Who’s Dividing Bengal, Madam Mamata?

MS Shanker West Bengal is burning. Again. And as always, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is pointing fingers at everyone but herself. This time, the blame falls squarely on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Border Security Force (BSF), whom she accuses of orchestrating communal violence in districts like Murshidabad and other border areas. It’s…

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Owaisi, Waqf Law and the Power of Perception

The recent protests against the Waqf Amendment Act, spearheaded by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi alongside the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, raise serious questions—both about the motivations behind the resistance and the historic role of AIMIM in India’s socio-political landscape. Is this opposition a genuine defence of Muslim…

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Time for the Gandhis to Listen: Tharoor Offers the Roadmap Congress Needs

MS Shanker At the just-concluded two-day All-India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Ahmedabad (April 8–9)—billed as a crucial moment of introspection for a party still reeling from a decade of electoral decline—the Congress once again served up a familiar cocktail of sulking, blame-shifting, and nostalgia. Instead of a bold roadmap or hard-headed strategy, the proceedings…

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Communal Politics at Its Worst: Scramble for Minority Votes

MS Shanker India’s political landscape is witnessing an unprecedented and blatant scramble for minority votes, particularly among Muslims, who constitute around 18% of the population. The opposition parties, long accustomed to a complacent majority, are now aggressively courting minority voters to stay relevant in the electoral game. With Congress—the traditional bastion of Muslim votes—losing its…

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Tamil Nadu’s Political Churning: Realignments and New Equations

MS Shanker As Tamil Nadu inches closer to the 2026 assembly elections, the political landscape is witnessing significant shifts. The recent meeting between AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Union Home Minister Amit Shah signals a possible realignment that could reshape electoral equations. While Palaniswami termed it a courtesy call, political insiders suggest otherwise. AIADMK’s…

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Maharashtra’s Political Turmoil: A Coalition on the Brink?

MS Shanker The cracks in Maharashtra’s Mahayuti government are widening, exposing the fragile nature of this alliance. While the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena stand united over the recent Nagpur riots—where police investigations confirm that elements within the Muslim minority provoked large-scale violence, including the molestation of women cops—Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)…

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