The main contest in Bihar is between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan, with the NDA set to win convincingly (‘Party poopers’, August 17).
Prashant Kishor and Jan Suraaj will have no meaningful role in shaping the outcome of the elections. Whatever connect Kishor has found with the villagers in Bihar will be limited to less than 10 assembly constituencies.
Vyomika Kapur,
On email.
The NDA is set to win Bihar, but Nitish Kumar and the JD(U) are likely to be cornered, much like the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra after the assembly elections there. The BJP’s strategy is clear: it wants to establish its dominance in Bihar and rule independently, and it appears well on track to achieving that.
While caste has traditionally played a decisive role in Bihar politics, this election may be different. Nitish, no longer in his prime, is seen as merely following the BJP’s script. For now, the BJP will use him to its advantage, but once his utility fades, he risks being sidelined altogether.
Karan Bhushan,
On email.
Bihar is in a dire state, and only a BJP government with a clear majority of its own, backed by the Centre, can steer it out of this mess.
Rohit Bhatnagar,
On email.
Kishor seems to be playing as the BJP’s ‘team-b’. I could be wrong, but it appears there is an understanding between Kishor and the BJP. His real objective may be to split opposition votes. His party—Jan Suraaj—might secure five to 10 seats now, and by the 2030 elections, it could end up allying with the BJP, effectively spelling the end of the JD(U).
Anand S.V.,
On email.
It will be a close contest in Bihar. Narendra Modi believes that Operation Sindoor will secure the BJP votes, but he may be in for a surprise. Under Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD is poised for a strong performance.
The Mahagathbandhan must project Yadav as the chief ministerial candidate, with the Congress extending full support. Only with Yadav at the forefront does the alliance stand a real chance. Hopefully, better sense will prevail, and the NDA government will be voted out of Bihar.
Sriparna Tyagi,
On email.
Justice for victims
The acquittal of the accused in the Malegaon blast case has raised many eyebrows, inevitably eroding public confidence in the judiciary (‘Delayed and denied’, August 17). The real blame lies with the prosecution’s lethargy and lack of seriousness in pursuing the case.
It is hardly a coincidence that the acquittal came soon after the Union home minister’s statement in Parliament that “No Hindu can ever be a terrorist”. Unless the Maharashtra government decides to appeal, justice for the victims’ families may remain a chimera.
C. Chandrasekaran Bharathi,
On email.
The court stated that there wasn’t enough evidence and that the investigation had several flaws. This highlights the urgent need for stronger investigation and swifter justice.
Praveen Thimmaiah,
On email.
Through its verdict, the court has reaffirmed the principle that no person can be held guilty until conclusively proven so. It is better for a guilty person to go free due to lack of evidence than for an innocent person to be wrongfully punished.
Dinesh R. Ullal,
On email.
Useful game
The article on pickleball took me back to the 1950s when, as an elementary schoolboy, I played paddle tennis on the MCC school grounds [in Chennai] during PET periods (‘Hot sport’, August 17). It was a delightful hybrid of table tennis and lawn tennis. The paddle, about the size of a writing pad, was made of wood without strings, and we used a well-worn tennis ball. The game helped us focus on the ball and build skills for other racket sports.
Jayakumar Daniel,
On email.
Game gone wrong
History has shown that any place that embraced terrorism or religious intolerance has ultimately paid a heavy price (‘Valley of hope’, August 3). In Kashmir, a section of the population invited terror and misused religion to commit genocide.
Kashmir’s tragedy is a game gone wrong.
Naveen Saraf,
On email.
Abolish income tax
The biggest tax invaders in the country are politicians, large corporations and film stars (‘Last word’, August 17). Yet, all the [income tax] department does is to release long lists of defaulters to the press and Parliament. Little to no effort is made to recover even the legitimate dues from them.
Considering the negligible proportion of people who actually file returns, and the enormous effort required to process them, it may be better to abolish the income tax altogether.
S. Shashidhar,
On email.
Intelligent humour
One of the two reasons why I love THE WEEK is R. Prasannan’s weekly column, and the other is the humour column [by K.C. Verma].
I enjoy reading anything that passes for humour, and I relish what qualifies as intelligent humour. These columns clearly belong to the latter. What amazes me is how Verma’s long stint in intelligence gathering at R&AW has shaped him into an intelligent humourist.
Amar Nath Singh,
On email.
Error
Atul Patne is principal secretary, tourism, Maharastra, and not secretary, tourism (‘We promote responsible and sustainable tourism’, August 17). We regret the error.
Editor