Politics Stories
Why BJP’s Bengal landslide will worry China, US and Pakistan
BJP's Bengal win strengthens PM Modi’s hand in dealing with Bangladesh and with both the great powers – China and the US. Pakistan, too, will be particularly unsettled
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
An open letter to Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay
Five days of turbulence before your swearing-in may well prove to be a teaser; brace for five years of backstabbing and frontal attacks. You did the right thing by waiting...
- Arun Ram
- TNN
Some Muslims want a party of their own. But is that the answer?
As mainstream parties grow wary of courting Muslim voters, debates within the community are becoming sharper. Can a new political platform give Muslims a stronger voice without falling into identity politics?
- Hasan Suroor
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Will The Double Engine Model Help Suvendu? Yes & No
On the economic front,Bengal is now likely to get a lot of help from Centre. But carrying out some parts of BJP’s ideological work, may face stiff resistance
Can Vijay Carry The Franchise?
Tamil Nadu has a non-Dravidian govt after six decades. But its new CM’s campaign speeches have been exemplars of vacuity, we have few clues about how TVK will interpret voters’ desire for change
Kerala’s results produced an obvious CM. Why is Congress pretending otherwise?
Congress has a historic mandate and and the architect behind it is evident. The only thing standing in the way of announcing the CM is the Congress and its old instincts of factionalism, seniority and high-command management
‘Reawaken Bengal from civilisational slumber’
Defence minister & senior BJP leader argues his party’s mission is to restore & nurture the greatness of true Bengali heritage
‘Regional parties face a serious threat from BJP, but declaring their end would be premature’
The BJP, either on its own or in alliance, is in power in around 22 states, covering roughly 78% of India’s population. According to psephologist Sanjay Kumar, these figures reflect the party’s firm establishment of dominance in national politics
- Alka Dhupkar
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Kerala’s King Cong? Satheesan
Congress had stumbled in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, installing a ‘high command’ compromise instead of the people’s choice. Kerala has voted for a political front, but also a face
Did Trinamool fall harder where more voters were deleted?
And did BJP gain from voters being deleted under SIR in Bengal?
- Atul Thakur
- TNN
BJP is well on its way to creating a ‘regional party-mukt Bharat’
TMC, BJD, Shiv Sena, NCP, AAP and AGP have all become weak, second-rung players in states they once dominated. And it doesn’t look like that the BJP juggernaut is stopping anytime soon, even to catch its breath
- Jayanta KalitaRajesh Sharma
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Can Mamata save TMC from splitting after losing Bengal?
After a decisive electoral defeat in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee faces her toughest political reset in decades. Can a leader forged in agitation rebuild a weakened organisation, reclaim public trust, and reposition herself against an entrenched Bharatiya Janata Party government?
- Team TOI Plus
- TNN & Agencies
BJP cracked Bengal. Can it repeat the playbook in Punjab next year?
West Bengal may have convinced the BJP that even difficult states can be conquered. But crossing from two seats to the halfway mark in a Sikh-majority state is another proposition altogether
- Devyani Mohan
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Did Bengal just change Modi’s third term?
This victory gives BJP more than a new state. It gives Modi an eastern anchor to complement his dominance across the Hindi heartland and the West.
- Pranab Dhal Samanta
- THE ECONOMIC TIMES
When The Voice That Once Called Out “Didi” Falls Silent
Defeat has exposed in TMC a rot that runs deep. Plus, like Pawars & Yadavs, Banerjees will see intra-family strains testing political bonds. BJP will be relentless. Mamata’s first test, and a tough one, will be upcoming municipal & panchayat polls
Will Dravidian Still Be Goliath?
Vijay’s rise will likely fundamentally change TN politics, by adding new demands to the old model of social justice. Under-45 voters want upward mobility & cleaner govts, and that will require retooling the system nurtured for decades
'Cut money, tolabaji and para dadas led to Mamata's downfall'
Political analyst Suvrokamal Dutta explains why Bengal’s verdict was both a rejection of the TMC and an endorsement of the BJP, and what it could mean for Mamata Banerjee’s party and the wider opposition alliance
- Bhavika Jain
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
What an Election, SIR-Ji
The Election Commission’s interference in these elections has muddied the waters and precludes any clear analysis of how people voted.
- Gilles Verniers
- THE ECONOMIC TIMES
BJP's Bharat Jodo Yatra: From 7 to 22 states, how BJP redrew India’s political map
You can now drive from India’s border with China in the Northeast to the border with Pakistan in the west without leaving BJP-NDA territory.
From land activist to TMC leader & BJP’s likely CM face: The rise & rise of Suvendu
A key organiser of the 2007 Nandigram agitation against the Left govt’s chemical hub plan, Suvendu Adhikari helped TMC end 34 years of communist rule in Bengal. Elected MP from Tamluk in 2009 and 2014, he returned to state politics in 2016 before joining BJP in December 2020
- Team TOI
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM