Edited Patriotism In its decision to stick to the 1937 resolution and sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at party events, the Congress party has once again exposed its deep discomfort with the vocabulary of Indian nationalism. The Congress Working Committee’s reaffirmation of the 1937 position came even as the Central government moved to accord the National Song a stronger legal status. The uncomfortable question is why Congress remains so eager to preserve a

The Congress party has finally performed the political equivalent of a hostage exchange in Karnataka. After months of whispers, denials, tantrums and choreographed smiles, Siddaramaiah finally resigned as Chief Minister, making way for his deputy, D.K. Shivakumar under the fabled “rotational formula” crafted after the Congress’s emphatic 2023 victory. The transfer of power was projected by the party as orderly, democratic and consultative. In reality, it resembled a palace co

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav offers 'prasad' to people on the occasion of Bada Mangal in Lucknow on Tuesday. Pic: PTI New Delhi: In Uttar Pradesh politics, "saffron" has evolved from being merely a color to a potent political symbol encompassing power, culture, security, and social psychology. Once considered the distinctive identity of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), this color has now seeped into the lexicon of opposition politics as well. With the 2027 assembly e

New Delhi: In Kerala, reaching the Chief Minister’s office is never merely about winning an election. Political legitimacy in the state is shaped through ideology, organizational work, public engagement, student politics, social balancing, and years of patient political labor. That is why the rise of V. D. Satheesan is not just another political appointment, but it also represents the return of a Congress tradition in which leaders who spend decades working within the organiz

By dismantling old certainties, voters in Kerala and Tamil Nadu have exposed the fragility of India’s most durable political models. While Assembly elections often promise upheaval, rarely do they deliver it with such clinical force. The 2026 Assembly results in Kerala and Tamil Nadu have produced a seismic shift by dismantling long-standing political narratives. In Kerala, the fall of the Communist-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) ends nearly half-a-century in which the Left

BJP finalises strategy with four seats Mumbai: The upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections have exposed clear fault lines within the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi. Based on its current numerical strength in the state assembly, the opposition alliance is likely to secure only one seat. This bleak reality has triggered a fierce tussle between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress over the single nomination. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is staking a firm claim on the seat

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi greets supporters during a roadshow ahead of the Kerala assembly polls, in Kozhikode district on Tuesday. | Pic: PTI New Delhi: At a critical electoral juncture in Kerala, the political contest being waged in the name of ideology appears less about public welfare and more like a renewed struggle for the division of power. Kerala's electoral battle exposes contradictions between ideology and alliances, as BJP, Congress, and