India’s political landscape has seen many influential Godmen who have masterminded alliances and election outcomes. Isha Yoga presided by Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev is the current magnetic epicentre for many such influencer events. There is a belief that among all Gods in the pantheon, Lord Shiva is most easily pleased to grant wishes and bestow boons. The Shivratri celebrations at Coimbatore bring multitudes of political, filmi, intellectual and religious devotees who are drawn to Sadguru’s cool dancing and electric presence. This Shivratri had BJP’s Rajnath Singh, AIADMK’s S PVelumani, the elusive Premalatha (DMDK president), and hold your breath, Shobha Chandrasekhar, mother of Vijay converging at Isha. It is well known that Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh usually leaves party strategy to Amit Shah. But the presence of two politically significant ladies raised surmises sky high. Premalatha who had kept all guessing about her choice of alliance tried to play down her Isha attendance. Premalatha, wife of late Vijaykanth who founded DMDK, had come to mediate and seek Divine wisdom for almost three years. But it just so happened that her accommodation at Isha was in the same block as Rajnath Singh’s. Premalatha meditated and prayed to Adi Yogi and the Shiva Ling…perhaps her intense devotion gave her the inspiration …to choose the BJP alliance, a move much welcomed by all the other parties that had chosen this block. But why had Vijay’s mother sought divine inspiration and guidance at Sadguru’s ashram? Kite fliers and media Astros are saying …in case Vijay is pushed too hard, he needs a fail-safe fall back. Godmen have honed brokering skills to an art form. Maha Shivratri was spent in intense soul sharing art form one presumes.

Odisha government led by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi is now taking giant strides in the Artificial Intelligence space. The Bengaluru-based Servam AI led by CEO Pratyush Kumar and co-founder Vivek Raghavan have signed a MoU with the Odisha government to establish a $ 2.3 billion (approx Rs 20,000 crore) Sovereign AI Hub in the state that will create 5,000 jobs. The uniqueness of Sarvam is they can do what Chat GPT can’t do. It will provide AI solutions that understand India’s unique linguistic diversity, handling code-switching (blending languages like Hindi and English), regional accents, and cultural nuances better than global models, with key products like Sarvam Vision for document intelligence and Bulbul for text-to-speech. This explains why Sarvam has been selected under the India AI mission having data residency in India. Its immediate objective seems to be: One, make Odisha one of India’s AI hub wherein it becomes the net producer, exporter of trainers to other states. Two, Odisha will have the advantage to train and deploy similar AI models in other Indian languages when it gets rolled out in other states eventually. Odisha government sources say this project will serve as a national model for AI deployment eventually. What seems certain is that BJP-led Odisha government is now determined to make Odisha a success story in artificial intelligence space.

The AIADMK-BJP alliance that is planning to expand ahead of the polls has managed to rope in the DMDK. Aware that even the smallest percentage of votes may prove significant in what is expected to be a close-run race, the BJP was keen on getting Vijayakanth’s party on board. The necessary arrangement to offer them six seats plus a promise to give a Rajya Sabha MP seat, which is expected to be concrete this time, has been made and the announcement of the tie-up is expected any time soon. The BJP, driven by Amit Shah taking a personal interest in the Tamil Nadu polls thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s determination to make an impact in the state, is extra keen to make every bit of alliance arithmetic to work. The other side is also planning to swing small vote percentages away from the AIADMK combine by encouraging Sasikala to form a new party and contest at least 40 crucial seats where her Mukkulathor (Thevars) connections can swing some votes of the community away from the AIADMK. The high stakes, no-holds barred campaign for power is so primed up now as to bring about this do-or-die fight. In fact, the AIADMK-BJP led alliance is also quietly watching the Vijay campaign as the odds are that the cinema star will take away more votes from the traditional DMK voter base. All parties have made Vijay and his TVK the villains in the poll drama, but some are enjoying his vote cutting presence.

With the first half of the Budget Session of the Parliament drawing to a close all eyes are on the biennial Rajya Sabha elections.  Beginning April, a sizable number of MPs — about 73 members are set to retire this year. What is of political interest is that in at least two states where Congress members are retiring, Rahul Gandhi is keen to ensure that a person close to him is elected as Rajya Sabha member. He wants his team in Parliament from Madhya Pradesh as former CM Digvijay Singh has decided not to seek another term. Rahul is keen to get his long-time close aide Meenakshi Natrajan elected to the Rajya Sabha. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy had credited Meenakshi for delivering victory in the recently concluded civic elections. However, it is being said former CM Kamal Nath has not fully backed Meenakshi. It is also being said Rahul is keen to have those working closely with him on his speeches and his strategy– say Amitabh Dubey, who is already part of the AICC team– elected to the Rajya Sabha. There is also a buzz about getting party spokesman Pawan Khera into the RS from Rajasthan. In Maharashtra, from where atleast there will be seven vacancies, party sources admit that MVA can win only one seat if it puts up a united fight. It was also felt that the Sena (UBT) may call the shots as it has the largest number of MLAs  in the MVA.

Why did PM Modi choose February 13 to inaugurate his new office called Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavan 1 and 2 in New Delhi? Because it was “Vijaya Ekadashi”! It was on this day Lord Rama observed the Ekadashi fast to bring back Sita from Sri Lanka and then crossed the ocean. PM Modi chose this day, in a symbolic way to suggest that he would succeed in his plans for India to become Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047. Previously, his office was in South Block built by the British. Seva Teerth will house the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the National Security Council Secretariat, and the Cabinet Secretariat, bringing key decision-making institutions under a single, modern, integrated complex. Kartavya Bhavan 1 and 2 will accommodate important Union ministries, including Finance, Defence, Health and Family Welfare & Corporate Affairs. The inauguration of these buildings marks a major step in Modi’s Central Vista redevelopment project, which aims to create a modern, efficient, and people-centric governance infrastructure aligned with India’s long-term development vision. Union Minister Jitendra Singh added a different historical context to shifting of the PMO to Seva Teerth on Dara Shikoh Road — he described the relocation as a symbolic step in moving away from colonial legacies. Incidentally, on this very day in 1931, February 13, the British declared New Delhi the Capital of colonial India. South Block and North Block were completed in 1931 during British rule. India’s first Cabinet meeting under Jawaharlal Nehru was held at South Block after Independence. The PMO itself evolved over time. It began in 1947 as the PM’s Secretariat. In 1964, during Lal Bahadur Shastri’s tenure, it received formal status and Its authority expanded under Indira Gandhi. Only In 1977, the government led by Morarji Desai had renamed it as the Prime Minister’s Office.

Friday the 13th contrary to popular belief brought extraordinary luck to ration card holding women of Tamil Nadu… even as TN chief minister M K Stalin walked into the function to give the employment orders for government jobs, he seemed extremely pleased with his strategic generosity. He greeted his electorate “Today it is not just good morning to you all…it is a Super Good Morning to my sisters in TN. Your government has increased the women’s honorarium from Rs 3000 to Rs 5000.” Did people and media see him almost wink when he made the next announcement? “After jumping many obstacle hoops and challenges, I want to be CM for all…not just those who vote for the DMK. This largesse Stalin said would be increased to Rs 10,000 pm if I am voted back to power.” Stalin waxed eloquent about how TN had climbed the development charts to become the #1 state in many indices. Even as the milk sops doles were being announced, the new challenger on the block TVK’s Vijay was presiding over yet another mammoth public meet at Salem. He thundered “Whatever money is given, take from every party, blow the whistle to deafen them. Run and vote for me”! So much for dramatic campaigns and vainglorious speeches and promises. Maridas, a well-known blogger put this whole dole outpouring in perspective. Speaking about the futility of the budget deficit of TN, he said, “I am happy that the poor sisters of TN are getting this generous amount”. But at what cost? Whichever government is elected, the state deficit reality will far outweigh the gains 1.3 crore women got…wait till taxes hit you in the new government’s budget.” The men can drown their sorrows in TASMAC spirits …it is the women who have to work harder to keep the family fires burning.

With the West Bengal Assembly elections just months away, political battle has acquired a sharper digital edge. The principal rivals — TMC and BJP — are not only trading barbs at rallies but are also locked in a parallel battle across social media platforms, where videos, satire and personal controversies are swiftly reframed as political statements. What distinguishes this election cycle is the central role of content creators. YouTubers, podcasters and self-styled influencers are increasingly shaping narratives, with their content amplified by party ecosystems, blurring the line between independent commentary and partisan mobilisation. Two recent, unrelated controversies involving Bengal-based creators illustrate how combustible the intersection of identity politics, personal disputes and electoral timing has become. The first involved actor and YouTuber Sayak Chakraborty, who alleged in a viral video that a Muslim waiter at Olypub deliberately served him beef instead of mutton, calling it an affront to his Hindu Brahmin identity. Though the video was later deleted, it spread widely and triggered protests by fringe Hindutva groups in Kolkata. The waiter was initially arrested, while a counter FIR was filed against Chakraborty for allegedly instigating communal disharmony. Following social media protests by sections of civil society, the waiter was granted bail. BJP leaders amplified the clip, turning a restaurant dispute into a communally charged controversy. Soon after, 25-year-old content creator Shamik Adhikary, known online as ‘Nonsane’, was arrested days after releasing a sharply worded Bengali political satire titled Button. His girlfriend accused him of sexual violence and wrongful confinement. The BJP characterised the arrest as political retribution by the TMC government, with senior leader Amit Malviya sharing the satire and alleging suppression of dissent. In both cases, viral content triggered outrage, partisan amplification followed, and original facts...

Cash doles ahead of assembly elections has become a common occurrence in recent times, despite red flags raised by economists and RBI.  In an attempt to woo women voters, the ruling DMK government announced that Rs 5,000 each has been credited to 1.31 crore beneficiaries under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam. This includes advance disbursal of the monthly dole of Rs 1,000 for February, March and April, along with a “special summer assistance” component of Rs 2,000. Chief Minister M K Stalin defended the decision alleging there were attempts to stall the monthly disbursal during the election period. The move will cost the state government about Rs 6,500 crore. Stalin also promised that if DMK comes back to power the monthly amount would be increased to Rs 2,000. The DMK government’s move attracted sharp criticism from the Opposition parties. Interestingly, the AIADMK has promised a sum of Rs 2,000 per month would be paid to the woman-head of every family covered under the system of ration cards. DMK’s move follows a Rs 3,000 cash dole to more than 2.22 crore rice ration card-holders, which cost the state government Rs 6,936 crore. The recent Economic Survey has warned about unconditional cash transfer by States affecting the fiscal mix. Seems political compulsions overrule fiscal prudence during elections and it leaves no little room for capital spending.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is among the nine retiring members of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Their term expires on 14 May this year. While resigning as chief minister way back in 2022, Uddhav had announced that he would quit the council as well. However, he did not give up the membership and was trolled for this change of heart. As the nine seats are elected from the lower house, the Opposition will have to plan its strategy cautiously as the ruling BJP-Sena (Shinde) alliance has a massive majority in the assembly. It has about 240 members on its side in the house of 286. Given this current arithmetic, the quota of 36 is likely to be fixed to get elected to the upper house. While the Opposition can send one candidate through the goal post easily, the moot question is who that individual will be. Uddhav had earlier indicated that he would like to return to the council. However, of late, there is complete silence in the Opposition camp on this sensitive issue.  The other prominent names in the list include Neelam Gorhe, currently deputy chairperson of the house. After aligning with the Shiv Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, she is hopeful of staging a comeback. Indications are that the matter will be resolved through understanding, so that the election happens unopposed. Still, last minute manoeuvring is likely. Hence, both sides have kept their fingers crossed.

A Shiv Sena (UBT) stronghold since the inception of the organisation way back in 1966, Parbhani will have a new mayor, Syed Iqbal Syed Khwaja, a staunch party worker. His election has kicked up a political storm since Syed is the first Muslim to be nominated for a high civic post by the Sena. Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who broke away from the parent party in 2022, has lambasted Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, reminding him of certain public statements of Balasaheb in this regard. On the other hand, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has hit back, saying that a nationalist Muslim was preferable to a ‘Gaddaar’ (traitor), reminding Shinde about his decision to desert the undivided Sena. Sayed is a first-time corporator and is elected as mayor with the support of the Congress. He defeated his BJP rival Tirumala Khilare by securing 39 votes against her 26 in the 65-member Parbhani municipal corporation, a major town in Marathwada region of the state. Thus, Parbhani has become the sole civic corporation under Uddhav Sena. In the past, the united Sena had won assembly elections from Parbhani on communal campaigning. Taking a dig at Uddhav Sena, Shinde said its true face has been exposed while it had already sunk Balasaheb’s doctrine in 2022 while forming a government with Congress support. The Parbhani win is not surprising since the UBT has supported the BJP in installing its mayor in Chandrapur in Vidarbha region. Blurring party lines, local combinations have been taking place across Maharashtra where those forming such arrangements keep claiming that their decision is taken ‘in the interest of local development.’