A late post: A fire test ahead
Devendra Gautam Between yesteryears’ reactionaries and yesterday’s new force with a chequered past, whom do we choose? By the time this writeup sees the light of the day, if at all, counting of votes will already have begun for 165 seats under the direct election and 110 seats under the proportionate representation (PR) system for the House of Representatives, the 275-member lower chamber of the bicameral parliament at the Centre. Per news reports, voter turnout stands at around 60 percent despite a popular wave of support for a relatively new party that seems to enjoy widespread support of GenZ (youths aged 15 to 29 years), which constitutes 30-40 percent of the national population (roughly 29 million). This segment has emerged as a formidable force after the September 8-9, 2025 protest against corruption, nepotism and bad governance in the wake of a blanket social media ban that toppled an elected government and installed a government under a retired chief just...