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In the wake of escalating face-off between the Chennai-based Tractors and Farm Equipment (TAFE) and its American partner AGCO over the ownership rights of Massey Ferguson in India, a two-member bench of the Madras High Court has stepped in to direct the warring parties to “maintain status quo until the original applications are heard and disposed of by the learned single judge. “For avoidance of doubt, we hasten to add that the observations made herein are tentative and solely intended for the purpose of disposing of these appeals. We have not delved much into the various rival submissions. All rights and contentions are kept open,” the two-member bench said in its order on Monday. The relationship between TAFE, an Amalgamation group company, and AGCO Corporation of the U.S. hit a nasty bump in April last when the AGCO management terminated commercial agreements -– including the one on licensing the Massey Ferguson brand — with TAFE. The Chennai firm quickly got a stay on this from a commercial court. When AGCO subsequently confirmed the termination, TAFE filed a contempt petition in the Chennai commercial court. Separately, TAFE also moved the Madras High Court, asserting its ownership right to Massey Ferguson brand. TAFE had got a favourable interim order from the Madras High Court. TAFE had filed a civil suit before the Madras High Court against Massey Ferguson Corporation, a subsidiary of AGCO, claiming that the said trademarks are distinctive of TAFE in India and exclusively owned by it. It had sought the Madras High Court to declare that TAFE owns the Massey Ferguson brand/trademarks in India. With the HC bench asking both parties to maintain status quo, all eyes are on the upcoming proceeding before the single judge. It is “advantage TAFE” at the moment, however.
With only 12 days remaining for the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah to take charge as independent chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), clarity has not emerged as to who would perform the duties of the Secretary from December 1, 2024. First and foremost, election has not been called for the post, and this could be because the BCCI Constitution has adequate provisions for its Joint Secretary to perform the Secretary’s duties. The BCCI Constitution says: “The President shall, in the event of a vacancy or indisposition of an office bearer, delegate the functions to another office-bearer until the vacancy is duly filled up, or the indisposition ceases.” In this case the BCCI President Roger Binny has the right to assign duties to any other office-bearer. Shah who has been the Secretary from 2019 may be allowed a grace period to hand over the work to someone else. Next week is going to be hectic for the ICC to take a call on the format and venues of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (Feb-Mar) because the BCCI has conveyed to the ICC that India will not travel to Pakistan. The BCCI, nay Jay Shah, would like to see a finality to the Champions Trophy issue, in particular where India will play before he takes charge of the ICC. If the Champions Trophy has to take place, the Pakistan Cricket Board has to accept a hybrid model with one group (with India in it) playing league matches, most likely in Dubai and keeping the venue of the semi-finals and final, open. The PCB may not be in a position to lose the hosting rights and thereby with it a fee of around $ 70 million!
The ‘Satta Bazaar’ is betting down (dampened market sentiments) over Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) forming Maharashtra’s next government. A market player says, “Punters have never been wrong before. Dampened stock market spirits indicate the Mahayuti Alliance is unlikely to win notwithstanding sops galore unleashed by CM Eknath Shinde.” Differing with market pundits, BJP says, “Markets crashed after Foreign Portfolio Investors withdrew Rs 1.25 lakh crore in October (out of total Rs 71 lakh crore total stock investments in India) seeking better pastures after China announced stimulus. FPIs sold Rs 8700 crore stocks in April, Rs 25,600 crore in May then bought Rs 26,600 crore worth in June, Rs 32, 400 crore in July, Rs 7300 crore in August and Rs 57,700 crore in September before the big sell off in October. Already overleveraged NSE slumped, the subdued corporate sector quarterly results after much hype triggered a profit-booking mindset among investors.” Donald Trump’s ascendancy as the next U.S. president (previous tenure witnessed negative bias towards precious metals) bodes badly setting price corrections of gold and silver even as the U.S. dollar firms up, adding to Indian stock market woes. The BJP leader adds, “Maharashtra contributes around 14% to India’s GDP but even when MVA ruled for 2.5 years Modi-nomics ensured high buoyancy on Indian bourses despite stalling of bullet train project, Rs 14,000 crore cost escalation of Metro project.” The market punter, however, cites India’s financial capital Mumbai in Maharashtra that ensures most Indian business gravitates around the state while explaining the gloomy market mood over MVA’s likely win. November 23 will reveal the truth when the political bets are finally called out.
In a massive setback to AAP, Delhi’s transport minister and Jat leader Kailash Gahlot resigned from the party, citing “grave challenges” and “awkward” controversies in a letter to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal months ahead of Delhi Assembly polls. He has joined the BJP. Gahlot’s exit is well timed in the sense that it comes days before Maharashtra goes to polls. AAP, an INDIA Bloc partner that has no stake in the state polls. But it must be said Gahlot’s exit was something that was in the works for some time now. It is believed that the seeds of discord between Gahlot and the AAP leadership were sown on August 15 over unfurling the national flag during the Delhi Govt’s I-Day celebrations. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who was in jail on charges linked to the alleged liquor policy scam, had wanted Education Minister Atishi to unfurl the flag. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena however felt Gahlot was more suitable for the job as he held the Home Department. Meanwhile, Kejriwal indicated that Gahlot had quit as he was under pressure from the ED and IT. In his resignation letter, Gahlot pointed to how “Political ambitions have overtaken our commitment towards people, leaving many promises unfulfilled”. In an apparent swipe at Kejriwal, he referred to “many embarrassing and awkward controversies like the “Sheeshmahal” — a term used by the BJP to refer to the CM’s residence renovated during Kejriwal’s term costing the exchequer Rs 45 crore.
A major controversy has erupted in Tollywood as over 233 directors from films, TV and independent media have filed a defamation suit against Swarup Biswas, president of the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India. The Rs 23-crore lawsuit follows Biswas’s contentious remarks alleging rampant sexual harassment in the film industry, with 60% of complaints purportedly against directors and producer-directors. The hearing will take place on January 10. Swarup, the younger brother of Aroop Biswas, Bengal’s Power and Housing Minister and a close aide of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, finds himself at the centre of an unprecedented protest by Tollywood’s creative community. This is, perhaps, the first time that Tollywood has publicly challenged the Federation. Directors and producers have also criticized what they call “red-tapism” and “arbitrary demands” imposed by the Federation, including its control over unit sizes, pay scales, working hours, and technician selection. At the Eastern India Motion Picture Association’s (EIMPA) recent AGM, Swarup Biswas proposed that producers deposit Rs 5 lakh each as security to ensure timely technician payments, citing Rs 50 lakh in pending dues. Producers have outright rejected the demand, questioning the Federation’s accountability and EIMPA’s silence on the matter. Veteran actor-director Aparna Sen has publicly questioned Swarup Biswas’s credentials, asking for proof of his contributions to the industry. Biswas holds an assistant director’s card, which is reportedly issued only to those involved in at least two films. Actor-politician Roopa Ganguly also criticized the Federation, accusing it of politicizing the industry and questioning why filmmakers often seek the CM’s intervention during crises.
If rising onion prices decided the election outcome in many states some decades ago, falling soybean prices could impact the outcome in around 70 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra. Hence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, representing two ends of the political spectrum, are found promising farmers of much higher rates, but only after they are elected on 20 November. The sensitive constituencies are spread in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, where cotton and soybean are the main cash crops. The current market rate of Rs 4000 per quintal is unacceptable to the growers though they have no choice but to sell the produce as it can’t be stored for long. The MSP is Rs 4800 but not enough stocks are lifted by the machinery. The ruling saffron alliance has been promising better tariffs. The government hiked the soybean import duty in a bid to jack up the prices but the hike was of only around Rs 400, still leaving a gap of the same amount. Sensing the distress and the government’s inability to make any major announcement, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has promised Rs 6000 per quintal of the legume. To go a step further, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has pledged to pay Rs 7000. Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has also joined the chorus. The two regions had by and large supported the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi during the Lok Sabha election. Hence, Mahayuti leaders are wary of saying anything that can dampen their prospects.
Are the re-runs slowly becoming a revenue model both for producers and exhibitors who have been grappling to bring back the audiences to cinema halls? Diwali turned out to be decent but then again we are gone back to re-release of films. Shah Rukh Khan’s Veer Zara re-release has been appreciated. Rakesh Roshan plans a re-release of Karan Arjun with a huge number of screens after 30 years of its release. This again has Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan coming together for the first time on screen. SRK’s Kal Ho Naa Ho and Pardes too are re-releasing in cinemas. Those in the trade feel that re-release of Tumbbad, Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein and Laila Majnu have given courage to producers to cash on re-runs. The re-runs have stirred both excitement and curiosity. Traditionally, re-releases were reserved for timeless classics, but now more recent films are being revived, prompting questions: Is this trend purely nostalgic, or is there a deeper strategy at play? According to Trade Analyst Saurabh Varma, the re-release phenomenon is benefiting the cinema industry in multiple ways. For producers, re-releasing films is a cost-effective option. The marketing and distribution expenses are far lower than for new releases. Re-releases tap into the large fan bases of iconic films, giving long-time fans a chance to relive their favourite stories on the big screen. Furthermore, these revivals provide a unique opportunity for younger viewers who may have missed these films during their initial release. The combination of nostalgia and iconic music resonates deeply with audiences.
It’s a drivetrain solution provider for windmills and industry applications. Every one out of three drive train products installed across the globe bears the brand name of this one. Truly, this German major has traversed quite a long way and undergone a major metamorphosis in the process. One-and-a-quarter-century-old Bocholt-headquartered Flender has significant presence in India. Not surprisingly, the top management team of Flender was in Chennai a few days ago. The presence of the top honchos was more to reiterate the commitment of Flender to India. After all, it has been in India since 1961. It now has three production sites — one each at Kharagpur (WB), Chennai (TN) and Walajabad (TN). Around 10% of its nearly 9,000 skilled personnel across the globe are housed in India. And, it has been putting more money into this country since 2020. Why not? For one, India is the right choice for all those who are looking for the China Plus One option in the post-Covid era. For another, the focus world-over is now increasingly on sustainable development. The robust ecosystem — the presence of assorted turbine makers and a well-evolved supply chain — according to its India CEO Vinod Shetty, is ideal suited for Flender to aspire for a bigger role in driving energy transition in the country. Indeed, Flender is quietly expanding its India operations for a bigger role in its global game plan.
Tamil film producers and their financial backers are now rethinking this model — big money, big stars, big projects but no guarantee that it will reap profits. So the new strategy…safe and secure than spend thrift and sorry. Can small budget films do big business? A resounding yes to three of 2024s baby budget films that warmed the cockles of producers’ hearts. Three films of this year, Lover, Lubber Pandhu and Vaazhai have pulled in amazing profits and massive margins. Lover’s budget was a mere Rs 5 crore, and plus other expenses added the total cost to Rs 6 crore. Hold your breath! It made a profit of Rs 13 crore. But Lubber Pandhu (Rubber Ball), a title that would have gone unnoticed, made the biggest rake in for Prince Pictures who earned Rs 35 crore in TN gross alone — 300% profit. Vaazhai was no sneeze over either…it brought Rs 12 crore profits in TN. Film making costs and exhibition/promo expenses can zoom up dangerously, and after paying the incredible star salaries, if the film’s overflow is modest, stakeholders have no insurance cover to fall back on. Small is big is fast becoming the new open sesame for Kollywood to stay safe.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar finds commonality between Vote Jihad and a particular section of the people voting for the BJP. Explaining his stand, the NCP founder said it was seen in Pune that the BJP was consistently supported by a certain segment (read Brahmin) in some areas. We expect this to happen though don’t call it Vote Jihad, he remarked. According to Pawar, if such voting patterns happen, it is the right of every community to vote as per its choice. He again charged that deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had raised the issue of Vote Jihad. Pawar’s jab was directed at those specific areas of Pune where Brahmin population is dominant and mostly BJP candidates are elected from such localities. Time and again, Pawar has been accused of creating the bogey of caste with an eye on electoral gains by engineering a rift between sections of the electorate. In support of his contention, Pawar said slogans like ‘batenge toh katenge also fall in the same category as they have a communal shade. He alleged that the issue has been cropped up by the ruling dispensation as it is desperate at the bleak prospect in the assembly election, after the Lok Sabha rout. Fadanvis had condemned the Vote Jihad philosophy after cleric Sajjan Nomani released a list of the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidates and asked the Muslims to vote for them.
Remember Ramesh Vangal. Once upon a time, he was the face of Pepsi in India. In fact, he led PepsiCo’s landmark entry into India in the early 1990s.This was widely considered as a pioneer in India’s opening of FDI. Post-Pepsi, the arc light, however, continued to be on Vangal as he formed an alliance with Suresh Kalpathi, the founder of SSI Ltd. Vangal also got into a cobweb when his company, Katara Holdings Ltd (KHL) Mauritius, bought into Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB), which was mired in controversy when internecine quarrels among promoter groups led to the shares slipping into non-Nadar hands. With funding facilitation from Standard Chartered Bank (Mauritius), KHL struck a complex deal in 2007 to acquire TMB shares. But the Enforcement Directorate found Stanchart guilty of violating Foreign Exchange Management Act in this particular transaction. Stanchart took the legal route to retrieve its money from KHL. The Supreme Court of Mauritius has since ordered the liquidation of KHL. Significantly enough, Vangal’s KHL holds over 53% stake in BSE-listed Kerala Ayurveda Ltd, a pioneer in providing Holistic Healing and Wellness Solutions. The official liquidator of KHL has informed Kerala Ayurveda that since he now has the custody and control of the shares held by KHL in the company, no trades are to be allowed on this stake without his authorization. The arc light is still focused on Vangal, it appears.
Political watchers were a little surprised that Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, who used to be continuously attacking PM Modi either via his social media accounts or via his statements had suddenly fallen silent. The buzz is that he had been advised by a senior non-Congress leader not to attack Modi. The leader reportedly cautioned him against inadvertently creating sympathy for PM Modi. The sane advice for Rahul comes in the wake of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee recently raking up the issue of Rahul being credited for good performance of Opposition parties in the 2024 Lok Sabha election whether in Uttar Pradesh or Maharashtra. The buzz is the LoP is preparing to save all his fire only for the Budget session beginning on July 22. Besides, in her meetings with NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata had emphasised on the need for all the focus and publicity to be moved away from the Gandhis and the Congress. She feels all non-Congress parties must get the credit for the performance. It clearly showed that the Bengal leader may have taken from where PM Modi had left when he had referred to the Congress as a political party, a parjeevi party or party that sustained itself more by depending on its coalition partners. Meaning, the Congress no longer had anything to add to the political basket.
Looks like the 56-year old Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar is losing his Midas touch going by total collections of Rs 17 crore for his latest movie Sarfira. The film, a remake of Tamil movie Soraru Puttru, was based on the life of Captain Gopinath of Air Deccan fame. In fact, its budget was much less than Akshay Kumar’s film. Post Covid-19 pandemic the first Hindi film to be released was Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi directed by Rohit Shetty with Ranveer Singh, Ajay Devgn in the star cast. It did well at the box office opening with Rs 25 crore. But after that Bachchan Pandey spelt disaster at the box office and opened with just Rs 13crore. From then on films like Samrat Prithviraj, Raksha Bandhan failed miserably. He bounced back with Ram Setu and OMG 2 which did decent business at the box office. OMG 2 which was a hit had Pankaj Tripathi in the main lead but the actor was appreciated for his role as Shiva. As a producer he had to battle with CBFC for release of the film as it had given it A certification.There were Selfie, Mission Raniganj which opened at Rs 2.80cr which was better than Sarfira. Mission Raniganj earned Rs 33 crore while Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’s failure almost shut Vashu Bhagnani’s office. Sources say Akshay has not signed any new films and has reduced his price by 50%. But, the actor has quite a few films in production. Khel Khel Mein is with Taapsee Pannu and Vani Kapoor and directed by Mudassar Aziz who does not have a great track record. The only hope for Akshay is Housefull 5. Maybe his South sojourn could salvage his career.
Delimitation of state assembly constituencies executed for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir dealt a severe blow to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Akhand Bharat perspective through skewed voter dynamics, erstwhile state’s incremental geo-political representation. Senior BJP leader, Mahendra Jain says, “New assembly constituencies were carved out prematurely using antiquated 2011 census data assessing population figures arriving at a faulty delimitation process.” Jain insists the delimitation exercise was flawed over outdated data relied upon to incrementally create 43 assembly constituencies (in Jammu) and 46 in Kashmir. Effectively hereon, portions of Jammu region (Pir Panjal) encompassing Poonch and Rajouri districts got partitioned away to political space now Anantnag seat in Kashmir occupies. Shia-dominated regions from Srinagar Parliamentary constituency were also given away to Baramulla constituency similarly, using 20-year-old statistics. The recent Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla saw independent candidate Abdul Rasheed Sheikh, currently incarcerated for espousing separatism for Kashmir, being elected to parliament as an independent candidate. An election department official says, “Census taking exercise in large states like Maharashtra can simply be accomplished within six months. J&K and Ladakh UTs’ census exercises will require far shorter timelines.” While the delimitation commission set up in March 2020 looked at the entire J&K UT as one political region, a more discriminated effort, armed with real time data may have prevented Jammu region shedding literal political space. The recent uptick in unheard of terrorism activity in Jammu region over the last couple of months has further antagonized the polity of the region. Will Jammu recover from back-to-back onslaughts by politics and new found terrorism? Only time will tell! For the moment innocent pilgrims are prime targets in Bharat’s paradise.
Governor RN Ravi may not be everyone’s favourite former intelligence officer, but he has made a name for himself with the BJP top brass for holding the best nuisance value in an Opposition-ruled state. Now Ravi is desperately seeking an extension as his 5-year term is running out. His contention is that he served two years in Nagaland and came to Tamil Nadu capital Chennai only three years ago and so expects to stay on for two more years. He has been shuttling to New Delhi often to meet Home Minister Amit Shah who alone can recommend the extension he seeks, besides calling on PM Modi. The former CBI and IB officer’s stay in the Raj Bhavan in Guindy has been sensational, to say the least. He has picked every possible hole in all that the DMK government does and has put a spoke in the wheel of every piece of legislation passed in the Assembly. Only under the prompting of the Supreme Court has he changed a bit to be accommodative in the sense he has been recently clearing routine bills that are non-controversial. The moment he sees a red flag, as in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors that comes under the Governor’s jurisdiction, he would immediately take on the government. He has been the DMK government’s most acerbic critic and two more years of him may not be to chief minister MK Stalin’s liking. But being in the INDIA bloc, he knows the ruling BJP might like to keep their voice in the state for longer.
In Tamil Nadu, the month of Aadi (sacred month between Jul 17 and Aug 16) holds a distinct hysterical attraction for both buyers and sellers. Retailers advertise the most attractive discounts and buyers just cannot resist those drool worthy offers. But why Aadi month? For those familiar with religion and rituals, Aadi is not an auspicious time for weddings and family events. You may be surprised to know that newly-weds are not encouraged to cohabit ….a strange social custom with strong roots in superstition. Yet, Aadi is considered super auspicious for staunch devotion. Every day in the Tamil calendar has a deep religious significance. How did retail hysteria find its place in Aadi? Business and religion have coexisted profitably for ages…as religion has enabled the need to buy numerous products to appease the Gods, especially Ma Durga …offering dozens of glass bangles and sarees to the Goddess, simultaneously gifting to women devotees churning up demand for gifts galore that are sold at irresistible prices. Retailers are happy when the crowds stampede. Buyers use this opportunity of rock bottom prices to stock up for future gifting, weddings and events. Results: inventory flies out. The iconic store Chennai Silks opened Aadi sales this year with its full page ad featuring a “madisar model” draped in a nine yards saree. Religion, business and politics mesh here…the Dravidian ideology though consistently mocking Brahmin culture, is not averse to borrowing symbols of this culture to boost business. Ideology, religion, business everything has its place.
Tamil film fans are on a high …just salivating in anticipation of a star cine line-up. Keenly awaited is Lyca Productions’ thriller Vidaamuyarchi with Ajit and Trisha swinging to Anirudh’s merry music under Magizh Thirumeni’s direction. The news about Trisha taking on the director for some obscure issue and other roadblocks put the fear about Vidaamuyarchi becoming Vitta Muyarchi or effort abandoned. But all is well and Diwali is to be lit up by this film. Thangalan, the much talked about Kolar Gold Mines is a film that may take veteran Vikram to new heights in acting. This film, directed by PA Ranjit with music by GV Prakashkumar will be released on August 15. The very first song Minikki Minikki is already a hit for its rural beat, rustic voice and lyrics. Thangalan to be released worldwide in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi is predicted to be a creative and cash hit on the lines of KGF and RRR. Dhanush and his 50th film Rayan with a promising story and solid acting line up — Selvaraghavan, SJ Surya, Kalidas and Aparna Balamurali. AR Rahman has tuned the lyrics written by Dhanush with SUN Pictures gearing up for July 26 show time. Suriya’s Ganguva in 3D tech, directed by Siruthai Siva with Disha Patani, Bobby Deol and others is an epic historical film that has been long delayed. No wonder Suriya announced its Fire Song to be out on his 49th birthday on July 23 to keep interest alive in Ganguva. There are several small budget modest films too. Who can predict which of these films will grab audience attention?
With the Summer Olympics in Paris a few days away, the focus, from the Indian point of view, is on a handful of individuals and the men’s hockey team upon which interest never diminishes. After lacklustre performances in the quadrennial Olympics for 41 years, the men’s team won the bronze medal in field hockey at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, but put off to 2021 because of the pandemic. Apart from the men’s hockey team’s fortunes which has oscillated like a pendulum, much to the chagrin of the game’s die-hard fans, attention has riveted on the likes of the undisputed queen of badminton, PV Sindhu and the track and field super star, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. Sindhu’s form has slipped significantly in the last year, but she has countless supporters who believe that a big stage like the Olympics could see her rise to the occasion. Chopra seems to be on another planet though, startling the athletics world with consistent displays in the last eight years. The armyman from Sonepat has won everything that has been before him and hence the expectations are high — for him to win the gold medal in Paris; he had won the gold medal for the first time in Tokyo. There is also much hope on the men’s doubles pair in Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and from the rifle shooters. In all 117 Indian athletes will be in action in the French capital. For a long time winning the men’s hockey gold was deemed as the ultimate victory, but these days the name that’s in everybody’s lips is Chopra, Neeraj Chopra! He will get a chance to defend the gold he clinched in Japan, three summers ago.
In a path breaking move the Madhya Pradesh has entered into collaboration with BTA (British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin) Training Academy, the UK’s reputed, education training body that offers excellence in educational innovation. The BTA, it is learnt, will draft the academic curriculum and the knowledge will be imparted to the MP government medical staff through its partner hospitals Link Hospital and Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences in Gwalior and Indore respectively. This MoU is designed to upskill medical staff in the MP state who will receive top-class education based on the cumulative rich experience of England’s 75-year-old National Health Service (NHS) experience. The NHS is globally recognized as one of the best in the world in the primary, Emergency, and definitive care sectors. Doctors at the BTA who are trained and who have worked in the NHS for several decades will be instrumental in ensuring the best educational model will be created for Indian conditions and appropriate curriculum will be shared with its partner hospitals. In 2005, the World Health Organization published recommendations for actions regarding emergency medical systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In LMICs, it is gauged that by improving pre-hospital and Emergency care, deaths may be reduced by half. According to the World Bank, India is home to just 10% of the world’s registered vehicles yet accounts for 22% of traffic deaths. Indicating an immediate need to strengthen post-crash care.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has given a clarion call to the BJP rank and file. “Do not wait for a directive, jump into the ring,” he told a BJP conclave held in Pune to strategize for the upcoming assembly election in the state. Always lauded for his measured words and restraint, Fadnavis has surprised even his disciple by ordering the party organisation to become aggressive. Repeatedly castigating the so-called ‘Fake Narrative’ used by the opposition to spread disinformation about the BJP for the parliamentary election, Fadnavis lamented the fact that even the BJP’s elected representatives were reticent on this count. “Our workers await directives. I now ask you to start batting in full swing,” he said amidst great cheers. Pune is the BJP stronghold as well as that of NCP leader Sharad Pawar. In this connection, he rationalised the alliance with rival NCP’s Ajit Pawar. Following the BJP’s poor show in the election, many party functionaries and even RSS mouthpieces have started questioning the justification for taking Ajit along. Fadnavis said on some occasions, it becomes necessary to retreat a couple of paces to attain the objective. The saffron party is known to operate according to the directives (Aadesh) received from the top. The fiat issued by Fadnavis is seen as a signal to the BJP workers to show initiative at local levels and deal accordingly with the opposition.
All eyes are on the BJP government in Odisha as it presents its maiden Budget on July 25. BJP’s national president JP Nadda was on a two-day visit to review the party’s overall plan and budget allocation under the leadership of chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. All signals indicate that BJP will bite the welfare bullet albeit with pragmatism. BJP’s immediate objective is simple. It wants to meet the aspirations of the people and keep its poll promises. It is understood that Odisha budget outlay for 2024-2025 is likely to be around Rs 3 lakh crore — an increase of around Rs 40,000-50,000 crore over BJD’s earlier budget, say sources. To push welfarism, Majhi’s government has already made provision in the budget. Majhi plans to increase MSP of paddy to Rs 3,100 per quintal to meet its Samrudhi Krushak Yojana plan. To empower women, BJP had promised to pay Rs 50,000 per woman through its ambitious Subhadra Yojana Scheme which will be launched some time in September to coincide with the PM’s birthday. Sources say to cover 2 crore women beneficiaries the state government would require a budget provision of Rs 80,000 crore and it is expecting help from the Centre to partially fund this scheme. It will implement Ayushman Bharat Arogya Yojana as well as replace BJD’s KALIA cash incentive scheme. However, BJP sees wisdom in Naveen Patnaik’s Aahar scheme, the subsidised cooked meal scheme of rice and dal in 2015 to provide meals at Rs 5. This will be continued. However, BJP’s Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra hinted that the KALIA scheme will be renamed. Like all other BJP ruled states, the party is saying cheers to welfarism in Odisha too.
A verbal war has triggered between two Sena camps, both followers of Balasaheb Thackeray, over a movie sequel based on the life of fierce Shiv Sainik late Anand Dighe of Thane. The fuse for the skirmish was the show of the trailer held on the eve of Guru Purnima. Chief minister Eknath Shinde feels proud to call himself Dighe’s soldier. The first flick on Dighe was called Dharmveer. It had provided indication about two and a half years ago that Shinde was extremely unhappy in the then unified Sena. Soon thereafter, he walked out of the party along with over 40 of his followers to form the present Mahayuti government. Ever since, Shinde is the principal target of the Sena (UBT). Shinde’s close confidant and Thane’s MP Naresh Mhaske has lashed out at rival Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut, who immediately raised doubts about the veracity of some portions of the sequel, named Dharmveer-2. Mhaske alleged that ‘Matoshri’ never liked Dighe’s popularity and in fact Uddhav had pressurised to cancel a condolence meet at Thane after Dighe’s demise. The trailer show was attended by deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis along with several BJP leaders. The Sena (UBT) is livid because of the Dighe movies. To sharpen the attack, Shinde’s followers have started saying that a third instalment, too, is being considered. The sequel will be screened for the public from August 9.
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.