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The world’s oldest public transport service provider, Mumbai’s BEST undertaking’s plan to ramp up its comfortable air- conditioned travel option for last denominator citizens has ended in abject failure. The target 10,000 zero pollution EV buses by 2024 for Mumbai city, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to transform into the international Fin-tech capital has not materialized. BJP’s Maharashtra executive committee member Mahendra Jain has written to the PMO and Maha CMO seeking a high-level enquiry into reasons for the failure seeking full accountability over holding Mumbai city’s progress to ransom. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis shunted out BEST GM Anil Diggikar in December 2024 itself, appointed Harshvardhan Kamble as the next IAS incumbent. Kamble was shunted out too and the BEST is headless. PM Modi provided Rs 450 crore, lying unutilized in BEST’s bank account, under the National Clean Air Programme. BEST admits to having only 3100 EV buses as of January 2025, devastating the PM’s dream. Global tenders floated by BEST in 2021 and Olectra group, a part of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL) quoted the lowest L1 value @ 49 per km for supplying 2100 EV buses within a maximum of 18 months-time while Ashok Leyland’s Switch Mobility quoted the L1 value for supplying 200 double decker EV buses. After tenders were opened, litigation held up the process till November 2022, finally settled by Bombay High Court. But what happened thereafter? Till January 2025 MEIL only provided wet lease services of 275 single decker buses out of 2100 promised while Swift Mobility provided less than 60 of 200 double decker EVs till date.
The BCCI’s selection committee has played it safe was the wisecrack after India’s men in blue team was picked for the 3-match ODI series against England and the ICC Champions Trophy. The two biggest failures against Australia — skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — made it to the squad with Sharma as captain. Both have quit the Twenty20 format, but have been highly successful in the limited overs game and the committee with Ajit Agarkar in chair did not want to take the radical step of punishing them for not scoring runs against Australia. With both Sharma and Kohli in the selectors in no way could have acted upon Shubman Gill who gifted his wicket to Australia in both innings of the final Test in Sydney. In fact, he has been named the vice-captain. The outcome of the ODI series against England at home and the Champions Trophy and their individual form with the bat may probably direct a specific course of action on a few old hands from the selection committee which can be said was very conservative in picking the squad for the two campaigns in India and in Dubai. Agarkar went to the extent of saying that the immediate focus is on the Champions Trophy and not about the future of Sharma — who took a swipe at the media during the Sydney Test — and Kohli. Indian cricket is yet to see something big and bold as the change of captaincy – from Tiger Pataudi to Ajit Wadekar — affected in 1971 by the then Chairman of the selection committee Vijay Merchant whose decisions took Indian cricket forward. When will a Merchant happen again for Indian cricket?
Delhi has BJP worried over outcomes considering 12 of 70 MLA constituencies are dominated by the minority community enjoying majority vote count. Rahul Gandhi, keen on BJP losing even at own party’s cost, predictably commenced campaigning from Muslim dominated Seelampur assembly constituency that counts over 50% voters from the minority community. Gandhi targeted PM Modi as usual, consciously launched broadside against Arvind Kejriwal under pressure from Congress local leaders Ajay Maken, former Delhi CM, Sheila Dikshit’s son Sandeep. For once Congress high command heeded local leaders’ advice to fight alone rather than according AAP walkover on pain of losing out erstwhile political bastion, even suffer further in Punjab like it did for general elections and was trounced. In Delhi 3:4 ratio of coalition drew a blank with BJP clinching all seven Lok Sabha victories. Gandhi’s sudden detour to meet RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar Saturday surprised some but was to smoothen political relationship for next-up, Bihar state assemblies at instance of Sonia Gandhi notwithstanding Tejashwi’s hard stance against Congress. Delhi Lieutenant Governor granted prosecution permission against AAP leaders putting Kejriwal in a bind even as conditional bail pre-empts his CM post assumption if AAP wins. NCP leader and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar preferred fielding 30 candidates for Delhi polls, including 13 Muslim aspirants, than settling within NDA coalition that accorded solitary seats to Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan. Pawar’s gambit is similar to 30 assembly candidates he fielded in J&K, 24 in Jharkhand although the impact of his national foray is yet to register a winning mark.
1st May 2025 is the release date of Kartik Subburaj’s Stone Bench Productions and Suriya’s 2 D Studios of their movie Retro. After the disaster of Kanguva, it’s widely talked about that Suriya must recover the lost ground via this new release directed by Subburaj himself. Suriya, it is learnt, was not keen to take any chance experimenting with new themes and avant garde story lines. Is that why they have hit upon the title Retro? The movie title is a bit mystifying and quaint for a romantic and action-filled movie whose teaser has set Suriya’s fans gushing over his talent for romance and action, a throwback to his highly acclaimed Kaakha Kaakha, Singam sequels, Pitamagan and Soorarai Pottru. Obviously, the team is not taking any chances. Suriya’s eager fans are rooting for a hit. Retro has to shine, shake and sell in the time frame when Ajith’s Good Bad Ugly and Dhanush’s much touted Idly Kadai will also draw eager fans to cinemas. Whatever the commercial and critical outcome, Suriya, Dhanush, Sivakarthikeyan are targeting that space left vacant by Vijay and Ajith. Vijay has launched his own political party. Ajith is getting more involved in racing events as he has launched his own team. He recently won third place at the popular 24H Dubai 2025 race and caused a flutter when his car did a top spin after hitting a barricade. Seasoned actor that he is, Suriya knows the intricacies of unravelling a story and living his role as the mainstay. Who can predict…Retro might bring back the 90s and millennial styles.
The BJP was in a dilemma regarding the Erode East Assembly bypoll in Tamil Nadu for a seat that became vacant with the death of Congress leader EVKS Elangovan. Having promised a seat to GK Vasan’s TMC, the party did not wish to go back on its word and take over the seat. At the same time, it was fearful of Vasan’s party being wiped out in the poll and finishing far behind Seeman’s NTK. A very poor performance by an ally would not have suited the national party either, which is why it decided not to contest and announcing it was following the AIADMK in boycotting the poll because the election would be fixed by the ruling DMK in bringing hordes of voters into nearby meeting places and then transporting them to the booths. AIADMK had decided to withdraw from the poll to give BJP the chance of putting up what could be a common candidate representing the opposition to the DMK in the state. The BJP boycott means the contest would be a walkover for the DMK that will face the only recognised party in the LTTE leader Prabhakaran-loving Tamil nationalist party NTK that has not won a single election so far. In any case, the seat will only be for a little more than a year as the Assembly elections to all 234 seats are to be held in the summer of 2026.
The suicide of Chandramouli Biswas, former bassist of the renowned Bengali band “Fossils”, has not only left Bengal’s music fraternity in shock but also opened a Pandora’s box about the challenges faced by Bengali musicians. Biswas was found hanging in his Kolkata residence and suicide note suggest the artist was battling depression. Sidhu, a member of the iconic band “Cactus,” lamented the lack of infrastructure in Bengal’s independent music scene. He noted that while the film industry has producers and structured promotion systems, independent musicians struggle to gain visibility. According to him, radio stations no longer play Bengali songs, and decisions about playlists are made by offices in Mumbai, sidelining local artists. Eminent singer Raghav Chattopadhyay added that the supply of music far exceeds the demand where gaining recognition in the music industry has become unpredictable, with some talented musicians struggling for opportunities while others achieve overnight fame without formal training. Another concern highlighted by contemporary musician Debdeep Mukhopadhyay is the lack of respect for instrumentalists. Chandramouli, according to his bandmate Mahul Chakraborty, was working on a new project, “Golok,” with plans to release an album before focusing on live performances. However, the lack of a producer and promotional support made the journey challenging. The lack of sustainable opportunities and acknowledgment for musicians has raised broader questions about the state of Bengal’s music industry. While legendary bands like “Fossils,” “Cactus,” and “Chandrabindu” paved the way, newer bands struggled to gain traction. The disparity between the thriving demand for international performances in Kolkata and the stagnation of local talent underscores the industry’s challenges.
A crucial meeting between RSS functionaries and BJP members of the Maharashtra cabinet in Mumbai will go a long way in charting the future path to be adopted by the state government led by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The two-day conference was attended by Fadnavis and state BJP president Chandrakant Bawankule, who is also the revenue minister. The ministers were told in no uncertain terms that their priority will be to serve the public and to maintain a clean image. Moreover, special arrangements should be in place to cater to the work connected with various individuals and organizations under the Sangh Parivar umbrella. The NDA’s unprecedented success in the state assembly election held recently is mainly attributed to the ground work done by RSS activists all over Maharashtra, especially to mobilise pro-Hindutva vote. Although the RSS has not taken any credit for this spectacular feat publicly, those working for the BJP candidly acknowledge the saffron organisation’s debt. A tentative agenda for the way ahead has been prepared for the ministers and discussed with them by top RSS representatives. Subsequently, it will be finalized as its importance will impact the local body elections, likely to be held in the near future. Like the assembly election, the BJP will dominate the candidate lists for the local bodies, too, it is expected. Accordingly, the two partners, the Shiv Sena led by deputy CM Eknath Shinde and the NCP under deputy Ajit Pawar, will have to be accommodated in the Mahayuti formula for the ensuring electoral bout, it is suggested.
In the absence of a leader of opposition in Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti’s dominant party, the BJP seems to have taken up the mantle of the Opposition’s role upon itself. Leading the attack against the lawlessness in Beed and raking up issues of corruption and extortion is none other than BJP’s own legislator, Suresh Dhas. Beed has been on the boil for weeks after a campaign against Dhananjay Munde and his aide Walmik Karad met up with large-scale violent reaction. Sanjay Raut (Uddhav Sena) has alluded that the entire Beed saga is a Fadnavis operation to cleanse the local political scene there. Local police officers have been transferred, gun licenses cancelled, corruption cases dug out as part of this operation. However, the central party leadership of the BJP particularly Amit Shah continues to be in the loop and maintains a hawk’s eye about the ongoing situation in the state. That the entire political situation playing out in Beed also has the Centre’s blessing is evident from the fact that leaders like Pankaja Munde and even Ajit Pawar, who have strong stakes in the local politics of Beed, have met and discussed the situation directly with Shah himself. The main accused Walmik Karad was slapped with the strong MCOCA Act, a day before the Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mumbai and briefed the state’s legislators. The man at the centre of the current political storm, NCP’s Dhananjay Munde was kept out of this crucial meeting with the PM. Though Munde has managed to retain his ministerial berth without resigning despite the controversy, he has been considerably weakened politically with his own leader Ajit Pawar disbanding his party’s entire team of office-bearers in Beed.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar has come under fire from firebrand leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who has lashed at the party’s ‘monopolistic’ style of functioning. Bhujbal’s outburst at the NCP’s Shirdi conclave and his distancing from Pawar by not even greeting him has sent warning signals within the party as the OBC proponent is among the senior most colleagues of Ajit. When veteran Sharad Pawar was attacked prior to the split in the NCP, it was Bhujbal who took up cudgels on behalf of Ajit and alleged that the latter was always sidelined. During the recent assembly election, Bhujbal’s importance was underscored following his spirited pro-OBC statements since it became evident that the OBCs had wholeheartedly voted for the NDA of which NCP(A) is a constituent. However, the picture suddenly changed when Bhujbal was not inducted in the government led by Devendra Fadnavis. The discord grew when Bhujbal maintained that Fadnavis wanted him in the cabinet but the NCP decided otherwise. So far, Ajit Pawar has not reacted at all to Bhujbal’s grievance even once. Hence, Bhujbal’s complaint that there was no collective decision making in the NCP is interpreted as a cautionary sign. NCP top leader Praful Patel has tried to quell it by announcing that internal talks will be held to exactly understand the issue. But this relief has not satisfied Bhujbal, who has declared that he will decide his course of action soon.
The latest news that the phlegmatic Sitanshu Kotak is likely to be the dedicated batting coach of the men in blue team starting from the five-match Twenty20 series against England has set tongues wagging about the need to equip the Twenty20 World Cup winning team with three ‘batting’ coaches — all left handers — under head coach Gautam Gambhir who himself is a left hander. Abhishek Nayar (assistant coach) is a left hander and so too is Kotak. The BCCI has not declared Kotak being added to the team that will meet in Kolkata for the first match. While India’s batters in general flunked against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the knee-jerk response from the BCCI — cannot say if the 116-Test veteran Dilip Vengsarkar, a 1983 World Cup winning star, a former Chairman of the senior national selection committee and an Apex Council member was consulted about the addition of a batting coach to the national team. And also Shubangi Kulkarni the second former cricketer in the Apex Council. Only the BCCI can reveal if Kotak is going to do the batting coach role across formats. More importantly to whom will the batters take their problems to — Gambhir, Nayar or Kotak who has not played for India in any format. Kotak (52) has played 130 first class matches and scored only 15 x 100s! He has been part of the National Cricket Academy set up for many years and has managed India A and junior teams. In addition the men in blue team has a second Assistant Coach in Ryan ten Doeschate, bowling coach Morne Morkel and fielding coach T Dilip, who was retained from the previous coaching staff under Rahul Dravid.
Salman Khan is undeniably one of the most iconic figures in the Indian film industry whose impact transcends mere box office statistics. With a career that spans over three decades, his films–regardless of critical reception — frequently surpass the Rs 100-crore mark signifying his extraordinary appeal and star power. Throughout his illustrious career, Salman Khan has found himself at the centre of numerous controversies and has come unscathed. With a net worth estimated at around Rs 2,900 crore, he is an immensely sought-after star for brand endorsements. However, in recent years, his forays into guest appearances in films such as Baby John, Singham Again, Godfather and Antim have not garnered the kind of response one might expect from the audience. While his cameo in Pathaan was well-received, his lead role in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan released on Eid, faced significant criticism and was largely snubbed by both critics and fans alike. Looking ahead, the anticipation surrounding his upcoming film Sikandar is palpable. Directed by AR Murugadoss, this film marks a significant moment in his career, as it will be his first mainstream lead release following Tiger 3. Sikandar represents a pivotal juncture in his career, especially after a series of mixed receptions for his recent projects. Rumours are rife that he is in talks with well-known south director Atlee. Despite his immense charisma and dedicated fan base, a pressing question lingers in the face of ongoing controversies, and the challenges posed by a rapidly evolving industry: whether Sallu bhai at 59 can still captivate the new generation of moviegoers?
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.