In an unprecedented show of assertiveness, the Indian National Congress, India’s main opposition party, released its election manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’ (justice document) in New Delhi on April 5 followed by a massive launch in the Congress-ruled southern state of Telangana, the next day. Addressing the public rally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised burning issues like … Read more
The 2024 election bugle sounded in India with the announcement of dates for polls in the country’s 28 states and eight federal territories. The announcement, alongside the completion of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharatiya Jodo Nyay Yatra (BJNY) — “Unite India Justice March” — has once again brought to the fore discussion of the electoral prospects of … Read more
One week is a long time in Indian politics. And over just a week in March, the image of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) changed significantly. On March 14, two former bureaucrats were appointed election commissioners despite protests by the opposition, the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules had just been notified and fuel prices … Read more
On March 16, while commenting on the recently-scrapped electoral bond scheme, an anonymous and controversial political funding scheme introduced by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had always favored transparency, but mechanisms to protect “donor’s privacy” should also be considered to … Read more