Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai may have the satisfaction of dominating national media discussions for a day about his possible exit from the BJP. However, after camping in Delhi for three days and even spending his birthday (June 4) by holding out a resignation threat, one hears he has still not put in his resignation. His media antics were not well-received in the PMO. In fact, as news channels obsessed about his meetings with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief Nitin Nabin, eyebrows were raised at the highest level at the kind of level a malcontent from South was allowed to manage media coverage in Delhi. It is precisely for this reason that the former IPS officer failed to secure even a birthday wish from PM Modi or Shah. When Annamalai explained his need to float new forum to mobilise youth in Tamil Nadu, Shah told him that there was no need for it. He was told that the party would always stand with him. It is being felt Annamalai’s talk of a separate morcha to take on the TVK under Vijay could all be an idea that is being pushed probably by the DMK. The DMK needs a credible, clean face to mobilise youth against CM Vijay. It is here that Annamalai fits the bill. Annamalai had extended his stay hoping to meet with PM Modi who was tied up with the visit of Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. It is learnt the BJP did not bargain with Annamalai. A section of the RSS suggested that talks be held with him which is why Amit Shah and Nitin Nabin met with him. Meanwhile, BJP TN president Nainar Nagendran had fixed up a meeting with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Nainar’s visit to Delhi was portrayed as if he was being summoned by party bosses at Annamalai’s behest.

Contrary to speculation, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the new political party led by actor Vijay that has just come to power in Tamil Nadu, apparently is not bothered about getting a foothold in Delhi. That is why the party did not hesitate in allotting Rajya Sabha seat from TN to its coalition partner, the Congress party, ahead of the biennial elections scheduled for June 18. In a statement, the TVK announced that the seat – vacated by AIADMK leader C V Shanmugam that is set to be filled through the Rajya Sabha election has been allocated to the Congress as part of the seat-sharing arrangement. AICC Tamil Nadu In-charge Girish Chodankar had met CM Joseph Vijay earlier in the day. “I met the chief minister, and requested him that this seat should be allocated to us by them and then it will also help us in the Rajya Sabha,” he said. Chodankar feels the Congress has every reason to feel thrilled with TVK’s gesture as it will now have three Rajya Sabha MPs from the state.  At present the Congress has former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Christopher Tilak (AICC secretary) who was elected to the Rajya Sabha in March 2026 with the support of the DMK. Praveen Chakravarty, a close Rahul Gandhi aide, who TN CM Vijay publicly addressed as a friend for batting for TVK-Cong alliance, will be the other PC, who is most likely to get elected from the state. “Apparently, the basis for the Congress joining the TVK Govt was the scope for improving its presence in Parliament,” says a Congress source.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made the big splash in Twenty20 cricket, but the corridors of power in the BCCI feel that the time has arrived to groom the left hander from Bihar and Rajasthan Royals for the 50-over World Cup and the World Twenty20. The 15-year-old put to sword some of the top notch fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the recent Tata-IPL-19. He is yet to get a call for the national Twenty20 team — it’s an event that will happen imminently. Maybe during India’s white ball series in Ireland and England in June-July. India will play two Twenty20 matches at Belfast and then five Twenty20 and three ODIs in England. He has not been picked in the team that will play the three home ODIs against Afghanistan, but vacancy could arise should Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya do not clear the fitness test. Sooryavanshi has not played in the UK where auditions could happen for the Men in Blue team’s preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. The ICC would be happy to see Sooryavanshi being promoted as a big brand for the next two events — the 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia-New Zealand. With so much uncertainty about Suryakumar Yadav to last till 2028, there is a possibility of Sooryavanshi’s career receiving a big push in both white-ball formats. The rationale for the left-hander’s inclusion is based on the big question of whether such a fantastic talent can be wrapped in a cotton wool for a long time. India’s Twenty20 openers are Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson and it’s Rohit and Shubman Gill in ODI’s …but things could clear up soon for Sooryavanshi in both formats.

Political turbulence within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has intensified in the aftermath of the West Bengal Assembly election results, with the party expelling two legislators amid a controversy over alleged forged signatures and growing speculation of internal dissent. MLAs Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay and Sandipan Saha were expelled after reports emerged that they had lodged a police complaint over an alleged signature forgery incident. Their expulsion has reduced the TMC’s strength in the West Bengal Assembly from 80 to 78 MLAs. Since the election results, several senior leaders have publicly expressed differences. Some of the party leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee had to face the ire of public anger; they were booed, heckled and names called. Now, speculations are rife about a possible split of the party. It is learnt that a significant number of legislators could leave the party and form a new outfit led by expelled MLAs, including Bandyopadhyay and Saha. Speculation intensified after a meeting convened by Didi reportedly had attendance from only 20 of the party’s 80 MLAs, leading to its cancellation. Observers believe any large-scale defection could alter the balance of power in the Assembly and challenge the TMC’s position as the principal opposition party. Comparisons are being drawn with Maharashtra, where the split in the Nationalist Congress Party saw the founder Sharad Pawar losing control. Likewise, a rebellion within Shiv Sena resulted in Uddhav Thackeray losing control of the party organisation and election symbols. Expelled TMC leader Bandyopadhyay says he is prepared to provide authorities with information regarding alleged corruption within the party and government. Addressing supporters through a Facebook Live session, Mamata accused the BJP of attempting to engineer defections.

It seems the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), a think tank under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), government of India is in mission mode to modernise India’s corporate compliance frameworks. Last weekend, IICA Director General & CEO Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh and his core team visited Bhubaneswar, Odisha. His trip to Odisha was meant for securing a structured stake-holders feedback, getting suggestions to finalise the next chapter of India’s corporate compliance architecture. Reportedly, his objective for the Odisha trip was a focused one — to modernise corporate compliance frameworks in India through consultations, being aligned with national priorities and imbibing global best practices factoring national priorities. What seems clear is IICA now wants to migrate from form-based compliances to fully digital automated data-centric secured filing systems. The job role for Singh backed by eminent industry leaders, advisors from Tata, IOCL, NTPC, Reliance is cut out. He needs to bring in ease of doing business, simplifying procedures, digitise compliances under the Companies Act. Rumour is IICA is likely to submit its comprehensive recommendatory action plan to the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman by end June.

Will former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai quit the party and go on a yatra of the state to establish his leadership? A tough choice when the next assembly election in the state is five years away.  Annamalai is meeting with BJP President Nitin Nabin and other senior leaders of the party in New Delhi on June 2 ahead of his birthday (June 4) during which he is likely to submit his resignation.  Initially, it was believed that the former IPS officer was merely flexing muscle and putting pressure on Central leadership to accommodate him in upcoming Rajya Sabha vacancies. With such pressure tactics unlikely to yield results, it is more likely that Annamalai may have to have live up to his promise of mobilising Tamil Nadu youth. Rise of Joseph Vijay may have inspired him to chart his own course; he is much younger than CM Vijay. With both the Dravidian parties battered by TVK – Annamalai will probably be able to rebuild afresh from their debris. Of course, it will be a tough task. Annamalai has kept a low-profile since stepping down as the TN BJP chief to facilitate the party’s alliance with the AIADMK. He has had several run-ins with Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) of AIADMK, and they don’t share a good rapport. AIADMK may have denied Singanallur as EPS did not want Annamalai to contest and emerge as challenger to him in the region. Interestingly both belong to the powerful Gounder community. Annamalai expressed his displeasure over the constituencies allotted to the party. He is believed to have questioned why the BJP agreed to contest in three seats in Pudukkottai district, where it lacks a strong base and asked why strong efforts were not taken to get seats in western Tamil Nadu, where it has a base. Reportedly, BJP leadership is upset with the way Annamalai managed party finances during the Lok Sabha polls. Looks like he runs a trust deficit among Delhi bosses.  

BJP has given a Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) ticket for the Chandrapur-Wardha-Gadchiroli seat to a prominent industrialist Arun Lakhani, co-treasurer of Maharashtra BJP for the June 18 elections. His son Sarang Lakhani is engaged to marry Revati, daughter of Supriya Sule on June 20. The Lakhani family has been connected to the RSS. The marriage itself was arranged by political bigwigs in the state.”Supriya Tai sent me a congratulatory message. The reference to the Pawar family is natural because it is a large political family and we are related. I do not see anything unusual in that,” says Arun Lakhani. Revati Sule studied economics at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai and did master’s degree in public administration from the London School of Economics. Sarang Lakhani is currently the executive director at Vishvaraj Group, Nagpur-based group controlled by his father. A badminton player, he has studied management at Columbia Business School in the United States. The buzz around the Sarang-Revati wedding grew after senior NCP leader Sharad Pawar was admitted to a private hospital in Pune following a chest infection early this year. Sarang’s family-owned business group, the Vishvaraj Group, is a company engaged in water sustainability projects, wastewater management and road infrastructure development. He has been involved in the family business for over eight years now. Before joining the family business, he worked as a business development consultant with Modern Hydrogen.

Imagine Director Jeethu Joseph and superstar Mohanlal sharing the rarest of rare wines on a convivial evening …the Drishyam franchise. Embarking on Drishyam 3, Jeethu Joseph ekes out the last drop from this sensational, heady wine. Mohanlal, as Georgekutty has already internalised what and how he has to power this third part…the very first Drishyam shows what extraordinary heights he climbs to save his family …a naive wife and two teenage daughters from the blood lust of well-heeled youth…even as he successfully commits a crime and buries the evidence, he still copes with the guilt and fear of being caught. Lalettan carries the entire burden of his family and film on his sinewy shoulders. Drishyam 3 explores the pain and purgatory of his crime even as Georgekutty moves up the social and business ladder, still glancing over his shoulders for that potential chilling expose that could devastate his family. But in Drishyam 3, it is not the strong story roles of the cast, it is Mohanlal who carries the entire film. But what is amazing is that in just five days the film has raked in Rs 150 crore and is marching to Rs 200 crore like a lumbering freight train…54 % of this is from the overseas market, a testimony to the Malayali diaspora who yearn to watch films that feature their favourite heroes. Mohanlal does not disappoint…he propels himself as the only actor to that rare status of his three films, Thudarum, Empuraan and now Drishyam reaching the Rs 150-crore mark, and on his way to overtake Fahad Faasil’s Aavesham and Prithiraj’s AaduJeevitham. The Mohanlal franchise has many more to come as the complete actor.

Acting on orders of Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah resigned very reluctantly to pave the way for D K Shivakumar (DKS). But he hoped he could pressurise Rahul Gandhi to accept his suggestions for an important role as a coordinator for the party-government arrangement, like he was during the short-lived coalition between Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) when H D Kumaraswamy was CM from 2018-2019. Siddaramaiah sought to revive the same model which would allow him to remain as an alternative power centre in the state. However, Rahul Gandhi put his foot down. Having Siddaramaiah as a coordinator would mean DKS would not be able to function as CM with a free hand. A day after he resigned as CM, Siddaramaiah met Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi, accompanied by his son Yathindra. Siddaramaiah is also said to have pushed for giving his son the deputy CM post with a key portfolio. Yathindra is an MLC after having lost the 2023 assembly polls. It is this anxiety to find an elevated political role for his medico son —a relatively lateral entrant into politics—that could chip away Siddaramaiah’s clout with Congress leadership. He is also seeking Cabinet berths for his loyalists in the new ministry. Majority of Congress MLAs are reportedly still backing him while DKS is dependent on Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi for his authority. Sources say besides Yathindra, DKS government could have Priyank Kharge as second deputy CM representing the Dalits. There may well be a deputy CM from Lingayat community too (M B Patil). Patil and G.Parameshwara were in Delhi for a second round of meeting with Rahul. AICC has not been able to finalise Satish Jharkhioli as PCC chief as he also wanted to be part of the government.

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy has made a new political move to show that he is the undisputed leader of all Telugu people. His act of unveiling a 23-foot statue of NT Rama Rao (NTR) at Maitrivanam junction in Ameerpet, Hyderabad, on May 28 has raised eyebrows. NTR was no doubt a tall leader of undivided Andhra Pradesh. But he was more of an Andhra than a Telangana leader. But Revanth wants to improve his popularity not only in Telangana but also in the present Andhra Pradesh by installing a statue of NTR, whose TDP legacy is deeply linked to opposition to the bifurcation of AP. Critics of Revanth say promoting the TDP icon may alienate Congress’s core Telangana base, erode the party’s hard-won identity, and ultimately leave Congress in electoral irrelevance by 2028-29. NTR’s contributions as a cine icon and populist reformer — rice at Rs 2/kg, women’s initiatives, and the anti-Congress wave in 1983 — were achieved in united Andhra. Yet, in Telangana’s collective memory, his TDP often symbolised resistance to the demand for separate statehood. The Telangana movement gained momentum from the 1960s onward and peaked in the post-2000s period. At that time, Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu was in favour of Telugu unity and opposed the creation of a separate Telangana state. Gradually, the TDP lost support in Telangana and remained confined to AP. A former TDP MLA elected from Kodangal in 2009 and 2014, Revanth rose under Chandrababu Naidu’s mentorship, serving as floor leader before his 2017 switch to Congress. Some Congress critics see the NTR statue — promised during the Jubilee Hills bypoll (which was won by Naveen Yadav)— as an overture to Chandrababu, who was once his leader. While unveiling the statue of NTR, Revanth publicly urged NTR fans and TDP remnants to “bury BRS,” of K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).