as is with Indian politics, it’s not over until it’s over
The road ahead for the next Congress president
The new chief will have to grapple with three challenges — the upcoming assembly elections in the short term, expanding its organisational base in the medium term, and telling the public what the Congress stands for in the long term
Halfway through 2022-23, the economy’s report card
India’s economy is likely to expand due to policies set in place to cushion the blow. However, while remaining relatively unscathed, India has to work on obstinate, if not systemic, internal challenges and the risk regarding energy security
Behind the exodus from India’s Grand Old Party
Azad’s exit isn’t the problem. It is a symptom of a deeper problem. A party with a 140-year-old legacy is today bereft of vision, leadership, and organisation, leaving Indian democracy poorer
_1661609194874_1661609214463_1661609214463.jpg "In two national elections now, the Indian electorate has decisively rejected Gandhi. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)")
Five questions which we must answer on freebies
Comments by the PM and the SC have pushed the issue of freebies back into the headlines. But questions remain about State capacity, the state of fiscal federalism, and the political incentive to prioritise fiscal health over electoral considerations
_1659185826201_1659185840503_1659185840503.jpg "State governments, especially ones ruled by non-BJP parties are increasingly finding it difficult to counter the BJP’s narrative of “double-engine” growth, which seeks to usurp the Opposition’s voter base by evoking the welfare programmes of the Centre. (HT Photo)")
From Colombo, some lessons for South Asia
Nepotism and corruption bring ruin. Closed political systems produce bad policy choices. China’s economic engagement is predatory. Reckless economics will have consequences. And power is fragile
The genesis of the electoral and ideological crisis in the Sena
The party Bal Thackeray founded is fighting for its survival after a rebellion against the chief minister. The outcome will have a profound impact on state and national politics, and change the face of Mumbai forever
What Rajya Sabha polls tell us about Indian politics
Politically, existing trends have got reinforced and the national hegemon reasserted its dominance. Institutionally, whether the Rajya Sabha can act as either a Council of Elders or Council of States remains in doubt
In a charged UP, why 2022 may be different from 1992
Three religious petitions have dredged up decades-old communal tensions. But there are key differences that will determine how the movement evolves — the most critical being the BJP’s increased stature
Centre-state ties: A new federal compact is key
Both politics and economics have forced Indian federalism into unchartered territory. The Centre and states need to work out a model that doesn’t let political competition lead to economic recklessness
The next steps in the India-US partnership
Delhi needs to have an honest conversation about what Washington brings to the table, and continue its structural shift westwards
In Uttar Pradesh, a new political chapter
For the BJP, the political goal is 2024. Its governance goal should be bridging divisions, improving health and education, and boosting incomes
What March 2022 says about May 2024
The PM is right. The BJP is in pole position to return to power for a third term
In Punjab, a fierce contest is on the cards
This election is perhaps the first when the power of Dalit voters is front and centre; the single-biggest issue of farm laws has morphed into questions of agrarian distress and unsteady incomes; and both contenders — the Congress and AAP — are vying to be the ultimate aam aadmi
Union Budget 2022: A wishlist for the FM
Invest in education; increase allocation to the rural job guarantee scheme and launch a similar one targeting the urban poor; enhance capital expenditure; formulate a new deal for agriculture; continue elements of the Covid-19 relief package announced last year; and no new taxes of any kind
Uttar Pradesh’s voters and their four choices
The outcome of the election in India’s most-populous state will depend on whether the electorate decides to support a party or a person, vote on the basis of their caste or faith, and whether a majoritarian order is successful in papering over local grievances
The farm laws: The politics of the repeal
The most significant U-turn by the government since 2014 will shape the politics of both the establishment and the Opposition
In Uttar Pradesh, does the BJP have an edge?
The stakes are high for all, but the BJP’s will to win and its fusion of leadership, social alliances, and narrative of development and law and order makes it the front-runner at the moment
Project Pegasus: India is at the crossroads
The revelations will have profound implications on India’s domestic politics, institutional relationships, and the nature of the contract between the State and citizens
The political drivers of the monsoon session
Both sides have an interest in ensuring a working session. The government wants to put forth its defence; Opposition feels the occasion is ripe to corner the treasury benches
The four variables that shaped Modi’s new team
The politics of inclusive Hindutva, spatial expansion, performance legitimacy and electoral and party-building imperatives have driven the Union Cabinet expansion
The battle of our times: State versus Big Tech
Both want power. And for that, both want control over information. It is time for a regulatory regime that balances freedom and accountability, and empowers the actual users — citizens.
The 2022 battle for Lucknow begins
Conventionally, issues of leadership, politics of identity, alliances, and organisation have determined Uttar Pradesh’s politics. But will the first post-Covid-19 election alter its political categories?
