How Kamal Nath left Mulayam high and dry
'Mulayam has no options but to continue supporting the government -- while Mayawati reaps the benefits. Kudos to Kamal Nath but you wonder if Mulayam has been left stranded while his rivals float across the river.' Parliament debate wasn't about FDI, but about next polls
'The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party saved Dr Manmohan Singh's chair today; will they tug it away from under him tomorrow?' All in the name of the one true faith
'We need to celebrate those that buck the stereotype, such as Malala, Toorpekai, and Ziauddin Yousufzai in Pakistan. But, by the same token, we also need to condemn blind adherence to tradition in the urban, civilised areas of the West as in the case of Savita Halappanavar.' Gadkari may sink the BJP with him
'The Gadkari issue is not about staying on the right side of the law, it is about public perception. How does the public perceive Nitin Gadkari?' Governments have no business running temples
'Governments have no business running temples. Governments certainly have no business deciding who is a Hindu and who is not a Hindu.' The controversy around Messrs Gadkari and Vadra
We should not judge the Congress or the BJP by a Robert Vadra or a Nitin Gadkari. We must measure them by the standards set -- or claimed -- by the top leadership, namely the RSS and Sonia Gandhi. If one claims to be a moral exemplar, the other is the chief political leader in this country. The risks of sticking by Robert Vadra
Various people have admitted -- off the record -- that the BJP had the same 'Vadra File'. Why did the BJP not speak out, asks T V R Shenoy. A direction-less government, flailing out against anyone
'Why is the UPA seemingly bent on pumping the oxygen of publicity to its critics? If you judge the result of an action by the results you must admit that the UPA has scored some spectacular own goals.' Illegal immigration is a volcano waiting to explode
'Is it time to grant more powers to individual Indian states to detect, obstruct, and capture illegal immigrants?' What will Anna Hazare's legacy be?
The feeling is gathering strength in the Congress that it can see off Anna Hazare if it comes to a fight in the political arena, and that there is nobody else of his stature left to call it to account, says TVR Shenoy. Where is Rahul Gandhi going?
'Rahul Gandhi is one of the few in the UPA with the political clout to carry out those much-needed reforms in the railway and power ministries, even if it means bruising a lot of egos in the short-term. Becoming a minister without portfolio is undoubtedly the safer option, but if there is no pitfall neither is there the opportunity of solid achievement.' Pranabda and the burden of two past Presidents
Unlike Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Giani Zail Singh, one hopes Pranab Mukherjee will do a better job when asked to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution' Legal battle likely after Pranab becomes President
'The Opposition says Pranab Mukherjee, who was the chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute Council, did not quit that office before filing the papers for his Presidential run. Mukherjee knows exactly how tricky these details can be, and how they can trip up even the most seasoned politician.' Mamata Banerjee is nobody's fool
T V R Shenoy explains the likely reasons behind the West Bengal chief minister's seemingly bizarre political behaviour. Murder and mayhem: What's going on in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala?
It is hard to say who is pursuing the more stupid course -- the CPI-M in Kerala or the Congress in Andhra Pradesh, says T V R Shenoy. Is the CPI-M writing its obituary in Kerala?
'The CPI-M faces multiple investigations, with the CBI, the SIT and the Kerala police pursuing different cases. It is said as many as 70 to 90 CPI-M leaders are under the scanner, and that as many as 30 of these leaders are under imminent danger of being arrested. Let us not pretend that our system is flawless
'Years ago, as finance minister, Manmohan Singh popularised the term 'systemic failure.' Today he appears to believe that it is a case of individuals being at fault rather than the system. I believe he was wrong then and is wrong now.' Is India serious about investigating Tatragate?
'Did an Indian agency place a 'mole' within the Tatra subsidiary in Britain? Did powerful forces in India snuff out a life before anything emerged?' Why the Congress and BJP are having sleepless nights
'The squabbles we are seeing today over the election of the next President will be nothing compared to the all-out war ignited by a fragmented verdict after the 2014 general election.' Is Rahul Gandhi's vision for India based on caste?
His remark 'I am a Brahmin, and I am general secretary of the party' would have been dismissed as a stray thoughtless remark if it were not for the fact that it shows a trend in his thinking. Revealed: The real story behind CBI's Tatra probe
'A K Antony's office receives something like ten letters a week, all alleging corruption. That works out to better than an allegation a day on average, holidays included.' Who is responsible for the embarrassments facing the government?
'India faces a very peculiar situation where the two most honest men in the Union Cabinet are suddenly facing the charge that massive scams took place in their own departments. Is that just coincidence?' Is 2012 witnessing the birth of the Fourth Front?
'Make no mistake, that nightmare is inching closer to reality. What should concern the BJP, CPI-M, and Congress is the manner in which they are losing -- often coming third -- and the states in which they are losing.'