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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?
The decision by all seven NCP MLAs in Nagaland to merge with chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) will have major repercussions on the political developments in Maharashtra. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has reacted to the development with a stiff upper lip but his ambition to make his NCP faction a ‘recognised’ national-level party will face a setback. As a result of this sudden change, the clout of Pawar in the three-party saffron alliance in the state will be dented. Even otherwise, Ajit has been caught in a tight corner time and again. The latest is the inclusion of senior OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal in the cabinet. Although Bhujbal’s comeback will please a section of the OBC vote bank, it has adverse implications on the politics in Nasik district, an important belt in north Maharashtra. Followers of Ajit Pawar and another deputy CM Eknath Shinde, have not reacted kindly to Bhujbal’s induction. Similarly, the Maratha lobby in Ajit’s party is upset though there are no public statements. It is no secret that Bhujbal wishes to be appointed guardian minister of Nasik district. However, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has remained evasive about any decision so far. His right-hand Girish Mahajan, too, is eyeing the same post. The issue assumes significance against the backdrop of the Kumbh Mela, which takes off in Nasik late next year. The tussle between the two will be watched by both sides, indirectly impacting Ajit’s position either way.
This Durga Puja, Bengali movie buffs are in for a treat as three highly anticipated films — Debi Chowdhurani, Raktabeej 2 and Raghu Dakat –will hit the silver screen promising a blend of history, drama, and star-studded performances. Director Subhrajit Mitra’s Debi Chowdhurani based on Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic novel, explores the anti-British Sannyasi Rebellion and features Srabanti Chatterjee in the titular role alongside Prosenjit Chatterjee as Bhavani Pathak. Initially slated for an Independence Day release, the film, produced by Aparna Dasgupta’s Edited Motion Pictures, is now locked for a Puja debut. Subhajit points out that Big-budget films are typically reserved for Puja—it gives us time for extensive promotions. Meanwhile, acclaimed director duo Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee have commenced shooting for Raktabeej 2, the much-anticipated sequel to their 2023 hit Raktabeej. With Abir Chatterjee, Mimi Chakraborty, and Kanchan Mullick in key roles, the film promises a captivating blend of drama, emotion, and gripping storytelling—hallmarks of the duo’s work. The original film left a deep impact with Victor Banerjee’s portrayal of the former president, Late Pranab Mukherjee, highlighting socio-political tensions and real-life incidents. Adding to the festive buzz, Dhrubo Banerjee’s Raghu Dakat, starring Dev in the lead, aims to bring history alive with thrilling action and drama. Backed by Dev Entertainment Ventures and SVF, the film chronicles the life of the legendary Robin Hood-like figure who emerged during Bengal’s turbulent times. The ensemble cast includes Anirban Bhattacharya, Sohini Sarkar, and the much-awaited return of Roopa Ganguly.
When Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann picked Mandi for their roadshow on April 6 — the party’s first event in Himachal in the run-up to assembly elections later this year, they chose it because it was Chief Minister Jairam Thakur’s home ground. However, a week later AAP has announced it is dissolving its state unit. Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendra Jain, who is in charge of the Himachal, announced the dissolution after AAP state president Anoop Kesri joined the BJP before party president J P Nadda’s road show in Shimla. Kesri joined BJP as he found local leaders were sidelined. “We were toiling for AAP for the last 8 years but it neglected state party workers. There was disregard towards the people of Himachal Pradesh. During a rally in Mandi, no space was given to any leader from the state other than Delhi and Punjab CMs.” Kesri’s entry into the BJP was facilitated by I & B minister Anurag Thakur; he took along with him several AAP leaders. Congress leaders also acknowledge that the way BJP chief Nadda is camping in Shimla it is going to be a direct contest between BJP and the Congress. And there is no scope for a third player.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s brief meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Parliament House on March 6 is in many ways a throwback to his interaction with Modi way back in November 2019. Only circumstances were vastly different then. There was a stalemate in government formation in Maharashtra — the state was under President’s Rule after Shiv Sena had walked out on its pre-poll partner BJP and was exploring a new coalition. At that time Pawar was holding the trump card. The buzz then was that the NCP would join Team Modi in Delhi. Three years on, when Pawar met Modi, he was a humble self-vouching not to head UPA or aspire to provide a national alternative. It was possibly because the situation for Maha VIkas Aghadi (MVA) has gotten a lot tougher. Those linked to MVA are facing actions and being probed by central agencies. It has actually been a matter of niggling worry for Pawar. He even mentioned as much while emerging from his interaction with Modi. ED attaching properties of Samna editor Sanjay Raut; he flayed it as Raut was a “journalist”. Pawar is also upset that another of his aides Nawab Malik was arrested. This news came just when Pawar was recovering from action on Anil Deshmukh. Pawar’s worry is that these ED actions could create legal hurdles for the NCP.
On the back of a record win of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a saffron cap to be worn by all BJP leaders, MPs and MLAs. On BJP’s 42nd Foundation Day on April 6, Modi, BJP chief JP Nadda along with other office bearers were seen sporting the new saffron cap. The new caps, which have the party’s symbol (Lotus) embossed on it, come with a message “a new cap, a new mission”. It was designed by the BJP Gujarat unit and is somewhat similar to the traditional cap of Uttarakhand — Brahma Kamal — which was worn by the Prime Minister on the Republic Day. This new cap has been made quite fashionable to attract the youth, and was distributed to all the MPs in the BJP’s Parliamentary meeting by Gujarat BJP President CR Patil. A lot of thinking went into designing the cap. A thin patch of embroidery has been put on the cap and a plastic ‘Lotus ‘ (BJP’s election symbol) has been pinned. Modi approved the final one, which was designed in Surat. Modi wants the party to be using the new saffron cap widely in the Gujarat Assembly election, which is due later this year. From now onwards, all BJP workers will be seen donning a saffron coloured cap.
After Didi, Stalin Now Telangana CM‘s National Ambition Comes To Fore, Appoints A Hindi PRO In Delhi
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) is sparing no efforts to make a pitch for the PM’s office in 2024. Towards this end, he has decided to widen his acceptance in the Hindi media. Possibly on the advice of poll strategist Prashant Kishor. Aware that his competitor Mamata Banerjee has a natural advantage because of her following in the media as she has been a Rail Minister, Rao has decided to reach out to national media by appointing a PRO in Delhi, which came through during a 3-day stay. The appointment of the PR person was handled by KCR’s daughter and Telangana MLC K Kavitha. Meanwhile there is talk that the Centre may go in for appointing a more hands-on governor who will effectively handle the state. The present incumbent Tamilisai Sounderajan is being seen as too soft on the TRS dispensation. In her own words she admits she has good equations with the TRS Government. “I am straight forward and I function with transparency. I always wish for good relations with the government”, said Tamilisai. Earlier, there were talks of her being nominated as a Vice President candidate. But, after a recent visit to Delhi, when she did interact with PM Modi, Tamilisai may have realized she does not have much of an option.
Even as Congress President Sonia Gandhi went out of the way to be on the right side of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin — not bothering about protocol while agreeing to catch up with the DMK leader in his party office in Parliament House– and also attending the inauguration of the DMK office in Delhi, a miffed Rahul Gandhi chose to stay away. It is being said Rahul was upset over the manner in which Stalin had focused on his meeting with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, visiting a Government school and taking a lot of interest in AAP’s model of schools. Stalin’s tango with Kejriwal, particularly on the back of the Congress’ defeat in Punjab to the AAP was perceived as a hostile step by Rahul. However, Sonia went the extra mile to be nice to Stalin with the hope of clinching two Rajya Sabha seats for Congress from Tamil Nadu come June. For his part, Stalin has been cold to Congress and, did not drop in at 10, Janpath as he usually does. It is quite another matter that he asked Sonia to inaugurate the Murosali Maran library in the DMK party office. For the first time, Stalin decided to visit all top Central ministers, to pursue matters of his state.
In a significant move, Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba arrived in New Delhi on April 1, 2022, and among his first engagements was a visit to the BJP headquarters where he met BJP president J P Nadda. It was Deuba’s first visit to India after becoming PM in July 2021. What is of particular interest is that Deuba, as a Nepali Congress leader heading a five-party left-wing coalition, would choose to visit the BJP office. It seems like a throwback to the times when a visit to the Communist Party of China headquarters in Beijing was considered a de rigueur. However, party sources said, PM Narendra Modi has always been keen that the party headquarters should be able to receive global leaders. The significance of the Nepali leader visiting the BJP office is also that increasingly, India’s neighbours have begun to see the value of building bridges with New Delhi rather than going anywhere near Beijing, after the recent economic collapse of Sri Lanka that has sent alarm bells ringing in South East Asia. To Deuba’s credit it must be said he withstood the pressure of signing up any pact with China on its Belt and Road Initiative. He also made clear to China that he does not want any projects with strings attached.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s standing in the BJP is vastly enhanced, especially after he managed to win both the Rajya Sabha seats from the state for the NDA alliance, dealing a blow to attempts by Congress-led opposition parties to corner one seat. Home Minister Amit Shah was immensely happy with Sarma’s strategy to clinch the twin wins. It is significant that the Congress came a cropper despite tying up with AIUDF. Apparently five of Badruddin Ajmal MLAs cross-voted for the BJP while one Congress MLA cast an invalid vote. The Congress suspended Siddique Ahmed, its MLA from Karimganj South, from primary membership of the party for writing ‘one’ instead of ‘1’ on his ballot paper as per voting protocol. While Sarma ensured a smooth win for BJP’s Pabitra Margherita and coalition partner United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) candidate Rwngwra Narzary, the Congress camp was in tatters. In fact, because of the setback in Assam, Congress President Sonia Gandhi went into overdrive last week to ensure at least two Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu. She is also in touch with Sharad Pawar for two seats from Maharashtra. Sources said the Congress is looking to get one seat from Jharkhand notwithstanding the political upheaval there. Following this round of biennial elections, the BJP has notched up a tally of 101 seats in Rajya Sabha.
The deployment of Tamil Nadu police for the DMK event in Delhi to manage security instead of Delhi police came at a cost for the influential Lok Sabha woman MP from South Chennai Thamizhachi Thangapandian. According to party sources, her very expensive phone was stolen at the event. Though it is not clear how exactly she lost it, a police complaint is yet to be filed. Her younger brother, Thangam Thennarsu is a minister in Stalin’s Government. Tamil news media is miffed with the State Police who let the thief get away while screening the media at the venue and even acting tough with them. Meanwhile, Chief Minister MK Stalin seems to have taken Delhi by storm. Parts of East Delhi were splashed with posters of him and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal together, applauding his visit to the Government school. A fitness freak, Stalin was found doing his brisk early morning workout at Nehru Park close to Tamil Nadu Bhawan in Chanakyapuri. Even at that hour people queued up to ask him for a selfie. Meanwhile, even as DMK MP Tiruchi Shiva showered encomiums on TMC MP Mahua Maitra calling her a “tigress”, Stalin avoided any reference to the TMC leader who lost the Goa polls. Instead, he preferred to mention Arambagh TMC MP among his guests in his tweet.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, in Delhi on a three-day visit, has a jam-packed schedule. Details of his engagements released by the CMO revealed back-to-back meetings lined up with several Union ministers on day one itself. He first met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament House at 1 pm. Thereafter, Stalin had a meeting lined up with Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari at his residence at 2.30 pm. An hour later, it was back to Parliament House for tete-e-tete with Home Minister Amit Shah with the TN CM concluding his day by calling upon Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at his Akbar Road residence. In between these meetings Stalin also dropped in at the Central Hall of Parliament to catch up with his DMK MPs. Interestingly, while Stalin was at the DMK office, senior DMK leader TR Baalu brought along Congress President Sonia Gandhi for a brief interaction. On day two of his sojourn, he will call upon Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and end the work day meeting with Commerce & Industry minister Piyush Goyal at Udyog Bhawan. Stalin will also meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the afternoon with the duo going to inspect government schools and Mohalla clinics. On the third day, Stalin is expected to meet up with Opposition leaders including Sonia Gandhi.
Farewells are always an emotional time more so, in the Rajya Sabha where biennial elections are held every second year when one-third of the members retire. On March 31, the Rajya Sabha chair had set aside the entire day to bid farewell to the 72 members whose term will end come early July. Even as some members got emotional, there were some lighter moments witnessed too. Like when DMK leader Tiruchi Shiva reminisced and said he would miss the presence of Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma — he is retiring as Himachal MP– in the opposition bench right in front of him. Sharma would always borrow his pen whenever he needed one within the house. An amused Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who was presiding as chair of the house, asked Shiva if Sharma made it a point to return his pen after use. Shiv revealed his house secret then and said, “I used to only give Sharma the pen but retain the cap with me.” At this point, Naidu recalled how, when he and S Jaipal Reddy worked together; they similarly encountered resistance from other members they asked to share their pens. “When we would ask people for pens, they would hide it in their trouser pockets,” he said.
Looks like Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot afford to ignore Karnataka any more. Governance issues in the state have been long ignored because of the BJP central leadership’s preoccupation with elections to the five state assemblies. This has led to the situation really deteriorating. Chief Minister BS Bommai has a clean image but, reports of rampant corruption are being made out against his ministers – not only against those who joined the BJP from the Congress, but also those originally hailing from the BJP. Home Minister Amit Shah flew into Karnataka to attend the 115th birth anniversary of Lingayat seer Siddalinga Shivakumar Swami in Tumkur. The event was a show of strength by former Chief Minister BS Yediyuruppa and his son, Vijayendra. Until March 10 the Congress was very confident of making a comeback, whenever the elections were held. This notwithstanding, the fact is that PCC chief DK Shivkumar and the CLP leader K Siddaramiah do not see eye to eye. Morale of Congress workers touched a new low after the BJP swept the assembly elections – winning four out of five states. It is in this context that Rahul Gandhi has begun his 2-day visit to the state to boost the sagging mood of the Congress’ state unit. He also paid a visit to the Lingayat seer in Tumkur.
Will Stalin Forgive And Forget UPA-2 Tribulations Of DMK And Back PC After Sonia Meet Up On April 2?
Congressmen are keenly awaiting Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on April 2 in Delhi at the inauguration of DMK’s new office. The three- storied DMK office on Deendayal Upadhyay Marg, built as per Supreme Court orders, may well cause much heartburn all the same. The DMK was allotted the land in 2009 and has become the second party, after BJP, to move into its own building. The BJP relocated into its headquarters constructed on the same road in February 2018. The Congress is yet to begin work on its plot. The Sonia-Stalin meeting is expected to settle matters for the Rajya Sabha biennial polls coming up in June in Tamil Nadu. The DMK had offered a RS seat as per the seat sharing pact it entered into with Congress during the 2021 assembly polls. Intense jostling for this one seat is ongoing with former Finance Minister P Chidambaram foremost among aspirants. Currently a Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, Chidambaram’s wishes to get elected from Tamil Nadu. He went out of his way to woo Stalin. Sources, however, say it will be difficult for Stalin to forget the harrowing time the Karunanidhi family faced in 2013 under UPA-2 from various enforcement agencies and still back Chidambaram.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was caught completely off guard recently when Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann paid him a courtesy visit. What took the PM by surprise during the one-on-one meeting was the manner in which the AAP CM, who is a Lok Sabha MP, made a personal pitch to Modi for a bail out for Punjab out of its financial mess, while seeking Rs 50,000 crore annually for two years to maintain Punjab’s fiscal health. Mann made a fervent plea for a Central Government financial package of Rs 1 lakh crore in stark contrast to the arrogance displayed by AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal since winning the state assemblies. A more down to earth, Mann is aware of the impending trouble ahead so, the simple man CM displayed touching humility while seemingly anxious to fulfil poll promises. Clearly, the AAP which got a humongous mandate sees no way it can keep the promises made, including Rs 1,000 for every woman per household or, even free power without hand holding from Modi. Mann blamed previous governments for leaving a whopping burden of Rs 3 lakh crore. It is not just AAP that finds it difficult to fulfil election promises as even the DMK, which rode into power using Prashant Kishor’s freebie lollipops, has since not implemented anything tangible after one year in office.
In some ways the complete rout of the Congress in the five assembly elections seems to be doing some good to the party. It has got the party leadership back to the drawing board. Sonia Gandhi has taken charge of the situation and reached out to all those who worked with her in the past. She has essentially got in touch with her core personal staff, the people acquainted with the Congress culture and its core leaders. She is relying on inputs of Vincent George, PP Madhavan and SV Pillai to help her navigate through these troubled times. Former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijay Singh, with whom Sonia held meetings, may be given a key organisational role. Singh, a two- term CM, is a good bet as he likes to interact with people. Sonia is falling back on Singh after Kamal Nath refused to shoulder any AICC responsibility as he prefers to focus on MP. Sonia also exposed the hollowness of rebellion of the G-23 leaders. She exposed them by showing the petty and narrow aspirations of some of these leaders. Most of them became quiet after meeting her. If Bhupinder Hooda’s limited interest was to ensure control of Haryana PCC, another G-23 signatory Anand Sharma wanted to be projected as Himachal CM; he even lobbied among Himachal MLAs without much success.
What peace deal have the Gandhis — Sonia and Rahul – worked out with G-23 leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Bhupinder Singh Hooda? Though leaders who met the Gandhis merely talk of an inclusive leadership, buzz is that some G-23 signatories will get party assignments. Azad, who is already in the CWC, is tipped to take charge of poll-bound Karnataka, as pressure mounts on Rahul Gandhi to put his boys like KC Venugopal, Ajay Maken, Harish Chaudhary and IAS officer K Raju out to pasture for ruining Congress fortunes in the recent polls. Venugopal remained unfazed and went on to claim his presence when Rahul chatted up with Hooda. Asked to confirm the same, a miffed Hooda said: “He walked in to meet Rahul when I was leaving.” For some reason Rahul is unable to forego Venugopal who hails from Kerala, who was the reason he picked Jebi Mather as the Kerala Rajya Sabha candidate over many seniors, raising the hackles within the party. Many are questioning the undue promotion of Mather and feel it could force Rahul to search for a Lok Sabha seat outside Kerala come 2024.
Much has been written about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s immense interest in his own state of Gujarat that goes to polls later this year. Of course, Gujaratis do not need him to do a 9 km road show from Ahmedabad airport to the BJP party office in Gandhinagar to vote back a party that has been in power in the state since 1995. It is enough for them that Modi is PM; it makes every Gujarati feel he is presiding over India’s fate from South Block. But then, when it comes to elections and people’s choices Modi is not one to take any chances. The Gujarat state has already seen three CMs — Anandiben Patel, Vijay Rupani and Bhupendra Patel – after he left it in 2014 and became PM. Rupani’s five years in office ended in September 2021 after becoming an area of concern for Modi. It has been his effort to ensure that the fall out of the Rupani years did not dovetail incumbent CM Bhupendra Patel’s tenure. That is why in the two days that he spent in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, Modi consciously avoided sending out grim reminders from the Rupani era. He even avoided sharing a platform with Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Gandhinagar on one of his official programmes. Reason: Rupani was seen as being close to Shah.
Initially, Punjab Congress leaders were enamoured when Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was ostensibly left “alone” to expand his Cabinet. No one from the AAP Delhi high command supervised the inductions of 10 ministers. Former PCC chief Sunil Jhakhar tweeted: “Seems Mann has come of age already much to the chagrin of AAP bosses in Delhi. That explains the absence of even the two regents, what to talk of Supremo himself at the oath ceremony. It’s good, as Punjab deserves a CM who is an authority unto himself (rather) than a remote controlled one.” When five Rajya Sabha picks — Cricketer Harbhajan Singh , Delhi IIT Assistant Prof Sandeep Pathak, Delhi AAP MLA Raghav Chadha, Lovely University founder Ashok Mittal and Ludhiana businessman Sanjeev Arora who is into cancer care — were announced and, as the new ministers settled in, it became apparent the hands off approach was only a facade. What is at work is Arvind Kejriwal’s Delhi Model in Punjab. Though Kejriwal did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new ministers, he web chatted with them online the same day. Every minister has an AAP worker from Delhi attached to them. It is said that Kejriwal tries to be like Modi without the apparent wherewithal. Buzz in political circles also revolves around Kejriwal likely to ease out Mann sooner than later to assume control of a full state himself.
In an interesting development, Pushkar Singh Dhami was elected leader of BJP’s Uttarakhand Legislature Party, ending a fortnight-long suspense over his swearing-in as Chief Minister since he lost the election from the Khatima assembly seat. Forty-six-year-old Dhami was chosen by PM Narendra Modi, who backed the young leader, being impressed by the former’s working style. In the last eight months, Dhami restored the BJP’s credibility and helped the party win 47 seats. Soon after news of Dhami’s defeat, Modi called him up over his work to boost the party’s fortunes. The PM was aware Dhami’s defeat was a result of political intrigue hatched by BJP leaders like Ramesh Pokhriyal and decided to support him. Even some Congress MLAs (besides BJP MLAs) have now offered their own seats to get him elected to the state assembly. The one person happy with Dhami’s elevation as CM is Uttar Pradesh’s former deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, who similarly lost polls from Phulpur. As an MLC, he too feels he can comeback just like Dhami and was quick to greet the new CM. In Goa, Modi ensured that his choice Pramod Sawant got re-elected as CM and put paid to the ambitious Vishwajit Rane who delayed government formation over his candidature. Modi is repeating all four CMs in the states just won by BJP.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister-designate Yogi Adityanath visited New Delhi to confer with the BJP top brass, including PM Narendra Modi, over the final touches to his new cabinet. A number of new faces are expected to replace the previous cabinet as also the set of Deputy Chief Ministers. Erstwhile Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya lost the elections while Dinesh Sharma who did not contest elections may also not find a place in the Cabinet. Yogi may go in for four deputy CMs this time around, including a woman, with a focus on streamlining governance. Baby Rani Maurya, former Uttarakhand Governor, who contested from Agra Rural is likely to be inducted as Deputy CM. A Jatav leader, she belongs to the same caste as BSP supremo Mayawati. Others tipped to make Deputy CMs this time around are: Brajesh Pathak, a Brahmin BSP leader who joined BJP, Satish Mahana, seven-term MLA from Kanpur, and AK Sharma, former IAS officer in the PMO and Bhumihar leader who is an MLC. While Mahana’s elevation may not be an issue, Yogi had resisted inducting Modi’s man AK Sharma into his team last year. In his second term Yogi will have little choice to resist Modi’s picks. Others tipped to join Yogi’s team are: Former ED Director Rajeshwar Singh and former Kanpur police Commissioner Aseem Arun.
Free and frank deliberations at the Congress Working Committee meeting, where G-23 leaders swore by the Gandhi family, brought an anticlimactic end to the dismal Congress performance in five state assemblies. The Congress cadre is upbeat on the likely prospect of “Organisational Changes” post Holi that party chief Sonia Gandhi will undertake. Many party leaders want Sonia to rein in some of the men working in Rahul Gandhi’s office who are blamed for adversely impacting ticket distribution in Punjab. At the CWC meet, Sonia herself was quite forthcoming about her mistakes in dealing with Punjab. When G-23 leader Ghulam Nabi Azad pointed out that Captain Amarinder Singh shouldn’t have been removed so close to elections — Sonia admitted that it was all her mistake. She had delayed replacing the CM and, protected him even in the face of complaints coming in from MLAs. AICC in charge for Punjab Harish Chaudhary, however, pinned the blame for the Congress rout on Navjot Singh Sidhu and his constant feuds with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Surprisingly, unlike her mother Priyanka brazened out her dismal performance of just two seats in UP — a fall from seven in 2017 — to renewed efforts she had made after nearly a decade. Playing the youth icon, Rahul pushed for the inclusion of those below 30 in party posts.
Bulldozer toys are selling briskly, like hot vadas, all over Uttar Pradesh. Parents are indulging children with toy replicas of bulldozers following BJP’s victory! This was one election when bulldozers and JCB machines could trump the Lotus symbol for their sheer public fancy. In fact, even as BJP workers celebrated the victory, the bulldozer turned into a mascot for the party. This was because Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had forewarned gangsters, henchmen and the remaining UP mafia bosses to expect steamrolling governance that would bulldoze them to the ground if he came back to power. The bulldozer was an almost constant in Yogi’s campaign speeches. He even famously said once, that while bulldozers were used to build expressways and highways, “At the same time, we are (also) using it to crush the mafia that exploited people to build their (illegal) properties.” It is pertinent to note that Yogi’s main political rival in UP, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had pejoratively termed Yogi as ‘Baba Bulldozer’ while claiming the BJP CM would lose the elections. Interestingly, since BJP came to power in 2017, over 67,000 acres of government land was unshackled from the hands of goons and mafias in the state through the rampant use of bulldozers.
There is a sense of awe that the BJP picked up all the eight assembly seats in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, with a comfortable majority. BJP sources said Lakhimpur Kheri which is barely 100 km away from Lucknow, couldn’t have voted differently from the rest of Awadh, a region hamstrung by poverty that boasts an eclectic mix of voters comprising poor Brahmins, Kurmis and other OBCs. What about anti-BJP sentiments whipped up in the aftermath of the four farmers mowed down by a car linked to Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son? Sikh farmers belonging to the Terai region did protest against the farm laws. Apparently, the protest did not find peoples’ favour. Four lives were also lost in the immediate aftermath of the car encounter, through public lynching that rubbed off any public sympathy or BJP antipathy, over the incident. Another optic BJP overcame was of bodies floating across the Ganges during the Covid-19 pandemic that was played up to the hilt by the opposition combine. Fact being, shallow burials along the riverside is common practice among the poor of central and eastern UP. It was not the first time this occurred; it happened in 2015 and 2018 too. In Western UP, the BJP managed to win 46 of the 58 seats, even retaining tricky propositions like in Deoband because of the SP-RLD tie-up.
The historic re-election of an incumbent government in Uttar Pradesh after a gap of 37 years made Prime Minister Narendra Modi issue an appeal to intellectuals to stop analyzing it from the prism of caste or class. Please do not look for motives of castes/class in the way people vote, he urged. Things have changed in Uttar Pradesh, in his Varanasi — in his Lok Sabha constituency for two terms that he has represented. People are voting on deliverables. The spectacular re-election of Yogi with 255 BJP MLAs has an interesting backstory — some of its key ministers, in fact as many 11 of them had to bite dust. Yes, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya narrowly lost to Pallavi Patel of Samajwadi Party, sister of Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel from Sirathu. Apna Dal is an NDA ally. So did sugarcane minister Suresh Rana to Rashtriya Lok Dal in Shamli. As for Akhilesh Yadav, he finally came to terms with poll results and accepted he may not have won but improved his tally from 47 in 2017 to 111. He could not bail out defectors. Two BJP ministers who joined him like Swami Prasad Maurya and Dharam Singh Saini were humbled. Only Dara Singh Chauhan managed to win.
Veteran Congress leader AK Antony (81), whose Rajya Sabha term ends on April 12, informed Congress president Sonia Gandhi he will not seek re-election. He leaves Delhi to go back to home state Kerala. Antony’s exit will mark the end of his 52-year electoral and parliamentary journey, which started as a Kerala MLA in 1970, after being Congress youth leader of the students’ wing. His highly decorated innings included three stints as Chief Minister of Kerala, including being the youngest CM at age 37, 10 years as PCC president, five terms as MLA, three stints as Union minister and five terms in the Rajya Sabha. Antony’s stand on the Rajya Sabha seat is in stark difference to that of former PM, Dr Manmohan Singh. When Dr Singh’s Rajya Sabha term from Assam ended in 2019, he was re-elected from Rajasthan. Party leaders wonder about the need for Dr Singh in the Rajya Sabha as he enjoys all facilities in Lutyens’ Delhi as a former PM. Meanwhile, Antony in a 3-page letter to Sonia, expressed dismay over young leaders misguiding Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi over national issues. Antony is upset with erstwhile news anchors taking positions on Congress policy matters. Antony as CWC member has been a sounding board for Sonia Gandhi on party matters.
Like Mamata Banerjee who led Trinamool Congress to a landslide victory in the West Bengal Assembly polls in 2021 but lost her seat, so too was the case of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. PM Modi led BJP to victory with 47 seats but Dhami lost. Sources say Dhami would have won had he listened to party managers, refrained from Katima, he had represented for two terms. “We had advised Dhami to move out of Katima as another party functionary was working the assembly seat for the past five years and should have contested from there. We told Dhami to contest from Dehradun, a safe seat as a BJP candidate had passed away,” BJP leader RP Singh says. The Congress won Katima. Uttarakhand Congress leaders feel Dhami was done in by rivals like Ramesh Pokhriyal who funded his defeat. The Congress’s below par results is blamed on its divided house not having kept out turncoats. BJP turncoats like Harak Rawat joined the party at the eleventh hour, but people defeated his daughter-in-law Anukriti Gosain Rawat from Lansdowne. “The mood in Devbhoomi was against turncoats,” says Yashpal Arya, another BJP turncoat who won from Bajpur, but could not get son Sanjeev Arya elected from Nanital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dispatching four ministers to Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to oversee airlifting of students, regional political parties in Indian states like the DMK in Tamil Nadu and the BJD in Odisha are keen for a political slice of the action. They are keen to ensure the Modi government doesn’t get all the credit for bringing home the students from Ukraine. After the initial bad experience of DMK minister KS Masthan, who went to receive Ukraine returnees at Chennai airport, being greeted with Bharat mata ki Jai has served as a wakeup call for regional Indian political formations. To wean away students from backing BJP/ Modi, TN has now set up a @tnhdelhi 24×7 help desk to coordinate arrivals from Ukraine. About 1200 students belonging to the state have so far arrived. “Our Government has set aside a budget of Rs 3.5 crore to ensure they reach home from Delhi,” says a DMK MP. A chat with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar helped DMK’s team of MPs deciding against traveling to the conflict zone. TN is also playing copycat with Odisha’s idea of setting up a helpline for its students in Delhi and flying students back to Bhubaneswar– so far 77 Odia students have gone back. Interestingly, both Naveen Patnaik and MK Stalin have written similar letters to Modi regarding the students’ future.
After all the infighting within the TMC and his re-appointment as general secretary last month, Abhishek Banerjee, is apparently back to his sulking days. Surprisingly, he has pulled off a good PR coup by requesting the Kolkata police to remove the police barricade detail from in front of his house on Harish Mukherjee Road, South Kolkata. According to sources close to Abhishek, he did not want to inconvenience the public or disrupt traffic over his safety protocols. Police have now trimmed the barricade. Abhishek and his close associates believe this will speed up traffic flow through the area and the general public will be benefitted. Meanwhile, whatever exit polls may say about Goa, top leaders from Congress such as DK Shivkumar and P Chidambaram will reach there to prevent their MLAS from being poached by the BJP. Abhishek is also headed for Goa where the TMC is expected to pick two or three seats. Ending all rumours of a rift with TMC, Prashant Kishor was also spotted attending an important TMC meeting last Tuesday.
On the last day of polling in Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s son Mayank provided ample fodder to TV channels with his diatribe against the BJP leadership that denied him the ticket from the Lucknow Cantonment seat, his mother had won in 2017. Soon after joining Samajwadi Party, he sought to know why he was denied while Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj was allowed to seek re-election from Noida among and other dynasts were made ministers in the Modi Government. Joshi tried to make out how the party was not strictly implementing the ‘one family, one ticket’ policy uniformly. The BJP was only interested in giving Brahmin leaders a tough time — he declared mindful of SP’s agenda to win over the Brahmins, it’s new supporter base. Mayank’s outburst, dragging in big names has naturally upset BJP leaders who were appalled when he sought to equate Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who has also been BJP president, with his mother, Rita Bahuguna. “How can there be a comparison? Rajnathji has built the party. Pankaj as a child must have been raised on the laps of senior leaders. Ritaji has been party-hopping,” said one UP leader. Rita Bahuguna, who was minister in the Yogi Government till 2019 has never reconciled to life as a Lok Sabha MP.
TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee’s uneasy equation with Lord Shri Ram came to the fore in Uttar Pradesh, his birthplace, where there is no avoiding Rama’s political themes either. When Didi reached Varanasi to campaign for Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, the Bengal CM’s cavalcade was blocked by Hindu Yuva Vahini members carrying black flags and chanting Jai Shri Ram. A Vahini functionary said the protests were justified in the wake of the “genocide of Hindus in Bengal” after which Mamta had the gall arriving into Kashi. By chanting Jai Shri Ram aloud, “We want to bring to her notice that this part (read state) of Bharat was always the land where Sanatan Hindus dwell unlike Bengal, where one may insult Hindus and still get away with it. This is Uttar Pradesh.” For Akhilesh, campaigning in Ayodhya for a party candidate, the protests against his ally was quite embarrassing. Mamata, who faced protests on her way to Dashashwamedh Ghat to see the ‘Ganga Aarti’, got off the vehicle and faced the Vahini crowd. She boarded her vehicle only after police personnel took the activists away. It may be recalled that Mamata walked out of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary celebrations in WB in January 2021 after crowds chanted Jai Shri Ram even while sharing the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently regaled audiences in Chennai, at the release of Chief Minister MK Stalin’s autobiography One Amongst You, about how his mother Sonia Gandhi used google to discover the age of the DMK leader. Complimenting Stalin for looking young at 69, Rahul suggested he must write another book sharing his secret to good health. While the book launch brought together Opposition parties such as Congress, DMK, RJD and CPI (M) on one platform ahead of 2024, the book itself is being translated into Hindi while projecting Stalin as national leader. A section of the DMK is pushing for Udhayanidhi to take over as CM, wanting Stalin to move base to Delhi for a national role, since Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha seats. It is almost like watching an action replay of happenings in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee, who got her biography written even as nephew Abhishek keeps snapping at her heels to take-over, is hoping to clean sweep all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Meanwhile, when senior DMK leader TR Baalu called upon Congress President Sonia Gandhi, he was in for a surprise. She apparently asked him about phone calls Home Minister Amit Shah had made to Kanimozhi and; even sought to know the frequency and purpose of these phone calls.
In order to checkmate poll strategist Prashant Kishor hired by KCR in Telangana, Rahul Gandhi has made an elaborate plan to counter him. The Congress leader has picked his onetime protégé Sunil Kanugolu — who worked with 5 parties and with PK in 2013. Sunil who worked with the DMK in 2019 LS polls and worked for the AIADMK in the Tamil Nadu assembly polls has been roped in via AICC functionary Manickam Tagore. Rahul recently informed party leaders from Karnataka and Telangana that Sunil would closely work with them. Unlike PK, Sunil has been asked to join as a senior AICC office bearer and will undertake his new responsibility — most likely as political economist Praveen Chakravarty 2.0. Party leaders of course wish to ask what would be the ideological commitment of professional election strategists like Sunil who closely worked with the BJP and, which AICC High Command vehemently demands of its leaders. A Telangana leader pointed out how Sunil was hired by KCR before PK had joined him. Switching over from DMK to AIADMK overnight also indicates he is just a professional ready to do a job. But what is nagging Southern leaders is why Sunil a close friend of Amit Shah, is not being deployed in Gujarat but in Karnataka and Telangana where Congress victory has a high probability?
One former colleague Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearly misses, while handling the outpouring of parental pressure of over 15,000 students stranded in war-torn Ukraine, is the late Sushma Swaraj, former External Affairs Minister. Swaraj became known for introducing a humane touch in the ministry and, directly communicating with people via Twitter. At various times of crisis in the Gulf region, whether the hostage crisis in Iraq or, evacuation of Indian nationals from war-torn Yemen, Swaraj was visibly active. Her famous tweet “Even if you are stuck on Mars, the Indian Embassy there will help you,” remains etched in public memory. This time around, to assure parents about the wellbeing and safe return of their children, Modi instructed four ministers to supervise the evacuations from Ukraine’s neighbourhood. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will be based in Romania & Moldova, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in Hungary while Minister of State Gen VK Singh is stationed in Poland. The MEA’s new twitter handle @opganga stays connected to stranded students. In a major setback to India, Naveen Shekharappa, a fourth-year medical student at the Kharkiv National Medical University, hailing from Karnataka was shot by the Russian army in Kharkiv while he was in a queue to buy groceries. Meanwhile, PM Modi called on the IAF to join evacuation efforts; the IAF is expected to deploy its several C-17 aircrafts as part of OpGanga.
Long before the bookies predicted a Congress win in the Uttarakhand state assemblies, former party CM Harish Rawat threw a celebratory lunch. The select few present witnessed Rawat’s claim on Congress winning the elections with a tally of 48 from the 70 assembly seats. Oddly, there were few believers in his party over his predictions, most convinced it was Rawat’s ploy to prop himself up for CM if the Congress party won. “It is going to be a very close call in as many as 15 seats. The election can simply go either way,” said a senior Uttarakhand Congress leader. Rawat was very upset as he was not projected as the CM face and so, claiming a decisive win while staking his claim to the top office. Rahul Gandhi is learnt to be backing CLP leader Pritam Singh. As for the BJP, which is banking on PM Narendra Modi’s charisma to be voted back to power, the party admits that the organisational network in the hill state is a treacherous terrain. Even as Pushkar Singh Dhami instilled some hope among the party cadre, many seniors including former CMs worked overtime to defeat the BJP. Even for the Congress, the return of ex-party leaders like Harak Rawat into the party-fold has not proved to be a smooth affair.
With the votes cast and EVMs sealed, it may now be told that the star of Punjab’s assembly elections was neither Charanjit Singh Channi or Navjot Singh Sidhu but, the humble poet and former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas, who hijacked the political narrative from the Congress. Vishwas recalled how AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal sought the support of separatists. “One day, he told me he would either become CM (of Punjab) or first PM of an independent nation (Khalistan),” recalled Vishwas. AAP, seen as a front-runner in Punjab polls, got dented by Vishwas’s terror-tag for Kejriwal. Though the effect his claims will have on the electorate remains to be seen, both BJP and Congress demanded to know, with Rahul Gandhi asking, “Why is Kejriwal silent on these allegations? Just say yes or no, is he lying or not?” He also cited Kejriwal regarding his overnight stay in the house of ex-militant Gurinder Singh during the 2017 assembly elections. Vishwas, who contested against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in 2014 and lost, was given Y category security by the Centre. A livid Kejriwal has strangely taken on Vishwas but, in his UP rallies and questioned PM Modi’s consultations with “a Ghaziabad poet on terrorists, instead of the security agencies.”
Looks like there will be no let-up in the probe against the “mystery Yogi” who gave divine instructions to former MD & CEO of the National Stock Exchange, Chitra Ramkrishna. At an official weekend meeting, PM Narendra Modi made clear that investigations must be conducted thoroughly to delve into the depths (gehariyan) of the scam. This means Ramakrishna will not get away with pleading innocence for having taken instructions from a godman who resided in the Himalayas. The official keenness to get to the bottom of the story is also because Ramkrishna, a qualified CA, was connected with an influential political family, a father-son duo, from Tamil Nadu since 2012. It was this connection that helped her secure the coveted job in 2013. Sources close to Ramkrishna, keen to protect her, are peddling multiple theories including one, about the yogi being a finance ministry bureaucrat besides speculative assertions about him. He was probably a Karnataka cadre officer, once a close aide to the senior Tamil Nadu leader. Interestingly, the political class seems very keen to see a bureaucrat is made the fall guy in the Chitra Ramkrishna episode so it fails to impact their political space.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is spending his last few months in office reaching out to old friends from across the aisle. This was on display when he made a point to call upon senior DMK leader Arcot Veerasamy during his visit to Chennai recently. Veeraswamy, who is undergoing medical treatment for a fractured leg, was the Power Minister in the Karunanidhi Government (2006-11) and, close to the late DMK supremo M Karunanidhi. His son, Kalanidhi Veerasamy is at present Lok Sabha MP from Chennai North. Naidu spent about 15 minutes with Veerasamy. Naidu’s businesswoman daughter Deepa Venkat also lives in Chennai. Likewise, a week after Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhawan was thrown open to the public, President Ramnath Kovind invited Supreme Court judges to come visit. Guests led by Chief Justice N V Ramana, accompanied by his wife, grand-daughter and brother judges went for a stroll. A lawyer by training, Kovind played a perfect host to the CJI’s grand-daughter, Sriya, a kindergarten student, showering her with chocolates.
Battle to secure the Karhal seat, which goes to polls on February 20, intensified on the second last day of campaigning as the key candidate and, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav brought his 83-year-old father Mulayam Singh Yadav popularly called Netaji on the campaign trail with him. The ageing and ailing SP patriarch came to Karhal from Lucknow. He was accompanied by the extended Yadav family including brothers Shivpal Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav. Mulayam made a brief appeal seeking votes for his son and promised development. Mulayam’s last-minute effort of an appearance for his son exposed the chinks in Akhilesh’s armour. This was simply explained by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was campaigning in Karhal for BJP candidate and Union Minister of State Prof SP Singh Baghel. Taking a swipe at Akhilesh for dragging his father to campaign for him, Shah said it exposed the weakness of the Samajwadi camp. Incidentally, Baghel was a PSO to Mulayam and was brought into politics by Netaji himself. In the past few elections, Karhal has traditionally been a SP seat. Though both Akhilesh and Baghel are now Lok Sabha MPs, the BJP has made winning the seat a prestige issue. “If lotus blooms here in Karhal it will be equal to getting 300 seats in UP, ” thundered Shah.
For some strange reason, news of Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaching out to DMK MP Kanimozhi to greet her on her birthday on January 5 became public only a month later. The Shah-Kanimozhi conversation apparently irked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who is her brother. Disclosures about the birthday wishes were confirmed by one section of DMK that is unhappy with the manner Stalin is launching ahead with his succession plans to anoint son Udhayanidhi as heir apparent in the DMK. Udhayanidhi, who heads the DMK youth wing, had also started inducting young women into the party fold to the annoyance of aunt Kanimozhi, since she heads the DMK’s women’s wing and, is deputy parliamentary leader of the party. It is also being said Udhayanidhi won’t allow Kanimozhi to thrive once he takes charge. Besides, both Kanimozhi and A Raja are aware of the pending CBI appeal in the 2 G case and may seek a patch up with Delhi. Senior leaders like TR Baalu does not fancy spending his remaining years in the Lok Sabha – till 2024 – as an opposition MP and has been frequently seeking an appointment with PM Narendra Modi. For its part, the BJP dismissed the Shah-Kanimozhi conversation as a routine courtesy call with no political overtones whatsoever. Only time will tell.
When Congress spokesperson, former Union Minister and, Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari called for a press conference, there was palpable excitement in the media. Would he also quit the party like his colleague Ashwini Kumar did? Manish had nothing nice to say on Kumar’s exit and stated, “Ambition for a Rajya Sabha seat makes people do many things”. So where does this leave Tewari? “I have called the press conference in support of the Congress,” he said. True, he had canvassed for Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in Chamkaur Sahib, that is part of his Lok Sabha constituency. But, he complicated equations with the party high command by rebutting Priyanka Vadra’s remarks, “(PM Modi) Wearing a turban on stage doesn’t make (him) one a Sardar”. Tewari knows the pagari is a sensitive issue in Punjab and sought no politics over it. He also dismissed talk of his quitting the Congress, even after having tweeted “never seen such chaos and anarchy as what is playing out in Punjab Congress today.” He had also lashed out at the Punjab government for non-implementation of the Centre’s move to extend BSF jurisdiction and, also defended his close family ties with Capt Amarinder Singh. Tewari has now asserted he was “elected for five years” and would stay unless, of course, he is pushed out.
Punjab assembly elections are barely a week away and the Congress is quite aware that its house is not in order, though some last-minute fire-fighting is on. Many party MPs have opted to stay away from the field after their wishes were ignored. Khadoor Sahib MP Jasbir Singh Gill tweeted about AICC in charge Harish Chaudhury as “Thug of Barmer” responsible for the mess. Gill had secured his Lok Sabha seat for the Congress after 43 years in 2019 but the party did not give an assembly ticket to his son Gursant or brother Rajan Gill. Instead, it chose to field sons of Jalandar MP Santokh Chaudhury and Fategarh Sahib MP Amar Singh — both Dalit MPs. The Congress was equally tough on Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari, who as part of G-23, was not included among star campaigners. “We are on a hara kiri in Punjab. Why not use Manish in Punjab, he is after all our MP,” rues an old-timer. PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, one-time star campaigner, shunned by party cadre in Amritsar (East) is relying mainly on wife Navjot Kaur and daughter Rabia to campaign for him. With the CMO out of his reach now, Sidhu has completely turned against CM Channi — he refused to speak at a joint rally where Priyanka Vadra was present.
The Congress is not swayed by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s antics — be it the high-pitched offensive against PM Narendra Modi, raising doubts over the surgical strikes or, even his lashing out at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswas Sarma for comments against Rahul Gandhi. Congress leaders dismiss the KCR outreach to the Gandhi family by way of targeting the BJP. They feel it is probably just KCR’s effort to stay ahead of the game and other political parties even as anti- incumbency hits him hard. After all, he is into the end of his second term and has lost two by-elections–Huzurabad in November 2021 and Dubbak in November 2020. Both the elections were won by BJP. The buzz is KCR has plans to advance assembly election dates, just like he did in 2018 and he has hired poll strategist Prashant Kishor. “From what we know KCR is planning an early assembly poll which is due only in December 2023 like he did in 2018. That time he did not want assemblies coinciding with the Lok Sabha polls,” says a senior Telangana Congress leader. Of late, he has been hitting out at the Modi government as he is keen to move to national politics and hand over the reins to his son KT Rama Rao.
FM Nirmala Sitharaman Shuts Up Tharoor And Maran, Over Sick MTNL/BSNL And Her Rajya Sabha Nomination
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to task during a budget discussion. Maran had questioned Nirmala’s absence in the Lok Sabha saying she was not ‘elected’ and, Tharoor condescendingly sought a bail out for BSNL and MTNL ‘even if the UPA Government had mishandled them’. Ticking off Maran, Nirmala said a point being “raised that I am just a nominated Member, and how arrogant can I be? Though he is not here to hear my speech, I would like to correct the fact as I am not a nominated Member. I was elected to Rajya Sabha. I want to add that (even) nominated members are dignified members. If that is hurting, let me ask, why they sat in the cabinet of Dr Manmohan Singh, a Rajya Sabha member (himself)?” Sitaraman then exposed how Maran, as telecom minister, made BSNL and MTNL sick. Even as the FM was listing out how the UPA sickened Indian telecom companies, Tharoor countered, “You have been in power for eight years, why don’t you bail them out?” An upset Sitaraman shot back, “Look at his courage. Come on Shashi Tharoorji. This is not done,” she said and pointed out that her Government had decided on a Rs 69,000 crore revival package for BSNL/ MTNL and also allotted 4G to them.
The contentious issue of the hijab is taking a heavy toll on the Congress in Karnataka. The party stands divided. While former CM Siddaramiah is more worried about alienating Muslims, PCC chief DK Shivkumar is devastated and, feels the issue could botch up Congress prospects of returning to power in the 2023 state assemblies. Common citizens are upset with the aggressive pro-hijab campaign being run by the Campus Front of India (CFI), an arm of the Islamist Popular Front of India. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s faux pas, equating “uniform” and “bikini”, hijab and jeans, has pushed Shivkumar into damage control mode and fighting for the uniform in educational institutions. Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray wisely aired his views; saying students must wear uniforms as prescribed in schools and colleges and, keep political controversies out of the centres of education. On the hijab row, PM Narendra Modi finally opened up in the Muslim-dominated Saharanpur, UP. He said people were inventing ‘new ways to block the rights and development of Muslim women’ in India. “When Muslim women started openly supporting the Modi government, (political) opponents got anxious. But we stand with every Muslim woman.” In a tight slap to the CFI, the Supreme Court declined an urgent listing to hear the Special Leave Petition against Karnataka High Court’s orders regarding the hijab petitions.
Just before elections to 108 municipal bodies in February, Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee has gone all out to empower party seniors. Didi’s decision came after protests over the candidates’ list in the Purba Medinpur district. Conscious of emerging differences between Abhishek Banerjee and senior TMC leaders, Mamta decided to act particularly upset over ongoing sparring between TMC chief whip in the Lok Sabha Kalyan Banerjee and her nephew. She announced that party MPs must consult Sudip Bandopadhyay while party MLAs likewise engage with TMC deputy leader Partha Chatterjee and Bengal unit chief Subrata Bakshi. Placing Sudip in charge of the party’s parliamentary formation is a major divergence considering TMC leader in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O’ Brien’s proximity to Abhishek. A miffed Abhishek slipped out of the TMC meeting as Mamata announced the organisational changes and subsequently joined the meeting via Skype from home. The nephew, credited with getting her re-elected for a third term, has allegedly told his aunt that any attempt to undermine him would weaken the party. Mamata is well aware that young Turk MLAs elected in 2021 pledge their loyalty to Abhishek, who has also clearly been pushing Didi to expand TMC voter base beyond Bengal. So far, TMC efforts to capture the Goa assemblies and Tripura civic bodies have failed to yield success.
The Congress may have boxed itself into a corner by declaring Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as its poll face for Punjab. Many in the party couldn’t but agree with PM Narendra Modi who said in the Lok Sabha “I think you (Congress) have made up your mind not to come to power for the next 100 years”. Channi as the CM face is not the first time the Congress has opted for a non-Jat Sikh. Back in 1972, a Ramgarhia Sikh, Giani Zail Singh was its OBC Chief Minister. Channi became the obvious choice for being a Dalit but, the Congress may weaken its strong bonds with the dominant Jat Sikhs and Hindus as a consequence. The party’s Hindu leader Sunil Jakhar announced his withdrawal from active politics in apparent disgust while, Jat Sikh leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who ended Captain Amarinder Singh’s Congress reign, has not opened his cards yet. Sidhu’s gameplan may now only commence after the polls as he was counting on Rahul Gandhi to opt for a clean image candidate as the CM face. The Gandhis stunned Siddhu and settled for sand mining scam tainted Channi instead. Looks like though the ED raids on Honey (Channi’s nephew) established the money trail, it also cemented Channi’s claim to the CM’s post for the Gandhi family.
Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a very special bond. In 2013 when Modi was Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Lata Didi invited him to inaugurate a super-speciality hospital built in memory of her father Deenanath Mangeshkar in Pune. During the event, Lata Didi had said: “I pray to God that we see Narendra bhai as PM (someday).” She repeated her wish even before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In fact, on every Raksha Bandhan day Lata Didi unfailingly sent a Rakhi and her wishes to PM Modi and was anguished when unable to send her sisterly tie of Rakhi due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in 2020. In June 2019, shortly after Modi’s thumping win in the general elections and second consecutive term as Prime Minister, Lata Didi wrote a letter in Gujarati to Heeraben, Modi’s mother, congratulating her son and and “my brother” for becoming Prime Minister for the second time in a row. The Gujarat Government has now shared this letter. Two years back a recording of Modi’s Maan ki Baat, also featured his conversation with Lata, wishing her on her birthday. In that conversation, Lata praised Modi, saying, “Modiji, you do not know what you are. You are doing so much for India.” Modi recalled that she also told him that her late mother Shevanti too was a Gujarati.
Marriages are made in heaven and, in politics it makes for a certain winning combination. However, this round of States assemblies has witnessed married political couples being given the shaft by both, the BJP and the Congress. UP minister Swati Singh and husband Daya Shankar Singh were both vying for the Sarojini Nagar assembly constituency. The BJP leadership instead fielded Rajeshwar Singh, IPS and former joint director in the Enforcement Directorate from the seat. The Congress in turn, punished a husband for his wife’s rebellion. Former Rae Bareli MLA Aditi Singh quit the party to join the BJP and, discovered her husband Angad Saini, sitting MLA in Punjab denied a Congress ticket. Furious, Aditi Singh alleged harassment by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and said, “Bin baap ki beti ko pareshan kar rahi hai Priyanka Gandhi.” (Priyanka Gandhi is harassing a fatherless daughter). She took a further jibe at Congress’s slogan ‘ladki hun lad sakti hun’, saying “I am a girl and will fight on.” Her husband Angad also alleged that Congress was treating him like “a criminal” for marrying Aditi and, filed his papers as an independent candidate from the Nawanshahr assembly constituency. The only state where couples had their way is Goa where the BJP gave tickets to Vishwajit Rane and wife Divya. The party also accommodated Atanasio Monserratte and his wife Jennifer.
Notwithstanding the arrest of his nephew Bhupendra Singh Honey by the Enforcement Directorate in a sand mining case, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi is all set to be reiterated as the Chief Ministerial face of the Congress party on February 6. He apparently aced the opinion poll conducted by his party via phone calls. It is ironic that the Congress, stridently critical of the AAP that picked Bhagwant Singh Mann as its CM face via phone calls, should emulate the rival party’s newfound strategy. It was not immediately clear whether AAP’s method was copied as it is surging ahead in Punjab’s political arena? What did PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who played a crucial role in ousting Captain Amarinder Singh as CM, get for his efforts? Last seen, he visited the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu seeking divine intervention, not to be installed as CM but, for legal relief even as an old road rage case of 1988 in Patiala has caught up with him before the Supreme Court. The family of the deceased person has pursued the matter through a review petition. Meanwhile, in Amritsar (East) the contest will be most watched as Sidhu’s bete noire Bikram Majithia of the Akali Dal has entered the fray to defeat him; a common goal Captain Sahib also shares.
BJD MP Pinaki Mishra gave some anxious moments to the treasury benches by referring to the violent conduct of a tribal Minister/ MP in Mayurbhanj, Odisha in the Lok Sabha. Even as alert BJP members warned Mishra against naming the MP without due notice, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahalad Joshi said the name may be invoked after due process was initiated, meaning, Odisha was free to act on the incident. For his part, the tactful Supreme Court lawyer did not mention the BJP minister’s name but picked up a line from the President’s address to Parliament while narrating how two district officials in Odisha were beaten up. Mishra pointed out how the minister had brutally assaulted district director planning and his assistant during a meeting to discuss MPLAD issues last month. While highlighting the incident, he also showered encomiums on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The Prime Minister is unfailingly courteous; he is unfailingly polite with everybody he meets. I think the Prime Minister must take a very serious view of these things. These things should not be easily countenanced.” The goodwill that Modi enjoys with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has reportedly spared the heat on Bishweshwar Tudu, who was inducted as Union Minister of State in July 2021.
For all the bluff and bluster about rebuffing BJP’s overtures to him Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhury is seriously considering the offer. Prior to his Mathura visit, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached out to Jat leaders from Western UP on January 26. The region will vote in the first phase of assembly elections on February 10. Shah met them in Delhi to explain the futility of the SP-RLD alliance. The alliance, he said, would not help Jayant Chaudhary but allow Azam Khan to rule, a message Jats in the area also concur with. Shah’s overtures to Jayant has unnerved Akhilesh Yadav after he got a number of Muslim candidates contesting on RLD tickets from Muslim dominated areas. This left Jats with little alternative than abandoning their preferred party and shifting their vote as they were wary of Muslims since the 2013 Muzzaffarnagar riots. Shah assured Jat leaders over their demands for reservation and promised a Bharat Ratna for their leader Chaudhary Charan Singh. He emphasised the economic advantages if BJP returns to power in UP, for the completion of the Jewar airport in NCR. Summing up the mood of the Jats, Muzzaffarnagar MP Sanjeev Balyan said “Jats will still vote for BJP as they cannot see Akhilesh Yadav as CM. Jats know that BJP respects them.”
It seemed odd when Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted a cryptic tweet “Right thing to do. He wants to be Azad, not (a) Gulam”, while also lauding former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya who refused to accept the Padma Bhushan award. Incidentally, the award was announced only after getting due approval from the recipient. The Union Home Secretary had spoken to Bhattacharya’s wife who said “thanks.” Strangely Jairam politicised the award given to his senior party colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad but, had no issues when the Modi Government conferred the Padma Bhushan posthumously upon another Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi, the longest serving Chief Minister of Assam just a year ago in 2021. That announcement was made before the Assam assembly elections too. While honouring leaders from across the political aisle, Modi only emulated his predecessors PV Narasimha Rao and Dr Manmohan Singh. Rao honoured Morarji Desai with the Bharat Ratna and the UPA Government honoured Brajesh Mishra with the Padma Vibhushan. The award came on the day the Congress designated Azad on the list of star campaigners for Uttar Pradesh. Interestingly, other party colleagues Kapil Sibal, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor welcomed the move. Was Jairam taking an aggressive stand because his RS term from Karnataka is coming to an end in July? Quite possibly.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.