Cover Story

Wide open contest
The great churning
Uttar Pradesh: High stakes
Bihar: Caste calculation
Jharkhand: Changing equations
Kerala: Shifting sands
Andhra Pradesh: Political theatre
Flood of sops
Karnataka: Three-way fight
Power problem
Orissa: Split and hope
Communal agenda
Maharashtra: Bereft of choice
Vidarbha waits
Madhya Pradesh: Performance card
Chhattisgarh Power of populism
Varun Gandhi and the law
Interview: Shanti Bhushan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court

World Affairs
Malaysia: Change of guard
Pakistan's plight
Israel's war crimes
El Savador: Turning left
New deserts of Chile
© NewYork Times News Service

Architecture
Mumbai's Art Deco

Essay

Advani's power drive

Reports
ILO on women's employment

Interview

Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Professor of Biology and Physiology, University of California

Sri Lanka
Nerves on test

Obituary
Janet Jagan

Heritage

A magnificient temple in Madurai

Column
C.P. Chandrasekhar: A new prescription
R.K. Raghavan: A victory for the terrorist?
Praful Bidwai: Wayward trends
Jayati Ghosh: Lack of balance
Bhaskar Ghose: Roots of terror

Update
Bashir at Arab summit
© Guardian News & Media 2009

Books
Children's favourite
review by Emma Brockes
© Guardian News & Media 2009
Open secret
review by A.G. Noorani
Waiting for Beckett
review by Nicholas Lezard
© Guardian News & Media 2009