Tag: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi should adopt Modi’s scripted political communication style

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Rahul Gandhi at a press conference | File photo: Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

 

By Shivam Vij for ThePrint, 30 April 2020

Rahul Gandhi’s 30-minute chat with ex-RBI governor Raghuram Rajan on a video call has made the former Congress president look better than any interview or press conference he has ever done.

He would do well to engage in many more such interactions on video call chats and put them out for public consumption. He could have such chats with Congress chief ministers and workers, with experts around the country and the world. This format suits Rahul Gandhi for many reasons. For one, it is not designed to make him face tough questions. Continue reading “Rahul Gandhi should adopt Modi’s scripted political communication style” →

Why BJP will rule India uninterrupted for the next 30 years, till 2049

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(This article first appeared in ThePrint on 5 June 2019.)

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In a job interview, the hiring manager decided to put the candidate at ease with small talk. He asked the candidate, what’s your favourite fruit? Considering it is the season of mangoes, surely you like mangoes?

Instead of giving a simple answer, the candidate replied, “I do Vipassana”. The manager was flummoxed. What’s Vipassana got to do with any fruit? Continue reading “Why BJP will rule India uninterrupted for the next 30 years, till 2049” →

Why the Congress party should stop apologising about dynasty

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By Shivam Vij for ThePrint.in, 31 October 2018

(From left) Krishna Kumari, Swarup Rani, Motilal Nehru, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit and Jawaharlal Nehru.
(From left) Krishna Kumari, Swarup Rani, Motilal Nehru, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Continue reading “Why the Congress party should stop apologising about dynasty” →

Here’s why Modi gets away with his gaffes, while Rahul Gandhi gets called Pappu

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By Shivam Vij for ThePrint.in, 27 August 2018

There’s a clip of a Narendra Modi speech that made the rounds of social media recently, where the Prime Minister is talking about converting foul gas coming from a sewer into fuel. The statement became such a butt of jokes that the BJP and its supporters on social media were forced to counter it. Continue reading “Here’s why Modi gets away with his gaffes, while Rahul Gandhi gets called Pappu” →

Why Demonetisation’s Failure Didn’t Benefit The Opposition

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[This article first appeared in HuffPost India on 2 September 2017.]

It is easy to give post-facto explanations for anything. The Delhi commentariat consensus is that demonetisation’s real intention was political — in other words, the Modi government knew the economic disaster it would beget. Secondly, we are told demonetisation helped the BJP win the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Continue reading “Why Demonetisation’s Failure Didn’t Benefit The Opposition” →

The Congress needs only one strategy: focus on India’s poor

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For Scroll.in, 20 October 2014

As Indian voters are turning away from the Congress in election after election, they are keeping their best interests in mind. Control of both centre and states alike is good for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bhartiya Janata Party. But it’s making India look increasingly like a one-party state. That, of course, is bad news for democracy since any healthy democracy needs a healthy opposition. Continue reading “The Congress needs only one strategy: focus on India’s poor” →