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Wednesday, May 8, 2024
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The FinePrint

Karnataka, Maharashtra—Why Phase 3 could mean BJP falling short of the magic number 272

As in the second phase, the BJP-led NDA’s problem in the third phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election is that it has an awful lot of seats to defend — 80 out of the 93 seats that go to polls.

Azad, Antony, Geetha—6 candidates to watch in 2024. Their win can reshape politics in states

While Chandra Shekhar Azad is a streetfighter who has caught the fancy of Dalit youth, Anil Antony is the face of the BJP’s fresh social engineering attempt.

Punjab is undergoing an indie film revolution. Challenging the Jatt Sikh domination in cinema

From Anmol Sidhu to Gurvinder Singh, Punjabi indie filmmakers have gained international critical acclaim. But their films have few takers in Indian theatres.

India must kill terrorists. Nijjar blowback shows it also needs laws to guide assassins

The UK, US and Israel have long staged targeted killings of criminals, terrorists and their adversaries. The moral outrage against India’s assassination campaign is profoundly spurious.

Masala, morality, real estate—Bengaluru dosa walk turns into overload of history & heritage

The dosa isn’t the only hero of the day. A few people in the group are also chutney supremacists. 'Chutney has to be great, sambhar is secondary,' one attendee says.

Vacant, white-haired villages & ‘money order economy’ — how development eluded Ratnagiri

Amid political promises & potential projects, Ratnagiri’s youth migrate in search of better prospects, while region’s elderly are left behind in hamlets without vikas and cellphone towers.

AMU VC Naima Khatoon is facing questions from ‘bearded elite’—Smashing glass ceilings daily

Naima Khatoon has taken charge of Aligarh Muslim University at a time when many in India are viewing the words 'Muslim' and 'minority' with suspicion. But also when AMU itself is changing.

Once known for hunger deaths, Kalahandi is catching up fast. Smart classrooms to women-run cafés

Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat goes to polls on 13 May. Residents applaud pace of development, but emphasise need for job creation to arrest migration of labour.

From jail to BJP, YouTuber Manish Kashyap says, ‘I don’t have a godfather, just like Modi’

Out on bail Manish Kashyap spent nine months in prison for fake videos claiming Bihari migrant labourers were attacked in Tamil Nadu. The jail time has only seasoned the YouTuber as a politician.

Prajwal Revanna case shows politicians don’t care about women’s safety. They are the culprits

Even though the JD(S) has now suspended Prajwal Revanna and the BJP has distanced itself from him, it's quite clear that the system protected him.

On Camera

CEA Nageswaran says India’s FY24 growth could hit 8%, but World Bank warns this is ‘above potential’

Speaking at an event, World Bank country director Auguste Tano Kouamé said growth above potential would result in high inflation.

Three Indian Navy ships deployed to South China Sea

Deployment comes at a time when Yuan Wang 03, a Chinese missile and satellite tracking vessel, has entered Indian Ocean Region.

Frontrunner is letting the challenger define this poll campaign. Modi still hasn’t found a big theme

A theme has not yet emerged for BJP & people see lack of a contest, which makes it unexciting. For all these reasons, 2024 is turning out to be an unexpectedly theme-less election.