Narendra Modi’s communally provocative statements are important in spreading an anti-Muslim animus among the electorate, especially among Dalits whom the BJP fears might vote along with the minorities against the BJP Bharat Bhushan In his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a reporter “the day I do Hindu-Muslim, I will be unworthy of… Read More What is behind Modi’s campaign doublespeak?
Will Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s walk out of Tihar Central Jail prove to be as historic as Babu Jagjivan Ram and H N Bahuguna’s walk away from Indira Gandhi’s Congress after she lifted the Emergency and announced elections? That day, February 3, 1977, a strong signal went out that Indira Gandhi could be defeated. Bharat… Read More Straws in the Wind: Kejriwal’s bail and Modi’s meltdown
Bharat Bhushan The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)‘s preoccupation with grander victories in every election seems to be feeding the worst standards of democratic conduct. Does pressure on Opposition candidates to stand down suggest narcissism, or does it reflect an element of nervousness? Take the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat. It has been a pocket borough… Read More Hunt for grand victories and impact on democratic culture
Modi’s ambitions for India, and perhaps for himself, have already been scaled down from ‘Vishwaguru’ (World Leader) to ‘Vishwa Bandhu’ (Friend of the World) in his party’s election manifesto. It is being made clear to him and subsequent Indian governments that follow, that no one expects a friend to enter their homes and commit a… Read More Why the Rambo script won’t work in India
Communal polarisation is all that the BJP has in its arsenal to deter the voters from voting on the basis of caste, community, and the reputation of the local candidate Bharat Bhushan Suddenly in the run-up to the second round of voting, the Congress with hardly any prospect of forming the next government is being… Read More BJP’s distorted and polarising narratives will continue
Bharat Bhushan The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is known for micro-managing elections based on gathering political intelligence right up to the booth level. That is the image. The reality is that its Moradabad Lok Sabha candidate died a day after polling in his constituency. That Kunwar Sarvesh Singh had cancer was an open secret. But he managed… Read More An election snapshot: No wave, voter apathy and a dead candidate
Bharat Bhushan Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Opposition leaders of displaying a “Mughal mindset” when videos surfaced of Lalu Yadav, Tejashvi, and Rahul Gandhi bonding over cooking mutton. Not only did he accuse them of deviating from Hindu dharma in the auspicious month of Sawan, but he also alleged that the display of bonhomie was deliberate. The videos,… Read More Food, community and elections
Bharat Bhushan Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) talks up its promise of “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India), it increasingly looks like a party of turncoats. The BJP has tended to drop 20 to 30 per cent of sitting legislators in every election to counter anti-incumbency. But why is it filling these vacancies with defectors from the… Read More The BJP and political turncoats
Bharat Bhushan There is strong suspicion in Nepal that the revivalist demand for abandoning secularism and restoring Nepal as a Hindu Rashtra is being encouraged by the Hindutva forces in India. Nepal’s politics has once again taken an unexpected turn with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, aka Prachanda, breaking his alliance with the Nepali Congress. Prachanda’s Communist… Read More Not China, Nepali Congress forced Prachanda’s hand
The loss of its coalition government with Janata Dal (United) in the state of Bihar underlines the shortcomings of the Bharatiya Janata party’s (BJP’s) newfound strategy of paramountcy. It earlier targeted only Opposition parties but now even its allies are not safe. Its increasing sense of entitlement manifests itself as greater disrespect towards other political… Read More Bharat Bhushan: Will Bihar Curb BJP’s arrogance?
After the truth-shower 