Political parties are in the throes of a defining moment, at least in anointing chief ministers of states that have elected new legislative assemblies, even as the parliamentary polls loom large. The BJP has taken the lead in introducing generational change by picking three men, all in their 50s, exemplifying diversity. A first-time MLA, the 56-year-old Bhajan Lal Sharma is a Brahmin and the new chief minister of Rajasthan. An equally surprising pick is four-time chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s replacement in Madhya Pradesh—the 58-year-old Mohan Yadav, an OBC. Earlier, in Chhattisgarh, the saffron party installed another new face—that of 59-year-old Vishnu Deo Sai, who belongs to the Scheduled Tribes.
These changes, marking a tectonic shift in the political landscape, unfolded over three days, a week after results in three northern states announced the season of saffron. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, in the company of BJP national president J.P. Nadda, took the call keeping in mind the long-term imperative of consolidation with continuity. Though the decisions had been taken on December 4 itself, just a day after the results came in, the trio waited a week before announcing the names in a staggered manner. A luxury that the Congress could ill afford in Telangana, India’s youngest state, where it wrested power from the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi with a slender majority. In demonstrating that it will not be left behind, the Grand Old Party made the strapping Anumula Revanth Reddy the chief minister of Telangana. The 54-year-old firebrand had joined the Congress only in 2017.
THE POLITICAL LOGIC
Denne historien er fra December 25, 2023-utgaven av India Today.
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Denne historien er fra December 25, 2023-utgaven av India Today.
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He gave the beat to the world
He would pick up the rhythms of each experience of mobility and weave them into his taals. Thus it was that he reflected joy and laughter in rhythmic cycles...such was the magic of Zakir's fingersText and photographs by Raghu Rai
KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE
All it took was a catchy tagline-'God's Own Country'-for the world to discover Kerala's wealth of natural beauty. It remains among the best tourism ad campaigns, earning the state a place among top 10 international destinations
SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL
Among the cult Indian gurus, no one had a bigger hold on western minds than 'Osho' Rajneesh. He's also perhaps the role model for the enterprise-building gurus of today
RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA
Shopping malls, a 1990s innovation in India, changed the way the Indian middle class shops. Their success now lies in being 'shoppertainment' destinations, offering something for everyone
CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS
ITC's Bukhara and Dum Pukht turned the world to tandoori cuisine and had an enormous impact on the F&B industry. Decades on, they are still a pit-stop for celebrities and heads of state visiting Delhi
INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE
Rushdie lit the way but Indian writing in English has taken a life of its own in the past few decades, with translated Indian fiction most recently having its moment in the sun
INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST
The 1990s economic liberalisation came as oxygen, lighting up the Indian art scene. Today, artworks by established masters routinely go for astronomical amounts
FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL
The Festival of India grew into a symbol of our 'soft power', introducing our art and aesthetics to a global audience while also helping rebrand our domestic products
THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI
For ages, the film song ruled. Nothing else was audible. Then came Nazia, charioteered by Biddu, and Indian ears went into a pleasant madness. Literally, Disco Deewane. A whole genre was born
SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC
India had seen hits before. But Sholay seared into its collective psyche like a badland bullet. The effect was on a scale never seen before- one film creating a new mass folk culture. And a trail of monster blockbusters that still continues
