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The third term consecutive BJP government in Haryana proactively introduced seven laws before the state legislature’s winter session, even as Congress’ failed CM aspirant Bhupinder Singh Hooda declined handing over the leader of opposition (LoP) post to another party colleague. Before the session began intensive in-fighting broke out for the LoP post with Hooda deferring the appointment though Congress has legitimate claim with 37 MLAs to hold the post. Holding Haryana’s state legislature to ransom Hooda said the LoP would be decided only after the results of the Maharashtra state assemblies are declared on November 23. His stand of “If it ain’t me, it won’t be anyone else,” has already set the ball rolling with a majority Congress MLAs seeking fresh political pastures with strong indications of en masse defections to the BJP, says senior BJP leader Mahendra Jain. “Not only in Haryana, but also in Maharashtra, mass defections are likely from the Congress party and the Sharad Pawar/Uddhav Thackeray led political formations respectively post November 23, 2024. There will be a big political Khela in the two states,” Jain predicts. Ironically, after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress party was unable to secure the LoP status for Rahul Gandhi in India’s parliament have elected only 44 MPs back then while Hooda’s obstinacy does not allow the party to legitimately designate Harayana’s LoP despite commanding required numbers for the same. The BJP is exploiting the situation to engineer a Congress breakup in Haryana while ensuring the same in Maharashtra at the expense of the UBT and Sharad Pawar’s NCP in a repeat performance.
In a solemn ceremony, Justice Sanjiv Khanna was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India on November 11, succeeding Justice DY Chandrachud, who retired on November 10, 2024. The oath was administered by President Droupadi Murmu during a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The event was attended by key figures including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and former CJI Chandrachud. Justice Khanna’s appointment follows the recommendation of Justice Chandrachud, who had recommended him as his successor on October 17. Justice Khanna’s tenure as CJI will last until May 13, 2025. Despite his short tenure, Justice Khanna has opted not to move into the official CJI Bungalow at 5, Krishna Menon Marg. Following the swearing-in, Justice Khanna proceeded to the Supreme Court to preside over the day’s proceedings, hearing 47 cases alongside his colleague, Justice Sanjay Kumar. In his parting address Justice Chandrachud expressed a deep sense of satisfaction with his service, stating, “I won’t be able to deliver justice from tomorrow, but I’m content.” Justice Chandrachud, like other former Chief Justices, will enjoy several post-retirement benefits which have recently been enhanced to include round-the-clock security at their residence, along with a personal security guard available 24/7 for five years post-retirement. He will also get six months of rent-free Type-VII accommodation in Delhi, similar to facilities provided to Union Ministers. Lifetime entitlements include domestic help and a chauffeur, ensuring that their household needs are met and they lead a comfortable life.
In a significant political development, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has placed her trust in former cabinet minister and senior Left Front leader Abdus Sattar by appointing him as the chief advisor to her government on minority affairs. Sattar, an influential figure of CPI(M) who served as the Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education under the Left Front government. He has been tasked with addressing ongoing disputes related to Wakf properties and will advise the Department of Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education on initiatives for minority welfare. Interestingly, Sattar quit the Left Front way back in 2011 by joining the Congress before aligning with the TMC. This appointment, sources suggest, highlights TMC’s strategy to strengthen its appeal among the state’s educated minority communities. With the BJP’s growing influence in West Bengal and traditional opposition forces such as the Left and Congress losing traction, Sattar is seen as a critical asset for Banerjee’s administration, given his progressive reputation and deep organizational skills. A TMC leader pointed out that Sattar will complement prominent TMC leaders like Firhad Hakim and Siddiqullah Chowdhury. Interestingly, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said that Didi’s appointment of Sattar reflects an acknowledgment of the developmental work undertaken during the Left Front regime and is also a rebuttal to TMC’s earlier narrative that the Left did nothing for minorities.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and former CM Uddhav Thackeray have started singing the same tune. They keep on telling the media, “I am not hankering for Maharashtra’s chief ministership.” Over the past few days, the three leaders have been interviewed by leading dailies and news channels. Each has been repeatedly asked about his prospects to be the next CM. In response, each has reiterated that a decision about this issue will be taken after the assembly election results on 23 November. The issue had become a hot topic soon after the Lok Sabha election when Uddhav Sena’s spokesman Sanjay Raut publicly suggested to Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to project his leader as the next CM. The move was immediately scuttled since veteran leader Sharad Pawar of NCP and state Congress president Nana Patole rejected it. Now that the polls are away in just four days, the issue has been resurrected. Shinde has predicted that the ruling Mahayuti will win around 160 seats in the 288-member house. Fadnavis has been consistently saying that the issue will be decided by Shinde, BJP’s Central leaders and another deputy CM, Ajit Pawar. This stance of the three top leaders in Maharashtra is interpreted as a precaution to ensure that the boat is not rocked at the opportune time.
He has been very vocal on sanatan dharma and has been taking potshots at BJP and Hindu religion. But ever since Udhayanidhi Stalin was appointed deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu he seems to have toned down his anti-sanatan stand. Of course, he has shown his aggressive side by insisting on wearing a T shirt with DMK logo on it at every public appearances, a practice that has irked opposition to the extent of filing legal action. This defiance is yet to be resolved. But there is evidence that he is mellowing down, a visible change from his aggressive defiance. Recently, Udhayanidhi was tasked with completing a full audit and stock taking of the DMK government’s welfare schemes and doles obviously aimed at the 2026 Assembly elections. To get a first hand report Udhayanidhi visited several constituencies, met the local party workers and government officials. But when he visited Thoothukudi with Minister for Fisheries Anita Radhakrishnan and Social Welfare minister Gita Jiwan in tow, the powerful and bespoke Kalaignar family’s Kanimozhi( MP for that constituency ) was missing from the scene. The media was quick to pounce on this glaring absence. Udhayanidhi was quick to reassure the media that this stock taking move and audit had been undertaken at the request of the chief minister and that his foster aunt was travelling abroad. He also took pains to reassure the media that he would revisit Thoothukudi in a few weeks with Kanimozhi. There was a time when Udhayanidhi would have flared up at even an indirect reference to Kanimozhi’s relevance. Times are changing
The absence of Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and other senior NCP leaders from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rally at Chhatrapati Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai on November 14 strengthened speculation that NCP could possibly be an unreliable link in Mahayuti. This notwithstanding the fact that the deputy CM had attended a Modi rally in Pune barely two days earlier. Ajit Pawar’s party is a crucial partner in the ruling alliance, alongside Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and the BJP. But then NCP candidates Sana Malik, Nawab Malik, and Zeeshan Siddique were also notably absent from the event, which featured leaders from the Shinde Sena and the Republican Party of India (RPI) led by Ramdas Athawale. While the rally was meant to highlight the coalition’s solidarity, reports suggest that NCP leaders are upset over the BJP’s batenge toh katenge campaign. BJP sources said despite Ajit Pawar’s unease with the BJP’s aggressive Hindutva agenda, it is likely that he will stay on the side “which benefits him”. That is he could walk to any side which will make him the CM or as Nawab Malik told Times Now “Ajit Pawar will be king maker”. BJP sources said UP CM Yogi who coined the slogan has been much in demand among party candidates. “We have been forced to cancel meetings of top leaders to accommodate Yogiji”, said a party manager. As for contrary assertions by Ashok Chavan and Pankaja Munde on batenge toh katenge, these are being viewed more as a desire to project themselves than pose any serious ideological counter to the main party discourse.
Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has raised apprehensions about his future moves, once again. Over the past few days, Ajit has betrayed his ambivalence about the way campaigning is proceeding in Maharashtra. While this is being commented upon, his absence at the final rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on November 14 has been noted with concern within the ruling Mahayuti. Neither Ajit nor any of his NCP’s candidates turned up for the PM’s rally organised by chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and the BJP. As Ajit failed to appear on the dais, the media attention has focussed on his possible calculations after the assembly poll results are out on 23 November. Already, he has rubbed Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis the wrong way by objecting to UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s slogan batenge toh katenge. Ajit had observed that such slogans will not work in Maharashtra, whose culture was different from that of UP. Ajit’s insistence on fielding former minister Nawab Malik from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency in Mumbai despite the BJP’s open objections had created some strain within the Mahayuti. Now, Malik has told the saffron formation that Ajit’s NCP will not be a part of the next government if Yuti’s campaign strategy is not changed. Ajit’s another confidant, Dilip Walse Patil had said a few days ago that some fresh combination can occur after the election. Ajit has not refuted neither statement. Hence, he is under close observation by the other two partners of Mahayuti.
The kerfuffle following Ricky Ponting’s straight–from–the–shoulder observation of Virat Kohli’s form was unnecessary. In the course of an International Cricket Council (ICC) conducted interview before the five-Test series between India and Australia in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the former Australian captain said that Kohli has scored only two Test centuries in the last five years (186 against Australia in Ahmedabad in March 2023 and 121 against the West Indies in Port of Spain in July 2023). In these circumstances, he wondered if any other player would have been picked for the national side. While Kohli — described by Ponting as one of the greats in the same interview — himself did not respond to Ponting’s appraisal of his form, a seemingly annoyed India head coach Gautam Gambhir virtually questioned Ponting saying: “What does Ricky Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? He should be talking about Australia.’’ Gambhir’s retort was churlish. The media seeks the opinions of former greats as a build-up to events and in this case Ponting was interviewed by none other than the ICC because of the importance of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Ponting has gone to the extent of saying that the series between India and Australia — from the backend of his career – has always been a high-stakes affair, not far from the relevance of the Ashes. Ponting has played 560 matches for Australia across formats, scored 27483 runs with 71 x 100s and 146 x 50s and led Australia in 77 Tests. He is also a World Cup-winning captain. To question his credentials is downright absurd.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath packed a lot of wit and humour while taking potshots at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge who had mocked Hindu sadhus straying into politics and occupying high offices “in saffron robes”. Yogi reminded Kharge that he may have forgotten some crucial parts while recollecting his family’s sacrifices “for votes”. Yogi alleged Kharge purposely glossed over the tragic death of “his mother and sister” in an attack by Razakars as he feared losing Muslim votes. Addressing a rally in Achalpur in Vidarbha, the UP leader said, “I am a Yogi, and for me, the nation comes first, while for Mallikarjun Kharge, appeasement politics comes first.” He was responding to Kharge’s comments on the “batenge toh katenge” remark. He recounted Kharge’s childhood tragedy during the political unrest in Hyderabad during India’s independence. Kharge was born in the Bidar region of erstwhile Hyderabad state, ruled by the Nizams. The Razakars were a paramilitary force that operated in the princely state with a primary objective to maintain the rule of the Muslim Nizams of Hyderabad and prevent the accession of Hyderabad to India. Incidentally, at the very rally where Kharge was pouring scorn on Yogi’s saffron attire, the Congress chief was trying to generate some sympathy for himself by talking about how he had narrowly escaped the wrath of razakars. He didn’t name the razakars; he merely said how his father was relieved that his only son had been “saved”. “Even our house was burnt. I don’t want to talk about those who attacked us.”
India’s Test team – thrashed 3-0 by New Zealand – will look upon the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia with trepidation rather than hope. After the 2-0 win against Bangladesh, the Rohit Sharma-led team seemed to have reached the doorstep of the ICC World Test Championship final. But in a matter of 10 playing days from October 16 to November 3, all the hype around a third consecutive WTC final turned into slough of despond because drawing a blank from the available 36 points from three Tests against New Zealand meant winning four of the five Tests in Australia to qualify for the WTC final. India could be disappointed when the fourth Test begins in Melbourne on Boxing Day (December 26). Of course, putting it across the Pat Cummins-led Australian side will drive the Indian team that competed hard to bring down the home side in the two previous series of 2018-19 and 2020-21. Preparing “designer turners’’ in Pune and Mumbai did not help the home team in any way as New Zealand’s two left-arm spinners, Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel, sent the home team packing, capturing 13 wickets in Pune and 11 wickets in Mumbai. The five pitches in Australia will not afford copious turns to the slow men, but Cummins will deploy the smart off-spinner Nathan Lyon – he has taken 60 of his 259 wickets at home in 15 Tests against India — to the full. India has to muster all its wits, hour by hour, session by session, and day by day, deliver with the bat, ball, and field well in each Test match to make the series riveting.
When the BJP released its 5th list of candidates and Varun Gandhi did not find his name, he may have not been surprised. What may have surprised him was that his mother Maneka was still fielded from Sultanpur. That is because even before the list was out Varun was preparing to be axed and had wanted to file nomination papers as an independent candidate. He knew he had crossed quite a few red lines to be renominated as an MP candidate. In Pilibhit, the BJP had replaced him with former Congress leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Jitin Prasada, a constituency represented by Varun twice. While Varun literally invited the wrath of the BJP leadership by attacking the Yogi Adityanath government in UP — license of Amethi’s Sanjay Gandhi Hospital was suspended following death of a patient, the Pilibhit MP also attacked policies of the Modi government in signed opinion pieces in newspapers. Congress sources said Varun had turned a rebel in the BJP only because his cousin Priyanka Vadra had encouraged him to do so. She had wanted Varun to create trouble, leave the BJP and eventually join the Congress. She had even arranged a conciliatory meeting between Varun and Rahul Gandhi. Somehow, Rahul was not open to Varun joining the Congress as of now. With his mother getting a BJP ticket, Varun may not be inclined to contest 2024 polls. Elections are always a season of crazy new endings and beginnings but the one that happened in Kurukshetra, Haryana takes the cake. BJP workers can’t still figure out why party leadership has fielded coal-scam tainted Naveen Jindal. BJP had defeated him in 2014 and 2019. In 2024,”We will not work for him”, says the demoralised cadre.
Actress and BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut has been reminded by several netizens of her remarks against popular star Urmila Matondkar when the latter was fielded by the Congress party in Mumbai North to contest the Lok Sabha election in 2019. On a later occasion, Kangana had expressed her willingness to stand for an election. In the course of that interaction, she had called Urmila a soft porn star. This has been recalled by several net users as a quip allegedly uploaded by Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate against Kangana has set off a war of words between BJP and Congress. The offensive tweet was later withdrawn but the verbal give and take continues. Excerpts of Kangana’s 2020 interview to a TV channel have been uploaded. She says, “Urmila Matondkar, she is a soft porn star. I know it’s very blatant, but I want to ask you… she is not known for her acting for sure, what is she known for, for doing soft porn, right? If she can get a ticket (candidature for a political party), why won’t I get a ticket?” Kangana’s comment against Urmila followed Matondkar’s criticism of Ranaut for disrespecting veteran actor Jaya Bachchan. In a 2020 speech in parliament, Bachchan had spoken out against the tarnishing of the entire film industry. About the latest Congress post, Kangana will announce her next step after meeting BJP leaders in Delhi. Whatever the outcome, the ‘X’ post will continue to haunt the Congress party for some time.
Manoj Jarange Patil has once again changed his tactics for the coming Lok Sabha election. Now, he says only one candidate should be fielded on behalf of the caste in each Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra. Moreover, he has clearly stated that such a candidate need not belong to the Maratha caste but should be a votary of the demand. Jarange’s decision was announced at a rally of the Maratha reservation demand’s supporters. Diluting his aggressive stand further, Jarange has said that for the Maratha community, the assembly election is more important than the Parliament’s election. ‘We will teach the government a lesson at that time,” he said while criticizing chief minister Eknath Shinde. Earlier, Jarange had threatened to derail the election process by fielding one Maratha candidate from each village so that the ballot paper would carry hundreds of names and EVMs would have to be replaced by printed ballot papers. However, given the heat generated by the LS election process, Jarange has been more or less ignored by the media to which he was sort of addicted. The selection of candidates by various political parties and their alliances and fronts has a clear imprint of caste considerations. Thus, the spirit generated by Jarange to press his demand for Maratha caste reservations has evaporated. His claim that his decision can impact the results in 18 LS constituencies is hence viewed with disbelief.
It was a coordinated action by a group of Congress sympathisers who erupted in mocking actor Kangana Ranaut after she was given a ticket to contest from Mandi in Himachal by the BJP. There was prominent editor Mrinal Pande who first mocked “Mandi”.Then Supriya Shrinate wanted to know the “rate card”. Then HS Ahir came up with references to prostitutes. It is for these reasons that the controversy triggered by Congress spokesperson Shrinate’s social media posts about Kangana just didn’t ebb. The BJP too decided to take the issue of attack on its candidate with the EC. The Congress tried to build a counter narrative — digging up an old clip of Kangana where she is heard taking a “soft porn star” jibe at former Congress leader Urmila Matondkar. So did Shrinate’s bit that her posts against Kangana were not hers but had been posted by someone else. Her explanation did not convince the party. Himachal Congress leaders were surprised by the manner in which Kanagana handled personal attacks. She questioned the Congress for “sexualising a small town’s name” and said that “every woman deserves her dignity. Mandi is being used in a sexual context everywhere, just because it has a young woman candidate. I am hurt by the ‘Mandi’ thing, which is known as Chota Kashi and has been the land of several rishis.” Her remarks made even Himachal CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu take pride in Kangana and describe as her daughter of the state. Congress sources feel Kangana may find the going tough if incumbent MP Pratibha Singh chooses to contest. “Let’s not forget was announced by the BJP only after Pratibha announced she would not be contesting.”
It is reliably learnt that Adani Data Network, which was the surprise entrant in the 5G spectrum auction conducted by the Telecom Department, has silently walked out of the space. Adani had acquired the right to use 400 MHz of the spectrum in the 26 GHz milimetre waveband for 20 years. Adani it seems has not paid the requisite auction money by the stipulated period perhaps an indication it is having second thoughts about its entry into 5G space. Generally, in such cases, the bank guarantee, given at time of bidding, would be encashed and a penalty charged. Reportedly, the Department has decided to waive off both as the ecosystem is yet to be developed. After the auction in September 2021, Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said that the acquirers of spectrum would roll out their 5G services by October 2022. The government had received bids for Rs 150,173 crore from Jio, Bharti Airtel, Voda and Adani. The total amount mopped up by the government from 5G spectrum capable of offering ultra-high speed mobile internet connectivity was Rs 77,815 cr. At the time of bidding for the 400 MHz spectrum, Adani Group had indicated that it was the group’s first step in integrating its digital infrastructure portfolio including data centres, terrestrial fibre and submarine cables, industrial cloud, AI innovative labs, cyber security and super apps. The Telecom department was supposed to hold the next round of spectrum auction in February 2024 but with elections round the corner, the auction was not held, and may be held once the new government is sworn in. This time round, however, the Government expects operators to go for lower bands beginning with 600MHz for many which are lapsing soon. Back in September 2021, the Government decided that spectrum auctions should be held annually.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a leading party in Tamil Nadu under the leadership of founder Dr S Ramadoss and incumbent leader and son, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has jumped on the BJP bandwagon after jettisoning AIADMK’s offer at the eleventh hour. Out of the 10 seats allotted, one was definitely for the former Union health minister Dr Anbumani. The wise soothsayers had even predicted the family’s long time turf, Dharmapuri as the constituency of choice for him. In a surprising turn of events his wife Dr Sowmiya Anbumani is now fielded from Dharmapuri, the first time a lady of the house of Ramadoss is to contest in an election. Dr Sowmiya, a PHD in Sociology, who heads the party mouthpiece, Makkal TV claims “ I am no novice to election grind. I have worked for my husband and know my constituency well….confident that our women voters would elect me. As for Dharmapuri, an agri centre for mangoes, millets, tomatoes, tamarind and silkworm production, I plan to negotiate better support prices for them.” She also plans to set up SIPCOT industrial estates to lure back over three lakh workers who have gone out in search of jobs. Even if she is whistling in the dark to take on the mighty Dravidian parties, at least she has a strategic plan for Dharmapuri, not the oft heard leverage of Dravidian invincibility. And she represents a growing woman power.
Now, it is official that both BJP and BJD are going solo in the general and assembly elections. And the BJP Odisha unit seems to be elated with this new development; they feel that against the backdrop of Ayodhya, the party stands a better chance this time. An indication that they were expecting a solo fight showed when the party immediately released its first list of candidates for 18 of the 21 seats. The list has familiar names: Jual Oram from Sundargarh, Dharmendra Pradhan from Sambalpur, Pratap Sarangi from Balasore, Dr Sambit Patra from Puri, Aparajita Sarangi from Bhubaneswar, Pradeep Panigrahi from Berhampur and others. Sources say four sitting MPs Suresh Pujari,Basant Panda, Nitish Gangadev and Biseswar Tudu may be accommodated in the Assembly elections. There is a strong rumour that the ruling BJD may field Dr Santrupt Mishra, ex Birla HR director and Arup Patnaik ex Mumbai Police Commissioner from Cuttack and Puri respectively. The biggest surprise is BJP’s national vice president Baijayant ’Jay’ Panda is returning back to Odisha to fight from Kendrapara amidst rumour that sidelined BJD film star MP who won Kendrapara and denied BJD ticket. The Odia star may join BJP, contesting from Cuttack constituency following BJD’s six time Cuttack MP Bhatruhari Mahtab quitting BJD. Speculation is rife that Mahtab too may join BJP. Similarly there are rumours that BJP MLA Naba Charan Majhi has been asked to contest the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat instead, making way to accommodate President Murmu’s daughter in the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
BJP has fielded former Governor of Telangana and Puducherry Tamilisai Soundararajan from South Chennai seat against DMK incumbent Tamizhachi Thangapandian. Tamil is the pivot that strikes, in the names of these two formidable ladies and incidentally both are 62-year old. So, what’s special about DMK MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian (her name and its significance is in itself an oeuvre in Dravidam) who was elected in 2019? Thamizhachi has impeccable credentials — highly educated, taught English in Chennai’s Queen Mary’s College, author, lyricist , orator, sister of DMK heavyweight Minister Thangam Thennarasu and wife of late Thangapandian also an influencer of the party. Is this fight seen as Plebe Vs Patrician? Why was Tamilisai chosen to take on this high profile incumbent Thamizhachi? According to a media analyst, the ex- Governor, who lost to Kanimozhi in 2019, is a nimble and sagacious politician…she may appear the perfect foil for a sophisticate Thamizhachi, but in terms of easy touch points Tamilisai is adept at spontaneous camaraderie. On a realpolitik level, South Chennai is a middle class bastion that has seen enough of Dravidian rhetoric, and may be ready for a change given the BJP wave in the South riding on Modi’s charisma and K Annamalai’s padayatra. South Chennai could be a litmus test for BJP’s entry. Already there are references to a cult Tamil film dance competition in Vanjikottai Valiban where late Padmini and Vyjayanthimala compete in a nimbly choreographed dance. And the hero applauds, “Sabaash, Sariyana potti (in Tamil it means wow, a good fight)”.
While a Mumbai cricket faithful would like to say “Shabash” to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for becoming the avant-gardist in Indian cricket by announcing a like-for-like match fee (if the BCCI fee is Re 1 we will top it up with an equivalent sum for each match day) to its Ranji Trophy cricketers from the next season (2024-2025), the 42-time winner of the national championship has not walked the extra mile; it has not put in place an annual retainer programme. The other members of the BCCI should take a leaf out of the MCA book that augments the first-class cricketers’ monetary resources from a single season; they cannot say they don’t have the money. Looking at a broader canvas, an annual retainer programme will be a most welcome development for hundreds of Ranji Trophy players. The borderline lot who warm the bench need more financial security/incentive. Every Ranji Trophy player in the country will doff his hat to the MCA which awarded a team bonus of Rs 5 crore to the Ajinkya Rahane-led team for winning the Ranji Trophy recently. The BCCI has loosened its purse strings and disbursed a substantial percentage to its members — Rs 100 crore or thereabout every fiscal is not small money. The performance (results achieved) of its team in the BCCI tournaments is a true and only reflection of its strength. So Messrs Amol Kale/Ajinkya Naik and the MCA Apex Council, you can take a step further now. The topping up of per day match fee could have been from the just concluded season too.
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.