In the 1990s and early 2000s, Indian voters started voting in the national election as if they were choosing their chief minister. It changed in 2014 with the rise of Modi.
The jolt to the BJP’s politics is so severe that if and when the NDA government is formed, Modi will have to reset his image before he could resurrect the BJP.
Early trends showed PM Narendra Modi trailing Ajay Rai of the Congress in Varanasi. Reacting to the trends, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, 'This is what is called a trailer!'
The Congress just about improved its 2014 vote share of 5.39% to 7.96% in the 41 seats of eastern UP but its presence stopped SP-BSP from winning in 5 seats.
Electoral competition now appears dominated by welfare delivery and governance metrics, but ideology has not disappeared in Tamil Nadu. Instead, it has become strategic.
India’s fast-growing data centre sector may strain state electricity networks; Central Electricity Authority has urged Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu to boost capacity.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan says India’s nuclear capability will not be considered a separate domain, but part of cognitive war in multi domain operations.
China patiently invested capital, skill and technology in coal gasification. Unlike it, we won’t move from words to action. As crude prices decline, we lose interest.
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