A Peep Inside Chhattisgarh's 'No Vote Zone' In Elections'14

By Mithilesh Mishra | Raipur

SPECIAL REPORT According to data collected during last year's Assembly polls, 15 polling booths across villages which fall under the Konta Assembly constituency recorded zero polling percentage. Time, they say, flies. But in Chintalnar, ever since the Salwa Judum movement began in 2005, it first froze and then turned backwards.

Situated in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, Chintalnar has no roads, no hospitals, no electricity, no administration. But the village, which hit the headlines after one of the bloodiest Maoist attacks claimed 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men and a policeman in 2010, is a cause of envy for its nearby villages which have the dubious distinction of polling zero votes for more than a decade now.

Spotlight: Women Can Build A New Politics In New India

By Sumera Shahnaz | INNLIVE

Engaging in formal politics is basically about engaging in making a claim for power or for access to it. This power can, of course, be used in ways that are enabling to the groups that the elected politician represents. Given this, we could ask how far reservation of seats in legislative councils for women would enable them to gain the power to negotiate the issues and concerns that impact their lives and affirm the rights demanded by the women’s movement.

Maoists Appear Divided Over Tactics During Elections 2014

By Chandan Rai (Guest Writer)

The outlawed CPI (Maoist) appears, which has given a call for boycotting the 16 th Lok Sabha polls, appear to be divided regarding their tactics vis-à-vis the largest democratic exercise worldwide.

If the recent activities of the banned Left Wing Extremist outfit CPI (Maoist) are any indications, they seem to be split over their modus operandi during the 16th Lok Sabha elections. While they have given a poll boycott call in a number of their pocket areas in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, the Red rebels have decided to urge the people to opt for the NOTA (none of the above) option in various areas.

A Parallel Conversation: Martyrs, Rebels And Peasants

By Mithilesh Mishra | INNLIVE

SPECIAL REPORT The amicable relationship some villagers have with the Maoists, panchayat institutions, as well as large NGOs operating in the vicinity of the villages seems an unusual co-existence in Jharkhand.

It was a weekday when I got a call from Manohar* (name changed), an invite to attend a shahaadat diwas in Chotanagpur region the next day. Two months back, Manohar had helped us get in touch with the CPI(Maoist) for an interview. As he said, shahadat diwas was a day to commemorate martyrdom. I was unsure if it was the rebels' leaders' lives the ceremony was meant to recount, but had little opportunity to ask till I was on the road with him the next day.

How Contestants Cook Books Spend Crores Over EC Limit?

By Aniket Sharma | INNLIVE

Elections, it is said, are about spending big. This despite repeated poll panel efforts to curb candidate expenses. The EC rule book is clear: Each candidate is entitled to spend a maximum of Rs 70 lakh and it is mandatory for the nominee to file daily expenses. On the ground, a different story plays out and contestants find ways to beat the book. 
    
Politicians begin spending the day their names surface as a potential candidate. Many engage image consultants to get their projection right and build a “winnability” perception.

Will This Election See Higher Turnout After 'Poll Tamasha'?

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

ANALYSIS While an increased turnout in Assembly elections is not an indicator of the same in Lok Sabha elections, aggressive campaigning points toward a higher turnout in this poll.

If the pattern of turnout in the Assembly elections held over the last couple of years are of any indication, the turnout in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections should significantly increase. Almost all the Assembly elections held in different States between 2012-13 witnessed a higher turnout compared to those held in previous years. 

Elections 2014 - Phase II: Polling Begins In 91 Lok Sabha Seats Spread Across 11 States And 3 Union Territories

INNLIVE Election Teams

Voting begins in Delhi 
Voting is being held for seven Lok Sabha seats in the country's capital, seen as test of Aam Aadmi Party's perceived erosion of support base, BJP's claim of 'Modi wave' and assertion by Congress that it was regaining lost ground after drubbing in last assembly polls.

Naxalites Still Able To Disrupt Elections In North Telangana

By Sampath Shekhar | INNLIVE

The police and politicians in Andhra Pradesh may dismiss the Maoist threat to elections in the undivided State, but a sense of fear and insecurity permeates the constituencies bordering Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Though the Maoists have suffered a setback in north Telangana, the red brigade still calls the shots in the border areas of Khammam, agency areas of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari.

Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, Visakhapatnam rural and Vizianagaram, on the radar of law-enforcement agencies, have 14 Assembly constituencies. They may not be a Maoist stronghold as they used to be a decade ago, but heavily armed squads keep darting across the border to strike and scoot before the police move in.

Despite the claims of the law-enforcement agencies that they are prepared to take on the Maoists and ensure peaceful elections, tension has been escalating with the rebels issuing a call for poll boycott.

“It is true there is some concern, but the situation is not out of control. There could be stray instances of arson or attacks, but they [Maoists] do not have cadres to extend logistical support. They fear getting hit if they venture into our area,” says a senior police officer coordinating anti-extremist operations.

It's Sure, Congress Party Is 'Drowning' Under 'Modi Wave'

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

TRENDING STORY Is there a Modi wave and is this an election different from others? Or is the imminent thrashing of the ruling party the result of an anti-Congress vote? Positive or negative? Yet another opinion poll shown dominance for the Narendra Modi-led BJP over the Congress. 

Now usually we have fragmented general elections in India. This is why I ask if there is a Modi wave. Parties do well in some states and not in others. Local factors are very often and some might say most often the predictors for performance. This is the reason the Congress might even sweep a state and be reduced to nothing in the one next to it. 

Seriously, Chandrababu Naidu Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai?

By Likha Veer | INNLIVE

Chandrababu Naidu has been maha miffed with the BJP from the day that the saffron party admitted his sister–in–law Purandeswari into their fold. A union minister and MP from Visakhapatnam Purandeswari found her political career at grave risk after her government granted Telangana. Worried she ran to her brother Balakrishna to convince Naidu to allow her in the TDP. 

After all, the party was founded by her father! But Naidu with equal antipathy for her husband and she was unwilling to relent. Probably he would have if she had persisted but in the meanwhile BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu jumped into the scene. “Join us,” he sent news to the minister, “We will give you the Visakhapatnam or Vijayawada seat, which ever you want.” Purandeswari was ready. 

Netas' Sons, Daughters Contesting Above 50 Seat In India

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

ELECTIONS 2014 At least 50 parliamentary constituencies will be contested by 'sons and daughters' of politicians. From President Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit to Rahul and Varun Gandhi, at least 50 parliamentary constituencies will be contested by ‘sons and daughters’ of politicians of various parties during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Of these, a majority of candidates have been fielded from the ruling Congress party.

Abhijit Mukherjee, a sitting MP, is contesting on a Congress ticket from his present Jangipur (West Bengal) constituency while Rahul Gandhi and Varun Gandhi are fighting from Amethi and Pilibhit constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, respectively.

How RSS Heavily Invested On 'Elections 2014 And NaMo'?

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

Just in case you think Elections 2014 are all about Narendra Modi deciding his own destiny, here’s another thought: the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is as much invested in his campaign as Modi’s own team in Gandhinagar and the BJP’s headquarters in Delhi. You may think of the RSS as those guys in khaki shorts doing morning exercises with lathis, but an article in a business weekly talks of an RSS "IT blitzkrieg" in the next general elections. 

Among other things, the newspaper says the RSS has got hold of a huge database of 11.5 million Delhi voters, and has started accumulating volunteers to take on the NaMo campaign online and offline. Not only Delhi, but the Sangh plans to cascade its efforts to other states.

Shocking: Indian Army Facing Acute Ammunition Crunch!

By Rashmi Nandan | INNLIVE

EXCLUSIVE The Indian army which is the world’s second largest standing unit, comprising 1.18 million soldiers, by the number of fighting troops is not in a very good shape at present. Army won’t be able to sustain a full-fledged war for more than 20 days.

India’s Army lacks adequate amount of ammunition, tanks, air defence, artillery units and even soldiers. However, Army sources are not ready to acknowledge the revealtion.

As per nomral standards followed in the Army, war wastages reserves (WWR) should be in place keeping in mind 40 days of strong war fighting. Additionally, the duration for the ammunition possessing short-shelf life is three weeks.

Jaswant Singh To Advani: Is BJP Treating 'Old Guard Right'?

By Chandrakant Naidu (Guest Writer)

Bilochan Prasad, 54, hails from Chhapra in Bihar but, has spent half his life plying auto-rickshaws in Delhi. He is quite amused by the milling crowds at the headquarters of various political parties during the ticket distribution season. “If Narendra Modiji wants to come to power to fight the bad parties, why does he need so many from those very parties?” he asks about a stream of new inductees being offered tickets for Lok Sabha. 

Chinks In The Armour: Red Tapism Rules The Roost; Only 800 Helmets Saving Lives Of 85,000 Jawans In India

By Rashmi Nandan | INNLIVE

It’s no secret that the Maoist insurgency is taking control of most of the Indian tribal land, although slowly, steadily of course.

Despite the country’s prime minister and home ministry promising full-proof solution to the problem many times in the past many years, there is nothing in sight anywhere close for a man with head firmly placed on his shoulders.

The jaws of the demon named “Maoist rebellion” is leisurely eating the lives of the personnel from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), without anyone even taking a notice – “would be happy to be proved wrong.”

Exclusive: How Muzaffarnagar Riots Tore A Village Apart?

By Anjali Mody | INNLIVE

EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE When the hindu jats of Kakra describe their village to INNLIVE, they most often use the adjective naram, or “soft,” to set it apart from the harshness of the surrounding region. The 1920 Muzaffarnagar Gazetteer described Kakra as an important village: “a flourishing place held by a large number of Jat proprietors, who are constantly quarrelling among themselves.”

Now a village of nearly 1,400 households 15 kilometres to the south-west of Muzaffarnagar town in western Uttar Pradesh, Kakra is still prosperous, but by their own telling, its Jats are no longer quarrelsome. They like to talk about their kabaddi stadium and their star kabaddi players, some of whom come from as far east as Chhattisgarh. 

Focus: Is It Modi Or BJP Wave Or Anti-Congress Tsunami?

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

Every election begins with just question: Who will win it? But 2014 is like a thriller we are reading backwards. The end has been revealed at the beginning by opinion polls and poll pundits. Most of us know how the drama would unfold in May 2014. 

Still, we have not lost interest in the narrative. Though the BJP looks set to emerge the single-largest party, many other equally powerful and engrossing subplots are vying for attention. Here is a look at the top three questions that we want answered on 16 May.

How Many Jawan Deaths Will Be ‘Too Many’ For Govt?

By Mirza Qadeer | INNLIVE

The Maoists in Chhattisgarh have added yet another number to their list of killings. This time, the toll is 16. In 2005, they had killed 55 cops in Bijapur, 76 CRPF jawans in 2010 and 30 people including senior Congress leaders of the state on 25 May, 2013. 

How many more innocent people and security personnel need to die for the government to wake up from its deep slumber and put an end to the red terror? What is the number that will finally force the government to do something about this? 

General Elections 2014 - The 'New India' With 'Power One'

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

Almost exactly a decade ago, the day after the 2004 Lok Sabha elections were announced, INNLIVE launched its special ‘General Elections 2014’ coverage, bringing readers a 360 degrees ringside view of one of the great wonders of the modern world. 

In every election since, whether general or state, ‘General Elections 2014’ has sought to empower, entertain and enlighten you with ground-level reportage, numbers-driven analyses, and agenda-setting thought pieces. We will do all that and more in the weeks to come, capturing the sights, smells and sounds of the mother-of-all political carnivals on earth, even as we help you separate choice from noise. 

In Focus: 'A Rainbow Coalition Sets A Perfect Youth Agenda'

By Sunaina Behl | INNLIVE

All they want to do is hang out with friends and have fun. So the young in India are a self-absorbed, me-first generation. They don’t want a stake in the fate of their nation and are clueless about the future. 

Right? You couldn’t be more wrong. They want a better education and gainful employment. They are committed to securing fair land and forest rights. They have an opinion on the rising costs of healthcare. They are passionate about creating a safer society for women… Young Indians have a vision and, yes, they definitely have a voice.

Noted activist Ashraf Patel, who has been working with young adults for over two decades, knows exactly what the youth of today is capable of. “Not only do they have great energy and confidence, there is direction and clarity in their minds about what they want.