This Week in Explainers: How Mahua Moitra was expelled from Parliament

The first week of December has been not without its drama. It all started with the election results of five states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. The polls were dubbed as the semi-finals before the 2024 general elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had reasons to smile as it won in the Hindi heartland. For Congress, the victory in Telananga was a silver lining. We tracked the election results and analysed what they mean for the two parties as politicians prepare for the big test next year.

The winter session of Parliament has been a stormy one. This week’s session concluded with the expulsion of firebrand Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra. It’s been quite a saga.

In Rajasthan, there was tension after a leader of the Karni Sena was shot dead at his home. And the death of a young doctor in Kerala because of dowry shocked the country.

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We rewind to the big stories from India in our weekly roundup.

1. The BJP won big in the Hindi heartland, where the party fought the elections under the banner of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now it has another task at hand, picking chief ministers. Will it be Princess Diya Kumari in Rajasthan? What about Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh? There’s talk that new faces could be picked over old warhorses. Here’s why.

2. In Telangana, it was Congress state president A Revanth Reddy who changed the party’s fortunes and wrested power from KCR’s BRS. Reddy campaigned tirelessly for the elections and he won the hearts of the people and brownie points from top leadership.

There was some debate in the party and some opposition, but in the end, Reddy got his reward: the CM’s post. In this piece, we talk about the rise of Revath Reddy.

Revanth Reddy greets party workers and supporters celebrating the party's win in the Telangana Assembly elections, in Hyderabad on 3 December. PTI

3. In Rajasthan, the BJP’s victory was marred by protests after the leader of the Karni Sena, Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, was shot dead at his home.

Rohit Godara, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, took responsibility for the killing. This is the same group that threatened Bollywood actor Salman Khan. What is the notorious band of criminals? Here’s the story.

Mortal remains of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi at his native village before the last rites, in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan, on 7 December. PTI

4. A heartbreaking tale came from Kerala. A young doctor died by suicide after her wedding was cancelled. The reason will shock you. Her family could not meet the dowry demands – a BMW, gold sovereigns and more.

We are ready to usher in 2024 and yet dowry continues to haunt thousands of Indian women. In this explainer, we tell you what the laws of the country say.

5. Now let’s turn to women in politics. To be specific, Mahua Moitra. The Trinamool MP has been expelled from the Lok Sabha in the cash-for-query case after the ethics panel submitted its report.

Her decisions to share parliamentary credentials with an “unauthorised person” are considered “serious misdemeanours” by the committee. In this story, we explain what happened in the Lok Sabha and bring you details of the findings of the report.

TMC leader Mahua Moitra speaks to the media after her expulsion from the Lok Sabha over the cash-for-query issue during the winter session of Parliament. PTI

6. Last week, we gave a little history lesson about Sam Manekshaw. This week, we talk about Shivaji. On 4 December, India celebrated Navy Day, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He announced that epaulettes on naval uniforms will feature the imprint of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But why is the Maratha king called the father of the Indian Navy? In this essay, we take you to the 1600s.

That’s the big news from India this week. If you like our recommendations, keep coming back for more. Happy reading.