After two years of keeping a low profile, Odisha’s most powerful ex-bureaucrat and Biju Janata Dal leader V K Pandian is making waves beyond Indian shores. Reportedly, Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez who just experienced two devastating earthquakes asked Pandian to fly to Venezuela to seek his expertise on how to handle natural disasters. Venezuela President had two objectives to learn from Odisha’s playbook: One, how Pandian — one of the architects of Odisha’s disaster management — handled the cyclone and disaster response protocols had zero casualty and lessons for her country from Odisha. Sources say Pandian used this visit to raise his personal profile. Pandian’s supporters are looking at this development as a “proud moment of knowledge sharing for India on the global stage.” The net takeaway from Odisha is that people are comparing Naveen Patnaik’s governance style with that of the current chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

After two years of keeping low profile, Odisha’s most powerful ex-bureaucrat and Biju Janata Dal leader V K Pandian is making waves beyond Indian shores. Reportedly, Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez who just experienced two devastating earthquake asked Pandian to fly to Venezula to seek his expertise on how to handle natural disasters. Venezuela President had two objectives to learn from Odisha’s playbook: One, how Pandian — one of the architects of Odisha’s disaster management — handled the cyclone and disaster response protocols had zero casualty and lessons for her country from Odisha.  Sources say, Pandian used this visit to raise his personal profile. Pandian’s supporters are looking at this development as a “proud moment of knowledge sharing for India on the global stage.” The net takeaway from Odisha is that people are comparing Naveen Patnaik’s governance style with that of the current chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi.    

BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde’s sudden stay in Maharashtra and his meetings with some influential Opposition leaders have heightened the already thick suspense in the state’s politics. Once again, veteran Sharad Pawar continues to be the focus of the intrigue while a couple of senior BJP leaders from Maharashtra are reported to be spending sleepless nights, not knowing what turn their fate is going to take. Tawde self-invited him to the residence of his former mentor Eknath Khadse, who is now with the NCP led by Pawar. Incidentally, Khadse’s daughter-in-law Raksha is Union minister of state while the other daughter-in-law is with Pawar’s party. Tawde’s ‘courtesy’ call on Khadse holds potential to shake north Maharashtra scenario. Tawde also called on Pawar’s trusted lieutenant Jayant Patil, who is tipped to be joining the NDA fold, albeit with Pawar’s tacit blessings. Patil’s name is being mentioned for the post of Maharashtra finance minister. It was earlier held by the late deputy CM Ajit Pawar. One of Pawar’s close associates is learnt to have been entrusted with the task of liaising with the party legislators and parliament members. The NCP’s onslaught against the BJP is somewhat softer over the past few days. Thus, if the pieces fall in place, Pawar’s 10 Lok Sabha members will be a great gift for the BJP. Moreover, it will be a demoralising blow for the Congress in particular and the INDIA Bloc in general.

It seems there is no respite for Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray from the continuous shocks administered by the ruling Mahayuti since whispers about another split taking place in his ramshackle party are only growing. Thackeray’s bete noire Eknath Shinde is said to be behind such moves since chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has declared in unequivocal terms that the doors of the BJP are closed for newcomers. True that it is a political announcement and can be used the way the leaders wish, Shinde has been going ahead unobstructed. The latest entrant into the game is former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who has publicly stated that half a dozen Lok Sabha members of Sharad Pawar’s party are feeling ‘uneasy’ in the present situation. This means that they can desert the NCP(SP) any time to join the NDA. All these developments are going to weaken the Opposition in Maharashtra even if such defections do not happen forthwith. The casualty will be the Shiv Sena of Uddhav since he was projected as the main Opposition leader and face of the INDIA Bloc after its fabulous victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Sadly for him, the graph of his party is only sliding. Not content with eyeing Uddhav’s legislative win, Shinde is said to be exploring the potential of poaching the Sena’s civic wing. As over 60 corporators under Uddhav were elected to the Mumbai municipal corporation, the hopes of his followers were rekindled. However, the contrary is happening. As a result, Uddhav is an embattled leader right now, with no immediate prospect seen to revive his prospects.    

Will Prashant Kishor succeed this time? The by-election for Bihar’s Bankipur Assembly seat is scheduled for July 30. The seat fell vacant after Nitin Nabin resigned as MLA following, first, his elevation as the BJP National President, and then his subsequent election to the Rajya Sabha. Ordinarily, this may have been treated as a routine vacancy in a safe seat. Jan Suraaj’s Prashant Kishor has announced that he will contest from here, marking his first entry into the electoral contests. The BJP had initially named Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) state vice-president Abhishek Kumar as its candidate. Unfortunately, just days ahead of filing of nominations, BJP had to change its candidate; Neeraj Kumar Sinha replaces Abhishek Kumar who bowed out of the race citing “family reasons”.  These developments pleased Prashant Kishor who said, “This demonstrates that no Assembly or Lok Sabha constituency is anyone’s stronghold or personal fiefdom. If the public rises, even the most prominent leaders can be made to sweat.” Regarding Bankipur, he conceded that until recently, BJP leaders boasted that their fortress was so strong that even if they fielded a dog or a cat, the public would vote for them…” Today, it appears that their own candidate has stepped away. “When the results are declared on the 3rd, a full reckoning will take place,” said Kishor. Bankipur is one of Patna’s most talked-about VIP urban areas. It is part of the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, represented by BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad. It is a seat dominated by the influential Kayastha electorate. With his entry, Kishor is seeking to make the bypoll a referendum on the NDA government in Bihar. A non-Kayastha, Kishor has opted for an intensive door-to-door campaign and neighbourhood meetings instead of large public rallies. He belongs to the Bhumihar community.

The Modi government may be relieved that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Canadian government has not named any political leader or a senior police official for the killing of some Khalistani separatist leaders. However, the U.S. Department of  Justice(DOJ)’s indictment of the laxity in Indian jails that allows criminals to get out and pose a threat to the outside world and extort money is not flattering . In fact, it raises the extent of complicity between our jail authorities and criminals lodged in their custody. The FBI launched a sweeping crackdown named ‘Operation Hard Ball’ against jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close aide Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar. Bishnoi is lodged in Sabarmati jail, Gujarat. It took the FBI a year-long investigation targeting criminal syndicates involved in murder, extortion, drug trafficking and other organised crime activities in the U.S., Canada and Europe. In all, 24 criminals have been arrested in the US, Canada and Europe. The U.S. (DOJ) said that searches were conducted at more than 50 locations. One of the three federal indictments focuses on Bishnoi whom U.S. prosecutors allege directed a global criminal enterprise from a prison in India. Bishnoi and Brar ordered the assassination of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023. U.S. prosecutors also named Bishnoi’s key associates Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara. They said that while Brar looked after North America operations, Godara oversaw operations in Europe. The FBI has declared a $50,000 bounty for the arrest of Goldy Brar. The FBI probe also found collusion between some Punjab police officers and the gangs. The FBI has made Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, SHO of Tanda police station in Hoshiarpur, an accused, and his extradition has been sought.

Has West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari decided to copy UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s style? The prime accused in Bengal’s Baruipur rape-murder case, Prabhas Mondal, was shot dead in a police encounter during crime scene reconstruction. Mondal, along with his friends, had raped and killed a 12-year-old girl and thrown her body in a pond.  Mondal’s mother refused to take his body, saying he had shamed the family. But, not surprisingly, political parties like the Samajwadi Party in UP, Trinamool Congress leaders criticised the police encounter, saying it seems to be the beginning of a new type of “goonda raj”. TMC MP Mohua Moitra alleged “this is jungle law” on social media. She wrote, “Bengalis, please welcome new Bengal – Uttar Pradesh 2.0”. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee took out a protest march in Kolkata, and people threw eggs amidst shouts of ‘chor, chor ‘.  By raising questions about this encounter, Trinamool Congress leaders have invited trouble. Bengal BJP leaders are now listing out cases of rape and murders during Didi’s rule, when rapists were shielded by police and in the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case, all evidence of the heinous act was washed away, a few hours after the act. CM Suvendu Adhikari has apparently given the police a free hand. Clearly, Adhikari is following Yogi Adityanath’s model. His supporters say, “No state can progress unless criminals fear police. No investor will go to a state where crime and extortion are rampant. In Bengal, there was ‘goonda raj’ during Mamata Banerjee’s rule; its roots were quite deep, killers and rapists were getting police protection. There is a clear change in the situation now. Naturally, Mamata will not like this.”

Dhanush and his 55th film, OM Chapter 1 has already raised heartbeats with its powerful teaser. The title OM is astutely inventive yet familiar like a soft blanket, a brand positioning like none other for Hindutva. If your memory drags up another such title Hey Ram, your RAM has super ready access. OM has already garnered marketable gold nuggets in many forms. Following the runaway hit Amaran, its director Rajkumar Periasamy is signed to direct OM. Posting its initial line up of popular stars, Dhanush, Mammootty,  Sai Pallavi and Kayadu Lohar. After the buzz and curiosity of the teaser, a new announcement was dropped …one of India’s most iconic actors, Naseeruddin Shah (if you haven’t, catch the Titan story where he plays JRD Tata’s role) is to join the cast of OM …just 26 years later after Hey Ram. Shah is to partner Mammootty after 32 years after Ponthan Mada. This hugely awaited film is from Dhanush’s own Wunderbar Films, and unravels a plot about illegal Red Sanders felling, the hero taking up the cause of those who fell the precious wood. Ok, we know It harks back to Pushpa 1 and 2. In cinema, imitation is the best form of plottery . But wait …the plot may be reminiscent. It is the release date planned for Ayudha Pooja day — 16th October — that’s caused a huge buzz. Superstar Rajinikanth’s Jailor 2 and Dhanush’s OM are set to clash as gladiators on the same day. Will the Sasur win? Or will the “estranged “ Damaad create family history?

The men in blue with a new captain Shreyas Iyer has been beaten hollow in Belfast (Ireland) and at three venues in England. Iyer has led in six matches and lost five in a row. The first dig at Chester-lee-Street, Durham did not deliver a result, and England has held its own in Old Trafford, in Robin Hood country Trent Bridge and Bristol. Iyer must be gutted with back to back series loss – and five has now become a record for an Indian captain. Shikhar Dhawan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have led the men in blue teams that lost four in a row in 2021 and 2009. After looking at the score cards a first question that comes up is “Why is left-hander Tilak Varma batting at No 5 and 6” when his preferred batting number is 3/4 where he has scored 649 runs with 2x100s at 46.36 and a strike rate of 9.12 and 490 runs at 54.44 with a strike rate of 7.72. In the World Cup, Varma batted at No 3 five times, and at No 5/7. He had an overall strike rate of 9.27. India has promoted Ishan Kishan to No 3 from the World Cup match against Zimbabwe in Chennai and since he has scored one half century in 10 innings. Clearly India has not had the best from Varma at No 5 or 6. It’s at No 3 that Varma scored 107* against South Africa at Centurion Park and 120* at the Wanderers in November 2024. His average has dipped batting lower down the order. Tinkering with the batting order has resulted in a downside in the Twenty20 format. India has won 18 matches with Tilak batting at No 3.

In a major political development in West Bengal, three former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MPs — Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik — formally joined BJP. All three had resigned from the Rajya Sabha and TMC in recent weeks, with Roy stepping down first after the party’s electoral defeat, followed by Dev and Baraik. Bhattacharya. West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya described their induction as a major organisational boost. He recalled the contribution of Roy’s father in Bengal politics, accusing successive governments of neglecting Bengal’s historical legacy. Roy’s induction had been anticipated after his recent meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bhattacharya and other senior BJP leaders. After joining the party, Roy alleged that both the Left Front and Trinamool governments had harmed West Bengal, claiming he was sidelined and harassed, including being summoned by Lalbazaar, iconic Kolkata police headquarters, for raising issues such as the RG Kar case and corruption. Dev said she joined the BJP after concluding that her national aspirations could not be realised in the Trinamool. Citing Assam’s development model, she said she wanted to contribute to the country’s progress under Modi and chose the Bengal BJP on the advice of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Rejecting criticism that the BJP was indiscriminately inducting Trinamool leaders, Bhattacharya said only those with a clean image would be welcomed, while leaders accused of corruption or scams had no place in the party. He also urged the media not to describe the new entrants as turncoats, saying they should now be regarded simply as BJP leaders. Speculation remains that the trio could be renominated to the Rajya Sabha under the BJP banner.