Replacement Value

Gandhi’s Soft Power

A combination of hard and soft power is often described as “smart power” and this, if applied judiciously, often delivers the best results

Thackeray’s Folly and Shinde’s Sena

The Loneliness of the Patriarch

NCP’s best Lok Sabha tally was nine seats two decades ago but that never came in the way of Sharad Pawar being projected as a prime ministerial candidate. That image of the wily strategist has been shattered by Ajit Pawar’s departure

‘Total Politics’ at Play

The splits in NCP and Shiv Sena have expanded NDA and hurt the Opposition’s efforts to present a united challenge to Narendra Modi in 2024

Uddhav Thackeray’s Hard Fall

Looking back, Thackeray might have avoided the Shinde event if he had paid attention to what was happening on the ground

Principles of Disengagement

Indian authorities continue to carefully assess the state of infrastructure and deployment at the Indo-China border

Allies’ Return?

Several old allies who went out of the NDA seem to be on the same page with BJP when it comes to the latter’s presidential nominee

Tiger Tethered

The party that Bal Thackeray built has been suffering an existential crisis for a long time

The Last Resort

Luxury retreats continue to be a haven for both party honchos to herd their flock and rebels who want to break away