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Collage Maker-13-Oct-2022-06

Is Nitish Kumar Under Pressure To Merge JDU With RJD?

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is under pressure to merge his party Janata Dal United (JDU) with his new coalition partner Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). At its national executive meeting in Delhi early this week the RJD passed a resolution to change its name and symbol. The move is being seen as the RJD setting the stage for its likely merger with JDU, which would mean Tejashwi Yadav holding the reins in Bihar while Nitish moves on to play a role in national politics. Apparently resolution for change in the name of RJD or its electoral symbol ( hurricane lantern] and allied issues vested powers with national president Lalu Prasad Yadav or Tejashwi Yadav, was read out by Lalu’s trusted aide Bhola Yadav. Interestingly, the resolution was put in place before Lalu Prasad left for Singapore for kidney related treatment. The merger resolution caught RJD leaders by surprise as it was not on the agenda and came up suddenly. The RJD’s main argument for the merger is that Nitish will have support of a strong political base when he goes to Delhi. The Yadavs also feel it will be the best way to ensure that Nitish doesn’t go back to the NDA. So far JDU has not officially spoken about the merger talk. BJP leader Sushil Modi says “Nitish Kumar has no other option”. The RJD and JDU’s combined tally is 125 in the 243-member assembly.
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Happy Days Are Here Again For Kanimozhi!

Looks like Kanimozhi is the flavour of the season, not just in the DMK power camp but in the BJP’s net casting too. Just last month, she thanked home minister Amit Shah profusely for facilitating her mother’s trip to Germany for medical treatment. Then followed the significant reshuffling of Parliamentary Committees and appointment of new chairpersons by Narendra Modi. Kanimozhi was handpicked by the PM to head the Committee on Rural Affairs and Panchayat Raj. Not without rhyme or reason; it is well known that PM Modi imbues his decisions with ironclad logic and perceived future insurance. The DMK MP from Thoothukudi has worked hard in her constituency to make the Adopt A Village program noteworthy. Venkatesapuram, a village adopted by her, scored high in most development indices. This focused result-oriented work backed the PM’s choice for his Adarsh Gram Yojana outreach plan. The penny dropped at the just held DMK General Body Meet, Stalin was unanimously re-elected for a second term as party Chief, and he in a surprise move announced Kanimozhi as one of the five general secretaries. This was followed up with courtesy visits to her home by both Stalin and son Udhayanidhi. It may be recalled that the nephew Udhayanidhi had earlier ignored aunt Kanimozhi and now he was cosying up to her. Kanimozhi is a prized 5G asset now –a big contrast to the humiliation of the 2G days.
Collage Maker-10-Oct-2022-02

Patnaik Takes Wind Out Of The Opposition Sail By Launching Mission Millet

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik is forever thinking of newer and newer ways to connect with his voters as he is keen to transform their lives. The latest programme unveiled by him is Odisha Millet Mission that will touch the lives of 95-lakh plus tribals in the state. Of course, these tribals will play a big role in the 2024 Assembly elections. Many in the opposition grudgingly admit that Mission Millet is a game changer.  Realizing its potential — nutritional advantage and as political currency — the Odisha government has already declared November 10 as Mandia Dibas. Political observers say, it is Patnaik’s masterstroke by focussing on a single big constituency comprising tribals it will yield big dividends.  Now, the state government is going all out to promote millet cultivation in a big way in both the tribal and non-tribal districts. It is learnt that the state government now plans to extend millet coverage to 142 blocks in 19 districts. Naveen babu who believes in his work speaking for him has constantly advised his ministers and party workers to “talk less, let the work speak for itself”. Looks like his mantra is working as the Odisha people are quite favourably listening to millet’s wellness advantage. So as of now it is Advantage BJD.
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Dharavi Redevelopment To Finally Take Off, At Over 3X Cost

The ambitious Dharavi Slum Redevelopment project looks like it is poised to take off as the pre-bid talks for the work have received excellent response. The project will now be undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs 23000 crore against the earlier Rs 7200 crore after it has been languishing for a long time due to political, administrative and global financial reasons. Mired in delays due to a variety of reasons, most notably the Covid-19 pandemic, the project was brought back on rails by the Shinde-Fadnavis government as soon as it assumed power. Launching the project will be crucial in view of the election to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, expected to take place later this year. The responding firms include several international undertakings. While eight firms have shown an interest in actual development, about a dozen are desirous to involve as consultants, according to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. The foreign firms are from Dubai and South Korea. The Dharavi redevelopment project, originally envisaged over a quarter century ago, was revised in 2004. It aims at resettling about 68000 families and a large number of commercial establishments already existing. The response to the pre-bid discussions has been heartening and the real picture will emerge after October 31 when actual quotations for redevelopment and for consultation are received.

TRENDS & VIEWS

Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack

It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
And this is vindicated by our two marquee advertisers – IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Lombard. Both believed in our story and have supported us from Day one. A big thank you to both.
If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.