Every once in a while comes an election in India that tests the limits of psephology. The Chhattisgarh verdict is one such, where not a single survey gauged the mood of the people correctly. The comfortably placed Congress led by Bhupesh Baghel, which had been voted to power with the most comprehensive mandate in the state's history, saw a chastening defeat at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a party that had ruled Chhattisgarh for 15 years but which had been reduced to no more than 15 seats in the previous polls. It bounced back with a vengeance this time, raising its tally to 54 seats and 46 per cent votes, 13 percentage points higher than the last time. The Grand Old Party, meanwhile, was left smarting, reduced to just 35 seats, from the 68 it had won in 2018, though with only 0.8 percentage point reduction in votes. Of the 12 ministers in Baghel's cabinet, only three-a quarter-won. The BJP certainly did many things right. But what proved to be the Congress's undoing? Simply that it could neither understand the political undercurrents that had been pointing to trouble, nor could it save itself in time from the BJP's unsparing onslaught.
"The perception, created with huge effort and expenditure, made everyone believe that there is no alternative to Baghel," says journalist Sunil Kumar. "Even though the Congress had made numerous promises, it seems the corruption allegations took a toll. Congress leaders said corruption is not an issue in Chhattisgarh. Well, if it was an issue the Congress raised in Karnataka, why would it not be an issue in Chhattisgarh?" That is perhaps the most illustrative example of how the Baghel government misread its challenges.
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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
