Time, they say, flies—and how true that is. Here we are celebrating our 5th Anniversary. Five years ago, when Covid-19 was wreaking havoc across the globe, I took a leap of faith and launched Short Post, India’s first website for Authentic Gossip. That was on January 31, 2021. I was convinced there was a clear gap in the market for gossip that was credible, sharp, and impactful—especially if told in just 250 words. In this, I was fortunate. Scores of senior editors across diverse verticals bought into the idea and, in the process, gave wings to my dream. Quite honestly, Short Post could not have crossed these milestones without the unflinching support of its contributing editors. Like all start-ups, we have seen our share of ups and downs, but these editors have stood by us like a rock. I take this opportunity to doff my hat to them. Thanks to their commitment, we have published close to 5,000 stories spanning politics, business, entertainment, and sports. I say this with pride: we made our mark as people who matter read us. “Small packs, big impact” truly captures the essence of Short Post. We all know that Covid-19 has reset businesses worldwide, and the media sector is no exception. In the post-Covid era, investors have become more cautious and selective—and advertisers too. To compound matters, the entry of AI has disrupted the media landscape in equal measure. So far, we have managed to hold our ground, hopeful that some angel investors will take a shine to us. What gives me confidence is this: AI cannot smell news—especially the gossipy kind. In other words, AI cannot churn out Short Post-type stories, no matter the prompt. That puts us in a safe zone. As someone rightly said, “AI is a co-pilot, not a pilot.”

Notwithstanding public posturing by the DMK about firming up an alliance with the Congress, it is being said that senior DMK MP Kanimozhi didn’t have a nice experience trying to forge a seat sharing agreement with the Congress in the two rounds of meetings that she held with Rahul Gandhi this week. What particularly left a bad after taste in the mouth for her was the manner in which Rahul did not permit Kanimozhi to interact with Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath.  In fact, after the first round of meeting that was initially held in the Lok Sabha LoP’s office on January 28, it was Rahul who had suggested that Kanimozhi could come over to 10 Janpath. Kanimozhi saw it as an opportunity to interact with Congress matriarch. But Rahul made it clear that his mother was not available for sorting out dicey political alliance matters and that the DMK leaders have to deal with him. While the DMK raised the impropriety of Congress in charge Girish Chodankar thrusting a list of 41 assembly seats that his party wished to fight in his first meeting with CM Stalin, Rahul wanted to know why the DMK was not working “to strengthen the Congress at the grassroots and in local bodies” in TN. Rahul’s approach somewhat surprised Kanimozhi and  asked Rahul if he could speak to her half-brother Stalin. Stalin didn’t yield to Congress’ demand for more seats right away and said a panel would go into the demands. The DMK found it difficult to accept Congress terms of coalition power sharing. Rahul pointed out to Kanimozhi what the Congress was sharing with JMM in Jharkhand. Kanimozhi made it clear to Rahul that her party could offer 27/28 — 2 or 3 seats more than 25 that the Congress contested in 2021.

How times have changed quipped a veteran cricket administrator after Bangladesh chose not to travel to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup – citing security concerns. A little over 25 years ago, the BCCI, steered by Jagmohan Dalmiya backed the entry of Bangladesh as a full member of the ICC, and the young nation played its first Test against India. Things have changed out of the blue a quarter of a century later; precipitated by political changes in that country, and the killings of a particular community there which seems to have nudged the BCCI to ask the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders to eject Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman from the squad for the IPL 2026 season. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), now clearly tilting towards Pakistan, and ordered by its sports advisor, took a call to ask the ICC to relocate its matches to Sri Lanka. The ICC did not budge and took a firm decision to drop Bangladesh from the tournament and replace it with Scotland. According to reports the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) — supporting Bangladesh — threatened to pull out of the World Cup or not play India in Colombo saying its decision will be left to the Pakistan government. Nothing has been heard from across the border, but what’s certain is the relations between India and Bangladesh being shelved with no bilateral cricket likely to happen anytime soon. Tours to Bangladesh by India’s men and women teams were cancelled last year and henceforth Bangladesh will find it extremely difficult to request India to tour its country for a bilateral series – even if the political situation changes after the election in that country in February.

It seems to be the playbook of all the ruling state governments announcing social welfare schemes when the election is around the corner. So Tamil Nadu is no different. With the Assembly elections fast approaching the TN government headed by chief minister MK Stalin is announcing back-to-back policies, schemes, freebies and other initiatives that are essentially voter-friendly. Call it a curated mix of welfare, AI and technology and education, everything is coming together. In the previous month alone the state government announced various schemes such as free laptops for students to increase digital literacy, a sovereign AI data centre for secure AI infrastructure that will create 1000 plus jobs, newly polished pension scheme to support the elderly, Rs 3000 for pongal assistance to name a few. There are many more in the pipeline depending on which way the election wind blows. But at the end of the day by announcing various schemes and giving away freebies, the ruling DMK government is telling the people…we are on your side.

There seems to be no breather in the domestic aviation scene in the foreseeable future. Though the government proudly announced the entry of Shankh Air, Al Hind Air, FLY91 and Jettwings Airways, they are hardly going to ease air travel. All the new airlines plan to operate only on feeder routes and to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Following disruptions in flights through scheduled cancellations and delayed flights by IndiGo on December 5, 2026, DGCA had ordered a 10% cut in IndiGo’s overall flights — from 2144 flights per day to 1930 flights. As a result, Indigo had to vacate 717 slots out of which 364 were from major metro cities. But to everyone’s surprise there are no takers from existing or new airlines for the vacated slots. About the only airline capable of making a move is Akasa Air, which is awaiting induction of new aircraft in its fleet. Shankh Air, believed to be operated by a former truck operator and based out of Lucknow plans to fly on Tier- 2 and three routes — Varanasi and Gorakhpur. Goa-based FLY91, which planned to operate Airbus aircraft, today operates three ATR 72 -600. The flights are to Lakshadweep from Kochi, and to Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Bengaluru and Hyderabad from Goa. FLY91’s first year operations landed it with a loss of Rs 67 crore. Following this, it offered one of its ATR 72-600 aircraft on lease to an upcoming airline, Gulf-based Al Hind Air. For some reason the deal did not take place. And also, passengers on FLY91 have complained of frequent cancellations and disruptions in operations. About the only fresh lease of life for airline operators in India, dubbed the graveyard, is the new aircraft leasing policy.  With the setting up of GIFT City, airlines are shifting leasing units from Singapore and Ireland to Gujarat to take advantage of the new leasing terms and tax exemptions.

The battle lines have all but been drawn for the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls 2026. It is advantage DMK as the polls head for a 3- or 4-cornered contest with actor Vijay the significant new player in the fray. The DMK-Congress alliance is yet to be formalised after seat-sharing talks hit speed bumps, but given the long-term relationship between chief minister MK Stalin and Rahul Gandhi, the Congress is only likely to keep its ties with the DMK going. Poll arithmetic in a contest in which the opposition to the regime is divided among the AIADMK-led NDA alliance, Vijay’s TVK which will be on a solo run and Seeman’s NTK, a fringe player who can however play spoilsport by taking away a proportion of the votes, will favour the ruling DMK despite the anti-incumbency factor. With a lack of data and history, no one can gauge Vijay’s advent into politics. But the way the BJP has played the cards against him is certain to bring him such sympathy for the treatment meted out to him and his last movie Jana Nayagan. Repeated questioning by the CBI with regard to the Karur stampede is another good reason why more people will gravitate towards the TVK. Also, people are yearning for change from the tired Dravidian politics. Even so, it will be DMK, with its committed cadre vote, that will come away with less of its vote share diminished even as AIADMK, which got a near equal vote share in 2021, suffers from its association with the northern upper class party BJP. Stalin seems set to emulate Jayalalithaa’s 2016 performance when her AIADMK was re-elected. The alliances are all but set now no matter what conspiracy theories may be floated from here and what pulls and pressures may come up in the last mile to the polls.

The grapevine has it that Bollywood is set to flesh out yet another police story, this time around infamous policeman Pradeep Sharma, who liquidated 112 criminals in alleged encounters, mostly in Mumbai city. Ab Tak 112 (112 encounters till now) is tentative title of film being bandied about, in apparent one-upmanship to earlier film based on rival policeman, Daya Nayak, titled Ab Tak 56. Both Mumbai police officers had suffered ignominy of suspensions and even dismissal during their chequered careers with a Mumbai Crime Branch probe revealing 214 of the 300 police encounters between 1998 and 2000 were fake. The two are also dwarfed in comparison to DCP Mallaiah G Yadav, who has encountered and liquidated 672 criminals and Naxals in a distinguished career marked by genuine police encounters. Unlike the cinematic bravado that often romanticizes extra-judicial action, DCP Mallaiah G Yadav’s record was forged in India’s most unforgiving internal security theatres, where Naxal insurgency, organized crime and armed extremism merged into daily warfare against the State. His encounters were not urban spectacles staged for headlines but outcomes of prolonged intelligence gathering, cordon-and-search operations and armed retaliation by extremists who chose bullets over surrender. Serving across sensitive districts, Mallaiah systematically dismantled Naxal formations, eliminated dreaded area commanders and neutralised criminal syndicates that had paralysed governance, extorted civilians and assassinated public servants. Unlike his Bollywood counterparts whose careers collapsed under allegations and departmental action, Mallaiah’s service record reflects institutional trust, repeated high-risk postings and operational continuity over decades. As cinema mines old encounter legends for box-office revival, DCP Mallaiah G Yadav’s story remains largely untold—perhaps because it is too stark, too real and too uncomfortable.

Shahrukh Khan’s King is waiting to break the box office and music systems of the young and restless…and along with King Khan’s magic, young music director, the 35-year old Anirudh Ravichander is all set for a sound blast. Having set music for Khan’s blockbuster Jawan for which Anirudh walked away with Rs 10 crore. His line-up of superstars, Shah Rukh, Rajinikanth, Allu Arjun, Nani, Vijay is the envy of many established music directors. Anirudh’s signature tunes started with ‘Why this Kolaveri’ sung by Dhanush in 2012. Anirudh is a rare challenge to maestro Ilaiyaraaja right on top of the pyramid and AR Rahman the Oscar holder for music with melodies that have endured. Once Anirudh asked ARR, “Sir which star is your inspiration…Superstar Rajini of course, he said. Anirudh from Rajinikanth’s family, grinned. With so much name and fame, this young man has not let complacence go to his head. He is popular with every production house and is an acknowledged team player. “My team is very alert…even at 50%, they want higher reaches. My instinct follows them,” AR Rahman once told him, “Ani, include more classical North Indian and South Indian ragas for longevity.” Whatever his choice of ragas or beats, he holds the unique record on Spotify for 13 billion streams by an Indian music artist. This hugely popular man is of course chased ..by female fans. His short dalliance with singer actor Andrea Jeremiah spread like wildfire. But it was not encouraged as he hails from a conservative Iyengar family. This young King of music is the perfect foil for a salt and pepper look for King Khan’s gangster film. Anirudh is ready to make the King, who has been there, seen it all, dance to his tunes.

With Assembly elections around the corner, the idea of a minority-led alliance has introduced a fresh layer of uncertainty for the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her party the Trinamool Congress (TMC). While there is little concrete evidence to suggest an imminent erosion of the TMC’s minority vote base, emerging formations and alliance talks could complicate electoral arithmetic in select pockets of the State. The most visible symbol of this mobilisation has emerged along National Highway 12 in Beldanga, Murshidabad district, where suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir has begun constructing a replica of the Babri Masjid. Kabir, who has floated the Janata Unnayan Party (JUP), has accused the TMC of pursuing policies harmful to minorities and is seeking to politically consolidate Muslim voters. Early January, Indian Secular Front (ISF) MLA Naushad Siddiqui called for a minority party alliance against TMC and BJP. The ISF, linked to the Furfura Sharif shrine in Hooghly, has held discussions with the JUP, alongside talks involving the SDPI, the political wing of the banned Popular Front of India. Muslims constitute about 27% of West Bengal’s population. Minority and women voters have been central to the TMC’s dominance since 2011. Minority leaders cite discontent over OBC list exclusions, Waqf law amendments, and the return of TMC MP Mausam Benazir Noor to the Congress in Malda. Yet, many Muslims continue to see Mamata as the most credible bulwark against the BJP, which is banking on minority vote fragmentation and Hindu consolidation. Kabir met CPI(M) State secretary Mohammed Salim in Kolkata to explore the possibility of contesting the elections together with the ISF. The meeting has sparked unease within sections of the CPI(M), particularly in refugee-dominated and urban areas of south Bengal. Some leaders fear that association with Babri Masjid symbolism could be electorally damaging.

Gujarat governor Acharya Devvrat is likely to serve another term. It is reported that he is looking to take over as governor of Maharashtra, which is his additional charge at present. Devvrat was appointed governor of Gujarat in July 2019 while he took the additional charge of Maharashtra on 15 September 2025. Devvrat’s gubernatorial career began in Himachal Pradesh, where he served from 2015 till 2019. Currently, this is his second term in Gujarat. Thus, Devvrat has already served for over 10 years, making him one of the longest-serving governors under the Modi administration. Although Maharashtra is his additional charge, it is noticed that Devvrat is quite active in the state, generating murmurs that he may be a top contender for a full-time appointment here. The issue assumes significance since previous Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari is at the receiving end after the Padma Bhushan honour was bestowed upon him by the Centre. Under Article 156 of the Constitution, a state governor normally enjoys a tenure of five years. However, there is no bar on her or his continuation till the successor is named. Due to certain actions and statements of Koshyari, a lot of bad blood was created between him and then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. Given the prime position of Maharashtra in the country, the Centre will choose its next governor by taking all precautions to ensure that no friction occurs, it is certain.