Modi's acid test

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

The 'corporate espionage' incident now rocking the capital is a classic instance of the 'anything for-a-price' culture that has vitiated the country for many decades. The expose this time began as a minor incident. A few months back, as a joint secretary in the petroleum and natural gas ministry entered his Shastri Bhavan office in the morning, his attention was drawn by his staff to a piece of paper lying under the cover of the office photocopier machine.

Games Modi Play

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Of late there are disturbing signs that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is losing one of his main character traits: equipoise. In the 13 years that he led the government of Gujarat, many a times did he face strong headwind. But he took it in his stride. He seldom made a move that wasn’t planned with care. Nor did he take wrong steps during the long Lok Sabha campaign either, to retrace them later. What is it that now makes him wobble? Or rather to make a move with motives not clear?

Kejri puts Modi on Notice

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Hisar native draws a leaf out of Devi Lal’s book 

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has done to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi what late Devi Lal did in 1987 to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Haryana Assembly polls. Devi Lal’s Lok Dal secured 85 out of 90 Assembly seats. And Devi Lal dealt a blow to Rajiv Gandhi when the Bofors scandal had not even surfaced. After Haryana win, when Bofors surfaced, Devi Lal projected V P Singh as alternative national leader and dislodged Congress in 1989. None had imagined that an Opposition win in a tiny state in Delhi’s neighborhood will have a cascading national consequence. But Rajiv Gandhi kept committing one mistake after the other and with Bofors surfacing the die was cast.

Modi & Muffler Man

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Death of political parties is too visible & worrisome

The Delhi assembly results that are on every television screen now are significant not just for the surprise element. With BJP losing its sheen just nine months after its epochal victory, or so it seemed, in the May Lok Sabha polls, the election in the city state raises crucial questions on the very nature of politics.

Delhi: Modi Faces Jolly LL.B

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

In Delhi, where elections for the assembly’s 70 seats are due this week (Saturday), the betting odds are still high on BJP. The reason is obvious: gamblers place their stakes on past records, not on future uncertainties. Even PM Narendra Modi is finally banking on “luck” to win Delhi. The Aam Admi Party, dark horse in Delhi’s 2013 poll, no doubt upset all calculations as it came a close second with 28 seats, after BJP’s 31. The rest is of course history, with AAP chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s 49-day government becoming a joke or a lament, depending on which side of the picket fence one would look at it.