Ashish Ranjan-Frontline

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to freedom fighter and Dalit leader Jaglal Choudhary, in Patna on February 5. The party appointed Rajesh Ram, a Dalit leader, as its Bihar president in March this year.

Dalit voters, a decisive force

With rising political awareness and social assertion, Dalits are no longer a marginal presence. Every major party is shaping its strategy around them.

Ashish Ranjan,Atul Kumar Pandey

Jul 09, 2025

BJP activists and Ladki Bahin Yojana beneficiaries on their way to Mumbai to attend the swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister, in Nagpur on December 4.

Women voters: New political powerhouse?

Women-specific welfare schemes now help parties win elections. Yet whether women vote as a unified group or follow traditional loyalties is unclear.

Dec 11, 2024

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Kalpana Soren being garlanded as they meet Poshan Sakhi sisters, in Ranchi, on December 7, 2024.

Jharkhand election: A triumph of grassroots strategies over polarising campaigns

The INDIA bloc overturned the Lok Sabha outcome by addressing the pressing challenges faced by the State’s predominantly tribal population.

Ashish Ranjan,Atul Kumar Pandey

Dec 10, 2024

BJP supporters celebrate as Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra in Nagpur on November 28.

How BJP became the dominant political force in Maharashtra, replacing Congress

This dominance comes through a combination of Hindutva ideology, welfare schemes, and strategic alliance-building with regional leaders.

Sarthak Bagchi,Ashish Ranjan

Dec 09, 2024

People watching the exit polls of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, at a TV showroom in Visakhapatnam on June 1.

Exit polls have morphed from research tools into media spectacles that chase ratings and drive market bets

To become reliable again, they require strict regulation and methodological overhaul.

Ashish Ranjan,Atul Kumar Pandey

Nov 18, 2024

At Kharkhri Sohan village in Bhiwani district on September 20, Dharambir Singh Chaudhary, BJP’s MP from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, campaigning for the party’s candidate for the Tosham Assembly constituency.

BJP’s triumph in Haryana goes beyond social engineering against Jat dominance

A third consecutive term can also be attributed to addressing the specific needs of deprived communities and fielding fresh faces.

Ashish Ranjan,Atul Kumar Pandey

Oct 15, 2024

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah addresses an election campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Election, in Kupwara on September 29.

Kashmir’s split verdict: Democracy or division?

Valley backs NC alliance, Jammu stands with BJP as the region’s first Assembly election in a decade highlights distinct regional choices.

Oct 15, 2024

Villagers after casting their vote in the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election, at Sehar village along the Line of Control in Nowshera, Rajouri district, on September 25.

Kashmir election: Quest for electoral autonomy versus social engineering-led development

The crucial question is which of these will weigh uppermost in voters’ minds.

Sep 30, 2024

At a brick kiln in Anandapuram, some 30 km from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Millions of people migrate from rural areas to cities and suburban areas every year in search of work.

How the Lok Sabha election 2024 bust the urban-rural myth

The BJP has lost more ground in rapidly urbanising areas—places witnessing faster rural-to-urban transition—than in areas seeing slower urbanisation.

Shamindra Nath Roy,Ashish Ranjan

Jun 25, 2024

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in New Delhi on June 5. The SP, which won 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh, played a crucial role in halting the BJP juggernaut.

Rise of the regionals

The biggest takeaway from the 2024 election is that regional parties, whose future had been written off during the saffron wave, are back with a bang.

Jun 25, 2024

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