Minhaz Merchant
Three Gandhis in Parliament are a triple-edged sword
The Sonia-Rahul-Priyanka triple engine, along with Akhilesh’s SP, could pose a significant threat to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election due in 2027
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Valuable lessons BJP needs to learn from Maharashtra and UP results
In Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, the BJP got some critical decisions wrong, which resulted in it falling short of a majority on its own in Parliament
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why Modi won’t be hobbled by running a coalition govt
Contrary to conventional wisdom, Modi will abandon some of the timidity that marked his first two terms and double down on farm, land and labour reforms
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Modi is used to brute majorities. Can he run a coalition govt?
The BJP’s vulnerability has been exposed. The plunge from 303 seats in 2019 is a wake-up call. The fall is steeper than even the BJP’s fall under AB Vajpayee from 182 seats in 1999 to 138 in 2004
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why this was the angriest Lok Sabha election in memory
Throughout the campaign, taunts, many defamatory, some merely in poor taste, have flowed thick and fast between the BJP and the Opposition alliance
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why a sub-300 seat Modi in 2024 suits the West
India’s refusal to toe the Western line on Russia and Iran has irked the US and its allies who believe a more modest winning margin for Narendra Modi in 2024 would best serve the West’s interests
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
How G7 and EU are weaponising diamonds and carbon
In the wake of the Ukraine war, the West tried every trick in the diplomatic playbook to get India to loosen ties with Russia. After that strategy failed, it is using trade to force New Delhi’s hand
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Modiphobia triggers Western media meltdown ahead of 2024 polls
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, sections of the Western media have thoughtlessly attacked Indian democracy, in the process damaging their own credibility
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
The Anglo-Saxon brotherhood and its global endgame
After World War II, the Anglo-Saxon brotherhood set the rules for the world order to preserve its neo-colonial hegemony. But the rise of Asia is chipping away at Pax Americana
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why new India is not ready to take US criticism lying down
In the past when the US spoke about alleged human rights violations in India, New Delhi was reluctant to upset Washington. But this time, when the US criticised CAA and then made remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, India hit back
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
What Sandeshkhali tells us about West Bengal politics
For years, Mamata Banerjee turned a blind eye to the excesses of Sheikh Shahjahan, dubbed the ‘sexual predator of Sandeshkhali’. That could prove costly for her in the Lok Sabha election
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why Rahul Gandhi’s second yatra is mistimed
As the INDIA bloc lurches from one crisis to another, the Congress is fast running out of allies who are eager to defend their own turf. Amidst the chaos, Rahul’s yatra is not helping
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why Advani’s Bharat Ratna is well deserved
LK Advani was the face of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement that propelled the BJP’s rise but he became a forgotten man after the 2014 election. Now, he has finally got his due
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Can Ram Mandir halo deliver a hat-trick for Modi?
The after-glow of Ram Mandir puts the BJP in pole position, but the 2024 general election isn’t yet a done deal
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why Indians take illegal ‘dunki’ flights
Migrating overseas will continue as long as there is a lack of better quality and well-paid jobs in India. But as the economy grows, the reverse drain of talent will gather pace
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Is India sending a message with its French and Russian outreach?
The Republic Day invite for Emmanuel Macron and S Jaishankar’s visit to Moscow are meant to show the US and its allies that India has geopolitical options outside the Anglosphere.
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why 'colonial' Congress could lose battle of 2024
The Opposition, especially the Congress, needs to understand that a divide-and-rule policy does not work in democratic India as it once did in colonial India
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why Maharashtra misstep may cost BJP dear in 2024
Lok Sabha seat allocation in Maharashtra may prove to be a critical point in the relationship between three constituents of the alliance and that is where the challenge lies for BJP leadership
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Who is behind the assassination of anti-India terrorists?
Jihadis who belong to anti-India terror outfits such as JeM, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen are dropping dead across Pakistan. Is the ISI cleaning house or are there bigger forces at play?
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why larger-than-life Modi is a double-edged sword
The BJP is fighting assembly elections without projecting any chief ministerial faces and is instead relying on the Modi factor to deliver victory. For how long will this strategy work?
- Minhaz Merchant
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM