My Columns: Without Fear and Favour

Summary of Fifth Phase of West Bengal Elections By Deepak Parvatiyar April 30, 2016 - See more at: http://www.elections.in/blog/summary-fifth-phase-west-bengal-elections/#sthash.xooxOplO.dpuf In all, 78.25% of 1,23,97,832 voters turned out for elections for 53 seats in Hooghly, Kolkata(South) and South 24 Pargana districts by 5 pm of the penultimate phase of West Bengal elections on 30 April. Fate of those among 349 candidates, including 43 women, was sealed in the ballot box included that of biggies such as incumbent chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, who is seeking re-election from Bhabanipur and is pitted against the Congress’s former union minister Deepak Dasmunshi and the BJP’s Chandra Kumar Sarkar who is the grandnephew of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Vote Percentage Comparison The percentage turnout this time in the three districts was lesser that in 2011 state assembly elections (82.77%) and in 2014 Lok Sabha elections (80.22%...

Tamil Nadu Assembly elections: Candidates to watch out for By Deepak Parvatiyar April 27, 2016 - See more at: http://www.elections.in/blog/tamil-nadu-assembly-elections-candidates-watch/#sthash.U6XSwX7O.dpuf As it is, politics revolving around personality cults rules the roost in Tamil Nadu. For decades, J.Jayalaithaa and M. Karunanidhi have remained the tallest political figures in the state and not many in contemporary politics could match the type of hero worship and veneration that they commanded. They have remained perfect rivals – each replacing the other as the chief minister every five years since 1991. Karunanidhi of DMK Of the two, Karunanidhi, a five-time chief minister, has played a much longer innings in the political arena. At 93, he is not just busy strategizing to see that his Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) dethrones incumbent Chief Minister Jayalithaa’s All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), but is slated to address over 30 electio...

Summary of Fourth Phase of West Bengal Assembly Election 2016 By Deepak Parvatiyar April 25, 2016 - See more at: http://www.elections.in/blog/summary-of-fourth-phase-of-bengal-assembly-polls/#sthash.tV3dcMHS.dpuf The just concluded fourth round of polling in West Bengal on 25 April is crucial to the fortunes of the ruling Trinamool Congress. The results of the elections in the TMC’s citadel – Howrah and North 24 Parganas districts – will determine the extent of damage of the flyover collapse in Kolkata on 31 March in which scores of people had died. Ever since then, the issue of ‘Syndicate Raj’ and builder-mafia-government nexus have been raised by the opposition parties in this election. This fourth round will also test the impact of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rally in this region during the second round of polling. Polling in this phase also took place in parts of the Sundarbans delta where man-animal conflicts along with climate change are big issues. ...

Kerala Assembly Elections 2016: Candidates to watch out for By Deepak Parvatiyar April 19, 2016 - See more at: http://www.elections.in/blog/kerala-assembly-elections-candidates-to-watch-out-for/#sthash.1SQB7ONM.dpuf As the stage gets set for the elections for the 140 assembly seat in Kerala due on May 16, political heavyweights and star candidates would surely create an impact in the state elections, tipped to be three-cornered for the first time with the BJP-led NDA emerging as a serious contender in at least 30 seats. In case the BJP wins any seat in Kerala, it would be a first for the party. It fancies its chances because of its improved performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections where it polled 10.3 per cent votes, as well as in 2015 civic elections where it not only polled an all time high 13.3 per cent, but for the first time, gained power in a local body by taking control of the Palakkad municipality. Chances for BJP and LDF Yet, it seems a long way to go f...