Democratic engagement with a digital plug-in

Imagine a summer evening in the United Kingdom, right before the Brexit referendum. Social media was flooded with posts and advertisements, each one more eye-catching than the other. But among these, a campaign called ‘Leave.EU’ began to stand out. The messages played on fears, hopes, and a sense of lost identity. ‘Leave.EU’ harnessed digital platforms … Read more

 Milestones and U-turns: On the government in its third term

As their third term in office gathers pace, the Narendra Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are eager to claim a seamless continuity with the first two terms, as a mark of effective governance and leadership. The government and the party have used the arbitrary 100-day milestone to showcase their achievements in various … Read more

Kejriwal urges Centre to enact law banning loan waivers for corporates

AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal. File. | Photo Credit: PTI Ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a nationwide law to prohibit the waiver of loans given to billionaires. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday (January 28, 2025), Mr. Kejriwal criticised the central government, … Read more

The misplaced move of ‘one nation one election’

The idea of simultaneous elections, to the Lok Sabha, the State Assemblies and the local bodies, was thrown up by the Prime Minister a couple of years ago. Frequent Assembly and local body elections kept him busy on the campaign trail in some parts of the country most of the time. This experience may have … Read more

​Healthy sign: On the voting in the 2024 J&K Assembly elections

One of the salubrious stories of Indian democracy has always been the regular and uninterrupted conduct of general and Assembly elections across provinces. Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was an aberration with no Assembly elections which should have been held five years ago. Thankfully, this denial of a key democratic process came to an end after … Read more

​Flipping scripts: On the Haryana and J&K election results  

Contrary to pollsters’ predictions, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has managed to retain power in Haryana by increasing its seats from 40 to 48 and vote share from 36.5% to 39.9%, securing a third consecutive term. The Congress’s vote share also accrued a whopping 11 points to register 39.1% but its seat tally increased marginally, … Read more

AAP claims Election Commission team at Punjab CM Mann’s residence in Delhi for search

Police personnel outside Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Kapurthala House residence, in New Delhi on January 30, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday (January 30, 2025) claimed that a team of Election Commission officials reached Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Kapurthala House residence in Delhi for a search. A … Read more

EC asks Arvind Kejriwal to furnish evidence on Yamuna river poisoning claim

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal addresses a public meeting in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: PTI/@AamAadmiParty The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal to provide factual evidence to substantiate his allegation that the Yamuna river was being poisoned by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled neighbouring State of … Read more

​Against the odds: On the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections

By winning a third consecutive term in Haryana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demonstrated that its pole position in the Hindi heartland remains intact. Its failure to win an absolute majority in the 2024 general election has not eroded its social base, and in Haryana, it increased its vote share when compared to the … Read more

Delhi election: unfazed by high-profile visits, Valmiki Basti voters are looking out only for job opportunities

Most of the area’s residents belong to Scheduled Caste communities and work in the New Delhi Municipal Corporation. | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP Party flags in New Delhi’s Valmiki Basti change every few minutes, reflecting the hectic political activity in the constituency from which Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal is seeking re-election … Read more

Yamuna poisoning row: BJP wants Kejriwal disbarred from campaigning following controversy over ammonia in the river

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal addresses a public meeting in support of party candidate Gaurav Sharma ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: X@AamAadmiParty A political war of words ensued in the national capital ahead of the Delhi Assembly election, a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the … Read more

The battle cry for justice in the ‘City of Joy’

The brutal rape and murder of a junior woman doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata, in August 2024, has generated a historic people’s movement in West Bengal. Over the last two months, the ‘City of Joy’ has become a city of processions. People have been active in a variety of ways — women … Read more

An approaching milestone in constitutional governance

‘We, the people of India ….’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images November 26 this year will mark the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India. It is a milestone that needs to be celebrated by every stakeholder of Indian democracy. Constitutional governance in India is not merely a facet … Read more

Haryana CM Saini says Kejriwal’s ‘poisonous water’ jibe an attempt to deflect attention from AAP govt’s failures

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. | Photo Credit: PTI As the high-pitch electioneering continues in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday (January 29, 2025) hit out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal surrounding his ‘poisonous water’ remark, terming it as a ‘political stunt’ to … Read more

Western front: The Hindu Editorial on the parties and their prospects in the Maharashtra polls

Maharashtra is home to roughly 9% of India’s population, contributes about 13% to GDP, and its capital, Mumbai, is considered to be the country’s economic capital. The State has also played a central role in Indian politics, and this year’s Assembly election too will have ripple effects across the country. The central leadership of the … Read more

Kejriwal promised to do clean politics but built a sheesh mahal and gave shape to the liquor scam: Rahul Gandhi

Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi addresses the gathering during a public meeting in support of party candidate Anil Chaudhary from Patparganj assembly constituency seat for the Delhi Assembly Elections, in New Delhi on January 28, 2025. | Photo Credit: ANI Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi took a … Read more

​Tough task: On the battle lines in the Jharkhand Assembly election

As one of India’s relatively younger States that is home to one of its largest tribal populations, and a supplier of much of the country’s mineral resources, but with nearly a quarter of its populace poverty-stricken, Jharkhand’s significance needs no elaboration. With the Assembly elections in two phases, on November 13 and 20, the battle … Read more

Delhi Assembly Election highlights: Kejriwal, Modi made false promises, says Rahul Gandhi

From Chandini Chowk to Dwarka: Delhi comes alive with campaign jingles, posters, poll promises As the Delhi Assembly elections approach, the city has come alive with the clamour of campaign jingles, colourful posters and loudspeakers blaring messages from competing political parties. From the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk to the bustling streets of Dwarka, each … Read more

​Core correction: On output concerns

Heavy August rains dampened industrial activity, resulting in the first contraction in India’s factory output since October 2022. The signals for a significant September resurgence do not appear very promising, with the late withdrawal of the southwest monsoon also skewing some activity such as power demand. Output from India’s eight core sectors declined 0.8% in … Read more

Delhi Assembly polls: Tahir Hussain launches poll campaign in Mustafabad under police supervision

2020 Delhi Riots accused and AIMIM candidate from Mustafabad Assembly constituency Tahir Hussain conducts election campaign in the area on January 29, 2025. He was granted custody parole to campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections. Photo: Screenshot from X/@ANI Former AAP councillor and 2020 Delhi riots accused Tahir Hussain launched his election campaign in Mustafabad … Read more

RNA editing promises to go where DNA editing can’t

On October 16, a biotechnology company in Massachusetts in the U.S. named Wave Life Sciences made headlines for becoming the first company to treat a genetic condition by editing RNA at the clinical level. But for all that this is a breakthrough, scientists had anticipated it. The role of RNA in a function called RNA … Read more

Congress releases manifesto for Delhi Assembly polls, promises caste census and ₹2,500 to women monthly

Congress senior leaders Jairam Ramesh with DPCC president Devender Yadav, Pawan Khera and others, launching the party manifesto for the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls, in New Delhi on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar With a focus on the Purvanchali community, women and unemployed youth, the Congress on Wednesday (January 29, … Read more

Crowd of confusion: On the Maharashtra political scene, polls  

A mix of national and regional issues are in focus as campaigning intensifies for the Maharashtra Assembly election of November 20. Personality clashes and the sectional interests of leaders and outfits are also at play in the State, that has seen considerable political churn since the last Assembly election five years ago. Key political actors … Read more

As part of our commitment to keeping voters informed, we delve into critical statistics concerning candidates vying for a place in the assembly

Watch: Delhi elections 2025 | How educated are your candidates? As part of our commitment to keeping voters informed, we delve into critical statistics concerning candidates vying for a place in the assembly. Our analysis is based on data sourced from the ADR report revealing crucial insights about the candidates contesting this election. Out of … Read more