Vignesh Karthik KR

Vijay’s big win exposes Tamil Nadu’s political shift

Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar has turned personal popularity into political power in Tamil Nadu without building the machinery that usually sustains it. The challenge now is not electoral survival, but institutional creation — constructing a party capable of absorbing pressure without eroding the leader’s carefully preserved image.

TN’s Politics Of Urimai

Tamils, who vote today, are used to a political culture that sees welfare as a right (urimai), not benefaction. DMK understands that well. But, its governance deficit is what gives AIADMK an opening. Problem? It’s still seen by many as ‘reporting’ to Delhi

PK’s Un-Bihari Pitch

Prashant Kishor has outsider appeal against the culture of bakaiti (idle talk) shored by complex local networks. But is his idiom of productivity & personal betterment only a sales trick?

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Bihar Polls: Niyat & Networks

The state’s politics is neither backward nor parochial. Its electoral democracy rests more on local connections & grounded assessments of leaders than on money & media blitz

Article image for: So reign with the haves & the have-nots

So reign with the haves & the have-nots

The mandate in Jharkhand is thanks to both aspirational caste groups and marginalised ones. Soren got the tribal identity pitch right. But that alone won’t cut it for governance

Article image for: On Voters’ Menu, Mahua Chutney?

On Voters’ Menu, Mahua Chutney?

What will win in Jharkhand – RSS’s Hindutva project or tribal pride?

Article image for: This Vote Is Very Sixy

This Vote Is Very Sixy

Maharashtra’s 288 constituencies are spread across six regions and each is a web of caste, creed, chance…and chaos. A lowdown on how regions differ and compare

Article image for: Maharashtra Is Maha Complicated

Maharashtra Is Maha Complicated

Mahayuti and MVA must weave together several separate threads to stitch credible poll campaigns. It is no easy task given the fragmented hyperlocal nature of politics & issues

Article image for: Ranchi: What you hear isn’t what you’ll get

Ranchi: What you hear isn’t what you’ll get

Welfare, development, tribal rights such as Sarna code & immigration dominate the discourse in poll-bound Jharkhand. But results will be decided by alliance dynamics & loyalties of key voter group

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