Laxmi Kaul who worked as Senior VP at global development consultancy firm Mott Macdonald has put in her papers and to take over as the CEO of Grin, a media publishing company and think tank.  Kaul, a former resident of the UK for over two decades, moved to New Delhi in 2022. Laxmi has had a distinguished career across India and the United Kingdom. She has held many key roles- as political aide to the British Member of Parliament Bob Blackman, she was the Head of the CII in the UK, a board member of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, the Manchester-India Partnership, and the West Midlands-India Partnership. Kaul seeks to vigorously expand Grin’s publishing programme in India with Penguin Random House India and around the world. Kaul will build a curated team not only for Grin’s own expansive publishing programme, but also for books which are a better fit elsewhere, and will craft a strategy where Grin is also able to guide books to other publishers for publication. For the next phase of Grin, Kaul and her team are clear that they take inspiration from uniquely Bharatiya sources — the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust created by Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, and the Gita Press in India. Also well known as a social activist, Kaul will also explore how to translate the books Grin publishes into audio-visual adventures (films, documentaries etc.) for audiences at home and around the world. An ardent music lover, she was the founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Festival in the UK in 2016.

Despite intense speculation that PM Modi may cut short Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s two years governance, the big news is CM Majhi will continue for the full term. It is learnt that PM Modi is in favour of his continuation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu are expected to visit the state on June 20 to jointly attend a mega state level rally at Mayurbhanj district to celebrate the second anniversary of Odisha government. Yes, CM Majhi’s two years governance was not without blemish — slow implementation of policies, gaps in delivery coordination issues, deteriorating law and order situation, multiple portfolios held by his ministers who were unable to deliver results. Hence, the social media was buzzing that Odisha may see leadership change. However, CM Majhi has proved everybody wrong and disappointed some of the leaders who were eyeing his chair. CM Majhi has already shifted to his refurbished official residence bringing his family with him. PM Modi wants to strengthen CM Majhi’s position through suitable team adjustment. This means, say political observers “expect few ministerial heads to roll for not delivering.” To be fair to CM Majhi, his leadership was not an absolute failure; he opened up Puri Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar and its four gates premises, introduced the Subhadra Yojana programme and enhanced input assistance to farmers. His biggest concrete achievement has been the elimination of Naxalism in Odisha.

When did Karan Johar discover he is Janus-faced? After producing bling, bauble, bubble, highly commercial cinema that clicked with high voltage entertainment, he now wants to move on from fantasy illusion to folklore psycho horror illusion. Johar leaps into the perfectly crafted, absorbing and thought-provoking world of Malayalam cinema. He may counter your question why this shift? Karan Johar being Karan Johar may respond ‘Yeh zindagi hai ek maya hai’ …illusion. Malayalam cinema aficionados are chomping at the reins, waiting for the now in progress mega project from Dharma Productions …already Mammootty’s Brahmayugam and Pranav Mohanlal’s Dies Irae have raised the excitement for this genre of films …Folklore based battle between Truth and Illusion, normal and preternatural. Odiyan is a film set in 19th century Kerala. A matriarchal family Is threatened, violated by horror filled encounters with an Amanushya shapeshifting, para normal being. Kerala’s tradition and lore are full of such mystical events and ways of worship. It is said that the 4th Veda, Atharva veda deals mainly with paranormal phenomena. This epic spectacle has Karan Johar, Adar Poonawala, Apurva Mehta and Supriya Menon pooling their talent and skills. But wait …who leads the Odiyan illusion? Prithviraj Sukumaran and Manju Warrier are battling it out for supremacy in this script, directed by ace director Samuel Rahul Sadasivam. For those of you wanting more of shape-shifting horror …Werewolves, Japanese Kitsune (mythical forests), Norse God Loki (European) the faceless men in Game of Thrones, Harry Potter wizards and witches, Odiyan: The Age of Illusion is all set for scaring and socking the viewer – spectacularly.

Ever since its defeat in the Tamil Nadu elections, the DMK’s relationship with Congress has turned frosty. As a result, it did not join the INDIA Bloc meeting held on June 8 in the Constitution Club, New Delhi. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has accepted the DMK’s request to have its MPs seated separately from Congress MPs in Parliament following the alliance split. “Three of our allies (Congress, IUML, VCK) are now part of the TVK government led by chief minister Joseph Vijay. It means that they are no longer in the INDIA Bloc. AAP has already left and we are not in that alliance now,” says DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan. He recalls that the Congress was in such a hurry to join the TVK government that they did not even have “the courtesy” to inform us. “At least, the Left Parties informed us…” What has hit the DMK hard is the Congress wishing to contest forthcoming local bodies’ elections along with the TVK. It is learnt that DMK is exploring to form a non-Congress front. What has bothered the DMK is Rahul Gandhi’s issuing a statement asking the southern regional parties to partner with the Congress for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. It seems Sonia Gandhi’s is keen to have DMK in INDIA bloc for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.  Sonia is convinced that Rahul Gandhi will need DMK’s support to become PM in 2029. Does it mean that the Gandhis aren’t convinced that Vijay’s TVK is enough to see the Congress through the Lok Sabha polls in TN? During his address at the INDIA Bloc meeting on June 8, Rahul Gandhi vouched that the DMK would be part of the Bloc. Will be nice to know what CM Vijay thinks about Congress keeping its option open with DMK.

Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay has a deep devotional side to his colourful persona. Immediately after the NITI Aayog conclave in Delhi, he wended his way to Karnataka’s Kudajatri Hills of the Western Ghats…a serene, incredibly beautiful stretch of the South, dotted with numerous pilgrimage sites. After getting a warm welcome at the Mangaluru airport, Vijay drove straight to the revered 1200 years old Mookambika Temple at the foothills where the Sauparnika river flows past the Goddesses peetam…there are numerous hoary, ancient and venerable tales of this Shakti Peetam…the most alluded is the one of Adi Shankara. It is believed that after intense meditation Goddess Parvati appeared and asked the sage to lead the way but never look back, Shankara couldn’t control his impulse to turn back and make sure She was still there. The Goddess stopped there. Adi Shankara is said to have built the Mookambika temple on that spot. Vijay performed the Shatru Samhara Pooja for vanquishing enemies and attaining ambitions. To this day devotees to this temple remember MGR and his gift of a golden sword to Mookambikai Amman. Vijay gifted a silver sword, after praying here. He has to overcome a formidable phalanx of Shatrus. The 130 km return trip to the Mangaluru airport was memorable for onlookers and fans as Vijay himself drove to the airport. He is surrounded by challenges to his historic win and right to the CM’s chair. Yet, he doesn’t yearn to look back at his unchallenged Superstar spot and lose his hard won victory.

The President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to visit Odisha on June 20,2026 to attend the second anniversary celebrations of BJP government in Odisha. At this critical juncture, Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi is in a dilemma as how to control illegal sand mining mafia who are in cahoots with the politicians across all parties. Reportedly, with the local enforcement agency being weak, no action is being taken at the ground level. So far, the Majhi government has failed to plug the illegal brazen extraction of river sand even after running the state for the last two years. Sand theft is nothing new…it also happened during Naveen Patnaik’s tenure. Why it is making news is because illegal sand mining thefts have spiralled exponentially under the BJP which promised a clean governance. The allegations are that it is thriving under the patronage of a state BJP minister. Apart from sand mafia issue affecting Odisha, another important task also remains unfulfilled as yet for Majhi government- – this pertains to Justice MB Shah Commission computation compensation for illegally extracted minerals in Odisha. Earlier the total initial demand was around Rs 19,174 crore from 131 lease holders. As of 2025 significant amounts remain uncovered with figures cited between Rs 2,700 crore and Rs 3,966 crore still pending to be recovered.

A day after rebel Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar’s claim that 20 party MPs notified Speaker Om Birla of intentions to join the BJP-led NDA, the Trinamool Congress rejected the move questioning whether such communication was ever submitted. Trinamool chief whip Kalyan Banerjee stated the party is unconcerned if leaders opposed to party supremo Mamata Banerjee leave. He argued those publicly criticising leadership should resign from Parliament rather than retain seats won on a Trinamool ticket. Along with party colleague and MP Kirti Azad, Banerjee questioned why the alleged letter remained unreleased after 24 hours. Noting a lack of evidence, it reached the Speaker, he challenged dissidents to produce the signed document. Citing the Tenth Schedule’s anti-defection law, Banerjee explained a breakaway faction requires two-thirds of Trinamool’s parliamentary strength to separate via merger, arguing any split ultimately means merging with the BJP. He suggested dissenters follow former Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, who resigned after criticising the party. Banerjee alleged rebels refused to resign to retain MP powers, security, and privileges, claiming those meeting BJP’s Bhupender Yadav and Suvendu Adhikari effectively aligned with the BJP. He added that they have replaced Didi with Narendra Modi as their leader. Banerjee further claimed that Yusuf Pathan had informed him of a call from Amit Shah and a planned meeting in Delhi, alleging that Shah was behind efforts to split the party. Azad termed the dissidents’ actions a betrayal, urging those wanting to join the BJP to state it openly. He noted Mamata Banerjee repeatedly supported Ghosh Dastidar politically despite electoral defeats, adding her removal as chief whip stemmed from poor parliamentary attendance. These developments follow an internal crisis led by Ritabrata Banerjee whose faction claims to be the authentic Trinamool in the Assembly.

The NDA government completed its second year on June 9 in its third term. Now it is time for much anticipated Union cabinet reshuffle. A 72-member ministerial team led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising five ministers of state (independent charge), 30 Cabinet ministers, and 36 ministers of state took oath two years ago in June. Given the pronounced austerity pitch by the Prime Minister, it is widely expected that the new look cabinet might be thinner with several ministries aligned for impact and influence. There is parallel talk of unbundling some portfolios in view of their size and unrelated character. This means Railways might be an independent ministry and will likely be manned by a JD(U) leader. Nitish Kumar, who has moved to Delhi, shedding his home state where he served as chief minister for more than two decades, is either himself going to lead or will have a senior trusted aide drive the key transport ministry. Another round of conversations around the new look Cabinet is the pivot from government role to senior party role. This might result in a senior Cabinet minister being given charge of leading the party’s ambition in the south, an area that has so far remained out of the reach of the party on the escalator. But if past is any precedent, NDA under Prime Minister Modi will have a few aces up its sleeve that are beyond the realm of the whispers in the corridors of power.

One month after ending Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year rule, West Bengal’s first BJP government under chief minister Suvendu Adhikari has introduced major administrative, political and social changes since taking office on May 9. Prioritising border security, the state government transferred nearly 32 acres of land to the BSF for Bangladesh border fencing. It also approved handing over seven national highways in the Siliguri Corridor (“Chicken’s Neck”) to central agencies. In healthcare, the TMC’s Swasthya Sathi scheme has been replaced by Ayushman Bharat. The Annapurna Bhandar scheme, launched on June 4, provides Rs 3,000 monthly to 28-lakh plus women beneficiaries. Free travel for women on state-run buses began on June 1. The upper age limit for government jobs has been raised by five years. The government has reopened cases linked to post-poll violence after the 2021 Assembly and 2023 Panchayat elections. Education reforms include making Vande Mataram compulsory in government schools and reviewing all madrasas’ infrastructure, administration and legal status, with district magistrates directed to report by July 5. OBC reservation has been reduced from 17% to 7%, Muslim communities removed from the OBC list, and a new list of 66 OBC categories published following a Calcutta High Court order. Bulldozer drives in Kolkata and other districts, especially near railway stations, have sparked protests with the CPI(M), Congress and labour groups approaching the courts. Under the “Detect, Delete, Deport” policy, the government claims 4,800 people have been sent back to Bangladesh. Restrictions on prayers on public roads, mandatory approval for cow, bull and buffalo slaughter, and the withdrawal of honorariums and welfare grants for imams, muezzins and temple priests have also triggered concerns. A lot has been compressed in 30 days.

In what is being described as the most severe setback of her nearly five-decade-long political career, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee is facing an unprecedented rebellion within her party, with a group of 20 MPs reportedly breaking ranks and extending support to the BJP-led NDA. The dramatic event unfolded on Monday (June 8) when a faction led by senior TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressing support for the NDA government. The move came at a particularly embarrassing moment for the TMC chief as she was in the Capital attending a meeting of the opposition INDIA Bloc. According to sources, the rebel MPs subsequently attended a meeting at the residence of Union Minister and BJP’s West Bengal observer Bhupendra Yadav, where West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was also present. The meeting has intensified speculation that the dissident lawmakers are preparing to formalise a separate parliamentary formation aligned with the NDA. After facing dissent among MLAs, the party is now confronting the prospect of a major split in its parliamentary ranks, with discussions intensifying around the formation of a “new Trinamool” group in Parliament. The crisis deepened further after Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy resigned from both Parliament and the party. He personally submitted his resignation to the Vice-President in New Delhi before issuing a strongly worded statement critical of the TMC leadership. Facing her gravest internal challenge in years, Mamata Banerjee has reportedly begun a frantic damage-control exercise. Party sources said she personally contacted several MPs over the past 24 hours in an effort to prevent further defections and reassure wavering leaders. The coming days could determine not only the future of the TMC Parliamentary presence but also the political legacy of Didi.