v O c A l c O r D – OPEN LETTER TO NARENDRA MODI FROM UDAYAN ROY

DEAR PRIME MINISTER MODI, STEAL RAHUL'S IDEA! Professor of economics in the Social Sciences department of Long Island University, Brookville, New York. He can be reached at udayan.roy@liu.edu : Congratulations, Sir, on your stunning victory. You blew away Rahul Gandhi, your main opponent, and gained the overwhelming support of the voters of the largest democracy …

v O c A l c O r D – SANKARSHAN BASU

Professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, former lecturer at the Heriot-Watt University and the London School of Economics and Social Sciences. Based in Bangalore, he can be contacted at sankarshan.basu@gmail.com : Election 2019, to a large number of us, has been not just decisive but also quite contrary to the expectations. While there …

v O c A l c O r D – KANDATHIL SEBASTIAN

Development sector professional, author, fiction writer and researcher, based in Delhi. He can be contacted at kandathil.sebastian@gmail.com : BJP’s strategy of focused messaging to the vernacular speaking majority of India has succeeded in the recent elections. The narrative of ‘amending the wounded Hindu pride’ had many takers in the Hindi heartland. ‘Economic development’ was never …

v O c A l c O r D – AMARJIT SINGH AHLUWALIA

Retired officer from the Indian Economic Service. He can be contacted at asa2k1@yahoo.co.uk : Indian democracy has shown to the world that it has matured over the years with the voters fully realising their potential and responsibility in electing and shaping the new government. India is a land of festivals and general elections have also …

v O c A l c O r D – MADHAVI DARUWALLA

Social activist working against proliferation of forest fire and destruction of wildlife in and around Nainatal. She can be reached at madewarus@gmail.com : The election results were shocking and many could not believe that despite the economic and social crises, people would vote for the likes of Pragya Thakur. But it seems, the magic of …

v O c A l c O r D – SRIDEVI GUNDI

Business woman and promoter director of a chemicals unit. She is based in Hyderabad and tweets at @DrSrideviGundi : In the 2014 elections people desparately wanted a change from the routine political drama and false promises made by the then UPA regime and gave a decisive mandate in favour of the Narendra Modi led NDA. …

v O c A l c O r D – PARSA VENKATESHWAR RAO JR.

Freelance journalist. He can be reached at parsavenkateshwarraojr@outlook.com : Mr Modi's second term should be less angular than it has been in the first term. It should be more governance and less loud pronouncements. BJP should follow AAP in dealing with government hospitals and government schools. Indian foreign policy in South Asia should become muted. …

v O c A l c O r D – CHANDAN ROY

Associate Professor of Economics, Kaliyaganj College. He tweets at @chandanroy70 : With the declaration of the 2019 Lok Sabha election results, new ray of hopes and opportunities have emerged in the Indian subcontinent. Large majority for any ruling party always projects the party's strengths and weaknesses. Same with the BJP led NDA. The alliance must …

v O c A l c O r D – ANGSHUMAN BHATTACHARYA

Data science business leader. He can be reached at angshubh@gmail.com : The economy undoubtedly needed a stable government in the 17th loksabha elections. Given the pace it is growing and the fact that the reforms taken in the last few years (GST, RERA, MNREGA) started showing results – we will look forward to a disruption …

v O c A l c O r D – JAGDISH N. SHETH

Professor of business at Goizueta Business School at Emory University, USA. Author of Chindia Rising, Rule Three and Self Destructive Habits of Good Companies. He tweets at @jagsheth INDIA WILL NEED A LEADER WITH GLOBAL MINDSET No matter what is the outcome of the elections, what will matter most will be the choice of who …

v O c A l c O r D – SWATI BHARGAVA

Strategy PhD Scholar at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. She tweets at @bhargavSwati : Ab ki baar Modi Sarkar! India jumped 23 spots from a year ago to 77 out of 190 countries on the ease of doing business ranking. It was also among the top 10 most improved economies, according to the "Doing …

v O c A l c O r D – YOGESH PATEL

Accountant, optometrist, poet and publisher. He is based in the UK and tweets at @wordmasala : Indian election is polarised around the demonization of Modi. Yet, under his regime, the Indian economy has grown with a 2020 forecast of an extraordinary 7.5 percent. Not just the western media, but the world leaders and the economic …

v O c A l c O r D – BABU KALYANPUR

Senior journalist with wide experience in sports and business. He tweets at @richardsviv : Unemployment, the agrarian crisis and economic slowdown will be the main issues facing the new government after the election results on May 23. Years of neglect, false promises and short-term policies have worsened the problems. Action will be required on an …

v O c A l c O r D – SRINIVASAN RANGAN

Assistant Professor, Chennai National Arts and Science College. He can be reached at anisri24.2005@gmail.com : Election 2019 has been cancelled in Vellore, India. Election is a process by which people select their leaders. But in today's scenario this democratic institution seem to have been made a tool for indulging in corruption. Politicians trade their valuable …

v O c A l c O r D – AVINASH GODBOLE

Assistant Professor at Jindal Global University. He tweets at @godboleavinash : Elections are over. Results on 23 May. Whichever party comes to power, India's national defence policy needs a relook. Balakot response was seen as a new red line on defence and national security. Continuing that will be important. Diplomatic resources were deployed in high …

v O c A l c O r D – MANISH DUBEY

Political analyst, author and political commentator. He tweets at @ManishDubey1972 : The exit polls are suggesting a much easier path to power for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) than I had imagined. The ‘poll of polls’ number of 305 or thereabouts for the ruling coalition is about 70-80 seats higher than …

v O c A l c O r D – HARISH KUMAR

Delhi based political analyst. He can be reached at hcrr54@yahoo.com : My take or analysis on ensuing elections is : Scenerio 1 - BJP 140, Congress 195, Others 220. Scenerio 2 - BJP will manipulate by horse trading, being the richest party now with lot of money power. Scenerio 2 is my hunch only, match …

v O c A l c O r D – MONA DASH

Author and poet based in London, works in a global technology organisation. She tweets at @dash2mona From the outside, the Indian elections are a long, mind-boggling, confusing, controversial event. Controversial since I see tremors rise and hefty debates break out when my friends in India start talking of the results. Who is the right leader …

v O c A l c O r D – R.S. RAVEENDHREN

Advocate at Madras High Court. He can be reached at rsrlex@yahoo.com : Free India saw the most shallow election campaign ever by political parties for LS 2019 with no one party or leader having grip of ground reality. With economic growth at 7 percent, the succeeding government will have an uphill task of handling impending …

v O c A l c O r D – PAUL KOSHY

Heads business development of a consultancy organisation for infrastructure development. He can be reached at Paulkoshy@outlook.com : RecruitIndoctrinateInfiltrateUsurpDismantleRecharterRuleLoot RSS-BJP combine adopted their strategy in this flow chart. Since 2014, after coming to power at the Centre, in a very well monitored program, this outfit has managed to get into each and every institutions of our …

v O c A l c O r D – SHARIF D RANGNEKAR

A former journalist, currently author, communications & workplace sensitisation (LGBT) consultant. He tweets at @gottaservesome : The on-going general elections has split the nation, deepening the fault-lines that have brought communalism to power in a manner that has hardly been seen in modern India. At stake is every democratic institution, social fabric, secularism, where leaders …

v O c A l c O r D – SIDDHARTH DESHMUKH

Senior Advisor and Adjunct Professor at Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA). He tweets at @edgysid. I look at this election as a problem India is trying to solve. Problem: Would I want a more tolerant society with plenty of corruption, or would I want a non-corrupt India that is perhaps less tolerant? Most people …

v O c A l c O r D – SUVENDU CHATTERJEE

Photographer, photo editor, writer, curator, educator and human rights activist. He is based in Delaware, USA and tweets at @suvendudrik1 : Today is May 16. Exactly five years ago, Narendra Modi had won the 2014 elections. The last five years India has witnessed major challenges to democracy. Complete and total centralization of power of the …

v O c A l c O r D – CHAYANIKA SAXENA

President Graduate Fellow and PhD Candidate at National University of Singapore. She tweets at @mobilemigrant : Mandate for the 2019 India elections will be out in a few days' time. New government will be formed. Foreign policies will either be redrawn or policies already in line will be implemented. In this context I would like …

v O c A l c O r D – BALACHANDRAN PULIYAMPOTTA

Retired officer of the Ministry of External Affairs, GOI. Travel and nature photography enthusiast. He can be reached at chandrangouri@gmail.com : The most worrying feature of Election 2019 is the steep decline in the quality of political discourse during the campaign. Irrespective of which political party they represent, political leaders from all sides have displayed …

v O c A l c O r D – VINAY KANDPAL

Assistant Professor, Department of General Management School of Business, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun. He can be reached at vkandpal@ddn.upes.ac.in : Election 2019 would be crucial for the economic progress as well as creation of employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.  Although with 6 phases of election passed the remarks made by political parties reached …

v O c A l c O r D – JOURNALIST

Senior journalist, who does not wish to be named, has worked with leading national news agency, national newspapers and regional TV channel. Based in Punjab, she writes about human interest and social issues : This election is not about choosing a new government or choosing the old one again. It is about choosing our identity …

v O c A l c O r D – NAGAGIREESH BOJANALA

Educator and Researcher. He is based in Bangalore and can be reached at gireesh.bojanala@gmail.com : Twenty brain years have passed since the arrival of neuronal networks of educational conscience in my innocent brain, still I am pondering the same question and feeling ashamed to reiterate the word ‘developing ‘ more often than ‘developed’. I am …

v O c A l c O r D – CHANDANATHIL PAPPACHAN GEEVAN

Environmental scientist with several research institutes. Currently an independent professional. He tweets at @cpgeevan : This election is in some ways reminiscent of the 1977 election which took place after the lifting of the Internal Emergency. Alarmingly, the 2019 election campaign even witnessed campaign speeches hinting that, if the present dispensation gets another mandate, there …

v O c A l c O r D – RENU KAUL VERMA

Journalist turned publisher. She can be reached at Renukaul@vitastapublishing.com : Whatever the outcome of General Elections 2019, issues such as rural distress and unemployment, that everyone seems to be harping on won't go unless there is sustained investment in meaningful education and human resource development. Universalisation of education, specially the primary education, is the key …

v O c A l c O r D – MANU BHATTATHIRI

Manu Bhattathiri is an author and adman, written Savithri’s Special Room and Other Stories (HarperCollins, 2016), and The Town That Laughed (Aleph Book Company, 2018). Based in Bangalore, he can be reached at manoo.bhat@gmail.com : Sometimes art mirrors life. At other times it reacts to life. And at still different times, it leads life by …

v O c A l c O r D – AMITABH SATYAM

Chairman of Smart Transformations and former Managing Partner of SAP . He can be reached at asatyam@gmail.com : The key factor that decides economics of a country is the productivity of the assets applied - whether it is an investment type that creates employment and further wealth for the economy, or whether it is given …

v O c A l c O r D – KUNTAL KUMAR SEN

Ex-IRS and currently a Tax Professional. Sen loves to be called a Thoughtocrat. He can be reached at kntlirs@gmail.com : Stark polarisation is powering this election. This will reflect in the new government. On economy, NDA’s  policies will entail close oversight on citizens’ economic behaviour to match its ‘chowkidar’ image.  Welfare schemes will  be in …

v O c A l c O r D – NISHINDRA KINJALK

Writer, social activist, doctor and musician. He can be reached at kinjalknr@gmail.com : It is everybody’s game, it is nobody’s game : I see a hung parliament on the horizon. INDIAN voters have already sealed the fate of more than 80 percent of the lok sabha seats in the 2019 general elections. The picture emerging …

v O c A l c O r D – ANUSTUP BASU

Associate Professor at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA : THERE are, of course, several things at stake in these elections: the secular fabric of India and her democracy, minority rights and protections, modern institutions, equity, justice, and indeed the future of the Constitution itself. Modi critic Arun Shourie has warned that 2019 might be the …

VOCAL CORD – SUSNATO CHOWDHURY

Independent journalist, writer-researcher, editor of 'Bodhshabdo'. He can be reached at susnatoc@gmail.com : WHOEVER forms the government the socio-economic scenario of the country is not going to change at all. Rather the common people of India will face more crises in coming days for sure if the system remains unchanged. I am entirely frustrated with …