Strange are the ways of the people. There are always explanations for failures and successes in elections, but a lot more remains inexplicable. The results of the three state assembly elections are no different. Read more

Of the three states that vote on October 13th, Maharashtra is the most keenly watched. In Haryana, there isn’t much of a contest and Arunchal Pradesh will not affect the national political scene much. Read more

Three leaders well into their eighties are at the helm of affairs of their respective parties. L K Advani (b 1927), M Karunanidhi (b 1924) and A B Bardhan (b 1926) are not likely to be active in the next elections.

In DMK, succession of leadership is a family affair. It will be sorted between the sons and daughters of Karunanidhi as and when the occasion arises. CPI, a small cadre party, has lined up S Sudhakar Reddy to take over from Bardhan as general secretary. Read more

 

During elections until early 1990s, the election commission of India (ECI) used to be a helpless spectator to large-scale malpractices, violence and misuse of official machinery by ruling parties. Starting with T N Seshan, the ECI began to assert and expand its powers.

Now, the ECI is a metagovernment, all pervasive and omnipresent. Read more

A handful of unusual contestants participating in elections have already occupied a large amount of our mind space in the last few days. Meera Sanyal, country head of ABN-Amro Bank and Captain Gopinath, the founder of Air Deccan, are two prominent ones, but there are many more. Read more