The problem of defection is not of the legislators alone. Political parties are essential actors in this drama of defection that now plays out repeatedly and brazenly in the political theatre of this country. Haryana has long been decried, and rightly so, for having given the notorious ‘Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram’ phenomenon to Indian politics. However, the Haryana […]
Promises of welfare spending should not be equated to a reckless freebie culture or a race to the bottom. It must be understood that welfare spending is essential to partly redress the widening inequality in Indian society India has been managing the world’s largest and longest running free food programme since April 2020. This is […]
The Supreme Court’s judgments in the cases of Zakia Jafri and Nupur Sharma are a study in contrast; one in which observations in court supplanted the main arguments of the petitioner, and the other, where the court proceedings were virtually left out. The Supreme Court of India has been in the news of late, primarily […]
मतदाता चुनाव के मुख्य अंग हैं। हमारी चुनाव प्रणाली में मतदाताओं से पूछकर उम्मीदवार उतारने की कोई प्रक्रिया ही नहीं है। राजनीतिक पार्टियां किसी को भी कहीं से खड़ा कर देती हैं। इसीलिए पार्टी बदलते समय नेताओं को जनता के प्रति कोई जवाबदेही नहीं अनुभव होती है। चुनाव का एलान होते ही नेताओं का दलबदल […]
In his now famous speech to budding police officers in Hyderabad on how civil society groups can be subverted, the National Security Adviser, Ajit Kumar Doval, widely regarded as the third most important official in the security establishment, significantly said: “The quintessence of democracy does not lie in the ballot box … it lies in the […]
Correcting electoral rolls in a society like India’s has to be done the hard way — going door to door. Quick fixes and tech solutions like Aadhaar can do more harm than good The issue of linking India’s voters’ list with the Aadhaar database is in news again with the surreptitious passage of The […]
“A law and a collegium for appointment of the CEC and ECs and securing the tenure of them all alone will give EC to confidence to act independently, says Prof Jagdeep S. Chhokar.” Prof Chhokar speaks to Sanjukta Basu, from National Herald, on the struggle for free and fair elections. The Election Commission says linking […]
Only 15 regional parties received donations through electoral bonds, the highest amount being BJD’s Rs264 crore. For the Opposition parties, electoral bonds pose the fear of omission (being starved of funds) and the fear of commission — being traced and harassed by the ED and CBI. How would you like to play a game in […]
All that the announcement does is to follow exactly what several judgments of the Supreme Court have ordered. The announcement of the schedule for elections for five state assemblies was a much anticipated event. What attracted attention of some observers was the inclusion of requirements for disclosure of criminal antecedents by candidate and political parties […]
The Union minister of state for home affairs was acquitted in a 2000 murder case, but appeal is still pending before the Allahabad high court, and the case is still sub-judice. Ajay Kumar Mishra is one of the three ministers of state in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Some of his personal and professional information can […]