Saam Daam Dand Bhed

Israel has voted, and no side has a clear majority. Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud has emerged as the largest party with 27 seats, but his bloc is short of the 61 needed for a majority, while Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar has 21 seats.

In Episode 11 of Saam Daam Dand Bhed, host Saurabh Dwivedi and the panel look at what this election means for India, and why India-Israel ties are seen as secure no matter who becomes prime minister.

The conversation goes back into the history of the relationship: how Israel’s help mattered during the Kargil war, what a polio vaccine has to do with India-Israel ties, and why Yasser Arafat looked upon Indira Gandhi as his sister. The panel also asks whether everyone who speaks Arabic in Palestine is a Muslim.

The second big story is America’s midterm elections on November 3. The panel discusses the political battle in the US, how Washington sees India today, what India needs from America, the H-1B visa, and the wider geopolitics India has to navigate.

The episode also brings the top political stories from the states, including the results of the Legislative Council (MLC) elections, held on paper ballots for 28 seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Host: Saurabh Dwivedi

Guests: C. Raja Mohan, Shubhajit Roy, Khinvraj Jangid, Dr. Swasti Rao, Moinuddin Ahmad

How did Lawrence Bishnoi rise in the world of crime? In Episode 10 of Saam Daam Dand Bhed, host Saurabh Dwivedi and the panel look back at his early life and explain how the Lawrence Bishnoi gang works and recruits new members.

The conversation covers the murder of Sidhu Moosewala, how Lawrence Bishnoi differs from Dawood Ibrahim, whether Dawood’s network is still active, and why Lawrence is being kept in Sabarmati Jail.

The episode also turns to the drug problem in Punjab, what was said at the RSS Vijayadashami Utsav, and the top stories from different states.

Host: Saurabh Dwivedi

Guests: Manraj Grewal, Varinder Bhatia, Mohamed Thaver, Mahender Singh Manral

Saam Daam Dand Bhed | Episode 09 | Indian Express Hindi

Host: Saurabh Dwivedi Guests: Ashok Lavasa (Former Election Commissioner), Vikas Pathak, Shyamlal Yadav, Mrinalini, Sukhmani, Mahender Singh Manral

In this episode of Saam Daam Dand Bhed, Saurabh Dwivedi examines the escalating political storm surrounding the Election Commission of India (ECI), Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and the nationwide debate over voter roll revisions and street protests. Key discussions in this episode:

1. Gyanesh Kumar Resignation Controversy: Why has the demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation gained momentum, and where does it stand legally and politically? Former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa breaks down whether a CEC can be removed or resign, explaining the constitutional removal process, the dynamics of internal dissent within the poll body, and drawing historical parallels from his own 2019 dissent as well as the historic N. Gopalaswami vs Navin Chawla episode.

2. SIR 3.0 & The Supreme Court: Can the Election Commission halt or cancel Phase 3 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)? Why is the ECI awaiting the Supreme Court’s verdict on voter roll revisions and Form 6 modifications? The panel analyses political pressure on constitutional bodies and questions what the central government intended by altering the Election Commissioner appointment law following the Anoop Baranwal judgment.

3. Jantar Mantar 2.0 & Delhi Police Directives: What was the ground reality during the CJP and student-led protests at Jantar Mantar? Why were nearly 90,000 Delhi Police personnel reportedly directed to put up emotional WhatsApp statuses ahead of the demonstration, and what specific orders were issued regarding detention and crowd control?

Host: Saurabh Dwivedi

Guests: Sheela Bhatt, P. Vaidyanathan Iyer, Vikas Pathak, Manoj C.G., Asad Rehman

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the youth collective that has brought students onto the streets over exam paper leaks, has called a protest for 10 October. The Congress is becoming more active on the streets, Rahul Gandhi is alleging "vote chori", or vote theft, and his sudden decision to join the CJP protest has some INDIA bloc leaders speaking openly. In this episode, Saurabh Dwivedi and the panel discuss why the Congress is turning to street politics now, how Rahul Gandhi's vote theft allegations should be understood, why some INDIA bloc leaders have spoken out about his decision to join the protest, and the political planning and strategy behind the protest.

The second big story of the week: Narendra Modi's 25 years in public office. The panel looks back at his years as Chief Minister of Gujarat and the major political challenges he faced in that period, his journey from Chief Minister to Prime Minister, and the work and decisions of the Modi government. The discussion covers his economic policy and his major decisions on defense and finance, with a detailed and open conversation on his politics, governance and policy choices.

Host: Saurabh Dwivedi

Guests: Prasenjit Bose, Pushkar Mishra, Shyamlal Yadav, Vikas Pathak, Manoj C. G., Lalmani Verma

Student politics is back in the headlines, on campuses and on the streets. The ABVP and the SFI clashed at Jadavpur University in August and at Himachal Pradesh University in September, and on 25 September a planned screening of a documentary on Umar Khalid sparked a clash at Pondicherry University. On many campuses, student union elections have been stalled for years. Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical youth collective launched online in May, has brought tens of thousands of students onto the streets over exam paper leaks, outside traditional party structures.

In this episode, Saurabh Dwivedi brings together a former SFI member, a former ABVP member and senior Indian Express journalists. They trace how student politics in India has evolved and discuss why state chief ministers do not want student unions, how the 1990s changed campus politics, why student unions have not made a comeback in the BJP era, the time the ABVP decided it would never contest elections, and what lies behind the violence on campuses. Shyamlal Yadav argues that had the NSUI and the ABVP done their job, the Cockroach Janta Party would never have been born.

The second big story of the week: the INDIA bloc and the Rajya Sabha contest in Uttar Pradesh. Leaders of nearly 20 opposition parties met in New Delhi on 30 September and agreed on nationwide protests, a rally in Delhi on 1 November and a joint challenge in the Supreme Court to the 2023 law on appointing election commissioners. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stayed away, his party citing Rajya Sabha election work amid friction with the Congress over seat-sharing for the 2027 Assembly election.

Uttar Pradesh votes for 10 Rajya Sabha seats on 16 October, and the SP has said it will field a third candidate. Asked about the seat-sharing tussle, BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said everything felt empty without Akhilesh; Akhilesh replied that anyone who wanted to join the SP would be welcome.

With Manoj C. G. and Shyamlal Yadav, the panel discusses why Akhilesh skipped the meeting, Mamata Banerjee's stance this time, what Kapil Sibal got the opposition to agree to on the election commissioners law, whether the Congress will replace its UP chief Ajay Rai, the sticking point between the SP and Brij Bhushan, and the arithmetic of the Rajya Sabha polls.

Saam Daam Dand Bhed | Episode 06 | Indian Express Hindi

Host: Saurabh Dwivedi

Guests: Ritika Chopra, S. Y. Quraishi, Deeptiman Tiwari, Santosh Singh, Pooja Sasikumar Pillai, Sukrita Baruah,

For months, two members of India's Election Commission have been putting their dissent on paper. An Indian Express investigation shows that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded at least 14 formal objections over 10 months. They said decisions on voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, SIR appeals and oversight of voter-data systems were taken without their knowledge or against their written advice. The full Commission met on 9 September, its first full meeting in four months.

In this episode, Saurabh Dwivedi speaks to the reporter behind the investigation and a former Chief Election Commissioner. They discuss how the story was reported, how the three-member Commission is meant to work, why the commissioners learnt of some decisions from the media, the constitutional questions around the SIR, and the questions CEC Gyanesh Kumar still has to answer.

The second big story of the week: Jamui and Kalkaji. In Bihar's Jamui, a group of men stopped two Class 10 students returning from coaching, beat them, sexually harassed the girl and circulated the videos online. In Delhi's Kalkaji, three men posing as policemen separated a 17-year-old girl from her friend and allegedly gang-raped her; nearby Lady Shri Ram College briefly moved classes online. The panel discusses moral policing as a cover for sexual violence, why offenders film their crimes, why girls find it hard to speak about abuse at home, how such violence affects the victim, the family and society, and what NCRB data can and cannot tell us.

This week on Saam Daam Dand Bhed, Saurabh Dwivedi and the panel break down the biggest political and policy developments from 10–17 September.

First, the Uniform Civil Code push gathers pace, not through Parliament, but state by state. With Amit Shah setting a 2029 deadline for all 21 NDA-ruled states, what could UCC mean for marriage, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships?

Then, the panel discusses the end of free UPI for larger merchant payments. With MDR now applicable on UPI payments above ₹2,000, who will really bear the cost: the shopkeeper, the customer, or the payment apps?

Plus, the week’s political Jaayza from across India.

Saam Daam Dand Bhed streams every Saturday, 9 AM on Indian Express Hindi. Follow for more.

In this bonus episode of Saam Daam Dand Bhed we look at the political developments inside the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the larger story of caste politics in India.Why did Mayawati remove Akash Anand and Ashok Siddhartha from the BSP? What led to the internal differences, and what does this episode reveal about the political dynamics within Mayawati’s party and her family? We speak to our reporter Lalmani Verma and delve deep into the politics of UP.

In the second section of the episode, we speak with journalist and author Manoj Mitta and step back from the immediate political story to understand the history of caste politics in India. We trace how caste has shaped political mobilisation, with references to historical texts, political movements and the formation of parties that emerged around caste and social justice.

From the evolution of Dalit politics to the rise of parties representing different caste groups, we explore how these political formations changed India’s electoral landscape and continue to influence contemporary politics.

In this episode we decode the political strategies, caste equations and historical stories shaping Indian politics.

We begin with the growing political importance of Gen-Z and women voters. Why are sections of these crucial voter groups becoming increasingly vocal, and why is this shift a concern for the BJP? We look at how the BJP and Congress are trying to connect with younger voters, women and Dalit communities, and how Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi are shaping their strategies for the politics of the future. We also examine how both parties are using social media, trends and digital optics to stay relevant and win over voters.

The episode then turns to the complex politics of caste, reservation and Dalit identity. With the BJP facing difficult questions around reservation and its traditional vote base, how is the party attempting to strike a balance? Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are taking a more aggressive approach to Dalit identity politics, including their support for initiatives such as 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' and their response to the 'Shuddhikaran' row. But can Congress translate this political messaging into a strong grassroots organisation capable of challenging the BJP?

Finally, we revisit the extraordinary life and career of Ram Jethmalani, one of India's most prominent, fearless and controversial lawyers and politicians. From beginning his legal career at just 18 to defending some of the country's most high-profile figures, Jethmalani's career spanned some of the biggest political and legal battles in modern India. We look at the stories behind his political career, including his role in the Bofors controversy, his confrontation with Rajiv Gandhi, and his decision to contest the Lucknow election against his longtime friend Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

India’s 7.8% GDP growth has sparked a debate over the credibility of the numbers, methodology and the bigger picture of the Indian economy. At the same time, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent remarks on Muslims and Hindu-Muslim unity have raised questions about the Sangh’s changing political strategy. What is the real story behind India’s GDP growth? What does the RSS want to achieve with its outreach to Muslims?

Listen to the full episode of Saam Daam Dand Bhed with Saurabh Dwivedi.For video podcast, visit our YouTube Channel.

In this episode of Saam Daam Dand Bhed, we decode Rahul Gandhi's aggressive new political approach and the shifting power dynamics between the RSS and BJP.Rahul Gandhi is directly targeting Gen Z voters, particularly young women, utilizing bold rhetoric like "Smash the Patriarchy." Driven by a visible Left influence, his relentless campaigns around caste and OBC reservations, alongside protests for pellet gun victims and demonstrations outside the PM's residence are drawing massive attention. However, two critical questions emerge: Does the Congress possess the organizational framework at the grassroots level to convert this momentum into actual votes? And is his aggressive OBC posturing alienating crucial INDIA bloc allies like the Samajwadi Party (SP) and RJD?We also analyze the internal equations of the ruling dispensation. Is Amit Shah's influence waning as the RSS tightens its grip on the BJP's future? We look at how the RSS is taking matters into its own hands, attempting to establish a fresh dialogue with Gen Z, and reportedly backing Champat Rai in the ongoing Nripendra Misra vs. Champat Rai conflict. The panel further breaks down the complex mathematics of reservation sub-classification and the strategic countermeasures being prepared by the BJP-RSS.Host: Saurabh Dwivedi (Editor, Indian Express Hindi)Guest Panel: Senior political journalists Neerja Chowdhury, Shyamlal Yadav, and Vikas Pathak.

Indian Express Hindi's new weekly political show "Saam Daam Dand Bhed" breaks down the week's biggest political stories. Episode 1 features in-depth analysis of UGC equity regulations, caste census controversy, Vande Mataram row, and BJP's organizational reshuffle. Hosted by Saurabh Dwivedi with guests Vikas Pathak, Diptiman Tiwari, and Liz Matthew. Every Saturday at 9 AM. Subscribe for India's smartest weekly political breakdown covering government policy, electoral politics, and the stories behind the headlines. Watch for political commentary, book recommendations, and tributes to important political figures.

For video podcast, visit our YouTube channel.