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Maharashtra’s most prestigious civic elections to be scheduled for India’s financial capital, Mumbai’s metropolis is turning into a political potboiler. Every formation worth its salt wants to make its political presence count. Before this happens, realignment of 227 seats electing our city fathers, to include designated reserved civic constituencies is the big news. A former state election department officer emphatically says, “No electoral officer can provide you the last value on anvil changes of civic wards. Reservations, realignment of individual seats is the prerogative of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations’ ward offices. We provide electoral lists of the six parliamentary, 36 assembly constituencies in Mumbai and enjoy hands-on involvement only during general, state assemblies.” BMC Chief Bhushan Gagrani says 2011 census data (alongside estimated population figures) serve as the benchmark aligning individual civic councillor seats. “Wherever there is a geographical change — the coastal roads infrastructure — where ‘nullah’ (sewer lines) were diverted and, couple of redevelopment projects impact population demography within 26 wards will witness marginal realignments,” he says. That done, Uddhav’s Sena (boasting 85 sitting corporators) demanding over100 seats, Congress emphasising minority voter base in Mumbai — citing Lok Sabha results to wrest an equal number of seats leaves Sharad Pawar rueing his woes or, will he? BJP’s 83 invisible sitting corporators failed emphasizing PM Narendra Modi’s schemes over five years so, CM Devendra Fadnavis will micromanage BMC polls also while sharing civic seats with deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar’s political parties without much acrimony. Despite the Supreme Court’s mandate for early polls, some delays still threaten to postpone Mumbai’s civic elections some more.
Hindu Munnani, a right-wing outfit close to BJP, organised a Lord Murugan (or Kartikeya) Devotees Conference on June 22 and passed a resolution for ‘Hindu unity’ and protection of Hindus in the temple town of Tirupurakundram in Tamil Nadu. An interesting aspect of the Murugan Meet of devotees was that it was attended by Andhra Minister Pawan Kalyan and BJP office-bearers of Tamil Nadu. The conference adopted a number of pro-Hindu resolutions to protect the rights of Hindus. The Murugan Meet seemed like the first of steps to rally Hindu votes ahead of 2026 assembly polls. It not only suggested that the DMK government should “stop treating temples as a revenue source and use temple funds to only benefit devotees”. A highlight of the Murugan Meet was the record-breaking mass recital of “Skanda Sashti Kavacham”( a popular Tamil hymn in praise of Lord Murugan) by an estimated 5 lakh Murugan devotees. It was also resolved to have such recitals of Skanda Sashti Kavacham regularly. The political message of the meet was a clarion call to Hindus to vote en bloc. Pawan Kalyan, who had been encouraged by the RSS to take active interest in TN politics, spoke in Tamil. He hit out at ‘secularists’ and atheists for targeting Hindu gods and temples. In a grand gesture Pawan Kalyan also sought to bring together former TN BJP chief K Annamalai and present incumbent Nainar Nagendran as he made them hold hands on the stage. As for the AIADMK, former CM Edappadi K Palanisamy made it a point to send four MLAs for the meet. Meanwhile RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was in Coimbatore where he praised the spiritual tradition of adheenams in TN.
Developers in Mumbai owe pending rental dues worth over Rs 646 crore to slum dwellers whose houses have been taken up for redevelopment under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme. The pending rental dues had swelled upto Rs 1382.48 crore since 2022 of which the state helped recover Rs 735.67 crores till May, 2025. Defaulting on rents for slum dwellers of SRA projects has assumed such proportions that the government now insists developers deposit two years of rent in advance. The SRA also managed to get Rs 552 crore as advance rents from developers. In a bid to expedite stalled projects, the SRA has also served notices to 86 errant developers to facilitate their replacement and help these projects take off. About 1700 projects of SRA are currently ongoing in the city of Mumbai, out of which about 517 are stalled due to various reasons. In order to take such stalled projects off the ground, the Maharashtra government has also got government statutory bodies like the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) and even the City Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to intervene and get into the slum rehabilitation space. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is also undertaking SRA in 64 of its own plots. Though the SRA was adjudged as the best performing department in the 100 days administrative reforms review by the Devendra Fadnavis government, activists are convinced that it continues to remain a developers’ domain.
There wasn’t much reaction in Telangana Congress when former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin’s son, Asaduddin, also a cricketer, recently parachuted in and landed as a General Secretary of the Telangana Congress. A senior leader and a former MP dismissed the appointment as a non-event and routine. After a stint in cricket, Asaduddin expressed his desire to serve the public through politics, drawing inspiration from his father and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Describing his new role as a “big responsibility”, Asaduddin said he was committed to working for the party in line with its ideology. He praised Rahul Gandhi for fighting for the Congress’s values despite facing numerous challenges He also credited his father, who has been active in politics for over 15 years, as a major influence. Azharuddin, a former Lok Sabha MP from Moradabad, UP, contested and lost the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections from Jubilee Hills constituency. Asked why he quit cricket, Asaduddin remarked that a sports person’s career is short and timing plays a crucial role in success. Married to tennis star Sania Mirza’s sister, Anam Mirza, Asaduddin felt his time in cricket was over. In a post on X, Azharuddin wished his son and said he had seen his (Asaduddin) commitment to people, his passion for service, and his sincerity up close and hoped he would stay “grounded”. With his son’s debut in state politics, Azharuddin is now confident that he will once again be fielded for Jubilee Hills by-elections. He had lost the seat in 2023.
Having once been condemned by Sunil Gavaskar from the commentary box with a serial “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid” description, Rishabh Pant made the legend say “Superb,” three times in tribute to a century at Leeds. That was soon as he became the Indian wicket-keeper with most Test centuries (7) – not Dhoni (6), not Saha (3) nor any of the older greats. And he has kept this “all-rounder” status in his own unique way, rolling on his back not to collect stray wide balls from bowlers but to punt the ball over the ‘keeper’s head. And who else can conceptualise a virtual one-handed lofted shot to mid-wicket sailing beyond the ropes for a six to get to a century. After all, he is a batsman who opened his Test account with a six. Even Gavaskar, who has watched more cricket than many of the legends, may never have predicted such a fulfilling future for a plump youngster. And if he thanked God it may have been not only for the record-breaking century but also saving his life the night that he was involved in a car crash from which few gave him a good chance of survival. Maybe that is why Pant is determined not only to live every minute of a second chance at life but also enjoy it. Maybe, Pant has shown Sunil that despite all that madness that seizes him now and then while batting that he is perfectly capable of stringing together long Test innings. If there is one thing that has not left him may be a bit of spirited batting that in the eyes of critics may seem “Stupid.” Maybe, none will call him “stupid” again regardless of how adventurously he bats when the whim captures his mind.
Titagarh Rail Systems, one of India’s foremost manufacturers of rail wagons and coaches, is taking a strategic step to bolster its production capabilities through a new joint venture with Ramakrishna Forgings Ltd. The joint venture, named Ramkrishna Titagarh Rail Wheels Ltd, is setting up an advanced manufacturing facility in Gummidipoondi, located near Chennai. This state-of-the-art plant is designed to produce high-performance forged wheelsets, catering to the requirements of metros, freight wagons, and passenger railcars. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 220,000 wheels. As part of the venture, 80,000 of these wheels will be supplied to Indian Railways under a guaranteed offtake agreement, offering long-term business visibility. Each forged wheel is estimated to cost around Rs 1 lakh. The plant is expected to commence full-scale operations by Feb-Mar 2026.This initiative is crucial, especially after Titagarh faced a slowdown in wagon sales last fiscal due to a shortage of wheelsets from the Rail Wheel Factory. By building its own supply capability, the company aims to eliminate such supply chain disruptions in the future. With about 25% market share, Titagarh remains India’s largest freight wagon manufacturer, leveraging a vertically integrated model for operational resilience.
The name Prashant Tipirineni Nani may not stir recognition until you notice Nani. Oh yes, HIT: The Third Case or Hit 3 starring Nani in an electric turbo action role will immediately stir memories of that action thriller. Much talked about but given mixed reviews by critics. But redemption too…it is the third highest grosser Telugu film, collecting Rs 56 crore in 6 days of cinema run. The team of Nani, Srinidhi Shetty and Director Sailesh Kolanu were happy that HIT 3, third instalment in the series, had surpassed Nani’s earlier Hi Nanna, Saripodhaa Sanivaram and HIT 1 collection. But happiness and celebrations in this mercurial make-believe world of cinema is often short lived…ghosts from the past or ghosts who walk in due to bad Karma often wreck the party and the high of commercial success soon, nosedives. Allegations of story/plot plagiarism are hurled and more often than not, end up in court. Hit 3 has just been hit by allegations from Soniya Vimal (Vimalavalan) who has accused Nani of lifting most of her story, making a few changes here and there in the making of HIT 3. The writer is now demanding copyright compensation of 20% of the take. Vimal claims she had registered her story with the South Indian Film Writers Association in 2021, met with Nani and gave him an outline but got no response from the makers. After watching the first show, she could identify and record every spin of the story, her original. The only recourse was to go to the court. The Madras High Court has now posted the hearing for July 7.
For AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal winning MLAs in Gujarat by itself may not be a big deal; about half a dozen or so have won before. But none of the MLAs have stuck around. However, with AAP candidate Gopal Italia winning from Visavadar for the second time in a by-election, Kerjiwal has something to cheer about. In the backdrop of losing power in Delhi, AAP felt it had to make a song and dance about securing assembly seat in Gujarat by-election– where the BJP has been in power for 30 years –that too from a seat– Visavadar which the BJP has never won. In a post on X, Kejriwal bragged that his party won with nearly double the margin compared to the previous elections and claimed that “people of Punjab are very happy with the work of our government and have voted even more in favour of us than in 2022. The people of Gujarat are now fed up with the BJP and see hope in the AAP”. Italia shot to fame during the 2015 Patidar agitation in the state. The seat has been vacant since 2023 after the then AAP legislator Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the BJP. BJP sources said Italia winning the seat wasn’t a surprise. Visavadar has been a traditional Congress seat. “BJP has never won from there. In 2012, Keshubhai Patel won from there as Parivartan Party candidate. Kesubhai later rejoined the BJP. Sources say more than Visavadar what is of significance for Gujarat politics is that BJP managed to win Kadi assembly seat, a reserved seat in Mehsana. BJP’s Rajendra Chavda won by a margin of over 39,000 votes in a triangular contest taking on both the Congress and the AAP.
Aamir Khan, hailed as one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars, has consistently pushed the boundaries of Indian cinema with his choice of diverse and thought-provoking roles. However, his latest film, Sitare Zameen Par, which garnered approximately Rs 10.70 crore on its opening day, raises critical questions about the viability of niche cinema in a commercial landscape dominated by mass appeal. While the film showcases Aamir’s commitment to storytelling that resonates with a more elite audience, its limited screen release and lack of mainstream entertainment elements have significantly hampered its box office potential. Unlike his contemporaries, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, who frequently deliver mass-centric blockbusters, Aamir’s foray into niche narratives may alienate the average moviegoer. The film’s intellectual depth and artistic merit, although commendable, do not cater to the broader audience base that thrives on high-octane entertainment and relatable themes. The expectation for Aamir Khan films to cross the Rs 100-crore mark within the first three days has become a benchmark of success in Bollywood. However, Sitare Zameen Par weekend collections appear to be around Rs35-40 crore, a figure that many industry insiders deem disappointing for a film featuring such a prominent star. This trend raises concerns about the sustainability of niche cinema in a market that increasingly favours commercial viability over artistic expression. As the film fraternity navigates this evolving landscape, it is imperative for stars like Aamir Khan to strike a balance between artistic integrity and audience engagement. While niche films have their place in cinema, the current climate suggests that a more mass-oriented approach may be necessary to foster the growth of Indian cinema as a whole.
Shubman Gill has settled the No 4 position for himself in the New India batting order in Test cricket. The moment he was named the captain of the Test team for the five Test series in England, the grapevine was rife with pros and cons of his batting at No 4 with the MRF sticker bat. Just like his predecessors Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli who batted at No 4 and the lithe right-hander from Punjab confirmed it after the fall of debutant Sai Sudharsan at the stroke of lunch on the first day of the Headingley Test. Gill batted with a lot of assurance and compiled an elegant 227-ball 147 with 19 hits to the pickets and one six on the onside. For 12 minutes short of six hours, Gill looked the master playing behind and beside the line against the England fast bowlers. It was Gill’s first time undertaking at No 4 and he and those who helped him take that call would be more than satisfied with his effort. Gill may have thrown away a chance to convert his knock into a double and much more had he not taken the chance against the off break bowler Shoaib Bashir and offered a high catch to Joshua Tongue in the deep. When the going was good, Gill could have really cashed it on, but his departure (430/4) triggered an India collapse to 471. The pitch aided the home team seamers who were also able to swing the ball, and Gill stood up to the task after Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a lovely hundred opening the innings after being put into bat. A great knock from Gill, but a rush of blood heave spelt his doom.
While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi may have extolled the virtues of the new Parliament building in the course of his speech on the Women’s Reservation Bill about how “it is quite a nice building, nice peacocks, nice peacock feathers on the ground, nice peacock feathers in the chair… it’s a nice tasteful building” and NCP MP Praful Patel tweeting a picture of himself with Sharad Pawar hailed it as a “marvel”, not many MPs are happy about the new Parliament complex. “It is more like a convention centre than a Parliament and the corridors are too narrow. Even those leading up to the ministers’ chambers are narrow. There is just one entry/ exit point to this building and it gets pretty crowded,” cribbed a healthy MP from Punjab. With long winding corridors leading to the chambers, it is proving to be a long trek for members. MPs are having a problem finding a way out to reach for their transport. Some male MPs found even the swank toilets too small for use. As for the swish cafeteria that has been built to hold 80/ 90 people, it simply failed to supply even tea when the discussion on Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha was going on up to 11 pm. “The cafeteria is not like the Central Hall canteen that could cater to all 543 Lok Sabha MPs…This can at best be called Modi ka maqbara,” says a Congress leader. This means PM Modi’s favourite architect Bimal Patel could be receiving some flak.
The 128th Constitution Amendment Bill providing for women’s reservations was passed by the Lok Sabha with bipartisan support of 454 MPs. Yet oddly the Gandhis – both Sonia and Rahul — were missing from the House when the historic bill was passed with a thumping majority. Rahul in his speech made one of the weirdest points about OBC reservation and was duly fact checked by the law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. He raked up the issue of near non-existence of OBCs among secretaries to the Government of India; he said there were only 3 OBCs among the 90 secretaries to GOI today. Rahul charged that “The moment the Opposition raises the issue of caste census, the BJP tries to create a new distraction, a new sudden event so that the OBC community and the people of India look the other way.” Law Minister, a former Dalit IAS Officer, replied that OBC quota came in UPSC only post Mandal in 1992. Congress sources admitted that Rahul was clearly misguided by his advisors as it takes an officer nearly three decades to make the grade of GOI Secretary. As for the Bill, Meghwal made it clear that the bill had factored in implementation only post-delimitation in 2026 as the Government did not want the law to be “challenged” in courts. Sonia Gandhi in her speech said there should be OBC quota in the bill. Countering her, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey asked why the 1993 law providing for women quota in local bodies had not provided for OBC quota.
PM Narendra Modi chose auspicious Ganesh Chaturthi to usher in the Women’s Reservation Bill providing for 33% reservation in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The bill, called the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Special Session of Parliament that was held in the newly built Parliament complex. The law, when passed, will come into effect only after the next delimitation exercise, which will be conducted after the first census to be taken after 2026. This means that women’s quota will not come into effect by 2024 Lok Sabha elections or even by Delhi assembly polls which is due in Feb 2025. The bill will be effective only by 2029. Yet the bill is being viewed as a perfect counter to caste-based parties in the I.N.D.I.A front that have been pushing for caste census. It is also a perfect antidote to politics of wooing women voters with freebies. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh felt Modi’s move was yet another election jumla.”We have not yet conducted the 2021 decadal census…Will the Census and delimitation be done before the 2024 elections? This is nothing but EVM — Event Management.” He pointed how the Rao Government in 1993 had brought in one-third reservation for women in panchayats and nagarpalikas in April 1993 and because of that there are already 15 lakh elected women representatives in panchayats and nagarpalikas.
India’s sherpa for G-20 Amitabh Kant seems to have got into trouble for trying to project the G-20 Delhi Declaration as a personal achievement, nearly overshadowing the role of the MEA and the external affairs minister S Jaishankar. Of course, he did attribute the role of four key MEA officials who worked with him on the draft declaration and had helped him negotiate with other countries, but eventually he ended up claiming MEA’s effort as all his own. At least from the way he was seen making his point in the media — how he was awake till 4 am to finalise the draft, it may seem he was the only man on the job. It first started off with a tweet that Kant put out on September 9, the day the G-20 Delhi Declaration was accepted crediting the IFS officers who worked with him. Kant was all over the media and in the social media space, much to the surprise of the MEA too. The Congress, which was disappointed by the success of G-20 Delhi Declaration, decided to focus on sherpa Kant rather than the political leadership of both PM Modi and Jaishankar. Singling out Kant for praise, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor noted “Looks like the IFS lost an ace diplomat when you opted for the IAS!” but generously acknowledged that it was “A proud moment for India at G20!” With things getting uneasy with the MEA, Kant clarified a day later to Tharoor how it was “not about IAS or IFS. It is about working as a Team for the country.” Now to bring MEA’s perspective about its role in G-20, Jaishankar is back again making his points.
Coming just a day ahead of the G-20 summit, PM Narendra Modi tweeted about India’s leap in financial inclusion, powered by Digital Public Infrastructure! “A G20 document prepared by the World Bank shared a very interesting point on India’s growth. India has achieved financial inclusion targets in just 6 years which would otherwise have taken at least 47 long years. Compliments to our robust digital payment infrastructure and the spirit of our people. It is equally a testament to rapid progress and innovation.” Interestingly various exhibitions at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the G-20 summit to showcase India’s technological prowess and innovation will offer a multitude of unique experiences to showcase a unique international project — ‘Culture Corridor – G20 Digital Museum’. The Culture Corridor will celebrate the shared heritage of G20 members and 9 invitee countries. The Digital India Experience Zone will offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience the power of technology being implemented by India first-hand. The Zone will provide key insights into the crucial initiatives of Digital India such as Aadhaar, DigiLocker and UPI. The RBI will display cutting-edge financial technologies at the G20 Summit, showcasing their potential to revolutionise the financial landscape. UPI One World is UPI designed for inbound foreign travellers who do not have bank accounts in India. Foreign nationals can open a Prepaid Payment Instrument linked to UPI to experience hassle-free and secure payments during their stay in India. Delegates will be boarded on UPI One World. Their wallets will be pre-funded with Rs 2000 which they can utilise as they desire.
Alarmed by the unrelenting stance of DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on his utterances about sanatana dharma, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reportedly called up his aunt and Thoothukkudi Lok Sabha MP K Kanimozhi to get her nephew to tone down. Rahul communicated with Kani before he left on his Europe tour this week. Initial efforts to get Udhayanidhi to pipe down were made via senior DMK leader TR Baalu by several Congress leaders. It was explained to him how junior Stalin’s utterances could wreck prospects of the Congress in the upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath made it clear to Rahul how Udhayanidhi’s open threat to vanquish believing Hindus like malaria/dengue had already upset a winning electoral game for the Congress in MP. It was only then that Rahul decided to dial Kanimozhi, so that she may persuade her brother and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. Unfortunately, Udhayanidhi seemed too reluctant to backtrack. I.N D.I.A .front allies like the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Shiv Sena UBT were upset with his utterances against Hindus. In a desperate attempt to win back support of I.N.D.I.A for his son, Stalin pits him against PM Modi and hopelessly drags in Modi’s directions to his ministers that Udhayanidhi’s remarks against sanatana dharma should be strongly countered. He said it was unfair for PM Modi to make “comments” without knowing what his son spoke. Fed up with DMK’s obstinacy, Congress has distanced itself from the Stalins.
As the BJP continued its onslaught on DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his “sanatana dharma must be eradicated” remark and dubbed it as an attack on all Hindus of the country, the Congress seemed hopelessly incoherent on how to respond to it. Not only did it shy away from denouncing statements of its powerful Tamil Nadu ally, but it also preferred to toe a middle line stating that “every political party has the freedom to (express) their views”. It was as if the Congress had no stake in the battle for Hindi heartland where sanatana dharma is synonymous with Hinduism; it was as if the Congress wasn’t bothered about winning the upcoming three state assembly polls. The tragedy for the Congress was that its top brass – AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary KC Venugopal — belonged to the South and decided to play safe. The party did depend on DMK for securing Lok Sabha seats. That is why someone like Karti Chidambaram openly backed the DMK idea. And it was left to Kamal Nath to ringfence the party in Madhya Pradesh from disastrous consequences of Udhayanidhi‘s utterances. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, son of AICC chief, too backed Udhayanidhi. Incidentally, the Kharges are neo Buddhists. The moot point is why did Udhayanidhi choose to sabre-rattle against sanatana dharma now? Was he trying to settle a score with Guv Ravi who has been talking about it everywhere in TN?
Looks like I.N.D.I.A front of Opposition leaders is being betrayed from those within. At a time when it seemed a good beginning had been made with the setting up of coordination committees and working groups, no one expected it would be filled with lightweights — barring Sharad Pawar. There was a suggestion from TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to involve CMs — at least in the election strategy group. For some reason it was scuttled by RJD leader Lalu Prasad who didn’t want Nitish Kumar on the panel. Didi who wanted to host the next I.N.D.I.A event in Kolkata found no takers as it was shot down by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury as he explained that Left could not be seen in a function hosted by the TMC. Rejection of Kolkata as venue was enough to irk Mamata. She found it odd that Communist leaders had no problem in rubbing shoulders with the TMC or the Congress in Delhi or Bengaluru but not in the home turf of Bengal or Kerala. Mamata also did not approve of the unilateral manner in which Rahul Gandhi raked up the Adani issue at the Opposition event without consulting other parties. The TMC chief had initially pointed to the Congress about the Left and Congress virulently campaigning against TMC for the September 5 Dhupguri assembly by-poll. In fact, Mamata had specially sent her nephew Abhishek to Delhi to complain to Rahul about the tone and tenor of the Left-Congress campaign.
Parliament Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi’s tweet announcing a Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) from September 18 to 22 predictably triggered a howl of protest from the Opposition. The announcement best served to take the limelight away from Opposition-I.N.D.I.A meet. With speculation rife that PM Modi could even push for a one nation-one election bill at this session, it must have sufficiently altered the agenda of the Opposition conclave in Mumbai. The Shiv Sena UBT protested loudest as the 5-day session coincided with Ganesh Chaturthi festivities beginning on September19 and dubbed it as anti-Hindu move. For the Modi government it was an auspicious day to launch numerous things, including holding the first session of the Parliament in the new building. While the Sena UBT may cry foul, what it does not know is that Ganesh Chaturthi is auspicious and celebrated not just in Maharashtra but in other states including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat. As for government business in the brief session, the session will adopt resolutions on successful launch of Chandrayan-3, conduct of G 20 summit and laud achievements of athlete Neeraj Chopra and chess wizard R Praggnanandhaa. As for the bills there is talk about a new reservation policy in the pipeline.
In a surprise move that is being seen as a raksha bandhan gift from PM Narendra Modi to all Indian households, the price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder was reduced by Rs 200 in all markets across the country. In Delhi for instance, the decision will bring down the cost of a 14.2 kg cylinder from Rs 1103 to Rs 903.”This is a gift to crores of my sisters of the country on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan”, said PM Modi. Opposition parties are already crying foul and see it as a move aimed at targeting voters in poll-bound states in Hindi heartland at the end of this year. The sop was announced just days ahead of a meeting of Opposition leaders of I.N.D.I.A in Mumbai on Aug 31-Sep 1. The effective price for PMUY (Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana) households in Delhi after this reduction will be Rs 703 per cylinder. There are more than 31 crore domestic LPG consumers in the country including 9.6 crore PMUY beneficiary families and this reduction will help all LPG consumers in the country. Reacting to the government move, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that Karnataka rout of the BJP — the high price of LPG was one of the main issues of the election. He also bragged about how the Congress government in Rajasthan was giving LPG cylinders at Rs 500. “Expect more such ‘gifts’ in the coming months as the PM becomes even more desperate to cling on to his chair.”
In a significant move, the BJP leadership appointed Anil Anthony as its national secretary as well as national spokesperson. It is significant that it chose to make the announcement on the traditional Kerala festival of Onam. Anil Anthony, son of senior Congress leader AK Anthony, had joined the BJP in April this year after quitting the Congress and criticising its stand on the controversial documentary film of the BBC on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had termed BBC as “a state sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices” against India, after which, he said, he had received threats as well. “Despite large differences with BJP, I think those in India placing views of BBC, a UK state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over Indian institutions is setting a dangerous precedent, will undermine our sovereignty,” Anthony had tweeted. Welcoming Antony to the BJP, Piyush Goyal described him as a “very grounded political worker”, who was convinced that the BJP cares for the country and shared the vision of sustainable growth.
In a major reshuffle in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Shashi Tharoor, Anand Sharma, Manish Tiwari and Sachin Pilot to the policy making body. Except for Pilot, whose inclusion is being seen as a sop ahead of Rajasthan assembly elections, inclusion of the other three leaders is significant as it finally buries the ghost of Group-23. These three leaders were among the many who in a letter to Sonia Gandhi last year had questioned non-transparent functioning in the Congress. Only exception among the G-23 leaders who got left out is former Maharashtra CM Prithiviraj Chavan. It is surprising that Chavan was kept out of the CWC unless the Congress brass is planning some other assignment for him. Also important is the inclusion of Ajay Maken and Alka Lamba, leaders who have been vocal against Arvind Kejriwal. Party sources were equally surprised that Kharge’s team decided to keep out a close Rahul Gandhi aide Milind Deora out of the CWC. Party circles from Telangana blamed bias of Kharge’s team for packing the CWC with men from Andhra — 4 leaders and only 2 from Telangana that too at a time when assembly elections are going to be held in Telangana by end of this year. “It just seems we have lost the plot to win elections,” said a close Rahul aide from Telangana who got axed in the CWC rejig.
It is going to be almost a year since he was elected Congress President, yet Mallikarjun Kharge has not constituted Congress Working Committee or the AICC. However in the last few days it seems he has begun effecting changes which speaks of his efforts to reshuffle responsibilities in the organisation. He deputed Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC General Secretary who handled Karnataka, to election-going Madhya Pradesh, recalling old hand JP Agarwal. Congress leaders were surprised that Kharge should send Surjewala to MP just three-four months ahead of the assembly elections. While it is not clear if Surjewala was chosen because he delivered Karnataka but he also shot into limelight for his recent utterance while addressing a public meeting in Kaithal, Haryana. Chiding those who vote BJP, he said “…Those who vote for BJP and are BJP supporters are of ‘rakshas’ (demons) tendency. I curse from this land of Mahabharat…” Sending Surjewala to MP to oust the BJP where it has been in power for over two decades or more may not be much of a challenge to the veteran party manager. But then Surjewala hasn’t won any direct election in his home state for a decade now; he was elected to Rajya Sabha as an MP from Rajasthan angering his rival Bhupinder Hooda. Unlike Karnataka, MP is a Hindu-majority state. No wonder even Congress leaders like Kamal Nath are wooing Hindu voters with pravachans of Baageshwardham.
West Bengal PCC chief and Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury enjoys the best of equations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. That was evident. As soon as Chowdhury began speaking on a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, the PM walked into the House to listen to him according him full status of Leader of the Opposition. However all that changed the minute Adhir slipped into name calling the PM. This saw the treasury side pushing for his suspension for his bizarre utterances – equating the PM to fugitive fraudster Nirav Modi. Sources close to Chowdhury say he is now filled with remorse and regret as he looks at all the perks he now has to forego. He has been telling all his close party aides that he had no intention to disrespect or humiliate the PM. But was facing pressure from Congress leadership to prove his loyalty to the party. Incidentally, the Congress top brass has been thinking of easing him out of one of the two posts that he now holds – LoP in the Lok Sabha and Bengal PCC Chief. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has been gunning for Adhir’s exit from Bengal as he has been her severe critic. Against this backdrop, Modi-Shah action of suspending Adhir from Lok Sabha could prove to be a blessing in disguise. With Congress forced to battle for him in the Parliament, Gandhis may not be able to axe him from Bengal.
Details are now emerging as to how it was PM Narendra Modi who had decided on the line up of speakers from the BJP side to participate in the three day No-Confidence Motion against his government. From picking Godda MP Nishikant Dubey as opening speaker who regaled the House with a one-liner about how Sonia Gandhi’s perpetual interest lay in “settling her son and gifting her son-in-law” to strategically fielding Jyotiraditya Scindia on the final day. Scindia, who had switched over to the BJP from the Congress in March 2020, belongs to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. Apparently, when Scindia started to speak Rahul Gandhi chose to walk out. It is being said Rahul simply could not bear to hear Scindia speak from across the aisle. Another politically important speaker was Telangana leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar who exposed the alcoholism of the BRS top brass in Telugu. Modi also got Rajyavardhan Rathore, a Vasundhara Raje favourite from Rajasthan to speak. So even as the PM wasn’t inside the House, he was tracking every speech. He had also decided on the content of the attack on the Opposition. He had also spent a lot of time interacting with the media. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi in a media interaction protested about the expunging of his remarks by Lok Sabha Speaker. He repeated all that he said inside the House. While he demanded Army action in Manipur, he simply ducked when asked about IAF strafing Mizoram in 1966 — a point raised by PM Modi.
If there was one thing Union Home Minister Amit Shah ensured with his stellar intervention in the no-confidence motion debate in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday it was to see that PM Modi has a smooth run on Thursday when he replies at the end of the 3-day debate. Shah spoke on Manipur towards the end of his 2 hour long intervention; he spent much of his time attacking the Opposition for trying to tie-up discussion on Manipur with a statement from PM Modi. Recalling how in the 90s when then north-eastern states had seen more entrenched and protracted violence between the Nagas and Kukis, Shah said neither then PM PV Narasimha Rao nor his Home Minister SB Chavan had made any statement. “It was left entirely to the then Minister of State Rajesh Pilot to speak on the issue.” Shah felt an entire narrative of neglect of the N-E was now being built against Modi as he had visited the “region over 50 times”. Even the no-trust move had been brought only to mislead the people. What hurt the Centre was the record of the last six years had been shattered. “We didn’t have to impose a curfew in Manipur until May 3. Insurgent violence was almost over. Then, neighbouring Myanmar saw a military leadership that had a Kuki Democratic Front party coming into power. Due to no fencing at the Myanmar border, the Kuki brothers started coming in. What we have with Myanmar is like the open border that we have with Nepal.”
After much flip-flop over initiating debate on the no-confidence motion against the Modi government which his party had initiated, Rahul Gandhi did speak in the Lok Sabha on the second day of the discussion. However, his speech did not match expectations. The Congress leader did not seem to be firing on all cylinders. After all, he was the one who had made the spot visit to Manipur; he should have surely had “enough material” to put the Centre on the mat. What he lacked in substance, he made up with some outright abusive slogans against PM Modi. He even declared PM Modi was a “traitor” and not a “nationalist” as he “murdered India” in Manipur. If Rahul’s aggressive sloganeering was aimed at catching headlines, it did not receive much attention. Whatever the reason it wasn’t his speech that made headlines but his one mindless gesture of a flying kiss. The controversy over the flying kiss had got all 21 women MPs and several BJP ministers worked up. But for their protest over Rahul’s unbecoming conduct in a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Wayanad MP’s first speech after his membership was restored would not have been noticed. Yes, Rahul’s speech would have been lost in the din. As Union Minister Smriti Irani, who spoke after Rahul, observed “Only a misogynist man can blow a flying kiss to parliament that seats women MPs”.
Even after the Supreme Court reprieve in the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, the Congress is still all worked up and worried whether his membership of Waynad Lok Sabha would be automatically restored. If so, it would happen before the House takes up No-Confidence motion against the Modi Government next week — on August 8. Congress Lok Sabha Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury made it clear that the party wanted Rahul to initiate discussion on the trust vote. He said he had rushed to meet with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla as soon as the SC gave its order on Rahul’s conviction. The Speaker apparently asked him to provide a copy of the SC order. Rahul’s senior legal counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi pointed out that he’s not surprised not by the way the Speaker had responded. Recalling how he had to approach the SC on behalf of Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal, whose conviction was vacated by the Kerala HC way back in January this year. “We had waited for two months. Only when we moved the SC, the government approached us and Faisal’s membership of the LokSabha was restored,” says Singhvi. Congress sources admit that the party has been disrupting parliamentary proceedings during the Monsoon Session only to protest what happened to Rahul. Both Manipur and the no-trust vote were a bahana. With Rahul’s return will the Parliament logjam end? Not quite.
Karnataka Congress MLAs, who were as unhappy with the way ministers in Siddaramaiah government were functioning, were reportedly disappointed with the way their August 2 interaction with Rahul Gandhi went. He was more focused about his own goals of winning more Lok Sabha seats — it was as if he was going to be PM in 2024. The interaction which was primarily arranged to focus on grievances of some 11 MLAs who had written a letter about the functioning of some ministers in the two-month-old Congress government in Karnataka became an opportunity to discuss preparation for 2024 Lok Sabha. Rahul was more keen to tell ministers and the MLAs that the focus of the Congress must be about winning more Lok Sabha seats — he had set a target of achieving BJP’s record of 26 seats from Karnataka. Later Deputy CM DK Shivkumar said the Congress would aim to win 20 seats. In some sort of gag order, Rahul advised MLAs not to write letters but to take up their issues with the CM, AICC in charge Randeep Surjewala, KC Venugopal or Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Rahul also warned state ministers not to get embroiled in any controversy as the party had got a mandate against corruption of the BJP. Meanwhile, party sources said only CM Siddaramaiah seemed a happy man after his Delhi visit. That too after his first official interaction with PM Modi!
After days of disruption over Manipur, the Opposition finally allowed some government business. The introduction of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, a bill to replace the ordinance that the Centre had issued for appointment and control of executives of the Delhi government was introduced. The I.N.D.I.A. parties were seen opposing the bill at the introduction stage. It was against this bill that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had mobilised support of Opposition parties. The Congress, DMK and TMC did come out in support of Kejriwal. However the most crucial and effective support for the Modi government came from the Biju Janata Dal. BJD MP and senior advocate Pinaki Mishra wondered how MPs could question “the legislative competence” of the government to bring such a law. In a boost to the Modi government, he pointed out that the Supreme Court in its order on a plea filed by the State of Delhi against Union of India had said “if Parliament enacts a law granting executive power on any subject which is within the domain of NCTD, the executive power of the LG shall be modified to the extent as provided in that law”. “The Government has brought out a law now pursuant to the Supreme Court empowering it. So, how can you challenge legislative competence? I can understand you voting against it,” Mishra was heard saying, reading relevant paras of the SC order. Apparently, support of BJD and the YSRCP are enough to ensure that the bill will sail through Rajya Sabha.
The Opposition parties haven’t simply got over the fact that the BJP managed to convene a meeting of NDA parties in New Delhi on the same day, (July 18) when they had met in Bengaluru for a second time to pick a name for their alliance and even managed to dominate the media. It was just that the NDA seemed more organised. Even as there was not much agreement over I.N.D.I.A — the repackaged UPA 3, PM Modi went all gun-blazing at the Opposition. He had made it a point to connect with every one of the leaders of the 38 parties who attended the NDA meeting on a one-to-one basis even if it was for a few minutes. Party sources said at the dinner meeting where most leaders were seated across 12 tables, PM Modi made it a point to move from table to table to engage with the guests. Almost all leaders sort of got personal attention from Modi and managed to have a private word with him. Maharashtra contingent of leaders – CM Eknath Shinde, Dy CM Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel — had a special equation with Modi as the PM spoke to them in Marathi. Edappadi K Palaniswami also got to hear very encouraging words from PM Modi as he told the former TN CM that he was “leader of the NDA” in the state.
On the second day of the Opposition meeting in Bengaluru, the challengers revealed the new name for their alliance — Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that an 11-member coordination panel will be formed which will meet in Mumbai and decide the next date of meeting too. The alliance will have a secretariat that will function from Delhi. Clearly, the two-day meeting in Bengaluru was far more productive than the Patna meet. As Rahul Gandhi who addressed the media put it, “The discussions we had today were very productive and took place smoothly.” A number of leaders were significantly found missing from media interaction. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin. Veteran NCP leader Sharad Pawar was present but did not speak. Incidentally, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI top leader D Raja were present but also did not interact. “People are coming forward against dictatorship…Hum hai na“, said Uddhav Thackeray. “The character of our republic is being severely assaulted in a systematic manner by the BJP. We are at a most crucial juncture in our nation’s history,” the Opposition alliance said in a collective pledge. Mamata Banerjee dared the NDA asking “Can you challenge I. N. D.I.A?”. Incidentally, she addressed the Left leaders by their first names for the first time. Curious why is the TMC going soft on the Left?
In the face of fierce attacks from the Opposition, particularly, the local Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, over the violence in during the West Bengal panchayat elections, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had initially planned to skip the Opposition unity meeting on July 17-18 in Bengaluru. She had cited her limb injury as a reason for not attending the meeting. However, a phone call from Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi to Didi has changed her mind. It is being said TMC supremo will travel to Bengaluru accompanied by her medical team. Sonia reportedly urged Mamata to attend the dinner event that she would be hosting on July 17. It is quite possible that the West Bengal CM with her limited mobility may just register her presence at the dinner event and possibly skip the main meeting on July 18. Confirming Mamata’s presence at Bengaluru, Congress sources however claimed that the Bengal leader had responded to party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s letter. What about Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal? Would he be there too? “We are hoping to hear from the AAP side too,” said a close Kharge aide. The 24-party Opposition meet, aiming for a united front against BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,will be meeting for the second time. This time it will be watched with interest for its outcome.
Out of six Rajya Sabha seats in West Bengal, the victory of TMC on five and BJP on one seat is being considered confirmed. If Anant Rai Maharaj wins, this will be the first time that a BJP leader will be elected to the Rajya Sabha from Bengal! Anant Maharaj is an influential Rajbanshi leader. In Bengal, they come from the Scheduled Castes (SC). The community comprises about 30% of voters in North Bengal, which accounts for 54 assembly seats. They hold influence in Cooch Behar, Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri districts of West Bengal. Anant Maharaj is also the President of the Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association. He was being wooed by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and BJP. Finally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah succeeded in tapping him with RS seat. The buzz is he may be inducted as minister and replace current MoS Nisith Pramanik, who is Cooch Behar Lok Sabha MP and belongs to the Dalit community. Anant Maharaj is treated like Raja of Cooch Behar by the Adivasis.
With NCP supremo Sharad Pawar setting his house in order after a split in his party and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar facing rumblings within the JD(U) over alliance with the RJD, looks like the task of fine-tuning Opposition unity ahead of 2024 election is going to be with the Congress. It is possible that former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi could once again be back at the helm of Opposition parties to provide a cohesive response to the BJP-led NDA. It is possible that Sonia has stepped in to steer the Opposition parties as most leaders are too preoccupied with their own issues. Sonia’s role became apparent as it was declared by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar that the former Congress President would be attending the next meeting of Opposition parties in Bengaluru on July 17-18. She was reportedly attending the meeting on Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s request. The first meeting of the Opposition was held in Bihar’s Patna on June 23. It may be recalled how rebel NCP leader Praful Patel had mocked the level of Opposition leaders who had gathered to oppose PM Modi in Patna. He had said he felt like ‘laughing’ listening to the claims of leaders at the Opposition meeting. Parties with one or no MPs were claiming to bring about a change, he said. “There were 17 opposition parties, and seven of them have just one member in the Lok Sabha. There was a party with no MPs. And they claimed they would bring change,” he said.
Nothing jolted veteran NCP leader Sharad Pawar about the split in the party he founded in 1999 than the exit of his closest aide Praful Patel who also chose to head out and join the rebel NCP group headed by Ajit Pawar. In fact as Patel himself put it at a meeting of the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP “I always stayed with Sharad Pawar as his shadow”. He also promised to write a book. “I am a modest person so I speak less, I will also write a book. If I will not tell how Maharashtra will understand.” Apparently Pawar interacted with Patel post his exit and sought to know what persuaded him to walk-out of the party along with his nephew; after all he has no ambition of being a CM or a central minister. NCP sources said a tearful Patel reportedly conceded to Sharad Pawar that it was his problems with the ED that had forced him to seek a solution. The ED had attached prime property at Worli belonging to him in the Iqbal Mirchi case. It is not clear how cases against him would now get diluted. When Patel stated his ED issues, Sharad Pawar took a kinder view. “Yet what we cannot fathom is how someone like Dilip Walse Patil who was made a leader by Sharad Pawar from a support staff to an MLA walked out of the NCP?” asks a national leader.
At the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the historic Gita Press in Gorakhpur, when PM Narendra Modi released the Chitramaya Shiva Purana Granth in Hindi and Nepali he could not help going spiritual .“Gita Press is not just a printing press but a living faith”, Modi remarked. The office of Gita Press was no less than a shrine for crores of people, he said. “With Gita comes Krishna, with Krishna, there is compassion and ‘karma’”. Quoting the Gita, the PM said “Vasudeva Sarvam ie. Everything is, from and in Vasudev.” He emphasized that the spiritual light that lit up in the form of Gita Press in 1923 has become the guiding light of the entire humanity today. UP CM Yogi Adityanath, who spoke before him, recalled how there was a proposal to confer the prize in 2021 itself. Referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s emotional attachment to Gita Press, Modi informed that Gandhiji once used to write for Gita Press through Kalyan Patrika. He further added that it was Gandhiji who suggested that advertisements should not be published in the Kalyan Patrika and the suggestion is still being followed. In these 100 years, the Gita Press has published crores of books which are sold at a price less than the cost and delivered door-to-door. Modi underlined that an organization like Gita Press is not only associated with religion and work but also has a national character.
For all his bluff and bluster against BJP and Modi-Shah, NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar never misses to show off his equations with the PM. In fact, days before his nephew Ajit walked over to the NDA, Pawar had gone public with details about how he had got Rohit Tilak, a Congress functionary and member of the legendary Tilak family, an appointment with PM Modi. “Imagine Rohit Tilak didn’t think of approaching Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to reach out to the PM.” Tilak wanted to reach out to Modi to persuade him to accept the Lokmanya Tilak Award this year. PM Modi will be travelling to Pune to receive this award in August. It only showed the kind of equations Pawar shared with PM Modi. At the same time, Pawar loves to charge the BJP of destroying the Opposition parties. More evidence of Sharad Pawar’s perfidy surfaced when Chhagan Bhujbal disclosed how the veteran leader at an NCP internal meeting had claimed that PM Modi had an edge in 2024 Lok Sabha polls and was bound to get re-elected. It was amply clear that the octogenarian was aware of his limitations. State Congress leaders feel the party must now chart its own independent course with fresh faces such as Prithviraj Chavan and Anant Gadgil. Common people are fed up with the high drama of Sena-BJP and the NCP and are yearning for some new politics.
With the appointment of TS Singh Deo as the Deputy Chief Minister of the Chhattisgarh government ahead of state elections due by the year-end, has the Congress secured possibilities of winning back the state? Deo who had initially announced he would not contest the 2023 elections and had even given up panchayati raj portfolio was seen as sulking as he was not made CM as initially promised. Congress leadership naturally panicked. Deo had delivered all the 14 tribal dominated Sarguja region seats in the 2018 assembly elections. In June 2021, the rivalry between CM Bhupesh Baghel and Deo surfaced briefly after Baghel completed two-and-a-half years as CM. Congress sources give credit for bringing rapprochement between Baghel and Deo to new AICC in-charge Kumari Selja. She apparently was not biased towards the CM unlike previous AICC managers like PL Punia and decided to work on getting Deo back on board. Baghel-Deo truce could be fragile as Baghel, a prominent OBC face, decided to push his own tribal face from Sarguja region– Nand Kumar Sai — a former BJP leader who had joined the party as recently as in May. Congressmen feel Sai at 77 is too old. Meanwhile, one hears Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot is literally dragging his feet to reach a compromise with his squabbling deputy Sachin Pilot. Summoned by party chief Kharge to reach Delhi for a meeting on July 3, Gehlot is feigning a foot sore. Looks like CMs are learning a lot from Mamata di about how to fake it!
It was vintage PM Narendra Modi all over again as he slammed the Opposition unity move in Patna while addressing BJP karyakartas from all over the country in Bhopal. Flush with the success of his Indo-US visit and a number of MoUs signed, Modi was oozing confidence; he did not seem worried about the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Karnataka poll rout had been firmly put in the back burner. He described the Patna Opposition move as coming together of leaders with a proven track record in corruption and reminded people of crores of funds lost to the exchequer because of them. Answering a question from a BJP worker, he said he never saw such agitation among the Opposition parties like this time. “You remember what happened in 2014 and 2019? The staunch opponents of BJP were not this much agitated either in 2014 or in 2019. Enemies have now come together. Leaders who used to abuse each other are now prostrating before each other. Don’t get angry at them, have pity,” Modi said. He used the occasion to launch his UCC agenda and reminded citizens that if triple talaq, now outlawed by the Supreme Court, had been a necessary tenet of Islam, then why Pakistan, Indonesia, and Bangladesh do not have it?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted US First Lady Jill Biden a lab grown 7.5 carat green diamond during his recently concluded 3-day state visit to the US . Questions were raised about the nature of the jewel. The diamond is eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. It reflects earth-mined diamonds’ chemical and optical properties. The Green Diamond is sculpted with precision and care using cutting edge technology. It emits only 0.028 grams of Carbon per carat and is certified by the Gemological lab, IGI. A diamond maker from Surat described the lab grown green diamond as “an atma nirbhar step that is giving jobs to millions of people all around India.” PM Modi’s US visit seems to have offered some goodies to overseas Indians. In a major boost to software professionals, PM Modi announced that US consulates would be opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. And an Indian consulate would be opened in Seattle. He also conveyed that people may not have to leave the US once their H1 B visa expires. He also had a personal interaction with Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc and Google. He invited Pichai to explore further avenues of collaboration in the domains of Artificial Intelligence; fintech; cybersecurity products & services; as well as mobile device manufacturing in India. PM and Pichai also discussed collaboration between Google and academic institutions in India to promote R&D and skill development.
The Opposition leaders’ first huddle in Patna to chalk out the strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections got off to a shaky start with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kerjiwal in a rush to push senior leaders, particularly Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to accept his agenda on Delhi Ordinance. The ordinance had provided for setting up of National Capital Civil Service Authority under Delhi L-G for transfer and posting of officials. Kejriwal’s overdrive surprised the leaders. Congress sources said that the party leadership did not want to be seen being pushed around. After all, state units in Punjab and Delhi units were opposed to supporting the AAP in Parliament. Kejriwal did not expect the Congress to deal with the matter with caution and which is probably why he opted to skip the Press briefing at the end of the meeting. “Kejriwal’s churlish conduct upset senior leaders…It was suggested that a view on the ordinance would be taken at the next meeting in July in Shimla, ” rued a Congress source. Otherwise, there seemed to be a lot of light-heartedness at the meet as RJD leader Lalu Prasad openly suggested to Rahul Gandhi that he must get married – that too before the press. He also remarked how, “Lord Hanuman thrashed BJP with his mace in Karnataka, had made Rahul win.” Only Mamata Banerjee who is facing the brunt of education scam in her state spoke about the menace of ED.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House for a private dinner he decided to carry gifts marking 80th birthday of President Biden — a milestone he had reached last November. Krishna Yajurveda’s Vaikhanas Grihya Sutram mentions that an individual becomes ‘Drishta Sahasrachandro’ or the one who has seen one thousand full moons when he completes the age of 80 years and eight months. An elaborate set of Vedic rituals are performed such as Vinayak Pooja — prayers to Lord Ganesha, culminating in Poornaahuti (oblation to the sacred fire) Satabhishekam and finally Sahasra Chandra Darshanam or gazing at the 1000th full Moon. During Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam celebrations, there is a custom of Das Danam or donations of 10 different kinds. The gifts were carried in a special sandalwood box, handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur. It contained the silver idol of Ganesha handcrafted by a family of fifth generation silversmiths of Kolkata. It also included a diya (oil lamp) .It also contained delicate silver boxes containing symbolic – Das Danams or the 10 donations, which signifies the donations made on this occasion. Among the boxes was this 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin that is offered as Hiranyadaan (donation of gold).
Congress Peeved As Teen Murti Loses Its Nehru Link, Renamed Prime Ministers Museum & Library Society
In a special meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) Society, it was resolved to change the name to the Prime Ministers Museum & Library Society. The meeting was presided by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who is the Vice President of the Society. PM Narendra Modi had mooted the idea of setting up of a museum dedicated to all the PMs of India on Teen Murti Premises, New Delhi in 2016. The Executive Council, NMML had in its 162nd meeting held November 25, 2016 approved the construction of the Museum of all PMs in the Teen Murti Estate. The project was completed and the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was opened to the public on April 21 2022. The Executive Council subsequently felt that the name of the Institution should reflect the present activities which now also include a Sangrahalaya depicting the collective journey of democracy in Independent India and highlighting the contribution of each Prime Minister in nation-building. Nripendra Misra , who is chairman of the Executive Council, explained the need for a change in name by emphasizing that the Prime Minister’s Museum expresses the nation’s deep commitment to democracy and so the name of the institution should reflect its new form. The Congress, which has not been enthusiastic about all PMs’ museums right from the start, lashed out at losing the nostalgic Teen Murti link with Nehru.
When Jai Inder Kaur, daughter of former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, organised a BJP rally in Patiala to celebrate 9 years of Modi government last week it became apparent that she would be staking claim to the Patiala Lok Sabha seat currently held by her mother Perneet Kaur. Congress sources conceded that the Patiala Lok Sabha seat was now up for grabs. “We had after all suspended Perneet Kaur in February on the charge of helping her husband and the BJP,” said a Congress leader. With the exit of the royal family from the Congress fold, the party may not have any serious candidate to take on Jai Inder Kaur. Significantly, Kaur’s father was conspicuous by his absence at the rally as he wanted to keep the focus on his daughter. After being dumped by the Congress as CM, Capt Amarinder had floated Punjab Lok Congress in 2021. He merged his party along with the BJP in 2022 and was subsequently inducted into the party’s national executive. The Patiala rally was attended by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Some of them who have worked with Capt Amarinder have reportedly sent feelers to the BJP. After the loss of Jalandhar Lok Sabha by -election, there is also talk of the BJP and the Akali Dal coming back together for 2024.
The progress of the ground floor in Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya was reviewed recently by the senior members of the Trust including Chairman Construction Committee headed by Nripendra Misra. Even as details of the temple were shared in a release by Misra, it was disclosed that the construction work on infrastructure buildings was in full swing and it was likely to be completed by October 2023. The dome size of the five mandaps are 34 ft wide and 32 ft. The height of the courtyard varies from 69 feet to 111 feet. The Temple is 380 feet in length, 250 feet wide and 161 feet high from the courtyard. The three-storey Temple has five mandaps and one main Shikar. The size of Sanctum Sanctorum is 20 feet x 20 feet in length and width with a total area of 403.34 sq. ft. There will be 46 numbers of teakwood doors. The door of Sanctum Sanctorum will be ornated with gold. There are 392 pillars which have been structurally provided taking into consideration the load factor and other climatic challenges. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has sent an invitation letter to PM Modi for the grand opening of the Ram temple in Ayodhya while suggesting three “auspicious dates” for the ceremony. They are between January 17 and 24. It may be recalled that the temple’s foundation was laid in a ceremony presided over by Modi on August 5, 2020.
There is not much excitement in the BJP circles about TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s brief meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda early this month. The possibility of an electoral alliance between the two parties ahead of the Telangana assembly election later this year and general elections next year are being ruled out as it would not suit BJP. TDP was a part of the NDA in 2014 but quit the ruling alliance in March 2018 before the 2019 elections on the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh. However, both parties came together after the recent municipal elections in Port Blair. BJP sources said TDP is not much liked in Telangana as it had opposed creation of a separate state of Telangana. “It is precisely for this reason that the Congress-TDP alliance has not clicked in the new state. Congress is a stronger party but gets pulled down by the TDP,” pointed out a BJP functionary. It is precisely for this reason that the BJP which is trying to make some inroads in Telangana would shun a tie-up with the TDP. As for Andhra, a party source admitted that the BJP was already in alliance with Pawan Kalyan’s party Jana Sena and may tie-up with TDP. Significantly, PM Modi remembered NT Rama Rao, TDP founder and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on his birth anniversary in his radio program Mann Ki Baat last month.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has been patient and courteous to flurry of requests and inquiries from CMs of the neighbouring states about the fate of passengers from their states who could have lost their lives in the Balasore rail accident involving Coromandel Express. However, what he must not have anticipated is the rush of some leaders to the accident site or the state for optics. At least two leaders seem to have rushed just to make a point — West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Didi made not one but two visits, just to remind she has been a Rail Minister once and even made it a point to rush to Balasore on the day of the accident and be spotted with the Union rail minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the site. In fact, on live TV, the Rail Minister politely ticked her off as she suggested that the death count could be as high as 500. It is odd that the Bengal CM is back again visiting Odisha hospitals — in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. As for Udhayanidhi, it is being said he was quite stumped when CM Patnaik asked him if he had any back-up plan to take stranded patients back home. Caught off-guard by probing queries, the young minister decided to play safe and chose to personally visit hospitals looking for those injured from Tamil Nadu. Only two persons hailing from TN were traced, out of a total of untraceable 8 from a list of 127 passengers with Tamil Nadu addresses.
If the Congress dragged the Karnataka post-poll confabulations a tad longer even after a resounding victory and had to call off a swearing-in, it wasn’t all because of D K Shivakumar’s tantrums. Party sources say that the entire 3-day drama in Delhi wasn’t the result of his muscle-flexing alone. Sources said at no point did DKS threaten to stay out of the government nor demand the “finance ministry” portfolio. Nor did he insist on an assurance from Sonia Gandhi to make him CM after two years. Which is probably why AICC managers have not spelt out terms of a Sidda-DKS deal– maybe there’s no deal. Besides, Sidda always likes a full term. “DKS is aware of his limitations. He is aware of his legal liabilities. He cannot demand the finance portfolio as Sidda has the formidable reputation of presenting 13 Budgets,” said a close Rahul aide. If DKS indeed had no pre-conditions then what delayed government formation? It was apparently Sidda’s idea that he should be allowed to take oath alone as CM on May 17 that created a deadlock. It was Sidda’s way of taking credit for Karnataka victory that irked DKS. So he put his foot down and insisted that he would like to take the oath along with the CM. DKS’ insistence annoyed Sidda; after all he had been reluctant to induct DKS as a minister in his previous stint as CM. Besides, Sidda was keen to showcase his oath-taking as a national Opposition unity event that would be attended by everyone: Sharad Pawar, Sitaram Yechury, M K Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav and Mamata Banerjee.
PM Narendra Modi will be dedicating the newly constructed Parliament building to the Nation on May 28, which marks the birth anniversary of Veer Savarkar. The new building symbolises the spirit of self-reliant India (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) and has come up in record time. Both the houses of Parliament– the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha – had passed resolutions urging the government to construct a new building. Consequently, on 10 December 2020, the foundation stone of the new building of Parliament was laid by PM Modi. The newly constructed building is reportedly equipped with state-of-the-art facilities which will help the MPs to perform their functions in a better way. The Lok Sabha can accommodate 888 members and the Rajya Sabha 384 members. In the present Parliament House, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 280 in the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha will facilitate joint sittings of both the Houses, something that happened in the Central Hall of the Parliament in the present building. The present Parliament complex was completed in 1927, which is now going to be almost 100 years old. The building with aging wiring systems and drainage facilities has posed many hazards and has not been able to cater to growing needs of MPs. It was also subjected to a terror attack on 13 December 2001, by Pak inspired agents that took nine lives of security personnel.
It is now as clear as daylight that the prospect of KPCC President D K Shivkumar becoming chief minister of Karnataka is zilch. A fate he always feared most — that he would also end up like Sachin Pilot — even as he notched up one of the most brilliant electoral victories for the Congress. Yes, Rahul Gandhi in his meeting with party observers Sushil Kumar Shinde made it clear that it would be better to go with the views expressed by newly elected Karnataka MLAs. And that means going ahead and declaring Siddaramaiah as CM. Siddaramaiah had claimed that he had support of more MLAs. Only 37 of the 136 legislators had refused to give the name of preferred CM choice. Siddaramaiah always knew he was going to clinch the office, notwithstanding DKS’s claims. That is why as soon as the results came in, he was already working on who are the officers he must get on in his team. As for DKS, he knew his game was over when Sonia and Priyanka moved out of Delhi. All that will remain is the way he mobilized Vokkaligas in Old Mysore to back the Congress; he persuaded them to abandon the Janata Dal (Secular) including the prestigious Ramnagar seat. Congress won 30 of the 61 seats in the Old Mysuru region.
The shock defeat of the BJP in the Karnataka election was no surprise at BJP headquarters in New Delhi. Party sources said an electoral rout was inevitable as B L Santosh, BJP’s national general secretary, who hailed from the state, was handling all election related issues and had not involved anyone from the North. “In the 2018 polls, I held campaign meetings among our community leaders in the South. This time no one even bothered to involve me,” said BJP’s Dalit leader. Party sources said Santosh, a RSS pracharak hailing from Udupi, was brought in as Karnataka BJP general secretary (organisation) in 2006 and remained in the post till 2014. At party headquarters, he was brought in by Modi-Shah to oversee BJP’s expansion in the South. Party sources said Santosh relied too much on the much disliked former Chikkamagaluru MLA C T Ravi, who lost the elections. Ironically, Santosh is being seen as responsible for reducing the BJP to the 2013 situation when B S Yediyurappa’s exit caused Lingayats to desert en masse. Only exception was in urban Hubbali where Jagadish Shettar who quit the BJP and held Santosh “directly responsible” for his denial of a ticket. Shettar lost even as Sonia Gandhi campaigned for him.
On a day when Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav were in Mumbai meeting with Uddhav Thackeray exploring scope for Opposition alliance, his home ground gave away. Yes, his once close aide Ram Chandra Prasad Singh joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at party headquarters in New Delhi. A Kurmi leader like Nitish who also hails from Nalanda, Singh’s joining the BJP is expected to strengthen the party in Bihar. An IAS officer of UP cadre Singh had closely worked with Nitish during his stint as a Union minister. He went on to slam Nitish, accusing him of compromising with crime and corruption in his pursuit of “kursi”, calling the JDU supremo a “paltimaar”. Singh lost his Rajya Sabha membership and also had to quit as Union minister as the JDU refused to nominate him for a fresh term last year. His differences with Nitish have been growing over the years — first it was over the appointment of poll strategist Prashant Kishore as JDU vice-president and then over Nitish’s over dependence on now JDU chief Lallan Singh. RCP Singh took VRS from the IAS and was nominated by the JDU to the Rajya Sabha in 2010. Meanwhile, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik who met with PM Narendra Modi dismissed the possibility of working with the Opposition for the 2024 general election, declaring that his BJD will go it alone. Incidentally, Nitish Kumar had met with him early this week.
“BJP’s Vasundhara Raje Scindia is Ashok Gehlot’s leader, not Sonia Gandhi,” declared senior Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot. Announcing a “Jan Sangharsh Yatra” from Ajmer to Jaipur on 11 May, he said he would take his demands to the people, particularly for action against BJP’s corruption. Pilot’s comments come two days after the Rajasthan CM said in Dholpur that he had survived an internal revolt in July 2020 because BJP’s former chief minister Scindia and her two close aides — Kailash Meghwal and Shobharani Khushwaha–refused to support a conspiracy to topple the government. Pilot – with the help of 18 MLAs — had rebelled against Gehlot but could not muster enough numbers to bring down the government. Pilot said “the Dholpur speech has made it clear why there has been no action against the previous Vasundhara Raje government.” Anyway it is not just Pilot who is hitting the ground running. PM Modi will be in Rajasthan too on May 10 inaugurating and lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 5,500 crore. Meanwhile, Congress sources are raising eyebrows about Gehlot’s offer to “compensate” Congress MLAs crossing over to BJP at the behest of Pilot. 10 Janpath would certainly be squirming at the idea.
While all political parties are focused on Karnataka assembly elections mid-week, there is one Lok Sabha by-elections that is being held the same day that has gone completely below the radar. Yes, it is the by-election to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat. It has become a high-stake battle for the ruling AAP which lost Sangrur Lok Sabha bypolls last year. AAP is understandably eager to win the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat as it is being seen as a curtain raiser to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. To secure Jalandhar, AAP has fielded former Congress MLA Sushil Kumar Rinku, hours after he jumped ship. For some reason, however, Congress feels comfortable and confident that it will clinch the Jalandhar seat as it is banking on the legacy of its two-time MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary who died during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. It has fielded his wife, academician Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, as candidate from Jalandhar. Karamjit Chaudhary’s son Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary is the sitting MLA from Phillaur (reserved) assembly constituency, the home turf of the Chaudhary family in Jalandhar. “We are feeling confident about a Congress win not only because of the sympathy factor. It is also because everyone is working for the Congress”, said Khadoor Sahib MP Jasbir Singh Gill. Jalandhar has been a Congress stronghold since 1999. Congress sources say at present the mood against AAP is so much in Punjab that even the SAD-BSP alliance could emerge as first runner up.
When the Congress won Himachal in December last year polling just 0.90% more votes than the BJP it wasn’t seen as an effective victory. Of course, the Congress had secured 15 more seats than the BJP. However all doubts were put to rest on May 4 when under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu when the Congress swept Shimla Municipal Corporation elections picking 24 of the 34 wards, leaving a measly 9 seats for the BJP. It now became quite clear that the Congress had found a new leader in the CM. In a post- Virbhadra Singh era, it seemed the party had found the right kind of person to fill his place. Even as the Himachal BJP made an issue that the Congress was ignoring late Virbhadra Singh and had not used his posters in the civic polls, Congress sources point out that even late Virbhadra had never managed to win 24 wards in Shimla during his lifetime. Which means what had essentially worked for Sukhu, who had risen from the ranks, is that he had begun delivering on election promises including the old pension scheme. Zeroing in on Sukhu as CM and delivering in Himachal would definitely go a long way in boosting Priyanka Gandhi’s credentials as a leader. In fact, it is for this reason that the Congress decided to showcase Sukhu in Bengaluru at a presser on May 5 itself.
There is apparently a lot of resentment against AICC in charge for Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala among state Congress leaders for the manner in which he is handling ongoing assembly elections. Party leaders are particularly livid with him for messing up with the election manifesto. Across the board, everyone is holding him and election strategist, Sunil Kanugolu, responsible for the big time “Bajrang Dal” goof up — that is putting an incendiary item in the manifesto and handing the BJP, an electoral issue. “The Congress has gifted this election on a platter to PM Modi. This Bajrang Dal was not an input of the manifesto committee. In fact the panel headed by Dr G Parameshwara and members such as Madhu Bangarappa and Prof Radhakrishna had nothing to do with it. These words were added by Surjewala and Kanugolu perhaps with a view to give a handle to the BJP,” said a former Congress CM. That is why former Union Minister M Veerappa Moily clarified that there was no proposal to ban the Bajrang Dal. “No one in the Congress trusts Kanugolu as he has a history of working with the BJP. In fact Surjewala and Kanugolu so tightly control every one that all leaders are quite fed up. This was an election we were winning hands down. Now in the last week, our leaders are rushing to temples,” said a close Rahul Gandhi aide. To recover some lost ground D K Shivakumar even visited a Hanuman temple.
In Karnataka both the major political parties — the BJP and the Congress — are restricting their appeal to particular communities. It became more obvious in their election manifestos that was released about a week ahead of polling on May 10. Though the election pledges may not have much influence on the voters, the sticking point in the documents such as a claim to ban to the Bajrang Dal by the Congress to pacify Muslims or promise of the BJP to usher in the UCC, introduce the NRC and “speedy deportation of all illegal migrants” seem to be aimed at reaching out to the Hindus. Congress sources admitted that Hindus as a bloc were beyond their reach in coastal Karnataka and this seems to have made the party shift its focus to Muslims in the south. However by taking a pro-Muslim stand in a year when Ram Temple at Ayodhya is all set to become a reality, the Congress could be in a spot in north India. Little wonder that PM Modi promptly tore into the Congress’ manifesto promising a ban on Bajrang Dal. Addressing a public meeting in Hosapete, Karanataka he said, “I’m fortunate to be at the birthplace of Shri Hanuman, but it also unfortunate to know the Congress has declared to ban the Bajrang Dal, who revere Bajrang Bali Hanuman, if they come to power”. As Assam CM Himanta Sarma regretted equating a banned “PFI and Bajrang Dal”.
In an unusual move of promoting cooperative federalism, Foundation Day of Gujarat and Maharashtra on May 1 were not only observed in the two states but across Raj Bhavans in the country celebrating the theme “Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat”. Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate India’s rich cultural diversity, to foster a sense of national unity and promote a spirit of mutual understanding and respect. It pairs up states and union territories with each other, promoting cultural and linguistic exchange between them through various activities such as art, music, dance, food and sports. The celebration of Gujarat and Maharashtra Foundation Day by the Raj Bhavans of other states is a unique step for the promotion of national unity. It seems to have the blessings of the PMO and has been encouraged by the top leadership. Even as the Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais unfurled the national flag and inspected the parade, it would be interesting to note that Maharashtra and Gujarat Foundation Day were celebrated across all Raj Bhavans in the country – from Union territories of J&K and Puducherry to Kerala, Tripura and Odisha — showcasing the rich and vibrant culture of the two states.
It is not the impact of gaali politics or even yet to be launched PM Modi’s carpet bombing that is worrying the Congress in Karnataka. No, the party is not worried about the impact of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s decision to call Modi a “poisonous snake”. What is actually worrying the party is the plethora of pre-election surveys! Initially, these pre-poll surveys were giving the Congress a clear lead over the BJP. However, as the date of polling is drawing closer, several pre-poll surveys and opinions have begun to indicate the possibility of a hung assembly. “These surveys are disturbing. It is the possibility of a hung assembly with JD(S) playing a kingmaker that can mar Congress prospects.” pointed out an AICC manager. Even though KPCC chief D K Shivkumar met JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy in Hyderabad, but HDK seems to be more inclined to back a BJP government. “A hung assembly could work out best in the BJP’s interest. There’s already a talk that even if BJP fails to win Karnataka, they will still form the government,” admits a senior Congress leader. He also admits giving tickets to BJP rebel Jagdish Shettar has proven to be counterproductive as party workers in Hubbali are refusing to work for Shettar. Party sources are also questioning the wisdom of fielding a Muslim candidate Yaseer Ahmed Khan against Lingayat CM Basvaraj Bommai from Shiggaon.
Looks like Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor is keeping his options open. Or may be building pressure on Congress leadership to induct him to the Congress Working Committee. Aware that Congress leadership did not quite appreciate him entering the fray for the office of party president and forcing a contest, Tharoor is aware that the party may not easily re-nominate him to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. That is probably why he is reaching out to everyone across the political spectrum including the BJP. He was there at the airport to receive PM Narendra Modi who had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram to launch Vande Bharat Express and the PMO had tweeted about it. Vande Bharat will run between the Kerala capital in the south and Kasargod in the north covering 11 districts in the state. Earlier, Tharoor had complimented Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for making speedy train travel possible in his state. “Progress must be beyond politics,” he had tweeted. At the Vande Bharat launch, it wasn’t Tharoor alone who was all agreeable. Ashwini Vaishnav also came out praising CM Pinarayi Vijayan for extending all help to facilitate in improving and expanding tracks. Vijayan, who was pushing for the controversial SilverLine semi-high speed rail corridor, thanked PM Modi for allocating a Vande Bharat to Kerala. Under Modi, rail budget allocation had gone up five times — from Rs 370 cr in 2014 to Rs 2333 cr in 2023.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
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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.
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