Swati Chaturvedi – Author, NDTV.com

Opinion: Congress Cross-Vote On Kovind Is New Black Mark For Rahul Gandhi

Swati Chaturvedi | Thursday July 20, 2017

Ram Nath Kovind's election as President was a foregone conclusion but it has caused a political earthquake with potentially big aftershocks.

Opinion: What Got Venkaiah Naidu The Job He Really Wanted

Swati Chaturvedi | Monday July 17, 2017

Venkaiah Naidu, veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, publicly claimed that he did not want to be "Rashtrapati" (President) or "Uprashtrapati" (Vice-President) but only "Usha Pati" (husband of Usha). But politics is also the art of the unsaid and that was topped by a beaming Naidu indicating that he would be thrilled to be the NDA's pick.

Opinion: Nitish Kumar's Frustration With Congress, Rahul Gandhi Explodes

Swati Chaturvedi | Monday July 03, 2017

Kumar wants to be part of the mainstream, either in the opposition, or as an ally of the ruling party. As a long-time politician, he is single-minded about the pursuit of power.

Opinion: Amit Shah Strategy Gives BJP Edge in Gujarat, Congress In A Mess

Swati Chaturvedi | Friday June 30, 2017

Gandhi has been away on a trip to see his grandmother in Italy, his third holiday this year, while Shah is working round the clock to ensure a record win in the Gujarat elections.

Opinion: Nitish Kumar Teaches Opposition An Important Lesson

Swati Chaturvedi | Thursday June 22, 2017

The choice of Meira Kumar who is from Bihar and a Jatav Dalit has certainly put Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in a tight spot politically which was the intent of Sonia Gandhi and RJD chief, Lalu Yadav, who are upset with Nitish Kumar's "defection" in saying his party will vote for Kovind.

Opinion: With Kovind For President, Modi-Shah Have Made Ace Move

Swati Chaturvedi | Monday June 19, 2017

The selection of Kovind proves that Modi and Shah do not take a moment off from 24/7 politics.

Opinion: Gujarat Congress Leaders Say Rahul Gandhi Getting It Wrong Again

Swati Chaturvedi | Monday June 12, 2017

Even a half-way decent attempt at trying to challenge the BJP in Gujarat would have been a game-changer for the Congress. It would have galvanised a dispirited cadre which is slowly leaching away from the party after serial defeats and allowed Rahul Gandhi a chance to be taken more seriously as a leader.

Opinion: Bhim Army And Aviators-Wearing Boss Could Help BJP

Swati Chaturvedi | Friday June 09, 2017

As Chandrashekhar, the 30-year-old flamboyant chief of the Bhim Army was finally arrested yesterday from Dalhousie, exactly one month after riots broke out in Saharanpur, it's clear that this marks a new chapter in Dalit politics and struggle.

Opinion: Amit Shah Is Election-Ready. Contrast That To Rahul Gandhi

Swati Chaturvedi | Wednesday June 07, 2017

Rahul Gandhi will take over as Congress President in October from his mother Sonia Gandhi, who has been the party's longest-serving president after taking over in 1998.

Opinion: How RSS And Amit Shah Are Plotting The Election For President

Swati Chaturvedi | Monday May 08, 2017

For the thrice-banned RSS, it will be the ultimate validation when one of their own occupies Rashtrapati Bhavan, a point of immense satisfaction that will follow the appointment of Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Opinion: The Growing Rahul Gandhi Problem Of The Congress

Swati Chaturvedi | Wednesday May 03, 2017

As the Bhartiya Janata Party wins election after election, India's oldest political party, the Congress, which still fancies itself as the principal opposition, faces a crisis of credibility and leadership.

Opinion: What Yogi Adityanath Choice Says About Modi-Shah, RSS

Swati Chaturvedi | Saturday March 18, 2017

A 44-year-old monk Yogi Adityanath, often surrounded by gun- toting followers, will be the Chief Minister of India's politically most important state, Uttar Pradesh.

Opinion: Varun Gandhi's Sidelining By BJP Drives Big Revolt

Swati Chaturvedi | Saturday February 04, 2017

A week ago, a group of five MPs met BJP chief Amit Shah and demanded that his bete-noire Varun Gandhi be added in Uttar Pradesh to the released list of "star pracharaks" (campaigners) because his exclusion was sending a terrible message in a closely fought battle.

Opinion: Congress Alliance Isn't Doing Akhilesh Yadav Big Favours

Swati Chaturvedi | Thursday February 02, 2017

Ajit Singh and his Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) may have been scorned by Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi and abruptly ejected out of the gathbandan (alliance), but in Western Uttar Pradesh, the Jats, aggrieved with the BJP, are relocating their support.

Opinion: My Way Or The Highway Is Adityanath's Clear Message To BJP

Swati Chaturvedi | Wednesday February 01, 2017

Adityanath is just getting started, and if the BJP doesn't want to play along, he has an alternative in place.

OPINION