As the race for the President reaches it non-exciting climax, it is clear that no political constituent is winning with dignity, says Sheela Bhatt.
Narendra Modi's supporters are not worried over the bitter divide in the NDA on the presidential poll. They also feel that Nitish Kumar is posturing over the prime ministerial post prematurely. The spin that they are giving over the various statements on the issue is that the 'RSS is batting for Modi'. Sheela Bhatt explains
Sheela Bhatt launches a special series where well-informed Uttar Pradesh residents discuss the psyche of voters, the personalities of its leaders and the socio-cultural lives of the people of the election-bound state.
The entire event suggests that in India democracy is decreasing and psephocracy is increasing, says Ashis Nandy, who spoke to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
'It is very difficult to be an honest politician in a country where the system is absolutely corrupt. Jaipal Reddy is one up even on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is considered clean and honest. Reddy has gone a step ahead by playing an active role in stopping corruption. He has put things on record; he has walked the extra mile to ensure that public money is valued highly. One must recognise Reddy's efforts, and make it an example for India's younger generation.'
As his old adversary Mayawati confronts the anti-incumbency factor in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election, Mulayam Singh Yadav expects a fresh lease of political life as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. An exclusive interview!
Arvind Kejriwal speaks out on Congress leader Digvijay Singh, Robert Vadra and the Gandhi family in this exclusive interview with Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
BSP supremo Mayawati may have used her plan to nominate a Dalit candidate for the post of President as a bargaining tool with the Congress, reports Sheela Bhatt.
During the Cabinet reshuffle, the "give and take" amongst the trio of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi has resulted in a new paradigm of power within the Congress and the government, notes Sheela Bhatt.
The induction of former Bahujan Samaj Party leader Babu Singh Kushwaha is a sign of the Bharatiya Janata Party's nervousness on the Uttar Pradesh battlefield. It is also the result of the BJP's intra-party tensions, analyses Sheela Bhatt
P Chidamabaram's February 28 Budget will not have any big-ticket ideas, reports Sheela Bhatt
Unless the name of a Congress-linked person or leader having links with the middlemen is revealed, the target of the Opposition party will remain blurred, says Sheela Bhatt
Arvind Kejriwal and India Against Corruption have shown India that 'having power' is not really 'being powerful', says Sheela Bhatt
'Modi has to lead the BJP. There is no alternative,' a senior BJP leader tells Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Narendra Modi may have won his battle with Nitin Gadkari in forcing Sanjay Joshi to quit the BJP national executive. But the BJP's political force has been diminished as personalities overtook issues, says Sheela Bhatt.
The Naresh Chandra report is the result of the first-ever focused exercise since the Kargil Review Committee, headed by the late K Subrahmanyam, of 10 years ago after which no such holistic review of all aspects of national security was taken up, reports Sheela Bhatt
Sheela Bhatt followed the celebration of 60 years of Parliament from the Central Hall's balcony. 'It was undoubtedly a privilege to participate in the historic function to mark the 60th anniversary of Parliament,' she says, 'but in the end there were no new ideals, ideas or hope added to democracy's great history.'
Fine packaging is not desirable when the stuff inside is about the real India, says Sheela Bhatt of Aamir Khan's television debut.
With Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Bannerji refusing to budge from her stand against the UPA government's decision allowing 51 per cent FDI in retail, the Congress party's spin doctors are working overtime to project the decision favourably to the country. Sheela Bhatt reports
A Cabinet minister tells Sheela Bhatt that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has taken a gamble on the FDI in retail issue and insists that the Congress party is with him.
A Cabinet minister tells Sheela Bhatt that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has taken a gamble on the FDI in retail issue and insists that the Congress party is with him.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee may be right in pushing for FDI in retail because reports have been pouring in, indicating that the economic downturn in India and abroad will worsen in coming weeks. Sheela Bhatt examines the politics behind the government's decision.
The government HAD to increase the price of diesel; it could not have allowed the Indian economy to commit suicide by November 2012, a former senior official tells Sheela Bhatt
"Our party has always maintained that Chidambaram's victory was through fraudulent means. His continuance in the Union Council of Minsters is untenable," Jayalalithaa said in response to a query from rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt on the issue.
Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt, who is travelling with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on his three-day tour of Pakistan, compares the new visa agreement to the old one
Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt, who is travelling with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on his tour of Pakistan, examines the relevance of the visa agreement that is bound to have significant impact on the relations between the countries
A guest present at Dr Singh's lunch for President Zardari tells Sheela Bhatt what happened during the meal.
What Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari really discussed at their meeting. Sheela Bhatt reports
A recommendation to appoint officers from the defence forces at the level of director in the ministry of defence is being ferociously challenged, reports Sheela Bhatt.
Sheela Bhatt's questionnaire for all those boys, teenagers, young chaps, middle-aged-men and aged men to tick before they step out at India Gate or Jantar Mantar to speak up for women.
The UPA government has been caught unawares once again. The latest salvo from Army Chief V K Singh, this time targetting the Prime Minister's Office, has left it groping in the dark for options. Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt analyses.
Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt caught up with Lieutenant General Tejinder Singh (retd), who has been accused of allegedly offering army chief General V K Singh a bribe of Rs 14 crore in September 2010 for an arms deal.
'So you have welfare programmes, you reach out to the poor, you cut out the middlemen, you cut out the leakages and you try to raise the standard of living.'
If the apathy towards the plight of Muslims in the north-east continues it will disturb the peace of the region for a long time to come, SP national secretary Kamal Faruqui tells rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi's remarks after presenting the rail budget make it clear that he knew all along that he was on his way out. Sheela Bhatt reports.
Akhilesh Yadav, the youngest chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, represents the change the state needs today. But he will have to handle difficult and complex challenges to consolidate the Samajwadi Party's gains, writes rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
If Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi wanted to launch a new image or change his brand through his interview to me he will not be successful, Nai Duniya editor Shahid Siddiqui tells Sheela Bhatt
To know everything you about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his cabinet, join Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt on Monday, July 30, 2012 at 2pm IST.
Arun Jaitley, leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the Bharatiya Janata Party's strategist, is getting ready to take on the United Progressive Alliance in the coming Budget session of Parliament. Jaitley's legal background and his envious reach in New Delhi's media is a potent combination helping his party to push its political agenda. He spoke exclusively to Sheela Bhatt on the Uttar Pradesh election.
Metres away from the pomp and regalia of Parliament's Central Hall, at the time the 13th President of the republic was being sworn-in, a bunch of battle-weary protestors were girding up to take on the might of the Indian State, reports Sheela Bhatt
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