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
Food governance or good governance: Open letter to Mr Fadnavis
Instead of agonising about our diet or thoughts we entertain, the Maharashtra government should worry most about farmers’ distress.
Updated on Sep 18, 2015 08:58 AM IST
None | Rajdeep Sardesai
Modi vs Sonia: A serious clash of personalities
Both Modi and Sonia need to recognise each other as ‘adversaries’, not ‘enemies’, and learn to do business with each other.
Updated on Aug 21, 2015 02:10 AM IST
Yakub case reminds us the home truths about justice
The claim that evidence is far more difficult to gather in a riot case than in a terror conspiracy can no longer be an alibi for a shoddy probe.
Updated on Aug 13, 2015 10:23 AM IST
Modi vs Nitish secularism debate: Both types are old stereotypes
Nitish Kumar’s secular paradigm doesn’t go beyond symbolism whereas the PM seems to have taken a selective approach.
Updated on Jul 24, 2015 09:11 AM IST
Lalit Modi row to Vyapam scam: Different plots, similar motives
If Lalit Modi represents the globalisation of the Indian Power League networks, Vyapam is a classic BIMARU network story, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.From Lalit Modi row to Vyapam Scam: Different plots, similar motives
Updated on Jul 10, 2015 02:50 AM IST
Rajdeep Sardesai, New Delhi
As Lalit Modi row swirls, Indian political league has come alive
Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai talks of his interview with former IPL chief Lalit Modi - of high-profile visitors, IPL franchise owners, business dealings, and powerful connections.
Updated on Jun 26, 2015 01:46 AM IST
Why Owaisi has suddenly become an attractive option for some
The rise of Asaduddin Owaisi is an indictment of the national parties who claim to represent Muslim interests under the guise of secularism.
Updated on Jun 12, 2015 08:53 AM IST
One year of Modi sarkar: Mismatch between expectations and reality
In an age where a film is declared a hit or a flop on the first weekend’s performance, politicians too are finding their ratings being judged in a compressed timeframe. Narendra Modi was elected prime minister for five years, but he has already had to go through a series of early tests: 100 days, 200 and then 300 days, now his impending first year anniversary have all become occasions for the media to rate his performance. It is almost as if he is facing a constant agni-pariksha.
Updated on May 15, 2015 11:04 AM IST
Both sides of the TV screen: Insensitive at times yet important
They can be insensitive at times, but television news channels are still seen as the first information report for news
Updated on May 01, 2015 02:18 AM IST
Dear politicians, stop this malicious anti-media campaign
This is, it seems, open season for name calling against the media. The Union minister and former army chief, General VK Singh, describes journalists as ‘presstitutes’.
Updated on Apr 17, 2015 09:49 AM IST
Losing semi-final is not ‘national shame’, farmer suicide is
On the night before India’s World Cup semi-finals with Australia, I innocently tweeted: ‘Heart with India, head with Australia.’ Within minutes, followers on my twitter account were enraged.
Updated on Apr 02, 2015 10:52 PM IST
AAP politics: The khichdi has now begun to smell
Almost every political party in India is run by a family or an individual. To have expected AAP to be different was just an illusion, Rajdeep Sardesia writes.
Updated on Mar 20, 2015 03:44 PM IST
How Rahul never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity
Rahul Gandhi’s political career has been a case-study in never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity
Updated on Mar 06, 2015 01:07 AM IST
Rajdeep Sardesai, New Delhi
It's too early to consider Kejriwal as magnet of anti-BJP forces
Kejriwal’s win in Delhi has dented Modi’s invincibility, but it is too soon for him to become a rallying point for anti-BJP forces.
Updated on Feb 20, 2015 08:12 AM IST
Delhi polls a ‘class war’ between ‘mufflerman’ and supreme leader
The contrasting moods suggest that the 2015 Delhi elections are reflective of a growing class divide. Upper income groups seem to be drawn to the BJP while the poorer sections of society are attracted to AAP, writes Rajdeep Sardesai
Updated on Feb 06, 2015 09:36 AM IST
Kejriwal vs Bedi: fascinating window in Indian politics
The success of a Kejriwal or a Bedi will offer hope to the many skilled professionals who might want to take the plunge into formal politics but are wary of being eased out by an unethical, non-meritocratic old order.
Updated on Jan 23, 2015 12:37 PM IST
Fire in the belly: Both Dhoni and Modi are real gamechangers
Both Modi and Dhoni would probably be seen as the ultimate icons of the neo-middle class. The problem at times is that this class isn’t concerned about the means but only focuses on the end result, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.
Updated on Jan 10, 2015 03:45 AM IST
Good Governance Day sends wrong message on Xmas
The decision by the Narendra Modi government to declare Christmas as ‘Good Governance Day’ troubles me: It is a completely unnecessary attempt to confuse the spirit of a festive occasion with political symbolism, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.
Updated on Dec 26, 2014 07:58 AM IST
Rajdeep Sardesai, New Delhi
Space for change in Kashmir, but BJP may miss the chance
The rest of India can be won by the promise of good governance; Kashmir needs genuine ‘insaniyat’. Empathy must go beyond symbolic gestures, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.
Updated on Dec 12, 2014 12:54 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Rajdeep Sardesai
Identity is not always destiny
It is possible to express a measure of caste pride in harmless ways without expecting it to reap dividends in today’s meritocratic world. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.
Updated on Nov 15, 2014 01:16 AM IST
Rahul Gandhi has to lead his troops
The Congress has not reckoned with the kind of politician Narendra Modi is and it seems to be nursing the illusion that power is cyclical and eventually the wheel of political fortune will turn in its favour, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.
Updated on Oct 31, 2014 12:50 AM IST
Assembly elections verdict is out: it's Narendra Modi vs the rest
Only a united opposition and a credible local leadership have any chance of stopping the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah juggernaut, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.
Updated on Oct 18, 2014 01:36 PM IST
To move forward, Modi needs entire team's support
The PM has done a splendid job of selling the India story. To take things forward, he will need the support of his ministers, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.
Updated on Oct 03, 2014 11:16 AM IST
Young, assured and turning right: India's generational change
India's youth is looking for iconic figures who will break with the past and who will symbolise change, not continuity. But is the young Indian economically liberal and socially conservative, asks Rajdeep Sardesai.
Updated on Sep 30, 2014 09:46 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Rajdeep Sardesai
BJP at the crossroads: What the party can learn from bypolls results
Amit Shah must decide which direction he wishes to take the party: Abandon coalition politics or pursue inclusive politics that looks beyond Hindutva. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.
Updated on Sep 22, 2014 07:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Rajdeep Sardesai
Conundrum of modern political life: A leader's two sides
Politicians are notoriously schizophrenic: I have met any number of netas who can be wonderfully warm and polite when they are off camera but turn into rabble-rousing public figures once the camera is switched on, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.
Updated on Sep 05, 2014 09:03 AM IST
Modi's fine words must be followed by firm action
Politics too, is experiencing a similar compression in time. So, Narendra Modi’s first 100 days are already being seen as a verdict on his government. A 100 days is just over 14 weeks, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.
Updated on Aug 27, 2014 05:18 PM IST
It’s time for Shiv Sena to grow up
Shiv Sena needs to spend less time courting controversies and start behaving like a mature political organisation committed to governance. It needs to shed the baggage of the past that is littered with politics of hate, writes Rajdeep Sardesai.
Updated on Aug 07, 2014 11:39 PM IST
Ruling the roost in Raj Bhavan: do we really need governors?
If the removal of a governor should not be arbitrary, then neither should the appointment. And the fact is, over the last four decades, stretching back to the 1970s, that is precisely what has happened.
Updated on Jun 26, 2014 10:14 PM IST
Rajdeep Sardesai, New Delhi
India high on interest, low on facilities as Fifa World Cup kicks off
Fans in Kolkata will cheer for Brazil; Mumbai pubs will have screenings; and Goa and Kerala will revolve around a ball. We will celebrate the spirit of the beautiful game even as the national team won’t be playing it yet again. Rajdeep Sardesai writes.
Updated on Jun 13, 2014 09:13 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Rajdeep Sardesai