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Rajdeep Sardesai

Rajdeep Sardesai is senior journalist, author and TV news presenter. His book 2014: The election that changed India is a national best seller that has been translated into half a dozen languages. He tweets as @sardesairajdeep

Articles by Rajdeep Sardesai

An inconvenient truth

We discuss the 1993 Mumbai blasts but seldom talk about the riots that preceded it. Is it any wonder then that we are trapped in a cycle of communalism and terrorism? Rajdeep Sardesai asks.

columns

Updated on Apr 04, 2013 09:40 PM IST

ByRajdeep Sardesai

Surname of the game

In an age where it doesn’t enjoy a monopoly on power, the Congress is in dire need of a leader who is transparent, accountable and ready to lead from the front. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Mar 22, 2013 07:20 AM IST

ByRajdeep Sardesai

It is one vs the many

The BJP has a tough job at hand: should it name Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate or play safe and go for ‘collective’ leadership ahead of the elections? Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Mar 08, 2013 07:22 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Trouble with home minister Shinde

Though home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is an emblem of upward mobility in politics, he must realise that as home minister, he cannot just smile his way through every crisis. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

The-parallels-between-Sushilkumar-Shinde-left-and-Zail-Singh-are-uncanny-Both-are-Dalits-both-were-CMs-with-a-limited-political-base-and-both-are-seen-as-Gandhi-family-retainers

columns

Updated on Feb 22, 2013 01:22 PM IST

ByRajdeep Sardesai

The game’s wide open

Those pitching the next elections as just a Rahul vs Modi contest are wrong. Whoever is able to get the maximum potential kingmakers under one tent will be the winner, Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Jan 25, 2013 12:24 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByRajdeep Sardesai, New Delhi

We must speak up now

The political survival of people like Akbaruddin Owaisi depends on sharp identity politics. So while they won't change, we must change the way we deal with them. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Call-his-bluff-Akbaruddin-Owaisi-centre-Secunderabad-January-8

columns

Updated on Jan 11, 2013 12:59 AM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai, New Delhi

Communication error

If ‘protocol’ didn’t permit India’s home minister from visiting India Gate to meet the protesters, what of our numerous young MPs? says Rajdeep Sardesai.

columns

Updated on Dec 28, 2012 02:17 AM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Modi versus the rest

The Congress's biggest problem in Gujarat is the absence of a credible face to take on Brand Modi. The result is a low-key campaign that lives in hope as much as fear. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Dec 13, 2012 10:11 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

A polarising figure

Bal Thackeray was a dangerously clever man. Now that he is gone, Mumbai will not be the same any more; neither will his Shiv Sena. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

india news

Updated on Nov 30, 2012 01:52 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Advantage Modi

Narendra Modi will probably win again. But can Gujarat be a benchmark for measuring popularity in a diverse India? Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

india news

Updated on Nov 16, 2012 12:17 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Stuck in a time warp

The RSS’ Gadkari experiment has failed. Now the BJP chief may be dispensable as a ‘damaged’ politician, but who will hold the RSS accountable? Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Nov 01, 2012 11:54 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

From rumble to a roar

The aam aadmi is convinced that the khaas aadmi and their kin get undue favours. This rage against the elite is fuelling Arvind Kejriwal’s campaign. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Oct 18, 2012 10:57 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

The topi has to fit

Team Arvind sees politics as a moral crusade. But will the middle class be willing to go beyond candlelight marches and made-for-TV fasts? Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Oct 05, 2012 12:59 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Playing to the gallery

Mamata Banerjee is yet to make the transition from a combative politician to a diligent administrator. But such is the political vacuum in Bengal that she may end up as the winner, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.

columns

Updated on Sep 20, 2012 10:23 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

An ugly parochialism

Raj Thackeray must realise that his politics of ‘sons of the soil’ is subject to the law of diminishing returns. It is doing irreparable damage to the idea of Mumbai, Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Sep 06, 2012 11:35 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Douse the fire, now

Cities like Mumbai can be saved from further catastrophe only if the State takes a zero tolerance stand on law-breakers, irrespective of religious affiliation. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Aug 23, 2012 10:36 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Tyranny of distance

The media could not cover the Assam riots like Gujarat 2002. This is not because of any religious bias but because the riot-hit areas were inaccessible. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Aug 09, 2012 10:22 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Game for democracy

London 2012 could be a tipping point for Indian Olympic sport, the moment when we emerge from years of celebrating mediocrity into striving for excellence. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

india news

Updated on Jul 27, 2012 01:36 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByRajdeep Sardesai

The end of innocence

Eventful, loud, tumultuous. No single word can describe the Eighties. The winds of change blew, but was different better?Colour television had come to the country just a year before, courtesy Asiad ’82, but it was... Rajdeep Sardesai writes...

Besides-being-the-editor-in-chief-of-the-IBN-18-network-Rajdeep-Sardesai-also-has-a-law-degree-from-Oxford-University

lifestyle

Updated on Jul 14, 2012 09:18 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Don’t play it safe

Rahul Gandhi should make the effort to fill the leadership vacuum in the Congress or risk being seen as a reluctant politician. And he must make up his mind quickly. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Jul 12, 2012 09:16 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Clash of the titans

By turning a power struggle into an ideological war, Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi may lose the game even before the contest for prime ministership begins. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Jul 08, 2012 11:30 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

No questions, please

As recent events show, in India today there is very little room for genuine debate on public issues. This is not good news for any democracy.

columns

Updated on Jun 15, 2012 12:12 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByRajdeep Sardesai

It’s a cosy little club

The IPL must not be criticised for the T20 format or the scantily clad cheerleaders. Instead, let us focus on the lack of accountability of those who administer the League. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Jun 11, 2012 02:10 AM IST

ByRajdeep Sardesai

No laughing matter

The neta’s ability to laugh at oneself is the ultimate oxygen for a cartoonist. Take that away and the cartoonist is sadly reduced to a cut-out artist, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.

A-cartoon-by-Shreyas-Navare-on-the-three-wishes-of-Kapil-Sibal

columns

Updated on May 18, 2012 06:25 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

The field's wide open

Rather than opt for a Rajya Sabha nomination, Sachin Tendulkar could perhaps have used his appeal to reach out to millions on issues of public concern. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Sachin-Tendulkar-speaks-during-a-felicitation-function-in-Pune-PTI

india news

Updated on May 03, 2012 11:10 PM IST

ByRajdeep Sardesai, New Delhi

Not a luxury suite

Caste or political biases should not influence the choice of India's next president. We need someone who will elevate the post through public service and individual achievement. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

People-s-person-Former-president-APJ-Abdul-Kalam-in-Gangtok-September-2005

columns

Updated on May 03, 2012 03:38 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

No country for saints

Indian voters prefer decisive, even if authoritarian, leaders to those who wear individual integrity as a badge of honour

columns

Updated on Apr 05, 2012 08:28 PM IST

ByRajdeep Sardesai

Orders from HQ

The rail budget fiasco shows that the culture of a party ‘supremo’ is undermining the PM’s authority over his Cabinet and threatening the basis of democratic politics, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.

columns

Updated on Mar 25, 2012 09:29 PM IST

None | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Try a little kindness

Development alone can’t bridge the gap between a Gujarat that’s aspirational and the one that’s alienated. The state also needs the human touch for reconciliation. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Feb 23, 2012 11:29 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByRajdeep Sardesai

Insider as outsider

For years, everyone has been asking Priyanka Gandhi about her political plans. Why can't we accept that she may not want to be a 24x7 politician? Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

columns

Updated on Feb 09, 2012 11:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByRajdeep Sardesai

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Rajdeep Sardesai

Rajdeep Sardesai is senior journalist, author and TV news presenter. His book 2014: The election that changed India is a national best seller that has been translated into half a dozen languages. He tweets as @sardesairajdeep

We discuss the 1993 Mumbai blasts but seldom talk about the riots that preceded it. Is it any wonder then that we are trapped in a cycle of communalism and terrorism? Rajdeep Sardesai asks.

In an age where it doesn’t enjoy a monopoly on power, the Congress is in dire need of a leader who is transparent, accountable and ready to lead from the front. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

The BJP has a tough job at hand: should it name Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate or play safe and go for ‘collective’ leadership ahead of the elections? Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Though home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is an emblem of upward mobility in politics, he must realise that as home minister, he cannot just smile his way through every crisis. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Those pitching the next elections as just a Rahul vs Modi contest are wrong. Whoever is able to get the maximum potential kingmakers under one tent will be the winner, Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

The political survival of people like Akbaruddin Owaisi depends on sharp identity politics. So while they won't change, we must change the way we deal with them. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

If ‘protocol’ didn’t permit India’s home minister from visiting India Gate to meet the protesters, what of our numerous young MPs? says Rajdeep Sardesai.

The Congress's biggest problem in Gujarat is the absence of a credible face to take on Brand Modi. The result is a low-key campaign that lives in hope as much as fear. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Bal Thackeray was a dangerously clever man. Now that he is gone, Mumbai will not be the same any more; neither will his Shiv Sena. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Narendra Modi will probably win again. But can Gujarat be a benchmark for measuring popularity in a diverse India? Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

The RSS’ Gadkari experiment has failed. Now the BJP chief may be dispensable as a ‘damaged’ politician, but who will hold the RSS accountable? Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

The aam aadmi is convinced that the khaas aadmi and their kin get undue favours. This rage against the elite is fuelling Arvind Kejriwal’s campaign. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Team Arvind sees politics as a moral crusade. But will the middle class be willing to go beyond candlelight marches and made-for-TV fasts? Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Mamata Banerjee is yet to make the transition from a combative politician to a diligent administrator. But such is the political vacuum in Bengal that she may end up as the winner, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.

Raj Thackeray must realise that his politics of ‘sons of the soil’ is subject to the law of diminishing returns. It is doing irreparable damage to the idea of Mumbai, Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Cities like Mumbai can be saved from further catastrophe only if the State takes a zero tolerance stand on law-breakers, irrespective of religious affiliation. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

The media could not cover the Assam riots like Gujarat 2002. This is not because of any religious bias but because the riot-hit areas were inaccessible. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

London 2012 could be a tipping point for Indian Olympic sport, the moment when we emerge from years of celebrating mediocrity into striving for excellence. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Eventful, loud, tumultuous. No single word can describe the Eighties. The winds of change blew, but was different better?Colour television had come to the country just a year before, courtesy Asiad ’82, but it was... Rajdeep Sardesai writes...

Rahul Gandhi should make the effort to fill the leadership vacuum in the Congress or risk being seen as a reluctant politician. And he must make up his mind quickly. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

By turning a power struggle into an ideological war, Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi may lose the game even before the contest for prime ministership begins. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

As recent events show, in India today there is very little room for genuine debate on public issues. This is not good news for any democracy.

The IPL must not be criticised for the T20 format or the scantily clad cheerleaders. Instead, let us focus on the lack of accountability of those who administer the League. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

The neta’s ability to laugh at oneself is the ultimate oxygen for a cartoonist. Take that away and the cartoonist is sadly reduced to a cut-out artist, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.

Rather than opt for a Rajya Sabha nomination, Sachin Tendulkar could perhaps have used his appeal to reach out to millions on issues of public concern. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Caste or political biases should not influence the choice of India's next president. We need someone who will elevate the post through public service and individual achievement. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

Indian voters prefer decisive, even if authoritarian, leaders to those who wear individual integrity as a badge of honour

The rail budget fiasco shows that the culture of a party ‘supremo’ is undermining the PM’s authority over his Cabinet and threatening the basis of democratic politics, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.

Development alone can’t bridge the gap between a Gujarat that’s aspirational and the one that’s alienated. The state also needs the human touch for reconciliation. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

For years, everyone has been asking Priyanka Gandhi about her political plans. Why can't we accept that she may not want to be a 24x7 politician? Rajdeep Sardesai writes.

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