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The board of directors of Maharashtra’s cash-rich state corporations, to include MHADA, MMRDA, MTDC and scores more (many holding more funds than respective ministries) are being revamped with fresh appointments of chairpersons (MLAs) and board members (uncommon party workers). A three-member committee comprising deputy CMs Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena), Ajit Pawar (NCP) and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule (BJP) will seek consensus on fresh appointees, accommodate respective party representatives probably in a 15:15:30 ratio respectively. CM Devendra Fadnavis will vet the finalized candidates to these state corporations, being the last word on the new look state bodies. The move is aimed at stimulating, assuaging, accommodating party workers of all three parties, unsung heroes who toiled hard to ensure the parties’ success at the last state assembly polls. More importantly, the move will rectify the anomaly that existed in these state corporations, religious trusts being manned by the same old appointees, some even dating back to the pre-BJP era that was ushered in 2014. For instance, even by 2017 most of these state bodies including the Saibaba Sansthan, Siddhivinayak temple trusts continued with appointees from the erstwhile Congress-NCP regime that was sharply ticked off by Union Home Minister Amit Shah back then. If a particular ministry is held by one party for eg: Minorities department currently under Ajit Pawar the relevant state corporation on minorities would likely be led by an MLA from either of the two other alliance parties. Hectic lobbying has begun in earnest and an all-out ‘Mara’Mari’ for posts is likely to follow.
In an interesting move, the Tamil Nadu government decided to lend a hand to residents of ‘Madrasi Camp’ in New Delhi, whose unauthorised houses on the bank of the Barapullah drain were demolished by the Delhi Development Authority. An official release said the State government, as directed by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, would help the residents return to their native districts, if they chose to do so. They would be given comprehensive support, including assistance for livelihood, through the Collectors, it said.. ‘Madrasi Camp’ is an informal habitation along the bank of the Barapullah Jangpura drain, near Nizamuddin Railway Station in South Delhi. It had 370 slum dwelling units. The settlement was predominantly inhabited by persons of Tamil Nadu origin. The Delhi High Court had noted that ‘Madrasi Camp’ was an “unauthorized construction/encroachment” that had led to the obstruction and blockage of the Barapullah drain, “causing significant waterlogging in the surrounding areas, especially during the monsoon”. It had directed that eligible residents be rehabilitated and relocated under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board Act (DUSIB). The DUSIB determined that 215 out of the 370 residents were eligible for allotment of residential units under the economically weaker section category at Narela. On May 9 all petitions filed by the residents were disposed of by the Delhi High Court, which ordered the commencement of demolition at ‘Madrasi Camp’ from June 1.While nearly half of the residents were offered alternate accommodation — most residents didn’t quite warm up to the idea of moving back to TN. At least one resident lamented over the lack of opportunities in TN. “They should give first jobs to those already in Chennai and then they should call us,” was the general refrain.
Some BJP ruled states will witness a change of guard in the coming days starting with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel seeking relief from public service to tend to his ailing son (Short Post reported earlier). Other CMs on the block include Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Odisha although the last incumbent Mohan Charan Majhi was issued the ‘Perform or Perish’ diktat having only recently assumed power. Rajasthan’s deteriorating law and order scenario queered the pitch for Bhajan Lal Sharma, installed at expense of the Rani of Dhaulpur, Vasundhara Raje first placed on probation (as BJP LoP) by PM Narendra Modi, then shrugged off, with state assemblies being fought under Modi’s name. Rice bowl of India, Chhattisgarh’s tribal CM Vishnu Deo Sai is also in cross hair of BJP high command for inability to grow party ideology in erstwhile Congress ruled state and, being invisible unlike his Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand counterparts. To non-corrupt Sai’s credit, he recently introduced anti-conversion law, mobilized anti-naxalite operations. Rajasthan’s Brahmin CM Lal, however, made rounds of New Delhi (thrice in recent weeks), may be replaced by Rajput Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. UP governor (former Gujarat CM) Anandiben Patel held consultations with PM Modi to address her home state CM issue with Union Sports, Youth Affairs Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya’s name being considered. As senior BJP leader Mahendra Jain, however, puts it, “PM Modi listens to all but takes decisions on his own!” While steeped in corruption owing to alliance politics, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis remains the PM’s blue-eyed boy.
The Tata-IPL-18 is nearing its conclusion with the title match to be played between the United Spirits-owned Royal Challengers Bengaluru that paid $ 111.6 mn to acquire the Bengaluru franchise in 2007 and the winner of the Qualifier 2 between five times winner, the Ambani-owned Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta and Karan Paul. One among the three will be crowned on Wednesday (June 3) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. But the story of this year’s IPL is the rise of a few fantastic batters, bowlers and all rounders which confirms a belief that India can field two Men in Blue teams in the Twenty20 format at least. The tournament began with known culprits set to dominate, but the cricketing fraternity is already talking about budding stars like the Rajasthan Royal’s 14-year old left-hander Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Punjab Kings’ batters Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh and Nehal Wadhera, and left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar, Chennai Super Kings’ batter Ayush Mhatre and fast bowler Anshul Kamboj, Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Aniket Verma, Delhi Capitals’ allrounder Vipraj Nigam and wicketkeeper-batter Abhishek Porel, RCB leg spinner Suyash Sharma and seamer Yash Dayal, Gujarat Titans’ left arm spinner Sai Kishore, Mumbai Indians’ lower order batter Naman Dhir are the new faces who have excelled in their roles. The ongoing season has thrown fresh talents and the national selection committee will have plenty to look at the basket when the time comes to pick the squad for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka. The IPL has truly turned out to be a talent feeder for the national team.
In a throwback of sorts to his clash with TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee that had marked his didi-oh-didi campaign in the last West Bengal assembly election, incumbent CM made a personal jibe about PM Modi’s estranged wife setting off a vicious cycle of personal attacks. A controversy apparently erupted following PM Modi’s rally in Alipurduar on May 27, where he, without naming Mamata, had sharply criticised her government and the TMC. In response, Mamata at a presser called out Modi’s “politicisation of Operation Sindoor”. She transgressed the political line with a personal jibe: “Remember that every woman has respect. They take sindoor from their husbands… Modiji is talking this way. You are not every woman’s husband… why don’t you give sindoor to your Missus first?” Apparently Mamata attacked Modi on the basis of unfounded media reports that BJP was going to distribute sindoor to women. Later, realising the inappropriateness of her comment, she immediately apologised while blaming Modi for provoking her. “I am sorry to say this. I shouldn’t get into all this. But you are compelling us now to open our mouths.” Instead of accepting Mamata’s apology, BJP’s State unit chief Sukanta Majumdar and LoP Suvendu Adhikari launched a coordinated retaliation that targeted not just Mamata’s alleged personal conduct but also her humble origins and socio-economic background. The situation reached a disturbing climax in Chinsurah, Hooghly, where BJP women workers forcibly applied sindoor on female police officers who were trying to disperse their protest. The incident drew criticism even from within the BJP’s own state unit. The episode highlights how personal attacks and identity politics have increasingly dominated Bengal’s political landscape, with both major parties crossing traditional boundaries of political propriety and raising serious questions about the health of democratic discourse in the state.
The investigation into the flooding that derails Mumbai every monsoon took a Bollywood twist with the entry of actor Dino Morea. Dino and his brother Santino spent two days of long hours of questioning at the Mumbai office of the Economic Offences Wing after being accused of indulging in financial irregularities in the desilting work of the critical Mithi river that runs through the heart of the city, flooding and derailing it every year. While the investigation against flooding in Mumbai against two companies, three brokers, five contractors and three civic officials, are essentially being perceived as attempts to target the Thackeray family that has been ruling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation uninterruptedly from 2005 to 2022, Dino landed in it thanks to recorded telephonic conversations with middlemen Ketan Kadam. Incidentally, this is not the first case where Dino has landed in legal trouble due to his association with Aaditya Thackeray. He has also been linked earlier in the Disha Salian murder case, chiefly by Nitesh Rane. The Rane’s and Thackeray’s share a turbulent relationship since the exit of family patriarch Narayan Rane’s from the original Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. Since then, they have been known to take potshots regularly at the Thackeray family right through Rane’s journey from Sena to Congress to BJP. Not surprisingly, Nitesh Rane, Maharashtra’s fisheries and port development minister, derisively termed Dino Morea as the daughter-in-law of the Thackeray residence Matoshree. Aaditya countered by pointing out to Dino’s Christmas celebration with prime minister Narendra Modi at his Delhi residence.
The Indian cinema landscape is undergoing a transformative phase, characterized by bold choices and innovative storytelling. Aamir Khan’s decision to release his ambitious film, Sitare Zameen Par on YouTube channels instead of traditional OTT platforms exemplifies this shift. This choice aims to reach a broader audience, tapping into the millions who turn to YouTube for entertainment. By opting for this route, Khan seeks to engage a diverse demographic, ensuring that the film’s poignant themes of childhood, creativity, and the nurturing of talent resonate across various backgrounds. Sitare Zameen Par is set to spark conversations and inspire change in societal perceptions regarding education and artistic expression. Conversely, Sajid Khan’s Housefull 5 takes a different approach within the same industry. Renowned for its comedic flair, the Housefull franchise embraces the absurd and entertaining. This latest instalment promises to innovate further by introducing multiple endings, a groundbreaking concept in Indian cinema. This narrative technique will witness different endings in different Cinema and in fact, different screens as well. Such an approach could redefine audience excitement in the suspense genre in Bollywood, encouraging future filmmakers to explore unconventional storytelling methods. Both films, despite their differing genres, highlight the willingness of Indian filmmakers to experiment and take risks. Aamir Khan focuses on socially relevant themes, while Sajid Khan delivers entertaining escapism, showcasing the diverse storytelling that Indian cinema is embracing. As filmmakers navigate the digital landscape, blending traditional and modern distribution methods will likely become more common. With both Sitare Zameen Par and Housefull 5 exemplifying the coexistence of meaningful narratives and entertaining spectacles, audiences are invited to engage with some experiments as well.
Recently, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar (DKS) and home minister Dr G Parameshwara met AICC General Secretaries, KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, separately and discussed the recent political developments. According to a highly placed source, during the meeting, DKS insisted that the power sharing agreement should be honoured and Siddaramaiah should demit office after completing his two-and-a-half-year tenure in October 2025. The recent ED raid on educational institutions linked to Parameshwara with regard to the Ranya Rao gold smuggling case also figured in the discussions. It may be recalled that DKS, after meeting Parameshwara soon after the raids, had said the home minister had gifted Ranya Rao Rs 40 lakh. But this statement had not gone down well with several Congress leaders including Dr Parameshwara. Venugopal and Surjewala also met the aspirants for MLC elections, as four seats have been vacant for over seven months. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah showed up at the residence of his bete noire and senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad’s house for breakfast signalling a desire to bury their hatchet. The breakfast meeting, which came a day after Congress general secretaries met with Siddaramaiah and his deputy DKS, raised eyebrows in political circles. It is being said that Siddaramaiah wants Hariprasad to talk to the Congress’ top brass about inducting new ministers. The outreach with Gandhi family loyalist Hariprasad is also seen as Siddaramaiah’s way of trying to be on good terms with ‘original ‘ Congressmen and alienate strong leaders like DKS. Parameshwara’s proximity with the CM is already visible. Apparently, DKS — who is eyeing Siddaramaiah’s chair — is not in favour of a Cabinet reshuffle. The buzz is that DKS wants a new ministry when he becomes the CM.
In 1991, Kerala was declared as the first fully literate state in India. In 2025, another award awaits it, India’s first digitally literate state. According to MB Rajesh, the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) minister, President Droupadi Murmu is expected to make the announcement during her next visit to Kerala. As part of a plan to digitally empower citizens, the LSGD launched — Digi Kerala in 2023. The plan was to identify people in the age group of 14 to 65 years who do not have basic digital knowledge. The survey which covered 1.5 crore people from over 83 lakh families in the state, identified 22 lakh people who were digitally illiterate. According to Rajesh, around 99% of the individuals passed the evaluation after formal training. In 2022, Pullampara, in Thiruvananthapuram, was declared the first fully digital literate panchayat in India. LSGD designed the Digi Kerala initiative taking inspiration from the panchayat’s success. According to the Minister, digital literacy is essential for every citizen in today’s tech driven world and Kerala has been a model state when it comes to literacy. All public delivery services have been digitised and it’s essential for the common man to have digital knowledge to avail all services. The digitally illiterate citizens were identified with the help of mobile applications using services of volunteers from Kudumbashree, a women powered entity, NSS (National Service Scheme), NCC, Library council and state literacy mission. Digital literacy was imparted through modules designed by Kerala Institute of Local Administration.
Kamal Haasan, Ulaga Nayagan (world hero) for his drooling fans turned Ularal Nayagan (Blabbermouth) by his Kannada was born from Tamil comment. The timing of his comment made the film trade nervous. His movie Thug Life is all set to hit cinemas in the South on June 5. Already Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are at loggerheads over sharing of Cauvery waters. This misplaced claim could jeopardise the film’s showing in Karnataka, a big market for Tamil films. Legendary director Mani Rathnam was presiding over the razzmatazz promos with his marquee cast on stage when a pap asked Rathnam, “You have teamed up with Kamal after 38 years. Would Thalapathy Rajini also get a film from you after 35 years?” Rathnam, as his wont, did not wade into this “intellectual” research. With great care he said “we have to consider his market, availability and most important a script equal to his magnetism, a long list of conditions”. Such diplomacy and discretion were scattered in the winds when Kamal turned Ularal Nayakan by his declaration that Kannada was the offspring of Tamil. Threats of Thug Life boycott and angry protests erupted just as quickly …but Kamal being Kamal refused to apologise. Kamal who has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha with the backing from MK Stalin was perhaps keen to prove his loyalty to Tamil and Stalin, stuck to his stand. Kamal was scorched by critics who alleged that his party MNM was pledged like Panchali in the gamble of the Mahabharat. Thug Life needed just one more embellishment, the cherry on the I scream…K Krishnaswamy, founder of Puthiya Tamizhagam said “The title Thug Life is not acceptable…as Thuggery has a very bad connotation. Why don’t you change the title to a more positive one?
A series of by-elections in Uttar Pradesh on December 5 will put to test the mettle of Samajwadi Party leadership of Akhilesh Yadav after his father Mulayam Singh Yadav’s death. More so as he has chosen to field his wife Dimple from the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, a constituency that has traditionally backed the party patriarch. Dimple, who lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Kannauj, was hoping to ride on the sympathy wave in Mainpuri. Apparently, it is not going to be a cake walk for her as Akhilesh has not managed to secure a truce with his uncle Shivpal Yadav. Of the five assembly constituencies under the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, two of the five seats are currently held by Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav as MLAs. However it is significant that the BJP has fielded Raghuraj Singh Shakya, a former MP and someone close to Shivpal Yadav, as its candidate. Shakya joined the BJP earlier this year after quitting Shivpal Yadav’s Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party. With tacit support of Shivpal Yadav, the BJP is hoping to breach this Yadav bastion. BJP is also hoping to pick up the Rampur assembly seat that fell vacant after SP MLA Azam Khan was convicted by an MP-MLA court in a 2019 hate speech case.
There is speculation whether Rahul Gandhi who is busy with Bharat Jodo Yatra would be attending the winter session of Parliament in December. The session is expected to be held soon after Gujarat and Himachal assembly results are out on December 8. As such he has kept himself away from the election campaign in Himachal because of yatra. So did the incumbent AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge. However even as the yatra is now moving northwards, Rahul has not included poll-bound Gujarat– in his route map. Incidentally, Gujarat was a state, he had extensively campaigned in 2017 and had got good results. This time his yatra has decided against entering Gujarat; may be as late political secretary Ahmed Patel is no longer around. So he has chosen to spend some time in Rajasthan and will be visiting Bulandshahr in western UP before reaching J&K via Delhi. It is now being said that the Wayanad MP will spend a day campaigning in Gujarat on November 22 — the state goes to polls in two phases on December 1 and 5. After this Rahul may most likely skip the winter session as he would not like to be seen taking any break from the 3,500 km long foot march from Kayakumari to Kashmir Yatra.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inarguably remains the best election strategist and untiring campaigner for the BJP. With Himachal and Gujarat elections on his plate, one must give it to him that he makes it a point not to ignore his ministerial responsibilities as advised by PM Narendra Modi. He held as many as six rallies in Himachal. Even then he was recently seen holding a six-hour-long meeting in Delhi on how to further strengthen the process of information sharing and enhancing liaison between counter-terrorism and anti-drug agencies of the states, MHA officials were stuck in awe. The meeting started at 11 am and continued till 5pm. Shah chaired a high level meeting of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers from across the country and reviewed the internal security situation of the country. The meeting held extensive discussions on various issues related to national security. At the meeting, Shah underlined the government’s commitment to ensure the country’s security and lauded the IB for its “very important contribution in maintaining peace in the country since Independence, anonymously without any expectations.” “Our fight is against terrorism as well as its support system; till we do not fight strictly against both of them, victory over terrorism cannot be achieved,” he said. He called for the need to control the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) by dismantling its financial and logistical support system.
With a focus on the South, PM Narendra Modi has in the past two days been reaching out to people in the four states inaugurating a slew of infra projects. In a marked departure, he was seen connecting with the masses who had lined up to see his cavalcade whether it was in Dindigul in Tamil Nadu or in Bengaluru in Karnataka. In fact, there was a huge crowd to welcome Modi despite the rains in Madurai. People had turned out in large numbers to greet the PM in Visakhapatnam on November 12. While in Visakhapatnam, Modi launched projects pertaining to connectivity, oil and gas sector that will give fillip to Andhra Pradesh’s growth, he will visit a fertiliser plant at Ramagundam in Telangana. Modi described his visit to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as “an eventful day with diverse programmes”. In Bengaluru, where the PM inaugurated terminal 2 of the international airport and unveiled a 108-feet tall statue of Bengaluru founder ‘Nadaprabhu’ Kempegowda, Modi said, “Unlike previous regimes, his government believes speed as India’s aspiration and scale as its strength”. He also stressed that along with physical infrastructure, social infrastructure of the country needs to be strengthened for India’s advancement. “Whether it is governance or developing a physical and digital infrastructure, India is working on a different level. The world is admiring the strides India has made in the digital payments system, was it thinkable eight years ago?”
The BJP released its list of candidates for 160 constituencies for the upcoming #and picked up interesting names as it dropped 38 of its sitting MLAs. Its most talked about pick is former Morbi MLA Kantilal Amrutiya who had jumped into Machchu river to rescue people following collapse of the bridge, cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba Jadeja, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Hardik Patel. Entry of Amrutiya, a former Congress MLA from Morbi, into the fray is interesting as he is seen as someone who had reached out to people in their hour of distress. The video of the leader skirting the waters of Machchu river had gone viral soon after the tragic incident where 135 people lost their lives. That’s perhaps why the BJP replaced its sitting MLA and Minister Brijesh Merja, and selected Amrutiya who had lost in 2017 on a Congress ticket. Merja was also a Congress turncoat who had defected to the ruling party in 2020 and was made a Minister in 2021. The party has dropped as many as 38 sitting legislators including outgoing Assembly Speaker Nimaben Acharya and several Cabinet Ministers The 160 list includes as many as 14 women including 69 sitting MLAs. Rivaba Jadeja is contesting from Jamnagar North.
With elections in Himachal Pradesh scheduled on November 12, PM Narendra Modi took permission from President Droupadi Murmu to skip the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on account of a hectic poll campaign. Amidst reports of rebels in as many 50% of the 68 assembly seats, Modi addressed rallies in Kangra and Sujanpur districts. Results for Himachal are to be declared along with Gujarat on December 8. In a direct appeal to people of Himachal, Modi urged them to shed their habit of not repeating a government. He pointed to how the people of Uttarakhand had changed the old tradition and made the BJP win. “In UP too, it has happened after 40 years when a party won again and came to government for the second time in a row with an absolute majority. In Manipur also the BJP government has come again. The condition of Congress is deteriorating day by day. The area which was once considered Congress’s stronghold, the party has been completely wiped out from there…It has only two states left, Rajasthan & Chhattisgarh, no news of development comes from these two states.” It is the tenacity of rebels like Kripal Parmar who have stayed on in the fray in Fatehpur seat even after Modi spoke to him that may worry the BJP. The alleged phone call with the PM had gone viral.
For reasons best known to it, the Congress kicked up a needless row over “lotus” being part of the G20 logo that was unveiled by PM Modi on November 8. It was left to Union Minister Hardeep Puri to put Jairam Ramesh in his place for trying to draw an equivalence between use of lotus — BJP’s symbol and instance of Nehru resisting Congress Party flag being adopted as flag of India. Puri pointed out that lotus wasn’t merely BJP’s symbol but had been declared India’s national flower since 1950 “by the then Congress Government. Jairam was born in 1954. God alone knows why the Congress chooses to denigrate & undermine every national symbol even as it is desperately out to ‘jodo’ itself.” In an explainer, the MEA says the G20 Logo draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India’s national flag – saffron, white and green, and blue. It juxtaposes planet Earth with the lotus, India’s national flower that reflects growth amid challenges. Modi made it clear that the G20 presidency for India would not remain a central government event and would be a great opportunity for all states to showcase our tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. That means events related to G-20 will not be limited to Delhi. PM Modi will be travelling to Indonesia next week where the G-20 presidency will be handed over to India.
Mallikarjun Kharge’s emergence as AICC president has given a lot of confidence to Congress leaders in Karnataka that they will be able to form the next government in the state when assembly elections are held early next year. A clear sign of this was the manner in which Kharge’s Sadashivanagar residence in Bengaluru was packed with visitors — hundreds of party leaders and workers — calling on him early this week. In the fractious Karnataka politics message went out that the new Congress chief would not be another power centre but someone who would play a referee in the all -out war between two factions of DK Shivkumar and Siddaramiah. It was interesting that very important visitors had lined up, seeking a ticket for their kin in 2023 polls. Among the senior leaders who called on Kharge were former Governor Margret Alva, former Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad and Allum Veerabhadrappa. The rush to meet Kharge was so much that he had to skip his 1.15 pm flight back to New Delhi and instead take an evening flight. He was confident that he would get everybody’s support. He has already asked party leaders to chase a target of 150 seats– a target set by Rahul Gandhi.
In a big win for the Modi Government ahead of Gujarat and Himachal polls, the Supreme Court on November 7 backed a 10% quota in jobs and education for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), introduced just before the 2019 general elections. The EWS quota is not discriminatory and does not alter the basic structure of the constitution, said the majority judgement of SC bench. Two judges Chief Justice UU Lalit and Justice Ravindra Bhat dissented. Justice Bhat said he supported quota for the economically backward, but the exclusion of the socially backward sections is not allowed in the Constitution. Economic destitution, economic backwardness is backbone of this amendment and on this account, amendment is constitutionally indefensible. “However, excluding the classes such as SC/ST and OBC is not constitutionally permissible,” Justice Bhat said. CJI Lalit concurred with his view. The decision stands at 3:2. The EWS quota introduced through the 103rd constitutional amendment helped the BJP to reach out to those castes who were left out of the reservation system, like the Patels in Gujarat, Jats in Haryana, Marathas in Maharashtra and Lingayats in Karnataka. As many as 40 petitions were heard by the SC for 6 days. Tamil Nadu, which has among the highest reservations in the country, opposed the EWS and asked SC to revisit the Indra Sawhney or the Mandal judgement.
When West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Chennai to attend a family function of State Governor La Ganesan early this week, not only did she make it a point to catch up with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin at his residence but she also reportedly struck a bond with Stalin’s wife Durga. She told Durga Stalin how Bengal people worship Goddess Durga. Apparently, anyone who warms up to Durga Stalin is ushered into her puja room, so that’s what happened with Mamata too. Later, Mamata chatted up with Stalin over a cup of coffee. While details of their discussions are not available, it would be interesting to see the kind of impact the TMC chief has on the DMK’s future course in politics. That is of course if both the TMC and DMK plan to work together for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It would be interesting to see if Stalin begins to temper his pro-Congress image as we know Mamata is opposed to any kind of tie-up or linkages with the Congress. At the moment, Stalin has a good equation with the Congress both at the state and national level. Even Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had started from Kanyakumari endorsed by DMK top leaders. Mamata who is desperate to expand beyond Bengal needs to tie-up with the DMK.
On a day, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal announced in Ahmedabad his CM candidate for Gujarat, he was virtually pushing for the Delhi model of governance. Yes, in picking a journalist-turned-politician Isudan Gadhvi as AAP CM candidate, Kejriwal was actually seeking a repeat of Manish Sisodia story — Delhi’s Finance & Education minister — a former TV journalist. However, will the Delhi model work in a large state like Gujarat? Interestingly, Gadhvi, a popular TV anchor was picked via popular vote just the way Bhagwant Mann was picked in Punjab. Gadhvi was pitted against state party unit chief Gopal Italia who played a key role in the Patidar community agitation. Aged 40, Gadhvi hails from a financially strong family of farmers in Pipliya village of Dwarka district and belongs to the OBC. He had quit his media job a year ago to join AAP. While the Delhi CM urged Gujarat people to give his party one opportunity and said he will quit politics if he fails to deliver in the next five years, the AAP found it will be put to test in its own home ground as Delhi Municipal Corporation elections will be held on December 4. The results will be out on December 7. With Delhi civic polls clashing Gujarat poll dates, Kejriwal would really be spoiled for a choice.
The Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5; while results will be declared on December 8, the Election Commission announced thus ending speculation that it could be put off in view of the Morbi bridge tragedy on October 30. The tragedy that claimed 135 lives has potential to unravel BJP’s plan to return to power with huge numbers. But then Saurashtra region has always been the party’s underbelly, which is perhaps why there has not been much change in election schedule. Of course, CEC Rajiv Kumar did admit there was some delay in announcing the dates due to the recent tragedy. The term of the 182-member Gujarat assembly ends on February 18, 2023. Meanwhile, police officials went to the office of Oreva Group, contractor for the renovation of Morbi bridge to verify claims made by its nine arrested staff members. There is a lot of public anger as the top management of Oreva — known mainly for making ‘Ajanta’ wall clocks — has not faced any action. That includes its managing director Jaysukhbhai Patel, who had publicly claimed that the bridge will hold up for “at least eight to ten years” when it was reopened, ahead of schedule, on October 26. He is highly networked into the BJP; his daughter is married into a central BJP minister’s family. Is he being spared because he is kadva Patel?
The by-election to the Adampur assembly constituency in Haryana on November 3 has become a prestige battle of sorts for the BJP and the Congress. It is a contest that is happening because sitting Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi resigned after he was blamed for the defeat of Congress Rajya Sabha nominee Ajay Maken in June 2022 when he allegedly cross-voted in favour of JJP-backed and BJP-supported Independent candidate, Kartikeya Sharma. Bishnoi was removed from all party posts including as special invitee to Congress Working Committee. On August 3, 2022, he resigned from the Haryana Legislative Assembly and joined the BJP. His son Bhavya Bishnoi is contesting on the BJP ticket; he is the grandson of former CM Bhajan Lal. Not wanting to leave anything to chance as it had lost two by-elections in two years – Baroda by-poll in 2020 and Ellenabad by-poll in 2021, the Haryana BJP has assigned senior leaders to campaign for the by-election. Senior leaders, including state president Om Prakash Dhankar, Ram Bilas Sharma, Capt Abhimanyu and Kamal Gupta have visited Adampur, says party sources. There has been a record of high profile campaigns for this seat by three CMs – Manohar Khattar (Haryana), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab) and Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi). Former CM Bhupendra Singh Hooda charged the Khattar Government of doing nothing except snipping the OBC quota and welfare schemes.
In an unusual move, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he shared a stage with him at ‘Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gatha’ at Mangadh Hill in Rajasthan’s Banswara on November 1. He talked about how Modi “receives great honour when he goes abroad. Because he is the PM of the nation of Gandhi, where democracy is deep-rooted. When the world realises this, they feel proud that the PM of that country is coming to them.” At a time, when the Congress is usually targeting the PM, it is interesting that Gehlot chose to lavish praise on him. These words of praise for Modi seem to be coming days before new party chief Mallikarjun Kharge is set to initiate disciplinary action against Rajasthan leaders for defying high command authority. As a shrewd political player Gehlot may have chosen a public forum to send a message to the AICC that he could be exploring other options. On his part, PM Modi reciprocated Gehlot’s gesture by recalling working together as CM and how “he is senior most in our lot of CMs”. Interestingly, Gehlot loyalists had recently opposed Sachin Pilot’s elevation as CM on the ground that he had hobnobbed with the BJP during the 2020 crisis. But then is it okay for Gehlot to warm up to Modi? Or BJP is merely a punching bag for the Congress?
With as many as 141 lives being lost, 180 people being rescued and innumerable people still feared missing after a British era bridge in Gujarat’s Morbi district collapsed on October 30, there has been a war of words between the BJP and AAP in the social media over an AAP MLA from Delhi Naresh Balyan predicting dhamaka in Gujarat two days in advance. Citing these tweets, the BJP alleged a conspiracy and leaders like Kapil Mishra called the Morbi tragedy a “bhayanak hatyakand” or conspiracy. While AAP leaders dismissed this as an attempt to “evade responsibility and digress from the terrible tragedy”, Balyan explained his tweet as a possibility of “many BJP leaders joining AAP in Gujarat.” Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh asked if it was an “act of God or an act of fraud”. Around 500 people were on the suspension bridge when the cables supporting it snapped, sending people crashing into the Machchhu river below. The bridge could take the weight of only about 125 people and had been shut for seven months for repairs; it was reopened to the public on October 26, the Gujarati New Year, without a fitness certificate from the civic authorities. The Morbi tragedy couldn’t have come at a worse time for the BJP in poll-bound Gujarat. PM Modi cancelled his road shows in Gujarat and is expected to be in Morbi on Tuesday.
Manipur Governor La Ganesan, who is holding temporary charge of West Bengal, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appear to have warmed up to each other. He has invited Didi to his elder brother’s 80th birthday in Chennai on November 3. Mamata has accepted the invite, in what appears to be her attempt to mend ties with the Raj Bhavan. Ganesan was given additional charge of West Bengal in July after his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar became the Vice President. Dhankhar’s three-year tenure in the Raj Bhavan was marked by heated exchanges with Mamata who even blocked him on Twitter in January. But, with Ganesan being nice to her, she too wants to mend her ties. The big question is whether Ganesan’s move has the blessings of PM Modi or HM Amit Shah. The warmth in their dealings has apparently set the tongues wagging in Kolkata. On October 24, Ganesan attended Kali Puja at Mamata’s residence along with his family. The CM gave a short tour to the Governor amidst the festivities. Governor was “very impressed” by Mamata’s modest residence and asked her how she lives in a small house. Ganesan, who was close to DMK chief M Karunanidhi, has also invited Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin. Bengal BJP leaders dismiss the bonhomie between Ganesan and Mamata as of no consequence. Ditto TMC leaders.
Rishi Sunak’s rise as UK PM has prompted sharp responses in India. Sunak, the 42-year-old Indian-origin UK leader, is the first-ever UK PM of South Asian heritage, and is the youngest premier the country has seen in about two centuries. For the UK to have a PM of colour is being hailed as a key moment. In India, PM Narendra Modi defined Sunak — the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy — as a “living bridge” and looked forward to working with him. Meanwhile, the Opposition were gloating how a minority member has been accepted. “First Kamala Harris, now Rishi Sunak. The people of the US and the UK have embraced the non-majority citizens of their countries and elected them to high office in government,” tweeted Congress’s P Chidambaram. “I think there is a lesson to be learned by India and the parties that practise majoritarianism,” he stressed. Coming from the Congress, it is a bit rich. The party could have got Sonia Gandhi elected as PM in 2004 itself. But then if one were to go by the account of K Natwar Singh in his book it was Rahul Gandhi’s threat that had made Sonia give up the crown. As for Shashi Tharoor wondering if India could have a minority PM in India, he forgets between 2004 and 2014, Dr Manmohan Singh belonging to Sikh minority was the PM.
In an emotional reunion, a young Army officer in Kargil presented PM Narendra Modi with a 2001 picture of him when Modi had visited Sainik School in Balachadi, Gujarat as CM and presented him with a shield. When they met again on October 24 this year in Kargil it was a nostalgic meeting. Interacting with soldiers, Modi pointed out, “There has not been a single war with Pakistan when Kargil has not flown the victory flag”. Emphasising on the importance of 1999 Kargil armed conflict for India, he recalled how he was a witness to the war and had watched it closely as he had come to spend time with the jawans when they were giving a befitting reply to the enemies. Modi had gone to Kargil as an ordinary citizen to drop off the supplies put together by countrymen and said that it was a moment of worship for him. What is of interest is the manner in which the PM was seen freely interacting with the soldiers, enjoying music with them — like when a soldier crooned AR Rahman’s number Maa Tujhe Salam. The high-altitude conflict zone reflected mini India with Tamil soldiers enthralling the PM with a Tamil song and even a Gujarati song boomed from Kargil —“Gandhiji Gujarati, Modiji Gujarati, Gujarati na bol bala amme lehri lala, amme lala“. Modi tweeted about the videos in Gujarati & Tamil.
A day after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog on terror financing and money laundering, announced that Pakistan is “no longer subject to its increased monitoring process” as it has agreed to continue to work with APG (Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering) to further “improve its AML and CFT (Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorist Financing) system” and India noted that it was scrutiny that had forced Islamabad to take anti-terror steps, DMK leader TR Baalu decided it was a good time to move the Modi Government for seeking help for a miniscule group — Tamils in Pakistan. In a letter to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Baalu pointed out that the Tamils in Madrasi Bara in Karachi have been living there for decades and were taken there by the British. “During the British days, they were taken to East Pakistan to do account related jobs and they subsequently moved to present day Pakistan.” Post partition, these people opted to live in Pakistan. However, in view of deteriorating ties between the two countries these expats have not been able to visit their ancestral villages in Tamil Nadu or enable their children to maintain a cultural and language connect with Tamil Nadu. Urging the EAM to arrange for a visit of the Pak Tamils to their villages, Baalu offered to extend support of MK Stalin government in imparting Tamil language skills to next-generation Pak Tamils.
It was interesting to hear former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu hold forth on the language issue. Unencumbered by any office, he spoke freely on Hindi imposition which is a pet project of the RSS and Modi Government. Naidu handled the sensitive subject in his own inimitable style. Addressing a News Broadcasters Federation, he said “‘We are a federal country, we have different states, but we are one nation. My preference is always for my mother tongue, then brother tongue and then any other tongue.” Recalling how as Rajya Sabha Chairman he had ensured all members could speak in their mother tongue. Describing mother tongue as eyesight, Naidu described English as spectacles. “Without eyesight, there is no use for the most expensive pair of glasses.” It was politically significant that Naidu called on people to “try and learn one language that is spoken by a large number of people — be it Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali or Marathi”. By this, he meant those from Hindi-speaking areas should also pick up an Indian language. “There should be no imposition of any language and also no language should be opposed. We should also not oppose English,” he said. Known for his quips as Rajya Sabha Chairman, Naidu made it clear he may have retired on August 11, but isn’t tired. And would continue to interact with people.
Scrivener Crack
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week laid the foundation stone for a new air base at Deesa in Banaskantha district, Gujarat near the India-Pakistan border, it brought to light the importance of continuity in decision-making in the government. Deesa is a greenfield air base spread over 4,519 acres and as Modi himself put it “the international border is just 130 km away. If our forces, especially the Air Force, are in Deesa, we will be able to respond to any challenge on the western border”. According to Indian Air Force (IAF) officials the land for the base was acquired back in 1983. The approval to construct a full-fledged air base was given by the Centre in 2020. Although the land for Deesa air base was allotted an in-principle approval given was to the IAF by the Vajpayee government way back in 2000, the project was put on a back burner by the UPA government for the next 14 years. It was kick-started only after the 2017 massive floods in Banaskantha. That is when PM Modi and then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asked IAF to provide flood relief. The Air Headquarters then headed by Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa found it difficult to provide relief as there was no airfield nearby. Nevertheless Deesa was still lying-in files. It was then that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stepped in and got all approval done along with Rs 1,000 crore funding.
Election of Mallikarjun Kharge as Congress President by a comfortable number of votes — he polled 7897 votes against Shashi Tharoor’s 1072 — was on expected lines. Kharge with blessings of the Gandhis had to win. Except that Tharoor had hoped to poll about 2000 to 2,500 and that did not happen. After all, he had campaigned extensively in four states. He was hoping to tap on the latent discontent within the party. That is why party MP Karti Chidambaram backing Tharoor remarked “We are very pleased that we crossed the four digit mark – 1,072 votes”. In 2000, when Jitendra Prasada contested against Sonia Gandhi, he had polled a paltry 94 votes against Sonia’s 7,400 votes. In 1997, when Sitaram Kesri was elected party chief, he had polled 6,224 votes, Sharad Pawar 882 and Rajesh Pilot 354. Little wonder, Tharoor who lost the elections felt that the revival of the party “has truly begun today“. After all, winning trust of 1000-plus delegates is no small achievement. Meanwhile in poll-bound Himachal there is rush to file nominations as the last date for filing papers is October 25, day on which the solar eclipse falls. With Diwali holidays and the eclipse, candidates have no choice of good muhurat. Denial of nomination to a sitting Kinnaur MLA Jagat Singh Negi is also irking party leaders. Rahul Gandhi’s aide Krishna Allavaru is reportedly pushing for a Youth Congress pick.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will celebrate Diwali with soldiers on October 24, something that he has been doing for the last eight years. Starting from a visit to Siachen in 2014, he has celebrated the festival with troops in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district twice — in 2019 and 2021. This year, the PM will visit Kedarnath on October 21 where he will oversee the ongoing development plans. Thereafter he will visit Badrinath the same day. On October 23, he will go to Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh for “Deepotsav.” His visit to the char dham in Uttarakhand is being seen as his attempt to ensure pilgrims have better experience while visiting these shrines. His concern for the pilgrim’s welfare came across even when he recently inaugurated a revamped Mahakaal Temple complex in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. In Ayodhya a grand event of lighting of lamps is being planned. Ever since the BJP came to power in UP, mega ‘Deepotsav’ celebrations have been organised by the Yogi Government. In 2021, Ayodhya created a world record after over 9 lakh diyas were lit along the banks of river Saryu. This year, a record 15 lakhs of lamps will be lit in the birthplace of Bhagwan Ram. It is being said Modi will visit the border village of Maana and interact with the villagers and soldiers.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi who cast her vote in party polls, surprised everyone with her remark – about how she has been waiting for a “long time” to vote in a new party chief. Coming from someone who has led the Grand Old party for the longest time – a record 24 years – it may seem a bit rich. Of course in between, her son Rahul did briefly take over from her in December 2017 through a process of uncontested polls but he gave it all up in 2019 after the Lok Sabha polls rout. While it is interesting to watch the Gandhis pursue agenda of party polls with an assurance that their man is Mallikarjun Kharge, the wager is it could throw some surprise by backing Shashi Tharoor. Yet the party is going to ludicrous lengths to assert about “purity of the election process” with AICC media functionary Jairam Ramesh unflinchingly comparing party’s Election Authority Madhusudan Mistry to the legendary TN Seshan. Meanwhile, many in the party are wondering why Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hasn’t joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra yet. Is she upset with her brother or was preoccupied with her rally in Solan on October 14? Must give it to Chhatisgarh CM Bhupesh Bhagel who is forever trying to be on the right side of the Gandhis; like he managed to be in Solan and joined Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Ballari the next day in Karnataka. Now, all eyes on October 19 result.
It was sort of deja vu. The Election Commission’s decision to put off announcing Gujarat poll schedule while declaring elections time-table for Himachal Pradesh has evoked predictable response from the Congress. While CEC Rajiv Kumar defended scheduling Himachal elections on November 12 and December 8 as result day, he said Gujarat poll dates would come later; he pointed to a 40 day gap of tenure of two assemblies (Himachal & Gujarat). Ideally, Congress should have cheered Himachal dates considering it has not even bothered to start its campaign in Gujarat and is largely relying on a proxy like AAP. The EC said it was scheduling an early poll in Himachal because of snowing in the upper reaches. In 2017 too the.EC had given separate dates for Gujarat and Himachal. At that time Gujarat poll dates were delayed to put off imposing the model code of conduct in the state as it was felt it would disrupt flood relief operations. Then CEC AK Jyoti had cited how in 2001 the law ministry and the EC had reached an understanding following that there would not be a gap of more than 21 days between the announcement of polls and the date of the notification of elections. That means the model code will be in place for 46 days. When elections to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh were announced together in 2012, the model code remained enforced for 86 days.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is under pressure to merge his party Janata Dal United (JDU) with his new coalition partner Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). At its national executive meeting in Delhi early this week the RJD passed a resolution to change its name and symbol. The move is being seen as the RJD setting the stage for its likely merger with JDU, which would mean Tejashwi Yadav holding the reins in Bihar while Nitish moves on to play a role in national politics. Apparently resolution for change in the name of RJD or its electoral symbol ( hurricane lantern] and allied issues vested powers with national president Lalu Prasad Yadav or Tejashwi Yadav, was read out by Lalu’s trusted aide Bhola Yadav. Interestingly, the resolution was put in place before Lalu Prasad left for Singapore for kidney related treatment. The merger resolution caught RJD leaders by surprise as it was not on the agenda and came up suddenly. The RJD’s main argument for the merger is that Nitish will have support of a strong political base when he goes to Delhi. The Yadavs also feel it will be the best way to ensure that Nitish doesn’t go back to the NDA. So far JDU has not officially spoken about the merger talk. BJP leader Sushil Modi says “Nitish Kumar has no other option”. The RJD and JDU’s combined tally is 125 in the 243-member assembly.
With panchayat elections scheduled to be held in the state in February 2023, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is already missing her close associate and party veteran Partha Chaterjee. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader was industry minister at the time of his arrest in the school recruitment scam in July this year. Partha’s absence is strongly being felt because of his knowledge of rural Bengal and network of party workers who reported to him. Partha as general secretary regularly kept in touch with party activists and gave regular feedback. Mamata is aware that her nephew Abhishek, party’s national general secretary and Howrah Lok Sabha MP, is not very grounded about rural Bengal issues and doesn’t seem to network or care about grameen TMC workers. That is why to overcome these shortcomings in the party set-up, the TMC supremo has reached out to her old associate Mukul Roy who got elected as BJP MLA in 2021 West Bengal assembly elections but nevertheless rejoined the TMC. It must be pointed out Didi’s overtures to Mukul Roy are being done on sly, that is when the nephew is reportedly away in Dubai. It is said Roy didn’t get much work to do since his return to the TMC because Abhishek Banerjee was not in favour of giving any importance to the old guards.
Healthy competition between two leading lights of Karnataka Congress even as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is traversing through the state is simply overwhelming. The race between the two CM aspirants — CLP leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief DK Shivkumar — is getting ever so keen and obvious that it is irrepressible and also spills over into social media as it happened last week. When Shivkumar was away in Delhi answering ED summons, Rahul took Siddaramaiah’s hand and insisted that he join him in a spirited run. The 75-year-old former Karnataka CM quietly gave in and happily sprinted with the Gandhi scion. This display of close rapport between Rahul and Siddaramaiah naturally worried 60-year old Shivkumar with Karnataka assembly polls scheduled early next year. So the big man with deep pockets reportedly picking tabs of the Bharat Jodo Yatra decided to do some damage control. On his return from Delhi, Shivkumar rejoined the yatra for an upclose shot with his leader .The picture/ video is now a pinned tweet on his handle as a counter to his rival. With these ditty lines “Somedays you walk, somedays you sprint! Chasing a dream requires you to do both!
In the passing away of socialist veteran Mulayam Singh Yadav (82), Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have lost his one well-wisher across the aisle. Recalling an incident in the 16th Lok Sabha, Modi pointed out how he treasures to this day Mulayam’s words as a blessing; words that had stunned the entire Opposition. Modi said it was just ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mulayam had predicted that he would return as PM. “Mulayamji had said he wanted to congratulate the PM for trying to move forward by taking everyone along. I hope you (Narendra Modi) will become the Prime Minister again. It was ahead of 2019 general elections when the opposition was planning to form a mahagathbandhan to take on Modi’s BJP. His statement had stirred the hornet’s nest, shocking his son Akhilesh Yadav too,” recalled Modi speaking at a rally in Gujarat. It is this penchant to throw surprises that has marked many upheavals in the long career of Samajwadi Party patriarch. Be it joining hands with BSP supremo Mayawati in 1993 to form a short-lived coalition government in UP or refusing to extend support to Congress President Sonia Gandhi to become PM after the fall of Vajpayee Government by one vote in 1999. Mulayam could have become PM in 1996 but his chances were scuttled by Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav — ironically, his kinsmen. Now, Lalu Prasad proudly talks of “Netaji” as a close relative since his daughter is married into Mulayam’s family.
Looks like this whole Bharat Jodo Yatra is all a bid to change perception about Rahul Gandhi. That is why a day after Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot was attacked for praising industrialist Gautam Adani at the State Investor Summit even as his party leader is known to target Adani-Ambani, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi came forward to clarify his stand. Overruling Jairam Ramesh at a Bharat Jodo presser, Rahul volunteered to speak up on Adani-Gehlot cosying up by saying that “Adani has committed ₹65,000 crore to Rajasthan. No chief minister can refuse such an offer. In fact, it wouldn’t be correct for a CM to refuse such an offer.” Tweeting a pic of Adani with Gehlot, BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya dubbed it as another sign of revolt and brewing discontent against the Gandhis. “Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot invites Gautam Adani for the investor summit. He is given a seat right next to the CM. This is an open message to Rahul Gandhi, who doesn’t tire berating Adani-Ambani, to back off.” It was to answer such jibes that Rahul said, “My opposition is to 2 or 3 or 4 large businesses being helped politically to monopolise every single business in this country. That is where my opposition is.” High on media hype, Gehlot declared will welcome all investments from “Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani to Jay Shah.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s second visit to Jammu & Kashmir early this week has been remarkable. He addressed well-attended public rallies in Rajouri( Jammu) and Baramulla(Kashmir) that showcased popular mood in the Union Territory .”Earlier delimitation was for the benefit of only three families, for the first time after independence, now there has been a real delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir, due to which people of the hilly region have got their rights,” he said. Shah made it clear that BJP would not align with any local player — either the National Conference or the PDP, or even Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Azad Party; elections are to be held next year. Making it clear that the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 had paved the way for extending reservation benefits to deprived sections of the society at a public rally in Rajouri, Shah assured reservations to the Pahari community. Recently, the Modi Government had nominated Ghulam Ali, a member of Gujjar tribe, to the Rajya Sabha. Shah began his visit by offering prayers at Vaishnodevi Temple. Significantly, he struck a positive note when he removed the bullet proof shield and paused his speech at the time of azaan in Baramulla. As a goodwill gesture to the family of Mudasir Sheikh, the policeman who laid down his life fighting terrorists in May he visited his grave in Uri.
When Congress president Sonia Gandhi briefly joined her son Rahul Gandhi at the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Karnataka’s Mandya district on October 6, it created a photo opportunity. Amid cheers and slogan-shouting by party workers, as she walked beside her son Rahul and other leaders for a few kilometres, there were several Kodak moments. “We have weathered many storms and will overcome all challenges. Together we will unite India,” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi as he posted a photograph of him walking with his mother, with his arm around her. Another picture of the mother-son duo that was widely shared on social media by Congress leaders was of Rahul Gandhi bending to tie his mother’s shoelaces. “Those shielded by love fear nothing! On the road, the picture prompted Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to post in Hindi, which said “There are blessings even when she breathes, no one can replace a mother as mothers are mothers.” Sonia Gandhi, 75, joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra on the 27th day. Meanwhile, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai sought to downplay the participation of Sonia Gandhi in the Yatra, saying “she has walked for half-a-km and gone.” He also asserted that Congress’s mass outreach programme will have no impact in the poll-bound state.” Sonia is likely to be back for a rally in Ballari on October 15.
In a desperate attempt to draw attention, Congress Dalit leader Udit Raj dragged office of President of India into a controversy by tweeting that ‘no country should get such a President’. His tweet on President Droupadi Murmu, India’s first Adivasi woman, set the National Commission for Women cracking after him; it slapped him with a notice demanding an apology for insulting the President. Udit Raj was once a BJP MP from Karol Bagh (Delhi) and had switched parties. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted, “Udit Raj uses unacceptable language for the 1st woman Adivasi President! Does the Congress endorse this insult of Adivasi samaj?” Udit Raj is the third Congress leader to comment on President Murmu. Earlier it was Ajoy Kumar and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. As his tweet created a furore, Udit Raj said those were his personal comments. What provoked Udit Raj’s tweet? Apparently, President Murmu at a civic reception in Gandhinagar said that Gujarat manufactures 76% of the country’s salt and that “it can be said the salt produced in Gujarat is consumed by all Indians.” The Congress hasn’t sacked Udit Raj as its spokesperson. But, party sources admit the idea of elevating Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge as Congress chief was to pose a counter to NDA’s President Murmu. With Udit Raj’s mindless attack on the President, much of the goodwill would be lost.
Attorney General R Venkataramani, 72, is the third Tamilian to hold this position. The first person was K Parasaran. He served as A-G when Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were Prime Ministers. G Ramasamy was the A-G when the late Chandrashekhar and Narasimha Rao were Prime Ministers. Several names were thrown after senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi refused the post. Venkataramani was a surprise appointment. It was widely expected that the Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta would be elevated as A-G but the Prime Minister has chosen Venkataramani. He has been handling cases in the Supreme Court for 34 years. He is inclined towards spirituality and is a Carnatic music aficionado; he is passionate about MS Subbulakshmi songs. The ‘caller tune’ in his mobile is the song ‘Kurai Undrum Ellai‘ sung by MS. The Attorney General has the right to participate in Union Cabinet meetings and speak in Parliament. Venkataramani has thanked the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Law Minister for appointing him to such a responsible post. His appointment has been well received by judges and lawyers. Even though there are many senior advocates from northern states, the reason why he was picked by the Government will always remain a well-kept secret.
Congressmen are enjoying the media attention their party polls have generated. It just seems everyone is competing for a brief spot in the sun. That is why a little after spokesperson Pawan Khera tweeted about how he had sought leave as “chairman of media and publicity department to campaign for the candidate” of his choice and found AICC general secretary media Jairam Ramesh had not granted him leave “citing compulsions of running” the department, party election authority Madhusudhan Mistry made it clear to all party functionaries that if they wished to campaign for either of the candidates — Shashi Tharoor or Mallikarjun Kharge — they will have to resign from their organisational post first. It must be mentioned at least three spokespersons — Syed Nasir Hussain, Deepinder Singh Hooda and Gourav Vallabh – were first to quit their posts to assist Kharge. Sending WhatsApp messages to all functionaries, Mistry made it clear “Utmost care will be taken to ensure that there is no mala-fide campaign against any candidate”. More than 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates will vote in the poll to be held on October 17. Kharge has the support of many party leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and is emerging as the front-runner. Tharoor, meanwhile, is focused on his campaign #ThinkTomorrowThinkTharoor.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Himachal to dedicate AIIMS Bilaspur to the nation on Dussehara got shadowed by a controversy over instruction to the media to produce character certificates to cover the event. Following howls of protests from the media, the Press Information Bureau promptly countered it with a face-saving “it may be noted that the circular regarding requirement of certification of antecedent for covering PM events in Bilaspur tomorrow stands withdrawn and all press persons recommended by the state DPR and DPRO are welcome to cover the event”. The Hospital, whose foundational stone was also laid by PM Modi in October 2017 and is being established under the Central sector scheme Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.”AIIMS Bilaspur, constructed at a cost of more than Rs 1470 crore, is a state-of-the-art hospital with 18 specialty and 17 super specialty departments, 18 modular operation theaters, 750 beds with 64 ICU beds.
Dussehra is an important festival in Karnataka. That’s why when Congress President Sonia Gandhi chose to visit the state to catch up with son Rahul, Karnataka Congress leaders were surprised that she had chosen the occasion of a two-day Dussehra break on October 4-5 in Bharat Jodo Yatra for a family get-together. The Gandhis have chosen to meet up in a resort in Coorg. This amidst reports that Rahul’s knee is already hurting him. Rahul visited Chamundeshwari Temple adjoining Mysuru. But for some reason did not tweet about it; preferred to keep his temple visit below the radar. He was accompanied by Siddaramaiah and Randeep Surjewala who tweeted about the temple visit. Perhaps, sleeping over in a network of parishes, exploring the meaning of Jesus had got the better of him. Unlike Kerala which has narrow highways, Karnataka with its broad roads is a challenge to flaunt crowds. That’s why KPCC president DK Shivkumar took care to set a target of 5,000 persons per office-bearer at district level for the yatra. Party leaders are already worried about the expenses they may have to incur to keep the yatra going for the next three weeks. Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to flag off the Yatra at Melukote in Mandya district on October 6. Priyanka Vadra is joining the yatra the same day when it passes through Nagamangala in Mandya district.
In his first media interaction in Delhi, Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that there was no G-23 camp now in the Congress. The Congress presidential candidate who is tipped to win the party polls said all those leaders wanted to fight unitedly against the RSS-BJP and therefore had supported him. Several dissident leaders such as Bhupinder Hooda, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari and Prithviraj Chavan of the group of 23, who had written to party chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking scale organisational reforms, have put their weight behind Kharge by becoming his proposers instead of backing Tharoor who was a prominent member of G-23. Party leaders agreed if Kharge got elected it immediately raised the prospect of AICC headquarters functioning full throttle. That is because in his own words he has the habit of “working full-time”. “If I sat in Parliament then I would get up only in the evening at the time of shutdown.” With the Gandhis at the helm, most party functionaries preferred to operate out of their own homes as the Gandhis rarely visited the party office. “Unlike Indiraji and Rajivji who always met party workers before beginning their official work, Soniaji and Rahul never had time for Congress workers, ” pointed out a Himachal leader. Aided by three spokespersons, Kharge will start touring states beginning with Karnataka followed by Chennai on October 7.
If there was one candidate that the Gandhis were really worried about — it was former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijay Singh. His entry enthused party cadres in north India. Many partymen were hoping Singh would move in as party chief and energise the moribund organisation. It was in this backdrop that the Gandhis adopted a strategy to stop Singh from filing his papers. They endorsed 80-year old Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit leader from North Karnataka, as their candidate. After a late-night meeting, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal conveyed to Kharge that the party leadership wanted him to contest. Entry of Kharge was enough to persuade Singh to withdraw from the fray. It is significant that Sonia Gandhi did not opt for younger Dalit leaders such as Kumari Selja or Mukul Wasnik who are in their 60s. Besides, Sonia opted to endorse Kharge on the day Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Karnataka. Immediately BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya tweeted that Kharge at 80 is an inspiring choice to be party chief…He should just pick Dr Manmohan Singh’s manual on “Living by the Remote Control” and it is all sorted”. Was Kharge chosen because the Karnataka assembly elections are scheduled early next year? Possibly. Kharge will resign as LoP in Rajya Sabha. Will Divijay Singh succeed him? Shashi Tharoor files his papers, vows to remain in fray but party hopes he may finally withdraw.
Emerging from a meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced that he will not contest the Congress presidential polls. His meeting with Sonia at 10 Janpath in New Delhi came just after a series of missteps he took defying diktats for change in party leadership last weekend; it was also the penultimate day ahead of filing of papers for top Congress post. Gehlot said he had apologised to Sonia for the developments in Jaipur on September 25 when MLAs supporting him defied the high command and skipped the Congress Legislature Party meeting at his residence and submitted their resignations to the Assembly Speaker. While it is not clear if Gehlot’s public regret to Sonia was enough to salvage the damage caused to Congress leadership’s authority in Jaipur, questions still persist over what will happen to Sachin Pilot. Will Pilot remain in the party after this, eating humble pie? When asked if he will continue as chief minister, Gehlot said Sonia Gandhi would decide. He was clearly hinting that the Congress had little choice here in terms of the number of MLAs backing Pilot. Gehlot asserted that he had always been a disciplined soldier of the Congress for 50 years. In Rajasthan, the Congress high command cannot afford to please both Gehlot and Pilot. Either Gehlot hangs in till 2023 assembly polls or the younger Pilot explores other options.
The PFI ban under UAPA may not wipe it out but will certainly help the probe agencies disrupt its pro-terror strategy in the country. SIMI (after its ban in 2014) had morphed into Indian Mujahideen and PFI. It is perhaps due to this capacity of the PFI to seamlessly change its identity that the enforcement agencies have not been able to recover arms and ammunition since the mother organisations morphed its name and registered themselves as legitimate social organizations. In 2020, the MHA had put together a dossier in the aftermath of the anti-CAA protest violence, pointing to the funding received by the PFI. According to the report, the PFI received funding from countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The PFI members actively operate in the UAE through frontal outfits like the Rehab Foundation and the Indian Social Forum. PFI leaders maintain an office at Muraba, behind Lulu hypermarket in Al Ain in Dubai. Now that the Home Ministry has banned the PFI and its support groups, those who agitate or protest against the notification or favour any comments for PFI may also be considered a threat or supporter of PFI and may be dealt with by the probe agencies. It is surprising to see Congress leaders equating PFI with the RSS and seeking the latter’s ban.
The issue of picking the next Rajasthan Chief Minister has turned into a full-blown crisis for Congress high command. With 85 MLAs of the Ashok Gehlot camp in a protest mode, meeting the Speaker and claiming they want to resign if Gehlot doesn’t continue as CM, it has now become imperative for the Congress leadership to establish its authority in Jaipur. The Gehlot loyalists became so defiant that they even dared to skip a CLP meeting to interact with AICC observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken. The AICC observers first wanted to meet with MLAs collectively, then later sought one-on-one meetings to assess their views. It just seemed Gehlot was working on a different sub-plot. His loyalists instead preferred to attend a meeting at the residence of Cabinet Minister Shantilal Dhariwal where they set out terms and conditions to the party command. In a video that has gone viral, Dhariwal could be heard saying Rajasthan could go Punjab way for the Congress. With Gehlot’s closet rebellion his prospects of becoming AICC President are now dim. Maken has already dubbed the proceedings at Dhariwal residence as an act of “indiscipline”. As for Sachin Pilot, architect of 2018 Congress victory, Srimadopur MLA Deependra Shekhawat says “Sachin’s appeal isn’t limited to the Gurjar community”. That’s why Gehlot ministers like Raghu Sharma and motor-mouth Pratap Kachariyavas are covertly supporting him.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm, it seems even his own party cannot get away with any violation of norms. Well that’s what seems to have happened after he threw open the revamped Central Vista on September 8 to the public. While the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) that manages the area has been battling with an avalanche of litter thrown by the visiting public, what caught the attention of the civic authorities was a surge of BJP flags in the area put up without permission around the India Gate. The NDMC is controlled by the BJP, and the enforcement department raised the issue with the authorities after which the flags were removed four days after the event. According to officials, the flags were installed during the mega event BJP organised on September 17 to mark PM Modi’s birthday. A NDMC functionary asserted that it was routine business “to remove flags, banners and posters installed without seeking permission from us. Be it BJP or any party, we remove all such illegal installations in our areas routinely”. According to the rules laid down by the civic body, no flag or hoarding by a political or private organisation can be put without prior permission in the area it governs. “Only national flags and banners or posters related to government functions are allowed in the NDMC controlled area,” says a senior civic official.
Amidst speculations that he is unwell and may step down, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval made a comeback. He sprung nationwide raids on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and ensured the arrest of 105 of its members. Official sources reveal that the massive crackdown carried out on midnight of September of 22 took months of planning and coordination. With directions from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the security team executed the operation with Doval taking charge. Security officials held meetings discreetly to ensure that secrecy was maintained akin to the time when Article 370 was abrogated. Such was the secrecy that Doval held meetings with Kerala Police at a time when PM Modi visited Kochi for commissioning of the INS Vikrant. After Kerala, Doval moved to Mumbai where he stayed at Raj Bhavan. Action against the PFI was planned for three to four months to ensure that the action across the 11 states was coordinated and executed around the same time to prevent PFI cadres from getting alarmed and fleeing. Seeking remand of the accused, the NIA in its plea said the PFI office-bearers and cadres were involved in recruiting and radicalising Muslim youths to join proscribed organisations like the ISIS. Doval’s role in dealing with PFI is being compared to the way cleared the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi of Tablighi Jamaat attendees two years ago.
With former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh ruling himself in as a possible candidate in Congress Presidential election via a TV interview on September 21, the buzz in Congress circles is that Ashok Gehlot has been edged out as contender. That is because Rahul Gandhi himself validated the objection Digvijaya Singh had raised against Gehlot’s insistence on continuing both as Rajasthan CM as well getting elected as Congress President. In the TV interview, Singh made it clear that Gehlot could not possibly continue as Rajasthan CM if he got elected as Congress President referring to the Udaipur Resolution passed in May 2022 that talked about “one man, one post (OMOP)”. Interestingly, echoing Singh’s views Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated on September 22 that he expects the commitment on ‘Udaipur Resolution’ of ‘one man-one post’ to be maintained for CP’s election. Party sources say it’s possible Singh may have used the OMOP clause to bail out Gehlot from the pressure of bowing out of CM’s office and handing power over to his rival Sachin Pilot. Many in the party feel elevation of Digvijaya Singh could have a larger appeal in North India. He is known to have good equations with partymen across the country and known to continuously interact with party workers. His only drawback: he may not remain a puppet of the Gandhis.
Elections in the Congress could just be farcical since as many as 11 Pradesh Congress Committees in states including Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Himachal, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Bihar, Haryana and J&K have passed resolutions backing Rahul Gandhi as party president. While these resolutions are being prompted by the AICC managers, party media-in-charge Jairam Ramesh gave an altogether different spin; he dismissed it as “measures that have no binding effect”. He insisted that any person could contest for the post. It is in this context that the possible entry of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot that comes as a bit odd and curious. Gehlot said “If people in the party think I am needed in the role of party president or CM, then I won’t say no….I will again request Rahul Gandhi (to become Cong president). If he conducts Bharat Jodo Yatra as party president, then it will create an aura for the party,” he says. Party sources say the Gandhi family could be hugely betting on Gehlot as its trustee to head the Congress. The Gandhis want a non-Gandhi to steer the Congress as a stop gap atleast for six months. It is felt Rahul could make a comeback as Congress chief just before 2024 polls. Only Gehlot could be flexible to make such adjustments provided he gets to continue as CM.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s bonhomie with DMK leader Kanimozhi has always had other party bigwigs on the edge and perplexed. Shah is known to wish Kanimozhi on her birthday. She too, like senior leader TR Baalu, has been regularly meeting with Shah and other ministers in her capacity as DMK parliamentary party deputy leader. That’s why recently when Kanimozhi took her mother Rajathi to Germany for medical treatment, Shah not only phoned her but also ensured that she got all necessary help from the local Indian embassy. It is being said, on her return, Kanimozhi called up the HM and thanked him. Conduct of Kanimozhi, who is Thoothukudi Lok Sabha MP, is in contrast to her party colleague and former Union Minister A Raja. The Nilgiris Lok Sabha MP was once a promising Dalit face of the DMK and was even considered to be a potential CM candidate by late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. If he was recently found airing controversial statements, it would only be to stay relevant. With pace picking up in Delhi to bring a closure to the 2G scam by the CBI and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin working to install his son Udhayanidhi as his heir, Raja who did some jail time in the 2G case just as Kanimozhi did, may have a good reason to sulk.
On a day Capt Amarinder Singh is scheduled to merge his Punjab Lok Congress with the BJP, there is a strong buzz that AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal may replace Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann with his Education Minister and Anandpur Sahib MLA Harjot Singh Bains. This comes amidst reports that Mann was deplaned from a Delhi-bound Lufthansa flight in Frankfurt on September 17 because he was not found fit to travel. While AAP sources described Mann “as being a little unwell and would catch a flight from Frankfurt later in the night to return back home,” a passenger aboard the flight from Frankfurt described Mann being “totally drunk” who couldn’t stand “without support of his wife and security guards”. The passenger said the departure of the flight was delayed by over four hours as the luggage of the CM’s entourage which was loaded on the plane had to be taken off. Punjab government officials tried to prevail upon the Lufthansa flight crew but they refused to compromise on their flight safety rules. Navneet Wadhwa, media in-charge of the CM’s office was quoted that he would board a flight on “September 17 evening from Frankfurt around 4.30 PM (GMT+2) and land in Delhi at around 1 AM (GMT+5.30),” adding that as per the schedule available with him the CM was to remain in Germany till September 18.
If the Congress has three MLAs left in its fold in Goa, it is not because of any commitment towards the party. Apparently, pressure from priests of the local church had prevented Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemo, Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa and Aldona MLA Carlose Alvares Ferreira from making the switch to the ruling BJP. Sources say that eight party legislators had crossed over to the ruling BJP largely due to the pressure from their constituencies. With the BJP returning to power for a third term in a row, a number of them felt compelled to meet demands of their voters. In July, when party managers like AICC in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao got first whiff of plans of Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo to engineer a split in the CLP, Lobo was removed as CLP leader/Leader of the Opposition. Subsequently, Rao got busy with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka. Goa PCC chief Amit Patkar was found to be a rookie. The Congress termed defection of eight out of its 11 MLAs in Goa as the “height of betrayal and shamelessness.” Prior to the February elections Congress candidates had taken an oath not to defect. So “how can someone defy God?” asks Alemao. BJP Goa chief Sadanand Tanavade summed up extra support as “unconditional”. It also means securing both North and South Lok Sabha seats for 2024.
For a moment it seemed the ruling CPI-M in Kerala was more worried than the BJP by the Congress’s Bharat Jodo’s prolonged tour of Kerala. First the party’s official twitter handle came with a meme against Rahul Gandhi dubbing the yatra more as a Seat Jodo yatra. The Marxists felt it was odd that the Congress leader was going to spend “18 days in Kerala but only two days in Uttar Pradesh”. It also noted that this was a strange way to “fight the BJP-RSS.” However, within a day the party changed its line at least locally. CPI-M Kerala secretary MV Govindan said his party was not against the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ but will respond to any unfair criticism or unsavoury remarks against it. That is our stand”. Like senior CPI-M leader Thomas Issac took on Jairam Ramesh for his ‘Mundu Modi’ remark which was an apparent jibe at Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and asked why the yatra is avoiding Gujarat and UP. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala pointed out that the CPI-M was forced to change its line because of the overwhelming public response to Bharat Jodo Yatra. “The public response to Rahulji’s yatra in Kerala has been very positive and encouraging. This is what forced the CPI(M) to change its approach”. The yatra brought a sense of unity and purpose to the Congress in Kerala.
In a major setback to senior BJP leader and former MP Dr Subramanian Swamy, the Delhi High Court asked him to vacate his government residence which was allotted to him in January 2016. Swamy was allotted the bungalow even before he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in April 2016. The Court ordered the BJP leader to hand over the possession of his government bungalow to the estate officer within six weeks. Notably, Dr Swamy was allotted a bungalow in Delhi by the Central government for five years in January 2016 after he cited threat perception towards him. As the BJP leader’s Rajya Sabha tenure also came to an end in April 2022, he approached the Delhi HC where he sought re-allotment of the bungalow in view of the continued security threat to him. However, the Centre opposed his plea arguing that the bungalow is required to house other ministers and MPs. Swamy had merged his Janata Party with BJP ahead of the 2014 general elections. It is said former BJP president Nitin Gadkari had a role in getting him back into the BJP. The RSS had backed the idea of having Swamy on its side for his sustained campaign on pro-Hindu issues such as preserving Ram Setu. For some reason, he has become a trenchant critic of the Modi government’s policy initiatives.
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