All stories by Mahesh Vijapurkar
Vote-buying kills democratic contests
Rediff.com2 Apr 2014Despite a strong anti-corruption mood, where election costs are seen as the driver for graft, politicians don't change their spots. Unsurprisingly, this trend of unleashing cash can be expected to continue in this Lok Sabha elections too, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Why the media anger at Kejriwal is not justified
Rediff.com19 Mar 2014But by picking on Kejriwal for his threats, unfortunate as they are, and ignoring the appreciation he gets is missing the woods for the trees. Hopefully, the media would introspect and infuse more vigour, not mere hype, in democratic debates, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Why Mumbai's slum rehab plan does not work
Rediff.com5 Mar 2014Though launched in 1996, the slum replacement scheme has more or less bombed. Builders have not found the slum spaces attractive enough to build, harvest extra FSI for sale in open market thereby subsidising the rehabilitation, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
How Parliament is being sabotaged from within
Rediff.com19 Feb 2014It is quite likely that the Parliament itself could now attract people's scorn. That would be terrible, and not the people but the politicians would be responsible, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Lack of patience may wreck AAP's Lok Sabha dream
Rediff.com6 Feb 2014Perhaps Arvind Kejriwal got it right when he described the party as Shivji ki baraat. In other words, without the pejorative sense associated with it, a ragtag. New, and new to the business of government, it is faltering, notes Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Image crisis hits AAP too early in life
Rediff.com28 Jan 2014A party of newbies which had anger as fuel and hope in its own capability to work wonders suddenly finds itself not only in government but put on fast forward by everyone. These are heavy burdens for a fledgeling party, to perform under a microscope. Transparency is what they promised, and they are in a glass house now, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Untoward leaders, but the AAP is on course
Rediff.com21 Jan 2014Dismissing Kejriwal as an anarchist and trying to corner him on that score is unfair because the AAP is unlike any other party we have so far seen. It takes its strength directly from the people not just by way of votes but being participatory in its decisions, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
AAP's campaign costs leave parties no justification for graft
Rediff.com13 Jan 2014It is not yet clear how many Lok Sabha constituencies would see Aam Aadmi Party's candidates in the fray. If those seats are fought and won the way the 28 assembly seats were in Delhi, it can end the usual excuse for corruption: high election costs, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Why the AAP needs to watch out
Rediff.com8 Jan 2014Now that the AAP has turned from an anti-corruption movement to a political party running a government in New Delhi, it may find that the media is no more a collaborator, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Why is Maharashtra trying to curb liquor sales?
Rediff.com26 Dec 2013Will the state forgo its lucrative excise collections in a bid to curb sales of liquor in the festive season, asks Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Delhi election results: Political pundits don't get it
Rediff.com11 Dec 2013The AAP will face the more determined BJP at the next round in Delhi. Sure it would have to counter a Modi-led campaign but hasn't it already weathered that? In the re-poll, AAP would not need to bother much about the decimated Congress, down on both moral and image. All it needs to do is stay the ground till then, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Post the 26/11 attacks, have we learnt nothing?
Rediff.com27 Nov 2013We continue to be what we were before 26/11-- sitting ducks, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
A year since Bal Thackeray, Uddhav's challenge is about to begin
Rediff.com16 Nov 2013In the one year since his father, Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's death, Uddhav may not have done much, but the coming months will show if it was time wasted or spent in useful strategy-making, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Prev |