All
Politics
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Celebrities
In his interactions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai had reportedly made it very clear that the BJP should enter into a pre-poll alliance with the AIADMK only if it did not agree to projecting to anyone from the regional party as CM candidate. Armed with facts and figures, he explained to Shah that the AIADMK under Edappadi K Palaniswami’s (EPS) leadership had been steadily declining including its vote share. Annamalai insisted that the BJP must work on stitching up a NDA alliance in TN that builds on gains that the BJP made in 2024 Lok Sabha elections by going alone. It may be recalled that it was the AIADMK that had walked out of the NDA alliance in Sep-Oct 2023 months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Yet, the BJP managed to double its vote share from 3.66% to 11.1% though it did not win a single seat. It would be interesting to see how the AIADMK chief EPS responds to this precondition from BJP. EPS has been pushing for the NDA to project him as the CM face. BJP sources say EPS has been playing tricky. Soon after his meeting with Shah, EPS reached Chennai and repeated charges against Modi government that the DMK government has been making regarding the NEP and Centre not clearing state’s dues. His comments surprised some Congress leaders. So, will Annamalai who has been TN BJP chief since 2021 be eased out? Such posts are for three-year terms only. For the sake of caste dynamics — as there are one too many Gounder community leaders like Annamalai and Mahila Morcha chief Vanathi Srinivasan, it is felt the party may go for a Thevar leader Nainar Nagendran, a BJP MLA from Tirunellveli. A final call on Annamalai, who has opted to work as cadre, will of course be taken post PM Modi’s TN visit on April 6.
Indo-US political compatibility will witness preferential tariff rates worked out for India by the latter with clear bias against China. Well-placed sources explained, “China faces a 60% tariff rate imposed on exports by the U.S. President Donald Trump. Disparity will be evident when similar exports from India will face sub-40% tariff rates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi bargained hard, on pain of cutting off exports to the USA, taking Indian goods to the European Union instead.” This worked tremendously in favour of Indian exporters who won’t face sudden spikes in duty rates levied. President Trump is now eager instead, to up bilateral trade between our two nations to scale up to $500 bn by 2030. Sector specific negotiations are currently underway even as nations like Canada, China and the European Union experience trepidation over Trump’s tariff war against them. The U.S. conceded to India’s demand for technology transfer under long pending agreements for fifth and sixth generation fighter planes. Sharp negotiations progressing with Russia and France encompassing a wider arena of joint collaborations including marine drone technology, space missions helped tremendously. The proposed visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India will focus upon enhanced business in the wake of sanctions against Russian crude on the verge of being lifted. Strong winds are also blowing to foster cultural relations between India and Russia as a new coalition of global players is being disrupted to include the USA, France, Italy and Israel for a new world order. Ukraine and Hamas (in Gaza) stand relegated to minion status on the world stage in the meanwhile.
After 15 seasons in the IPL as Chennai Super Kings’ talismanic personality, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has drawn attention for all the wrong reasons. He evoked encomiums for his lightning stumping of Suryakunar Yadav of Mumbai Indians and Phil Salt of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the ongoing Tata-IPL-18, but after a 50 run defeat i against the RCB, Dhoni aka “Thala” is under flak for coming to bat at No 9 (with CSK at 99 for 7) against RCB which had set a formidable target of 197. Dhoni scored a quick 30 not out off 16 balls with 3x4s and 2x6s, but his blitzkrieg has far from convinced the CSK fans of his value to the team. While the majority of them go to the extent of hero-worshipping him, there were voices of dissent about him batting at No 9. One cricket lover said that a genuine CSK fan like him cannot be fooled anymore. “He should have come ahead when the target was 197,” he said. Dhoni will turn 44 coming July and once again the grapevine is rife with the news that he will hang his boots at the conclusion of this season. Australian Brad Hogg was 45 when he played his last IPL match in 2016 for KKR and Pravin Tambe was 44 when he played his last match for Gujarat Lions in 2016; this makes Dhoni the third oldest player in the league. He has featured in 138 winning matches for the CSK, averaging a little under 45 in these matches and scoring 1000-plus runs at No 4 and 5. He has batted at No 9 only twice and the CSK fans are, naturally, angry!
Union Home Minister Amit Shah came down heavily on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his criticism of the Parliament’s functioning, saying at the allotted time to speak in the Lok Sabha, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi was in Vietnam. He also pointed out how the Congress had got 40% of the time to speak on the Budget. He said it was possible that the LoP in the Lok Sabha was perhaps not aware there are rules for speaking in the House, which cannot be run through whims and fancies. “His (Rahul’s criticism of the functioning of the Parliament) were completely misplaced. Parliament proceedings can’t be conducted like party office meetings,” pointed out Shah. Last week, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had made oral observations about improper conduct of the LoP. Rahul had walked into the House even as the proceedings were on. Instead of walking directly to his seat, Rahul had indulged in some PDA with his sister Priyanka, drawing sharp observations from the Speaker Om Birla. It was later pointed out that Rahul was not being respected as LoP as he was not allowed to speak as the House was adjourned immediately after the Speaker’s observations. Rahul had apparently wanted to speak soon after PM Modi’s statement on Mahakumbh on March 18 and wasn’t given the floor. Interestingly Shah made his remarks on Rahul at Times Now Summit. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had also mentioned about Rahul’s preference for Vietnam in the Lok Sabha.
It was the trailer launch of AR Murugadoss directed Sikandar. Salman Khan with childlike enthusiasm brought Kollywood’s grizzly actor Sathyaraj to meet his dad Salim Khan — the iconic script and screenplay writer, celebrity half of Salim-Javed. “Pappa, Kattappa,” said Salman while introducing Sathyaraj to his dad. Sathyaraj, who plays the role of a transgender villain in Sikandar said, “Salim Sir has been my hero from my college days. I have worked for 47 years in 258 films. Today, I have fulfilled the wish to meet him in person.” He was delighted that Salman introduced him by his famous character’s name. Sathyaraj reiterated that his multi-dimensional role in Sikander may well be another Kattappa. At the event Salman got an opportunity to unburden his angst. “We see Rajni and Chiranjeevi films and welcome South Indian productions wholeheartedly. But find that though Bollywood stars are celebrated down South, our films don’t get the same overwhelming reception.” Bahubali made the Pan India trend into vogue. So, is Salman on the cusp of another EID Mubarak? His future is riding on Sikandar. He must have longed for that thumping box office success of earlier times when his career seemed it would never tank. But five years of a barren streak, and his efforts to keep his premium slot intact have been obvious. Sikandar’s muqaddar is set to change. At the Press meet Salman said that “Kitna bhi log bole…mere fans 100 crore toh pahuncha dete hai”.
Odisha’s Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik, former chief minister and head of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) seems to have got a jolt from his man Friday ex-IAS officer VK Pandian. The big news is Pandian has left Naveen Nivas vis a vis politics for good thereby putting his master in a spot. So, what made the influential Pandian leave Navin Nivas? Sources say, even though Pandian holds Naveen babu in a very high esteem but he sees no future for BJD nor for himself within the party. The power corridor in Odisha is buzzing with the news that Pandian is in talks with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a senior level position to handle some part of their India ops. If he does join, it makes eminent sense, because as a seasoned IAS officer he has considerable clout both in Delhi and Odisha. Also, Bill Gates Foundation is known to hire top notch ex-IAS talents. It may be recalled that sometimes back Bill Gates while meeting both Naveen Patnaik and VK Pandian had praised Odisha’s health initiatives, sanitation intervention, effective management of Mission Shakti and Pandian’s administrative capacity to solve issues and getting proposals cleared by respective ministries. The latest news is Pandian’s wife Sujata Karthikeyan, an IAS officer who was working as special secretary – Finance Dept in Odisha has opted for VRS. The Centre has not only accepted her resignation but also waived her notice period. Is she entering politics?
The simultaneous release of three films, Tumko Meri Kasam directed by Vikram Bhatt, Pintu Ki Pappi by Shiv Hare and Baida by Sudhanshu Rai seems to have skidded at the box office. These films are emblematic of a troubling trend in the industry, characterized by poor marketing, lack of visibility, and minimal audience excitement. Tumko Meri Kasam features Adaah Sharma, Ishwak Singh, Isha Deol and Anupam Kher. However, it suffers from a lacklustre promotional strategy that fails to generate buzz. The film’s dark and dull poster does little to entice potential viewers, making it feel like a B-grade production rather than a cinematic offering worth watching. Similarly, Pintu Ki Pappi is struggling with a title that fails to convey its essence, leaving audiences confused and uninterested. With Ganesh Acharya as the producer and newcomers Sushant and Jaanya Joshi in leading roles, this film too lacks the marketing push to draw the audience. A title like Pintu Ki Pappi may be catchy, but without context or appeal, it risks alienating potential viewers. In the case of Baida, a supernatural thriller that despite its intriguing premise, has not garnered attention. Directed by Sudhanshu Rai who also stars in the film, it suffers from a lack of awareness and visibility. All three films represent small-budget productions that have entered the market without effective marketing strategies or brand recall. The absence of excitement and visibility raises serious questions about how these films expect to attract audiences to theatres. The only commonality among these releases is their dismal box office performance, highlighting the urgent need for filmmakers to prioritize marketing and audience engagement if they hope to succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape.
What made the BJP-AIADMK alliance, now being talked about freely, come about was Vijay’s refusal to tag along with anyone on the Tamil Nadu political scene and to go it alone in the 2026 polls. And he made that decision based on Prashant Kishor’s advice. It was known that Vijay had virtually decided to go with the AIADMK in an alliance to try and gain power quickly in his political career for which he was ready to be Edappadi K Palaniswami’s (EPS) deputy CM if that scenario came good. It was Prashant who told him not to do that and to go on his own as he was guaranteed to pull in at least 20% of the vote, much of it expected from youth willing to give a new idea a try and women who determined to look for change from the tired Dravidian major party scene of the DMK and the AIADMK. Prashant was said to have postulated that either he could become the kingmaker in any split decision in a hung Assembly or even king if the tide turned all in his favour. Otherwise, he would have been only second fiddle if his alliance with AIADMK did well enough to get the majority. EPS made his move to go to Delhi and seek out Amit Shah only when he came to know that Vijay was unwilling to get into an alliance with his AIADMK. It does appear then that Prashant has made this 3-way scenario come about with DMK+, AIADMK-BJP and TVK in the fray with Seeman likely to join the mega alliance with AIADMK. Having lost his banker in Vijay as an ally, EPS will soon be firmly in BJP’s lap.
AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palanisami (EPS) set off a tsunami of surmises when he rushed to Delhi for a durbar audience with home minister Amit Shah. So, who or what spooked EPS despite Shah’s multiple visits to Tamil Nadu since 2023 and open invitations to EPS to join the NDA? Chinwaggers had a field day in surmising what transpired in that crucial meet of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam chief Vijay, EPS and his son Mithun. Some earlier meets facilitated by the new entrant to TVK, Aadav Arjun had not gone unnoticed giving Arjun importance as a powerful catalyst influencer. But this time Arjun was sidelined, Mithun was the influencer for Vijay’s power play. Vijay set forth his expectations…more akin to the tail wagging the dog, a jaw dropping number of seats that EPS had to concede if Vijay was to walk into the alliance. Vijay also made it clear that even as soon as his last film, Jananayagan was wrapped up, he would start on his TN Yatra. In fact, he reiterated, it is better that ‘I announce my final decision then’. It seemed EPS was zapped even as Mithun decoded this strategy and its fallout where Vijay seemed to hold all the aces. EPS decided a bid in the hand is far worthy than a push in the bush and flew to meet Amit Shah.
Ashesh Jani, Co-founder of Ribbon App that offers multi-currency accounts and wallets for 32 currencies, recently flew into London to meet K Rajaraman, chairperson of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and Dipesh Shah, Head of Development of Financial Market & International Affairs. The IFSCA is located at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar. The meeting facilitated by the Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami was to explore the possibility of Jani setting up operations in the GIFT City. Ribbon, whose tagline is: ‘Account Before You Fly’, offers a range of services that is tailored for Indian students and professionals relocating to the UK. Seeing the huge potential in the domestic market, Jani is keen to set up an Indian office to do domestic business. Ribbon offers multi currency accounts and wallets with an embedded payments marketplace, and access to deposits, FX, Crypto and equity trading platforms. Its AI-powered app is designed to offer a hyper-personalised experience to its users. What probably attracts Ribbon to invest in India is the competitive tax environment that GIFT City offers.
When Rahul Gandhi pushed off to Kedarnath on a three-day visit in the midst of elections in Hindi heartland states, it was widely believed that the temple visit was more to improve his Hindu credentials than for any spiritual significance. Party sources admitted that Rahul found he was not being welcomed to campaign in Madhya Pradesh as much as his sister Priyanka was in a state that goes to polls on November 17. PCC chief and CM aspirant Kamal Nath was seen trying to maintain a distance from Rahul; it was as if Nath was cold shouldering Rahul. While Kamal Nath was not seen accompanying or sharing the spotlight with the Gandhi scion, he was not even endorsing or referring to Rahul’s programmes in the state — in his X handle. He was only making references to public rallies addressed by Priyanka Vadra. In contrast, former CM Digvijay Singh made it a point to be part of Rahul’s rally in Ashok Nagar, Guna. Sources said it is possible Nath was uncomfortable with Rahul’s utterances about caste census and OBC politics. He probably did not want any controversy with Rahul around. It may be recalled Nath got I.N.D.I.A front to call off its Bhopal rally soon after Sanatan Dharam controversy. Several Congress leaders have also not been comfortable with Rahul’s neo OBC politics and wondered if it would yield desired results. Meanwhile, Rahul is yet to chart out his campaign plans for Rajasthan that goes to polls on November 25.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is about nine days away from a glorious finish, but concerns remain about the sustainability of the format on a bilateral basis. The ICC’s global media rights — digital and television for 2024-2027 — have been won by Disney Star for around $ 3 billion for all signature events. The ongoing 50-over format World Cup has been far from a resounding success, save for a handful of matches in which teams competed to take the match to the wire. India’s men in blue have met with unprecedented success which will trigger a fresh wave of interest among the boys and girls across the country. Experts from England have suggested that the defending champion’s preparation was far from satisfactory after it won the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia last year. India played a maximum of 30 ODIs from October 1 last year, followed by New Zealand 25, and Sri Lanka 25. Australia played only 18 and South Africa 15. The numbers reflect dwindling interest for bilateral ODI series which India incorporates in good numbers to get a better deal from the broadcasters. The players may not be keen to get on with the 50-over format in the future as much as they would like to look at the Twenty20 franchise leagues. What will be interesting is to see what Saudi Arabia does after this World Cup. The Arab nation has expressed interest in investing about $ 5 billion in the IPL.
At a time when the Ethics Committee of the Parliament gave its stamp on the recommendation to dismiss Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Maitra from parliamentary position in the case of exchange of money, the parliamentarian has got support not only from the second in command of the party – TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, but also from the arch rivals the CPI(M) and Congress. However, BJP MLA and Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari is not satisfied with that and claims that Mahua has done anti-national work and must be jailed. Taking a dig at the TMC leader who represents Krishnanagar constituency, Adhikari was categorical in stating that her membership is only a matter of time and people want such fraudulent MPs to go to jail. However, for the first time since the issue sparked, Abhishek stood by Mahua stating that the firebrand leader is “competent enough to fight her own battles”. Interestingly, veteran Congress leader Pradeep Bhattacharya stood by Mahua saying that he is doubtful about the logic behind the decision by majority. He further suggested Mahua should approach the court if possible. Echoing similar views, CPI(M) State Committee member Sujan Chakraborty said, ‘It was not understood how a person could be expelled at the same time be investigated upon by CBI. The ethics committee takes a different role arbitrarily. This activity of the Ethics Committee was not seen after allegations were raised against BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri in the Lok Sabha.”
Air India to start direct flight between Manchester and Mumbai. Service to commence operations at the end of November or by December this year. To start there will be three flights per week. Earlier, Jet Airways used to operate this route before it closed down operations in 2019 March. North England has a catchment of over 200,000 people of Indian origin who will benefit with this direct flight as Mumbai is further connected to various destinations and passengers avail their 2-check-in bags allowance. Officials say service can start right away as it has got all approvals. What’s delaying is the lack of fleet to be pressed into this sector. The 787 are old and Air India is keen to launch its service with new aircraft. With Tatas taking over Air India, the management has taken bold decisions to offer direct flights to Goa, Ahmedabad, Cochin and Amritsar from Gatwick, and reserved its slots at Heathrow for Mumbai and New Delhi. Competition at Heathrow to these sectors is fierce as Middle Eastern airlines managed to grab a larger slice of the cake. British Airways has a monopoly at Heathrow thus non-availability of slots compel other service providers to move out to other London Airports.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.