From 53 in first polls, number of parties at over 2500

Fifty-three political parties had contested the first Lok Sabha polls in 1951. The number of political parties today stands at over 2,500. Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph:......

India needs a weak coalition government

'A rag-tag coalition is more insecure and hence, more inclined to reform,' argues Devangshu Datta.Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com   If we examine economic policy down the years, the......