A COUPLE OF days after she was made the National Democratic Alliance’s presidential candidate, Droupadi Murmu called Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for support. She had been governor there from 2015 to 2021, and Soren had returned to power in 2019. The call put Soren in a quandary. A week prior, his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha had attended the opposition meeting that picked Yashwant Sinha to be Murmu’s opponent. Soren wished Murmu well, but was noncommittal.
Soren had become chief minister with the support of the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, after the voters threw out the BJP for making Raghubar Das, a non-tribal, the chief minister.
But Soren’s seat is anything but safe. The BJP filed an office-for-profit petition against him, which the Election Commission and the High Court are currently hearing. Moreover, in June, the Enforcement Directorate arrested bureaucrat Pooja Singhal, known to be close to Soren, with unaccounted cash (over ₹36 crore) allegedly made from mining projects.
On June 27, within two days of Murmu’s call, Soren met Home Minister Amit Shah. A political crisis was brewing in Maharashtra, and Jharkhand was seen as the BJP’s next target. Soren apparently put forward some of his state’s demands in exchange for support to Murmu.
Two days later, Soren announced that he supported her candidacy, cutting another thread that held together a weak opposition unity.
Socioeconomic problems notwithstanding, the fissures in the opposition camp make the Narendra Modi government look potent ahead of the 15 assembly elections before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Denne historien er fra July 31, 2022-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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Denne historien er fra July 31, 2022-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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A golden girl
One of India's most formidable beauties passed away earlier this month. The odd thing is she would absolutely hate this obituary; she hated being written about and avoided publicity for all of her nine decades. Indira Aswani was 93 when she died. But anyone who encountered her, even briefly, was in such awe of her grace and poise, and one could not but remember her forever.
The interest in wine is growing delightfully in India
The renowned British wine writer and television presenter Jancis Robinson, 74, recently came to Delhi and Mumbai to reacquaint herself with India's wine industry. This was the Robinson's fourth visit to India; the last one was seven years ago. On this trip, Robinson and her husband, restaurateur Nicholas Lander, were hosted by the Taj Hotels and Sonal Holland, India's only Master of Wine.
United in the states
Indian-Americans coming together under the Democratic umbrella could get Harris over the line in key battlegrounds
COVER DRIVE
Usage-driven motor insurance policies offer several benefits
GDP as the only measure of progress is illogical
Dasho Karma Ura, one of the world's leading happiness experts, has guided Bhutan's unique gross national happiness (GNH) project. He uses empirical data to show that money cannot buy happiness in all circumstances, rather it is family and health that have the strongest positive effect on happiness. Excerpts from an interview:
India is not a controlling big brother
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay considers India a benevolent elder sibling as the \"big brotherly attitude\" is happily missing from bilateral ties. He thinks the relationship shared by the two countries has become a model of friendship not just for the region, but for the entire world. \"India's attitude is definitely not of a big brother who is controlling and does not allow the little brother to blossom and grow,\" says Tobgay in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK.
Comrade with no foes
Lal Salaam, Comrade Yechury-you were quite a guy!
Pinning down saffron
In her first political bout, Vinesh Phogat rides on the anti-BJP sentiment across Haryana
MAKE IN MANIPUR
Home-made rockets and weapons from across the border are escalating the conflict
SAHEB LOSES STEAM
Coalition dynamics and poor electoral prospects continue to diminish Ajit Pawar's political stock
