Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the first meeting of the Union Cabinet at the new Prime Minister’s Office in ‘Seva Teerth’ on February 24, marking a break from decades of operating out of PMO in the iconic South Block of the colonial era. As the ministers committed themselves to serve the citizens with the motto “Nagarik Devo Bhava” (citizen is God), the Cabinet also adopted a resolution saying that “every decision taken here will be inspired by a spirit of service toward 1.4 billion citizens and will be connected to the broader goal of nation-building.” PM Modi also asked his ministers to come up with some positive or good news about their ministries in every Cabinet meeting. Strangely, this directive from the top did not befuddle the Modi ministers. None of them even seemed worked up. In fact, most senior ministers were quick to ratchet up claims of some positive performance in their ministry. Everyone from Nitin Gadkari to Ashwini Vaishnaw   were found throwing up enthusiastic details that almost stunned Modi. It almost made some Cabinet ministers recall what happened in August last year when Modi had first floated the idea of good news about governance. Everyone was tense and the solemn air was broken only by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjrapu, who announced the birth of his son – this was greeted with loud cheering and congratulations. In this backdrop, clearly, none of the senior leaders in the Modi Govt will be in a position to pass off some personal achievement as part of the official track record! They will have to work hard.

Even as 90% of Tamil Nadu party outfits have been issued boarding passes for the Election flight “Now Boarding” with the two major blocks, the GOP’s Rahul Gandhi and his entourage is still vacillating over his choice of alliance. The Congress has remained a DMK loyalist for years…from the days of Kalaignar when it needed just a look from Sonia Gandhi for the patriarch to assent. In all fairness Rahul is not responsible for the angry muddle that nearly broke the alliance. TN Congress is a vacuous and vainglorious block that abounds in loose cannon who stir up controversies. Manickam Tagore and Praveen Chakravarty are two such voluble members who insisted that Congress should share in power too…not just seats. This was enough to make the DMK fume and froth. Congress had to deploy two emissaries K C Venugopal and Girish Chodankar  to cool the  heat. An enraged Stalin is said to have given an ultimatum “we have new allies on board and are already juggling seat sharing, going as far as cutting our own quota …we need to allocate for the other new and existing allies too.” At a juncture where every party wants to squeeze the maximum from the deal, does this dithering have a reason, a fallback?  It’s natural to conjecture about actor Vijay’s TVK waiting with open arms to welcome a hardline Congress. But the know all’s say …Vijay is very well aware of the pitfalls of a Congress ‘dosti’. Karur stampede and delayed Jana Nayagan are constant reminders to Vijay to stay in line. Rahul and Kharge are in a huddle mode — to capitulate or challenge?

When a city like Chennai is already having its own issues with traffic and travel, a Chennai-based startup called The ePlane Company is working on India’s first electric air taxi, which can take off and land like a helicopter. The plan for this air taxi is called e200x. As fascinating as it sounds, will it be feasible in terms of money, electricity and battery limits? Half of the roads in Chennai are already occupied with barricades, saying “inconvenience today for a better tomorrow” where parking space for this e taxi will be allocated, considering Chennai’s limited parking space. Even though it might help to overcome traffic and everything, how many individuals can really afford to go in an air taxi that replicates a helicopter?  The company is building a computer model as of now. What about the after-math effects of building a real one? What will happen if the battery drains down in the middle of the ride? Will Harry Potter come with his Nimbus 2000 (a magic broomstick) to rescue people and to drop at their locations? And Charging stations? Fares to ride in these helicopter replicas? It’s a lot to unpack. As futuristic as it sounds, practicality is what will decide the outcome of this idea.

The BJP’s much-publicised Parivartan Yatra in West Bengal will be flagged off on March 1 by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Raidighi in South Bengal, a stronghold of the ruling TMC. The two-day mobilisation –March 1—2 — will span nine of the BJP’s 10 organisational divisions in the state. The Kolkata Metropolitan division has been excluded, as it is tasked with organising the party’s concluding Brigade rally. The decision to have Shah launch the yatra from Raidighi is politically significant. The area falls within South 24 Parganas, a district that has stood firmly behind TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee since 2008 — even before she came to power in 2011. In the 2008 panchayat polls, the TMC wrested the South 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad from the Left Front. In the last Assembly elections, the party won 30 of the district’s 31 seats; only Bhangar went to the ISF. Raidighi is under the Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituency, while TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee represents neighbouring Diamond Harbour in Parliament. Joining this yatra will be eight central leaders and nationally prominent BJP faces marking an unprecedented concentration of the party’s top leadership in West Bengal. The two-day event will be attended by Union ministers like Rajnath Singh, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Dharmendra Pradhan, Annapurna Devi including Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. Newly elected BJP national president Nitin Nabin will be present on both days. Five years after its high-profile “joining fairs” ahead of the 2021 polls, the BJP is avoiding mass inductions. Instead, it is banking on a concentrated show of organisational strength to signal its intent to breach what the ruling party calls its most impregnable fortress.

The Congress leadership is apparently worried about losing numbers in the biennial elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats to be held on March 16. Its worry is that it may not be able to return as many of its MPs to the House from states like Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. The party which currently has 27 Rajya Sabha is worried that any reduction in numbers could effectively cost it the office of the Leader of Opposition in the Upper House, a position currently held by Mallikarjun Kharge. Incidentally, his term is coming up for renewal in June. The anxiety to maintain LoP status has made the Congress push for an extra Rajya Sabha seat with its allies in TN or Maharashtra. In TN, of the four vacancies, the Congress is the DMK to share 2.  DMK has offered one seat to DMDK leader Premalatha’s son/kin. It is apparently willing to offer one seat to the Congress. As for the second seat it is not clear at this stage. Rahul is keen to accommodate his close aide Meenakshi Natrajan — a resident of Madhya Pradesh — from TN now. He can’t wait for Digvijay Singh’s vacancy which will happen in June. The Congress is demanding a second from Stalin for Pawan Khera. Stalin, it seems, is keen to accommodate the former The Hindu editor N Ram. It is being said that the Congress is not worried about limitations of the DMK and is very keen about reaching its target of two RS seats. In fact, AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar told DMK MP Kanimozhi that his party wants more assembly seats than the previous election. TN Congressmen are wondering why is the party talking tough for RS seat? Is something else cooking?

The Election Commission announced biennial elections for 37 seats of the Rajya Sabha in 10 states. In West Bengal there will be a contest for five seats on March 16. The Bengal BJP unit is hopeful of increasing its tally to the Upper House to three from the present two. Currently, two Rajya Sabha members are: Ananta Maharaj and Samik Bhattacharya. Sources indicate that the Bengal BJP is keen to nominate a prominent woman leader. However, consensus remains elusive, with two factions backing rival candidates. The camp led by senior leader Dilip Ghosh, along with Bhattacharya, is understood to be supporting Locket Chatterjee, former MP from Hooghly. While Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is rooting for Agnimitra Paul, the MLA from Asansol Dakshin. Party insiders say the choice will not only determine representation in the Upper House but also signal which faction holds greater sway within the State unit. Paul’s candidature, however, has drawn scrutiny. During recent outreach initiatives in parts of Raniganj’s Egara area and Damra, she reportedly faced “go back” slogans from sections of residents. Local grievances have centred on alleged gaps in development in Asansol Dakshin, including drinking water supply and drainage infrastructure. Questions have also been raised in some quarters over the utilisation of MLA funds. Both contenders have faced electoral setbacks.  Paul suffered a heavy defeat to TMC’s Shatrughan Sinha in the Asansol Lok Sabha by-election, while Chatterjee lost the Hooghly seat to Rachana Banerjee in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. With the March 16 election approaching, the final decision is expected from the party’s central leadership soon.

Thiruvarur, the diamond pendant in the golden Thanjavur Delta chain has spawned many famous historical and cultural legends that endure even today. The Thiruvarur Temple chariot of Thyagaraja Swamy, the presiding deity, is the biggest and most challenging chariot. If you are a Carnatic music connoisseur, the eternal legend and musical legacy of Saint Thyagaraja evokes awe and admiration. But devotion and Hinduism also raised another ideological icon, Kalaignar Karunanidhi whose Dravidian philosophy gained unstoppable currency through his party, the DMK. His grandson Udhayanidhi Stalin, Secretary -Youth Wing is now being prepped for Tamil Nadu Assembly Election. Naturally, the incumbent CM ‘son and heir in waiting is no push over, for any other aspirant …including film rock star Vijay, the Johnny-come-lately claimant. Udhayanidhi is busy choosing the right bailiwick not that he is set to lose in a DMK stronghold. The party’s wise ones suggested Thiruvarur as the most appropriate setting for the rising son. But sometimes karma, nemesis bung their own roadblocks. Legend has it that Lord Thyagaraja of Thiruvarur can never be challenged as the religious or temporal power. Kalaignar himself won twice but could not become CM. For our readers who want to learn more about our rich culture ….Sarafoji Raja 2 , impressed by St Thyagaraja’s musical genius and undiluted love for Lord Rama wooed the poor Saint …he sent minions bearing untold wealth to bring Thyagaraja to the King’s court as his Aasthana Vidwan. Refusing all the wealth, the Saint rendered one of his most loved and popular Kritis on the spot… “Nidhi Chaala Sukhama, Ramuni Sannidhi Seva Sukhama” (I will not sing praises of a mere man for all the wealth). The emissaries retreated …just like Udhayanidhi, to choose another constituency.

Ex-IPS officer, former Mumbai police commissioner, Prambir Singh’s name still spells controversy, and now, Singh stands accused of attempts to extort junior consulting doctors at Bandra based super-specialty hospital – Lilavati — by offering posts of senior consulting doctors for cash before it stood exposed. Subsequently, the hospital management issued show-cause notices to its CFO, VP (supply chain) among others who promptly resigned over an alleged Rs 100 crore scam, as per a written complaint filed before Bandra police station. Only two days back Singh’s latest collusion with the erstwhile top management came to light when audit, stock taking revealed that Rs 46 crore was paid for purchasing medicines over last year for hospital although the medicines remain as yet untraced, unaccounted for. Latest instance of Singh’s brazenness being cited relates to planting fake news-media articles claiming an illusory ‘interim relief” accorded by the Bombay High Court. Twin board room resolutions passed by trustees of Rs 800 crore Lilavati super-specialty Hospital Trust on February 16, 2026 against permanent trustee Rajesh Mehta sought to be challenged by HC by Mehta allegedly Singh’s accomplices in the scam. While the headline of a English daily blared “Bombay HC Grants Interim Relief to Rajesh Mehta in Lilavati Trust Row”, the court of Justice Milind N Jadhav had actually only issued notice to trust to respond to averments by Rajesh Mehta and posted matter for replies from the trust based on the field praecipe by Mehta and “For Directions” thereafter come February 25, 2026.

Bhiwandi near Mumbai is a communally sensitive town. It has been in the news after the recent civic election in Bhiwandi had dispensed a mixed mandate and political permutations and combinations were cooking for the past few days. Ultimately, the BJP has turned out to be the loser in the mayoral election, which it lost miserably. Interestingly, there is no communal angle to this contest but the loss is due to the power play between the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Shinde), the two main partners of the ruling Mahayuti in the state. As neither party was ready to relent, BJP’s Narayan Choudhary deserted it and teamed up with Bhiwandi Secular Front, which is opposing the saffron forces. The cause of this decision was that he was refused mayoral candidate by the BJP, which fielded Sneha Patil. An angry Chaudhary was supported by six BJP rebels, 30 Congress members and 12 of the NCP(SP). His tally of 48 against Patil’s 16 has shown the BJP in poor light since it failed to woo former mayor Vilas Patil, whose Konark Front won 25 votes, a dozen from the Shiv Sena led by deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Thus, failure to forge a strategic alliance has cost Mahayuti an important municipal corporation in Maharashtra. Moreover, the Congress is in a celebratory mood for humbling the BJP, which has threatened to take stern action against the rebels. Congress corporator Tariq Momin has been elected deputy mayor with a comfortable majority.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) Bengal unit, grappling with an existential crisis, has been rocked by fresh turbulence after senior state committee member and former Lok Sabha candidate Pratik Ur Rahaman launched a sharp attack on the leadership, alleging favouritism and lobbying at the behest of state secretary Mohammad Salim. Terming it a “triple talaq” given by the CPI(M), Rahaman — the party’s Diamond Harbour candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and a new-generation leader promoted by the Politburo — resigned and gave up his membership. He has declined an invitation from veteran leader and Left Front chairman Biman Bose to attend a meeting at the party’s Alimuddin Street headquarters after accusing a section of leaking internal communications. On speculation about a switch to the ruling All India Trinamool Congress, Rahaman remained circumspect. Insiders say Bose attempted to defuse tensions, but Rahaman has grown disillusioned, holding Salim responsible for sidelining younger leaders. A section has voiced concern that emerging student and youth leaders are being marginalised, with the state unit seen as divided between factions under Salim and senior State Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty, who is eyeing Politburo membership and eventually the state secretary’s post.  Rahaman has conveyed to close associates that repeated attempts to raise organisational issues went unheeded, hinting at “influential” leaders shielding aides. Though sections favour retaining him as a young minority face ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, his absence from the two-day state committee meeting beginning Thursday has intensified speculation of an imminent break. A direct face-off has emerged between Rahaman and Shatarup Ghosh. Without naming him, Rahaman earlier targeted Ghosh, who acknowledged Rahaman’s competence but said he is “everyone’s favourite”. Political circles report Rahaman has met a Trinamool MP in Kolkata about possible induction into the party.