Kalyani Shankar

By Kalyani Shankar Why do Indian politicians woo the Diaspora in the United States and elsewhere? Why does the Diaspora, who can’t vote in India, take an interest in their homeland? It is perhaps because, as India’s GDP grows, the Diaspora’s role in India’s foreign policy also rises. The 32 million-strong global Indian Diaspora has […]

The post Rahul Gandhi’s Engagement With Indian Diaspora In USA Has Been Productive first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar One of the first things Prime Minister Narendra Modi did soon after assuming office nine years ago was dismantling the Planning Commission with a legacy of 65 years and set up the Niti Aayog in January 2015. Even as the chief minister of Gujarat earlier, Modi had some ideas for a stronger […]

The post NITI Aayog Has Failed To Play Any Effective Role In Planning For Indian Economy first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Dame Luck smiles at every Party at a particular moment. The 137-year Grand Old Congress Party, which has seen many ups and downs, is no exception. Winning a prosperous and significant Karnataka recently gave Congress that golden moment. If Congress wants to revive itself, it can’t sit on the laurels of recent […]

The post Congress Can Take Lessons From Indira’s Chikmagaluru Victory To Succeed In 2024 Polls first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Could the United States also favour an Indian American for the top job in the 2024 polls? It is a million-dollar question. But it does not stop the American Indians from dreaming about it. The United Kingdom has chosen an Indian-origin Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, last year. As for the Indian Americans, […]

The post President Joe Biden Is Favourite In The Present Campaign For 2024 Polls first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar surprised friends and foes alike with his sudden decision to give up the presidency of his Party recently, only to withdraw it after three days. It ultimately became a storm in a teacup. Had Pawar stuck to his decision, it could have considerably weakened his Party, […]

The post Sharad Pawar Has Now Emerged As A Stronger Leader To Lead Battle Against BJP first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Viewers worldwide will witness the coronation ceremony of British King Charles and his Queen Camilla on May 6. The critical moment in modern British history will be 70 years after Queen Elizebeth11 coronation in 1952. Though Charles succeeded Queen Elizabeth 11 in September 2022 after her death, the coronation will only occur […]

The post King Charles 111 Aims To Synergise Tradition With Modernity At Coronation first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Will the turncoats spoil the chances of the ruling BJP returning to power in Karnataka’s May 10 Assembly polls? The Party-hopping has peaked before the elections. How far these turncoats would damage the BJP is unknown. Despite its insisting that this migration would not affect its poll prospects, the exit of prominent […]

The post Party Hopping Is A Normal Feature In Karnataka Before Or After Polls first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar With the state assembly election later this year, Congress faces a political crisis again. The party lost Punjab last year because of mishandling by the Gandhis by backing the wrong horse. Will the Congress leadership be able to save Rajasthan from going the Punjab way? Congress and BJP have been alternating in […]

The post Congress Leadership Has To Take Immediate Action To Resolve Rajasthan Crisis first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar When Arvind Kejriwal launched his Aam Admi Party in 2012 and bid for power the following year for Delhi assembly in 2013, no one thought he would find political space and sustain himself for long years. Now, on Monday, the Election Commission has granted AAP national party status on the basis of […]

The post Getting National Party Status From Election Commission Is A Big Boost To AAP first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar All eyes are on the forthcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, for which polling will be held on May 10, and the results will be announced on May 13. The outcome will determine the prospects of the two leading contenders – the ruling BJP and the Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. […]

The post Congress Party Has An Edge Over BJP In Karnataka Assembly Polls On May 10 first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Is Congress leader Rahul Gandhi politically finished after the recent court verdict and his subsequent dismissal from Parliament? Is it an advantage or a setback for him and his party? It is too early to predict as it is an evolving story. But experience says that no politician is finished until he […]

The post Rahul Gandhi’s Political Future Depends On Many Imponderables Before 2024 Polls first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Just as we need reforms in many other areas, Parliament needs reforms urgently. Right now, both Houses remain paralysed. The Opposition is looking for public and media attention to embarrass the Government, while the Government is also in an aggressive mood.. The ruling  party  members     are not   allowing the Parliament   to function. […]

The post Time Is Ripe For Reforming The Ways For Parliament’s Smooth Functioning first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar After the recent Assembly results, all parties in the tiny State of Nagaland formed an Opposition- free government to get a share in the power pie. All the parties unconditionally supported the ruling alliance, and all parties were in the Government with no Opposition. It isn’t the first time Nagaland has chosen […]

The post Nagaland’s Opposition-Free Government Must Remain One-Off first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar The just released Assembly poll results in three northeastern states – Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura are seen as semi-finals before next year’s parliamentary elections when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek a third consecutive term at the Centre. There are 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in the region. As they play the see-saw […]

The post BJP Has Got Dividends In Three North East States By Continuous Nurturing first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar There could be a musical chair this year with nine states going for elections. It will be a trailer and the semi-final before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The results will show whether the BJP continues to sway the voters or the Congress-led Opposition will defeat the BJP in the upcoming elections. […]

The post BJP Is Battle Ready For The Nine State Assembly Elections In 2023 first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar How does one assess the impact of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s just completed Bharat Jodo yatra? Has he achieved his goal vis-a-vis himself, his party and the Opposition? The answer is yes; he has partially succeeded in his image makeover. But about the Party and the Opposition, it is too soon to […]

The post After Yatra’s Success, Rahul Gandhi’s Main Task Should Be To Energise The Congress first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar One of the important businesses in Parliament is the annual budget presentation. This year too, on February 1, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the 2023 budget. Why is a budget important? It gives a bird’s eye view of the government’s fiscal policy and how it will distribute resources. The 2023 […]

The post Narendra Modi Govt’s Last Full Budget On February 1 May Have Some Surprises first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar A Third Front again! Before every Lok Sabha poll, this Third Front idea is floated, and the 2024 polls are no exception. Political pundits predict there is space for the entire Opposition against BJP but not a Third Front, as it will splinter the anti- BJP votes and help the ruling dispensation. […]

The post Ambitious K Chandrasekhar Rao Is Now Serious In Building A Third Front first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Decades ago, the first DMK chief minister C.N. Annadurai compared the post of a governor to a  redundant goat’s beard. It was after Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru dismissed the E M S Namboodiripad government on the recommendations of the then Kerala Governor on July 31, 1959. Once again, today, the role of […]

The post Political Parties Must Arrive At A Consensus On The Role Of State Governors first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Congress would like to rebrand Rahul Gandhi as a young, caring, and ideological leader before the 2024 polls. Has Rahul shown a new image after the Bharat Jodo yatra, completed over 100 days as intended? For the first time after many years, the grand old party is trying to reach out to […]

The post Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra Has Presented A More Mature Persona Of Him As A Leader first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar What is in store for the year 2023? Will it be good or bad? For the past three years, the world has faced an unprecedented pandemic – Covid – which has devastated the globe. Crystal ball gazers are hoping for a better scenario next year. They expect the economy’s health will be […]

The post 2023 Is The Year Of Rahul Gandhi To Prove His Mettle Through Nine State Polls first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar The BJP has weakened Congress in the past eight years, but can it decimate the growing number of influential regional leaders who will be the primary challengers in the 2024 polls? In July, the BJP vowed to eliminate the family rule in the Hyderabad executive meeting. However, to their dismay, one more […]

The post DMK Promotes Udhayanidhi As Third Generation Dynast Politician In Tamil Nadu first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Now that the voters in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have given their verdict, what next? Each of the main parties got some gains but also suffered some losses. The immediate challenge before them and the Opposition are to set right things before the final  2024 polls. BJP won a spectacular victory in […]

The post Congress And Regional Parties Can Jointly Give A Good Fight To BJP In 2024 Polls first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Has Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s low-profile poll gamble worked? Rahul skipped the campaign in Himachal Pradesh and canvassed barely in Gujarat while concentrating on his Bharat Jodi yatra. Was it part of a strategy, or was it an ill-advised move? Could Rahul’s strategy be to save the party’s ammunition for more significant […]

The post Rahul Gandhi Wants Bharat Jodo Yatra For His Long Term Battle Against RSS first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Will a potential Joe Biden versus Donald Trump presidential race happen in 2024 in the United States? It is the question after the two current and former presidents have thrown themselves in the presidential ring two years in advance. Democrats and Republicans are already preparing for the 2024 presidential polls. Polls show […]

The post Another Biden-Trump Contest Is Likely In 2024 Presidential Elections first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Despite trying hard for decades, the BJP has little or no presence in the southern states except ruling Karnataka. The South contributes 129 seats, of which the BJP has only 29. Notably, political churning is happening in Tamil Nadu, where BJP is all set to capture the space riding piggyback on its […]

The post BJP Is Planning Big For Its Southern Conquest In Coming Two Years first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Now that the Congress Party will have a non-Gandhi Chief, what happens to the three Gandhis- Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka? Will they continue to dominate? When a reporter asked about their future role, Sonia said, “Of course, you have to ask the party, I suppose.” But one can see a clear game […]

The post Rahul Gandhi Will Remain Central Leader Of Congress Irrespective Of President first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar Image building is a politically important tool for present-day politicians worldwide, and India is no exception. They employ specialized image-building companies, who tell their clients what to wear, how to speak and what issues should be focused on at considerable costs to capture power. In the past decade, many leaders have engaged […]

The post Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra Has Good Potential To Connect To Masses first appeared on IPA Newspack.

By Kalyani Shankar A day before his assassination on January 30, 1948 Mahatma  Gandhi proposed in his ‘ last will and testament to dissolve the Congress Party and replace it with a Lok Sevak Sangh (people’s service organization.) He said, “Congress in its present shape and form, as a propaganda vehicle and a parliamentary machine, […]

The post Congress Has To Come Out Of Its Crisis By Reinventing Its Ideas And Party first appeared on IPA Newspack.

  By Kalyani Shankar   Indian democracy presently suffers from its lack of a strong Opposition. Some feel that the secret weapon of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s success is the divided Opposition.   Even Supreme Court Chief Justice NV Ramana recently lamented, “There used to be mutual respect between the government and Opposition. Unfortunately, the […]

The post On 75th Year Of Independence, India Lacks A Strong Opposition first appeared on IPA Newspack.