The Modi government finds itself in a contradiction of its own making. It has encouraged pro-Russian, Westophobic public sentiment while setting strategic policy that's exactly the opposite, points out Shekhar Gupta.
'Every Haryana assembly seat has its own unique problems to earn victory for a political party and you as a politician need to know what are those issues and tackle it.'
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Convert the Haryana result into a blessing in disguise; make the calamity into an opportunity. Maharashtra was always the big ticket game in town; MVA must win it. The Congress should shift headquarters to Mumbai for the entire month. Show urgency and a hunger to win, asserts Sanjay Jha.
'There is no peace in the Kashmir Valley.'
'Senior Vatican officials were pleasantly surprised at the number of Indians who had come to witness the ceremony.'
Jairam Ramesh said Gandhi spoke for 37 minutes but was shown on Sansad TV camera for only 14 minutes and 37 seconds.
'People want to do business in the name of the Kedarnath temple.'
The incident remains a reminder of the inherent fragilities of all geopolitical relationships.
The challenge will be to force the officials of his government to own this vision.
Modi had said he receives "2.5-3 kg" of abuses everyday, but he turns the harsh remarks into positive energy.
Jaishankar said he was confident that Prime Minister Modi and President Putin will meet for an annual summit next year.
e Union minister of state for home is somewhat brash and rowdy, and has enormous confidence.' Some of this derives from the fact that he has independent sources of income (he reported assets amounting to Rs 18 crore in his 2019 Lok Sabha nomination papers)
'Ratan had the quality that JRD and Russi Mody had -- they could walk with kings and never lose the common touch.'
'There is economic danger: Not inflation, but a slowdown that feeds an employment crisis,' says T N Ninan.
The Congress on Friday claimed that a 'silent undercurrent' is brewing across western Uttar Pradesh against the 'failures' of the Modi government, as it flagged issues such as 'neglect' of sugarcane farmers and examination paper leaks.
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Rajasthan Cricket Association representative Mehmood Abdi feels Board Of Control For Cricket In India president N Srinivasan should not decide on any matter relating to Lalit Modi's possible return to administration through the RCA because of his "old enmity" with the banned former IPL commissioner.
'There was a lot of resentment against the BJP which has not translated into votes, this is surprising.'
Since it was formed 58 years ago, Haryana has had Jat chief ministers for 33 of those.
Notably, the JD-U has put up a better than expected performance in Lok Sabha polls.
'Jockeying for that position has possibly started at this time.'
The record of other prime ministers too shows how much can change when a prime minister is faced with the two-year challenge, says T N Ninan.
The coming assembly and Lok Sabha elections -- the choice of candidates, the campaign strategies and the negotiations with other Opposition parties --0 represent the real test for Mallikarjun Kharge.
'They were very vocal on the defence of the Constitution, reservation, SC/ST Act and democratic rights.'
'This is still a relatively immature defense and high-tech relationship.'
'You can see the essential contours of his new Pakistan strategy. Rather than keep engaging with or humouring them, he'd rather work on taking their four biggest supporters -- the US, China, the UAE and later Saudi Arabia -- away from them.' 'In his calculation,' says Shekhar Gupta, 'with the total support of all four of these, Pakistan will be forced to moderate its policies.'
'The economy is in a free fall.'
'And it's been declining for so long, so consistently, that the promise of growth and better days now looks a fantasy.' 'A mid-1970s kind of pessimism, even hopelessness, is growing among the young.' 'This isn't what Mr Modi promised them.' 'Their aspirations and needs are clear and present, and not being fulfilled,' notes Shekhar Gupta.
Both have made factory jobs the centre of their economic agendas. Kanika Datta explains the practical limits to their ambitions.
Accusing the prime minister of pushing a particular narrative in the media through the PMO, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said "Modi will not be able to deflect from real issues".
'He messaged me on Friday at 8:52 AM and then at 2:47 PM I replied, 'Are you planning a switch?'. At 2:48 he sent a message, 'is speaking to you not possible?' I said I will call you and at 3:40, I spoke to him'
'The central BJP leaders were determined to push Hindutva hard, and it failed.'
A video showing the incident involving school teacher, Tripta Tyagi, and the Class 2 boy in Muzaffarnagar has gone viral on social media eliciting strong words from several political parties.
At some stage this fall in the quality of life will begin to hurt anybody's popularity, observes Shekhar Gupta.
'They (the Modi government) are trying to silence people who speak against this government, who speak with force and speak with conviction and want to speak the truth.'
The Sikhs love a good fight, and that's what the Modi government has given them.
In an interview with PTI, Chidambaram also stressed that no Congress MLA elected in the upcoming assembly polls can be poached by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa this time, saying 'our house is well-guarded' and though the 'thief' is still out there, the people 'will teach him a lesson'.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader attacked the Congress for according Rahul Gandhi a "special treatment" following his conviction in a defamation case and accused the party of pressuring the judiciary, and doing everything possible to stay relevant.
The winds of nationalism laden with religion will now yield to those of concern over the stalled economy, unemployment, and a general malaise and unhappiness, predicts Shekhar Gupta.
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