My Columns: Without Fear and Favour

Summary of Sixth Phase of West Bengal elections By Deepak Parvatiyar - See more at: http://www.elections.in/blog/summary-sixth-phase-west-bengal-elections/#sthash.GBbd5oC1.dpuf The concluding phase of polling on the 32nd day of the poll process in West Bengal was historic as about 90% of the ‘eligible’ 9400 residents of the 51 Enclaves of Bangladesh (merged with India following enclave exchange between the two countries on 31 July 2015), voted for the first time as Indian citizens in the final leg on 5 May. The Election Commission of India had enrolled them by “special efforts” in little over four months after delimitation of constituencies. High Voter Turnout In all, 84.24% percent of the 58.04 lakh voters turned out to cast their votes till 5 pm in the 25 assembly constituencies of the two poll-bound districts of the state — Cooch Behar (9 constituencies), and East Midnapore (16 Constituencies). While the voter turnout was 82.71% in Cooch Behar district, it was 85...

Who will be the next CM of Tamil Nadu? By Deepak Parvatiyar May 5, 2016 - See more at: http://www.elections.in/blog/who-will-be-the-next-cm-of-tamil-nadu/#sthash.jwBOYAHj.dpuf In star struck Tamil Nadu, the overlapping line of demarcation between Tollywood and politics has besmirched all for decades. It is not just the Tamil superstars like (late) MG Ramachandran and J.Jayalalithaa but even the “behind the scene” mortals such as script writers C.N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi, who donned the mantle of chief ministership in the film-obsessed state since its inception. For a short period of 23 days, even MGR’s widow and former Tamil actress Janaki Ramachandran could become the CM on 7 January 1988 but her political career at the helm was cut short by the imposition President’s rule in the state on 30 January 1988. The Contest Between Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi However, ever since 1989, the race for chief ministership was only between Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi. The...