Tavleen Singh writes: Political change needed now

Opinion Tavleen Singh writes: Political change needed now I find the times we have been living through for the past few months interesting since they seem to herald change in a political landscape that has been drearily unchanged for highly long.

Key points

• 5 min readOct 4, 2026 06: 30 AM IST First published on: Oct 4, 2026 at 06: 30 AM IST.
• Last week almost all our political parties decided to employ Gandhi Jayanti as a launch pad for separate campaigns to unseat the Chief Election Commissioner.
• These words are borrowed from what is believed to be a Chinese curse.
• And this is before they have entered politics or began a political party.
• On one side there is that team of political heirs who inherited their political parties, ideas and privileges from indulgent parents.

India's voters have limited choices. On one side there is that team of political heirs who inherited their political parties, ideas and privileges from indulgent parents. Written by: Tavleen Singh.

We live in interesting times. These words are borrowed from what is believed to be a Chinese curse. It is applied against enemies to wish turbulence and turmoil upon their lives. I prefer to think of 'interesting times' as a blessing compared to boring times, of which there are too plenty of. I find the times we have been living through for the past few months interesting since they seem to herald change in a political landscape that has been drearily unchanged for highly long.

Last week almost all our political parties decided to employ Gandhi Jayanti as a launch pad for separate campaigns to unseat the Chief Election Commissioner. Since of the government's decision to deny permission for substantial gatherings at this famous protest site, in Delhi, there was noise and chaos at Jantar Mantar. Of course, there were supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party, but sadly so were Aam Aadmi Party leftovers and sundry commies. This person have suddenly surfaced to ride on the cockroach wave and recover ground with a generation of Indians they failed to woo previously.

As a political columnist with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, I watched and watched, so. What I discovered fascinating was the contrast between the calls to action by the INDIA bloc and by the Cockroach Janta Party. It offered me an unexpected insight into why the opposition parties have failed spectacularly to secure backing from ordinary residents and why the cockroaches have done so much better. India's most significant opposition leaders gathered in a closed room, where cameras were allowed in for a photo before deliberations began.

As I saw the lineup of political princelings and princesses all seated together, I discovered myself wondering if they realised how bored Indian voters are with the kind of electoral feudalism they represent. And how much better the Cockroach leaders looked as they wandered regarding the streets of Mumbai, stopping to talk to residents and urging them to come to their rally. It was the sort of thing all politicians did when I first became a reporter, but now, it is only the 'cockroaches' who understand how significant it is to mingle with ordinary voters. And this is before they have entered politics or began a political party. If they do, it is my fervent hope that they do not become like politicians that we already have.

On the other side is the BJP that inevitably has lost its way since of being in power too long. This party believes it will continue to remain in power since of the 'charisma' and 'visionary leadership' of Narendra Modi. So, what they offer in every election now is just those things while going through the motions of after his lead. On Gandhi Jayanti, senior ministers and other acolytes could be seen with brooms in hand, sweeping up spaces where there was no garbage. Had they been sincere regarding honouring Gandhiji, at least they would have tried to do their sweeping in filthy places that, sadly, are far too numerous in our fair and wondrous land.

This hypocrisy has become their leitmotif. When it was decided that the Prime Minister's birthday would be celebrated with a month of 'seva', they pretended to be doing real social work in villages and slums, but as shortly as the cameras lost interest, so did they. I would not be exaggerating even a little when I say that the BJP has become almost as undesirable for voters as the INDIA bloc since although they bang on concerning how much India has changed, the ordinary voter knows that it has changed mostly in the glossy and particularly expensive promotions we see on television.

For context, the gall of BJP chief ministers is remarkable. They pose against a backdrop of magnificent highways and factories, declaring that states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have been transformed. If the funds wasted on advertising were spent on real things like schools, hospitals, and cleaning our rivers, India would truly be transformed, but this has not happened and nor is it probable to. This is why the 'cockroaches' have discovered it so straightforward to connect with the individuals where the opposition leaders have failed.

Notably, the response of the Prime Minister and the chief of the RSS has been to try to communicate with this generation of restless, angry young Indians, to try and speak to them on Instagram in Gen-Z words and gestures. But so far this has not worked in their favour since the young residents they are trying to reach are much smarter than voters once applied to be. And, they have shown with their campaigns for better governance, better schools and better elections that they understand these things well and what to reject. Interesting times, would you not say?

Taken together, the developments around tavleen Singh writes: Political change needed now point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.