This week on NL Hafta’s election special episode, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri and Raman Kirpal are joined by Newslaundry and The News Minute’s  reporters – Basant Kumar, Sudipto Mondal, Prateek Goyal, Anjana Meenakshi and Tanishka Sodhi – who covered the assembly elections from ground zero.

The panel discusses poll promises, corruption, difference between the BJP and the Congress’s workers, BJP-BRS dynamics, prevalence of caste in Chhattisgarh, anti-incumbency against Shivraj Singh Chouhan and KCR, and the relevance of the BJP in Mizoram. 

“Chhattisgarh’s entire election is dependent on farmers...because in Chhattisgarh over 70 percent of voters are farmers,” says Basant emphasising the higher rate of minimum support price for agricultural produce in Chhattisgarh. Meanwhile, Sudipto delves into the shortfalls of the reservation policies in the state.

On Madhya Pradesh, Prateek says, “We are seeing Congress’s upper-hand, but the BJP is putting in a lot of effort, and that is not visible in Congress.” Anjana talks about how in Telangana, KCR’s Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project has backfired and sparked an anti-incumbency wave. 

“In Mizoram, usually it’s MNF and Congress - every two terms they alternate. But for the first time, there is a new party, ZPM, and at least in the urban areas, people really want ZPM to come,” says Tanishka on the politics in northeastern state. 

This and a lot more. Tune in!

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