543 Lok Sabha seats. More than 4,000 state constituencies. Over 800 million voters. The world’s largest democracy.
From the time of its inception, democracy in India has been dubbed ‘miraculous’ by the world’s media, and its elections as a spectacular exercise in human management.
In Ballot, Rasheed Kidwai takes us through his pick of seminal elections that have shaped Indian democracy both at the centre and in select states. Highlighting ...
In India’s constantly changing political, social and economic milieu, the Congress party has stayed one step ahead by constantly reinventing itself to stay in touch with peoples’ aspirations and the political realities of the day. Normally, a political party is known for its commitment to specific economic, social and political issues, but in the case of the Congress, ‘ideology’ does not seem to matter in equal measure. In most cases, the ...
The rise of Sonia Gandhi to leader of the venerable Congress party is one of the most remarkable stories of recent times, even in the unpredictable world of Indian politics. The story of how an apolitical housewife-who was dead set against the entrance of her husband, Rajiv Gandhi, into the political arena-emerged as an astute player of the game herself is one that has never been told. Adding to the enigma is her reserve-she has given very few interviews and ...