Regardless of whether Nitish Kumar’s gamble of parting company with the BJP in Bihar fails or succeeds, the Bihar chief minister has lent variety to the public discourse on Narendra Modi’s suitability as a candidate for the PM’s office.

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Lal Krishna Advani’s has spoilt Narendra Modi’s party by announcing his exit from the BJP. Will the BJP president and the Gujarat CM’s best man Rajnath Singh be able to control the damage that he himself caused in the first place? Read more

Dr A P J Abdul Kalam isn’t a politician. He’s a scientist who once headed India’s missile development programme that’s essentially about keeping a projectile on course to hit a target. Read more

Here’s a solution to the political logjam over the Centre’s decision to permit 51% foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. The UPA is largely isolated on the issue. Read more

Three countries in South Asia are in the middle of political maelstroms for reasons unique to their polity. Read more

Let’s talk this week about India and its awesome festival of democracy. For nearly  a  month  now, airwaves on the Attari side of  Indo-Pak border have been  clogged with averments, claims and individual assertions by a Party A or a Coalition B of being fairer than its rivals. The UPA told us as to why it  must  be  re-elected, the NDA dwelt on the imperative of change and the Left-inspired  Third  Front  drove  home  its  importance in a sudden death play-off.   Certain  pre-conditions  and  demands  on  which  some  bit—and better— players predicated their post-poll loyalties seemed outlandish. I read  between  the  lines  and squeezed some political meaning out of them. Here it goes… Read more