Podcasts · ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

EP 425 | Narendra Modi 4.0 or Rahul Gandhi in 2029? | Neerja, Rasheed & Shekhar | ANI Podcast

22 Jun 2026 · 1 h 49 min · Episode 425

From Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to Punjab, political equations are shifting across India. Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi still the defining force in Indian politics? Can Rahul Gandhi transform the Congress into a credible alternative? What role will regional parties play in shaping the next phase of Indian democracy? And is India moving towards a two-coalition political system?

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, senior journalists Neerja Chowdhury, Rasheed Kidwai and Shekhar Iyer join the discussion to analyse the changing political landscape.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

01:20 – TMC's Collapse

08:05 – Defections in TMC

15:10 – The Fall of Abhishek Banerjee

23:31 – Congress & Regional Parties

31:53 – Congress–TMC Merger?

37:57 – TVK-Congress Alliance

47:33 – Rahul Gandhi vs Modi in 2029?

54:27 – BJP's Core Voters

1:00:23 – Why Voters Relate to Modi

1:08:19 – Modi's Feedback Mechanism

1:14:44 – Rajasthan Congress & Sachin Pilot

1:24:46 – Punjab Assembly Polls 2027

1:31:58 – UP Polls 2027

1:38:48 – Journalists and Politicians

The episode on the publisher’s site ↗ (opens in a new tab)