Amidst allegations of assault by AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal against Bibhav Kumar, personal aide of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on May 13 and registration of FIR against him, AAP has unleashed a full-scale war in social media to damage Swati. The party released video footage of what happened at Kejriwal’s residence on May 13 to battle allegations of Swati assault. The video recordings are not CCTV footage as CM’s drawing room is not fitted with cameras. It is a video by somebody inside. In unleashing personal attacks on Swati, AAP seems to have completely lost its logic. For a party that initially admitted Bibhav Kumar had assaulted her. Kejriwal deployed his minister Atishi Singh to dub Swati as a BJP stooge. It may be recalled that Kejriwal’s assault of Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash in 2018 had no video evidence because of lack of CCTV images in the drawing room. BJP sources said in her call PCR from CM’s residence, Swati had clearly mentioned that she had been attacked by Bibhav Kumar at the behest of CM (she referred to him in  third person). Oddly, she did not mention him in the FIR. As images of her walking with difficulty to AIIMS for medical check-up and trip to the magistrate to register her statement, it established beyond doubt that she had been assaulted by Kejriwal’s PA. That’s why senior ministers in the government like FM Nirmala Sitharaman and Assam CM Himanta Sarma came out rallying in her support. Delhi BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa pointed out that it was Sunita Kejriwal who had prompted Bibhav to attack Swati. That’s why Kejriwal has gone all out to protect Bibhav. In the FIR, Swati reportedly appealed to Bibhav not to hit her as she was menstruating and in pain. “I repeatedly told him that I am having my period and he should please let go of me as I am in unbearable pain.” It was only thereafter that she called the police.

DMK top brass led by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has been in a huddle at party headquarters mulling party’s options in the country’s polity with the kind of Lok Sabha results that 2024 would throw up on June 4. Two things are really worrying the DMK — one is the indication that Congress may not be in a position to form government at the Centre. Which means the party will have to explore post poll realignment. Probably explore the idea of having a good working relationship with the NDA. Besides, the regional party it is being said has also been very miffed with the way it did not get to play any national role in the I.N.D.I.A Bloc in North India. The DMK because of TN minister Udayanidhi Stalin’s utterances against sanatana dharma which is generally considered synonymous with Hinduism in rest of India became a sticking point even for secular parties like RJD and SP in the Hindi belt. So much stigma was attached to the DMK that the party was not even invited to big I.N.D.I.A events in Mumbai and Patna. Responding to Stalin’s worry about lack of role in the North, a senior AICC functionary described it as a “bahana, an excuse.” What Stalinji is trying to do is looking for an excuse like Mamata to get out of the I.N.D.I.A front. Just as TMC is talking about outside support now, so that it can join hands with Modi-led NDA if PM needs support, the DMK is also looking for an excuse.” Meanwhile TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai who is an MLA has begun talking about strengthening the Congress independent of the support of Dravidian parties — taking a leaf out of state BJP leader K Annamalai. The buzz is Stalin wants to advance state polls and install his son as CM. Also sister Kanimozhi is keen to head the Parliamentary team.

The high-voltage Lok Sabha Election 2024 is witnessing several eye-catching claims, dialogues and then taking a complete u-turn from those. None other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been making statement after statement saying that he has never used “muslim polarisation” as his crux of any poll speech. Now joining him is Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee back tracking from her statement of “outside support” to the I.N.D.I.A government if voted to power within 24 hours. Didi has made it clear that her statement has been misinterpreted since she’s the one who created the Bloc, hence there is no room for outside or inside support since she’s part of it. However, her statement explains that Mamata wants the attention of the Bloc, maybe an invitation to lead it, after giving it the cold shoulder for months. Congress choosing Left over her in Bengal left Didi miffed which led her to distancing from the Bloc. Further, she was also angry that Rahul Gandhi’s Nyay Yatra passed through Bengal without informing her.  However, Didi’s comments can be influenced by the state’s 2026 assembly election, with Congress and CPI-M becoming formidable opponents. She must prepare to tackle the anti-incumbency campaign and stop BJP’s 77 MLAs, and potential Left revival, which could increase their vote shares. Having said so, not to be forgotten that Mamata like many veteran politicians has an eye on the PM’s chair.

As South Bengal gears up for remaining phases of ongoing Lok Sabha elections, a new controversy has emerged with accusations that the BJP is fielding dummy candidates to upset the electoral calculations of Trinamool Congress. Reportedly, the BJP which has no muslim candidates in Bengal’s 42 constituencies, has indirectly fielded Mumtaz Ali, as a ‘dummy’ candidate in the high profile south Kolkata constituency which has dominant muslim votes. BJP’s own candidate is Debasree Chaudhuri. This is a prestige seat for the Trinamool as it is the home turf of the party supremo Mamata Banerjee. She used to contest from here; now it is being contested by her loyalist Mala Roy. Similarly, at the Jadavpur seat, three dummy candidates — Arun Sarkar, Shankar Mandal and Avanikumar Mandal have been fielded by BJP making room for its nominated candidate Anirban Gangopadhyay and dent vote share of TMC’s Saayoni Ghosh. In the same manner, the BJP candidate for Barasat Lok Sabha constituency, Swapan Majumdar, has fielded an experienced BJP worker, Sumay Hira as a dummy candidate against TMC’s veteran and Didi loyalist, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. However, at Trinamool ‘strongholds’ like Basirhat, Mathurapur, Uluberia, Jayanagar seats names of independent candidates are not being announced by the BJP. BJP leader Abhijit Das (Bobby) who’s contesting against Trinamool scion Abhishek Banerjee at Diamond Harbor seat is not revealing the names of dummy candidates for the fear of he/she may be attacked.

  If Rohit Sharma is unhappy at Mumbai Indians, a team with whose success in the IPL he was involved with on five occasions, he may have just been given a valuable escape route. A blank cheque for the transfer as well as captaincy of the SunRisers Hyderabad are on offer from the owners, it is learnt. Hyderabad is a city Rohit is familiar with as he was originally a Deccan Chargers pick in the early IPL seasons when once he famously met a 21-run target in the final over to win a game for his then home team. The transfer of Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans was the talk of IPL Season 17 and he was brought over by Nita Ambani who, in tandem with her son Anant, is in charge of the popular franchise Mumbai Indians. But so disruptive was the Pandya influence on the season that many established MI stars might be thinking of transferring out and are scouting for offers. There are some who are also waiting to put their names when the mega auction comes along. It is Kavya Maran’s carte blanche offer for Rohit that is the most interesting among options ahead of Rohit who was first in a winning IPL team in 2009 when he was with Deccan Chargers.  His decision is keenly awaited by the Marans.

At 81, Ilayaraja remains the emperor of melodies. But of late he has painted his incomparable talent and self into a controversial corner. Recently SUN Pictures released the trailer of their upcoming Rajnikanth potboiler, Coolie with Anirudh composing music. Ilayaraja was angry to hear his composition from Thanga Magan, in a digital garb used in the trailer. He promptly sent a legal notice. This side of a gentle genius irritated film folks, with filmdom abounding in instances of copyright infringement. In the midst of this controversy this Rajya Sabha MP had the time and talent to announce the completion of a full scale symphony he composed in just 35 days. His talent and stature is so high, and some detractors are saying, does it behove his standing to send legal notice? Music borrowing, plagiarism or theft, call what you may, is a global phenomenon; Arabian belly dance tunes, African drum beats , tribal taals, from the great Indian music composers, Saint Thyagaraja, Annamiah etc are freely lifted. Often turning melodious music into cacophony. Ilayaraja, known fondly as Isaignanai (sage of music) has compiled  over 7000 film songs, scored music for over 1000 films and performed in 20,000 concerts. He is a music composer, conductor, orchestrator, multi- instrument player, lyricist and singer who has no equal. Recently, the famous music duo sisters Ranjani and Gayatri performed on stage with Ilayaraja sitting in the front row. They drew repeated applause for the Thyagaraja composition in Raga Charumati, Mari Mari Ninne which Ilayaraja immortalised as his base for the hit song Paatu ariyen, padippariyen, pallikoodam thaan ariyen in the film Sindhu Bhairavi. Ilayaraja, your kind of genius is rare and immortal. Think of plagiarism as the best adulation.

  The Indian market for toys continues to grow as more international players come into the market as well as manufacture their products here. The latest is Tonka from the U.S., a former maker of toy trucks, which is being introduced by toy veteran Sarabjeet Singh who runs the Delhi-based Centy Toys. Tonka, owned by Hasbro, is all set to roll in its big wheels for the first time in the country. The brand has been sparking imaginations worldwide for over 70 years with its durable and innovative toys. Now, Centy is ready to share this legacy with its Indian customers, Singh says: “Get ready to dig, haul, and build with us. Let’s make history together!”

  The head-hunting process — to find a suitable boy for the exalted position of head coach of the Indian cricket team across the three formats — has begun. Perhaps for the first time in 10 years, the opportunity for an overseas talent has presented itself.  The BCCI has invited applications for the same, with a closing date of May 27. Not anybody and everybody can apply for a job that entails expectations around skill sets, man management and a lot more. The BCCI is not yet inclined to employ independent coaches for the conventional Test or white-ball formats. It has been a decade or so since the national team has been working under three home-grown coaches – all distinguished former India cricketers Ravi Shastri, Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid. The question that Indian cricket would be faced with — assuming that Dravid has made up his mind to bid adieu to the position he holds now – is whether the BCCI is ready to look at overseas options. The national team has not had issues with Shastri and Dravid, but the surmise is that Kumble was forced out because of one or two stalwarts not liking his style of functioning. John Wright, Greg Chappell, Gary Kirsten and Duncan Fletcher had their time with the Indian team, and among the four, only Chappell’s ways did not go down well with a few senior players. The money for the job will be tempting and the Indian talent would not mind spending 10 months away from home for three years, but an overseas talent will think hard.