Being a political spokesperson in India has got to be a really rough job and one can only hope that these individuals who strive night after night to make their political bosses look good on hostile TV environments are paid handsomely for being at the receiving end of fellow spokespersons and impatient journalists. Having watched them argue and debate for months at end, here’s our list of the best and worst ‘English-speaking political spokespersons in India’ over the last 36 months.
The following list has been populated keeping in mind multiple criteria. Criteria include regularity with which they come on TV, the ability to defend the indefensible, showing some level of humility when victorious, stealing the limelight when the debate is on a level-playing field, and of course, getting the audience sitting on the fence to agree with their point of view.
THE BEST
1. Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi (Congress)
It doesn’t matter whether the debate is BJP-bashing or Congress-bashing, AMS maintains a calm demeanor while ensuring his voice resonates a sense of urgency. He also is usually the voice of reason and he lays bare his points with an excellent command of the English language. He throws in just about enough jargon to sound more intellectual than his fellow panellists while managing to keep the interest of the audience alive. He is also the only person we’ve found who’s able to squeeze in all his points in a clean and concise manner.
2. Dr. Sambit Patra (BJP)
Sambit is the very opposite of Abhishek Manu Singhvi in more ways than one. Sambit has a heavy accent and is quite impatient when debating his point of view. Of late he’s been a tad patient but you can notice the patience does not come naturally. Even after taking this into account he comes second on this list. This is because he combines the rare quality of appealing to the masses while ensuring he is the voice of reason among the classes. He knows how not to let victory get to his head and he even debates the indefensible with élan. Even in the worst case scenario he manages to miraculously come out unscathed.
3. Rahgav Chadha (AAP)
The young lad is someone who’s easily tolerable even when he’s out there screaming for attention. He has the advantage of being with a party that has little blemish thanks to its young age. And it is fun to watch him win against people twice his age by using facts that are in his favour. That said, the real reason for him being on this list is his ability to clarify his point of view in debates where the entire panel of heavy-weights could be anti-AAP. He has the moxie to single-handedly keep the debate from slipping out of his control and even win in the depths of chaos.
4. Nalin Kohli (BJP)
He’s the most articulate spokesperson in the BJP and he is excellent at debating and winning more often than not. Even when he’s losing a debate, he looks so comfortable you’d be forgiven for believing that BJP is winning the debate. He’s smart, poised, eloquent and argues every debate from a point of strength.
5. Sanjay Jha (Congress)
Yes. You read it right. In all fairness, Sanjay started out by giving the impression of being a total joke. However, he’s managed to resurrect into a tough cookie when Congress-bashing was at its peak. Not only has he weathered the storm but he also manages to stay humble when the debate is in his favour. He’s take the viciousness of Arnab Goswami in his stride and continues to return night after night to defend the honour of his bosses.
ALMOST MADE IT:
Dr. P. Chidambaram
Be afraid, very afraid; his answers are short and sweet but devastating to the opposite party.
Arun Jaitley
He can argue both sides of the debate and win. Few people have the natural debating skills he does.
Arvind Kejriwal
Has an appealing answer for everything and it all comes across as brutally honest.
Atishi Marlena
The only woman on this list unfortunately. But on a good day she can win just about any argument.
Yogendra Yadav
Unbelievable, but his soft spoken answers have a louder impact than most people who scream on television.
Praful Patel
Watch his arguments closely. The other side of the debate has no clue they’ve lost until it’s too late.
AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM
Mani Shankar Iyer
Remember the chai-wallah moment? Also, why is he always so upset?
Sudhanshu Trivedi
Good at debating but needs to make his answers more believable. Must learn to get the audience to agree to his side of the argument.
Ashutosh
He needs to stop shooting his mouth off and also stop playing the victim card.
Manish Trivedi
There is smart and then there is over smart. He makes his point clear but needs to use simpler words and get more people on to his side.
Dr. Ajoy Kumar
He’s too soft spoken to make his point clear. Most potential to do a Sanjay Jha and become a good spokesperson.
Nirmala Seetharaman
Most potential to do a Mani Shankar Iyer. Why is she always so upset when debating?
Ashish Khetan
Must stop being perpetually angry and focus on getting the points across in a mature manner.
