Grand Tamasha

First, the new national political editor of the Hindustan Times Sunetra Choudhury joins Milan to round up this week’s news. Sunetra reflects on some of her key takeaways from the 2019 campaign and how, if at all, this year’s election broke new ground. The two also discuss the recent electoral turmoil in West Bengal and the regional opposition’s backroom discussions over a post-election “Federal Front.” Then, Milan sits down with Gilles Verniers, assistant professor of political science and Ashoka University and co-director of the Trivedi Centre for Political Data. If you’ve encountered insightful, data-driven election analyses this cycle, chances are Gilles or his colleagues had something to do with it. Milan and Gilles discuss how 2019 has stacked up in terms of women candidates and the nomination of incumbents. The two end their conversation by reviewing Gilles’ list of “states to watch” on May 23 as the results come in.