Muslim Vote

BJP's West Bengal ambitions may be marred by lack of popular local face, fissures in state unit

Crowd enthusiasm is certainly one measure of voter interest, but it is not the only measure and it is not a reliable indicator of a party’s prospects at the electoral hustings. This is truer even more in West Bengal where BJP’s organisational strength and grassroots structure do not match its expectations

BJP making inroads in Bengal clear from crowd at Modi's Kolkata rally; TMC's minority appeasement policy a factor

The crowd at Narendra Modi's rally at Kolkata must have the BJP mighty pleased as its strength matched that of public rallies held by former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu, or even the incumbent, Mamata Banerjee.

Karnataka polls: With no Muslims among BJP candidates, state's largest religious minority may turn to Siddaramaiah

In at least eight constituencies Muslims make up at least half the population and in a dozen more seats they can play a decisive role in deciding the winner

Uttar Pradesh: Keshav Prasad Maurya out of CM race as Amit Shah says BJP would back state party chief's pick

Maurya, a prominent OBC face in the BJP, rose to prominence due to the uncanny resemblance of his rags to riches story with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Assam election results: Key factors which helped BJP uproot the 15-year-old Gogoi govt

Ending a 15-year rule in a state is no small achievement. Here are the factors which led to victory for the BJP in Assam.

Bihar and UP assembly polls could see the rise of a new Muslim politics

The elections to the Bihar assembly this year and Uttar Pradesh 18 months later will have major implications for Muslim communal politics in post-independence India.

Amit Shah vs Mamata Didi: The next Battle of Plassey will be a dirty one

Will the next Battle of Plassey (well, figuratively) be fought between Amit Shah and TMC? Wherever it is fought, it promises to be a dirty war.

Will Nitish Kumar pay the price of ensuring progress in Bihar?

Until recently seen as PM aspirant in a 'Federal Front' coalition, Nitish Kumar is suddenly the object of derision in Bihar even as the JD (U) faces the prospect of major losses in the Lok Sabha Election. Here are his miscalculations decoded.

The imponderables: Will Mayawati be UP's Jill-in-the-box?

Due to some degree of communal polarisation, Mayawati's chances have been written off. But her potential is probably being underestimated - especially since Muslims will be voting tactically this time to defeat the BJP

Lucknow cleric: Muslims still fear Modi, but Rajnath is like Vajpayee

Rajnath's meeting with clerics, plus his pictures wearing a skullcap in a shrine will no doubt add fuel to the reports that the BJP president may be willing to step into Modi's shoes if the need arises.