In a major boost for the BJP in Kerala, the BJP-led NDA scored a historic win in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation marking the end of 45 uninterrupted years of Left (LDF) control, making it one of the most significant political upsets in Kerala electoral history. It retained power in Palakkad municipality, while the LDF lost control of its long-held stronghold in Kollam after 25 years.  The Congress-led UDF emerged as the dominant force across the state, consolidating its hold over a majority of panchayats and municipalities. In corporation-wise trends, the UDF is currently leading in Kochi, Thrissur, Kannur and Kollam, marking a significant improvement from the last local body polls when it won only Kannur. The LDF and NDA are leading in one corporation each. The rise of BJP in the capital Thiruvananthapuram Corporation as the single largest party is a big boost for the national party. Party sources acknowledge that a strong RSS-network and popularity of PM Modi delivered the results.” We have never won more than 34 seats in the Kerala capital. But the fact that we have gone up to 50 seats and that we have got our own mayor elected shows that we have grown in strength.” Besides Modi’s widening acceptability, full credit goes to state BJP chief Rajeev Chandrashekhar. Bringing him to helm the state unit was the best decision that the leadership took; it has given us the results according to RSS ideologue R Balashankar. At the same time, he felt the party had put up a below par performance in Thrissur. This in spite of the fact that the local MP, Suresh Gopi is a Union Minister. Inconsistencies of the minister may have upset the voters, it was felt. Rahul Gandhi took to X “salute to people for ‘placing trust’ in UDF.”

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s 85th birthday celebrations have refreshed speculation about his future moves. Showing clear signs of ageing, Pawar will retire from the Rajya Sabha in 2026. His parliamentary career began in 1967 when he won the Baramati assembly seat in Pune district. And for the last 58 years, he has been a member of either the state legislature or parliament. However, the assembly election last year has decimated his faction of the Nationalist Congress Party to such an extent that he will have to secure support from some other party to be re-elected to the Upper House of Parliament. While the BJP is unlikely to help him, Pawar will have to depend upon either his nephew Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction or the Shiv Sena splinter led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. As both are with the BJP through the thick and thin so far, Pawar will have to weave his strategy. But he is a master in such political manipulations and can re-enter Parliament, if he wishes, his supporters are confident. However, there is a third possibility. The President of India can nominate Pawar to the Rajya Sabha, in view of his long career in public life. And none will object since Pawar is on friendly terms with all political parties and prominent industrial magnates. The presence of Gautam Adani at Pawar’s Delhi residence to join the celebratory dinner is quite eloquent, it is felt. All said and done, Pawar has once again shown that he is still active.

Five days at the Maharashtra State Legislature in session were distinct for the dynamic political recalibrations being constantly at work. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who lilted to the sound of Indian music for over two hours the previous night, displayed his best confident self on day three while attending to matters of the state – Supplementary demands. On the other hand, deputy CM Ajit Pawar wore a worried countenance very apparently on his face and remained distracted in thought pensively while adeptly attending to his legislative affairs. His son, Parth Pawar, possibly weighed heavily on his mind regarding the ongoing enquiry in the latter’s realty transaction in Pune. His Shiv Sena counterpart, Eknath Shinde, continued to exude happiness notwithstanding spending limitations his state departments were dealt with by Pawar at the instance of CM Fadnavis. Shinde’s recent visit to New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah over coalition wrangles – the BJP poaching on his son Dr Shrikant Shinde’s parliamentary constituency – was preceded by one when he met PM Narendra Modi to thank him that time. Dr Shrikant Shinde’s political trajectory was personally handcrafted by the PM projecting him as an international statesman who travelled the globe pitching India’s Operation Sindhoor to the world. His parliamentary skills were not only brushed up by Modi with whispers abounding of how the PM even suggested the issues Dr Shinde must raise in Parliament and so, deputy CM Shinde’s thank you was duly in order. Within Maharashtra, however, the Nagpur chill has translated into frosty relations within the Mahayuti alliance of the state threatening to turn icy cold going ahead.

The Bengal BJP is recalibrating from its earlier hardline Hindutva stance to adopt a more measured political tone, even as chief minister Mamata Banerjee intensifies her charge that the party is anti-Bengali, communal, and attempting to bring the NRC into the state through indirect means. The shift became most evident when Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari softened his long-held claim that the BJP neither expects nor needs minority votes. After months of asserting that minorities never support the BJP and that a 5-6% rise in Hindu votes would be enough to form government, he has now reinterpreted his stance, saying the party simply does not receive minority votes rather than rejecting them. There is no indication that the BJP’s central leadership has instructed the state unit to soften its tone, and even central leaders acknowledge that polarisation has helped the party perform better in rural regions. Trinamool Congress leaders argue that Adhikari has realised Hindutva alone will not secure victory for the party. Party insiders see the shift as a strategic effort to weaken the strong perception that a BJP government would threaten minorities and instead minority votes may fragment rather than consolidate behind the Trinamool. Adhikari has recently suggested that AIMIM and ISF could draw minority support and predicted that the Trinamool may not win any seat in Malda, with the BJP securing a significant share. The BJP’s choice of Shamik Bhattacharya, viewed as a moderate, as state president was aimed at appealing to the liberal urban middle-class Bengali electorate that is harder to draw with hardline rhetoric.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is proud that Maharashtra has become the first state in India to equip its police force with an AI-powered platform to accelerate cybercrime investigations. “MahaCrimeOS AI” is developed by CyberEye in partnership with Microsoft India Development Center and Maharashtra’s Special Purpose Vehicle, MARVEL. Unveiled at the Microsoft AI Tour in Mumbai, Microsoft Chairman & CEO Satya Nadella announced that the platform allows ‘instant case creation, multilingual data extraction, contextual legal assistance and automated workflows.’ Integrating India’s criminal laws and open-source intelligence, the AI platform will help officers link cases, analyse digital evidence and respond to threats more effectively, reducing manual effort. “MahaCrimeOS AI is designed to augment police officers with AI tools, enabling faster, more efficient investigations,” according to Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India & South Asia. This initiative is not just about technology—it’s about building trust, protecting citizens, and setting a new benchmark for digital safety in India. MahaCrimeOS AI is a pioneering platform, powered by AI and Azure, developed by CyberEye. The innovation in cutting-edge technologies leads Maharashtra in maintaining law and order machinery. The announcement was made by Nadella, who also met Fadnavis to discuss the future of digital safety and AI-driven governance in the state. Currently live in 23 Nagpur police stations, MahaCrimeOS AI will be expanded to all 1100 police stations across Maharashtra, Fadnavis said.

In the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah was at his assertive best as he went on to quietly demolish every argument of the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi against Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls launched by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Worse part was he told the Congress leader that his pet peeve “vote chori” had been unleashed on India thrice — all the 3 times by members of the Gandhi family. “Post-Independence, Sardar Patel was backed by 28 persons, Nehru by two persons; yet Nehru became PM, this was the first vote of chori. Second “vote chori” was by Indira Gandhi, when she granted herself immunity after court set aside her election. Dispute of third “vote chori” has just reached the civil court (in Delhi) on how Sonia Gandhi became a voter before becoming a citizen of India.” Interestingly, while the Congress and the rest of Opposition didn’t protest too much Shah mentioning court issuing a notice to Sonia Gandhi on voting before citizenship, the Congress staged a walk-out as Shah spoke about not allowing infiltrators to vote. While accepting that the NDA had won 3 general elections and 41 state assembly elections, a total of 44, Shah pointed out that the Congress too had “won 30 elections across various state assemblies. BJP has lost more elections than it has won, but we never questioned the ECI or EVMs. Tradition of electoral loss began in 2014 and they (Congress) blamed EVMs, which were brought by Rajiv Gandhi in 1989. More significantly Shah defended RSS activists occupying high office. “There is no law in the country that disallows an RSS activist from holding key positions. Both Modiji and me belong to the RSS.”

Support organisations working with sex workers across Kolkata are coordinating with the Chief Electoral Office (CEO), Bengal to facilitate SIR (Special Intensive Revision) enumeration ahead of a special camp. Rehearsal sessions for filling SIR forms have begun, where groups flagged concerns that widespread messaging around the process has created fear among sex workers. Ratan Dalui, Secretary of Amra Padatik, said various forms of publicity circulating on phones have unsettled many, adding that a viral song from actor-director Anirban Bhattacharya’s musical group ‘Hooliganism’ referencing SIR has contributed to anxiety about possible omission from the voter’s list. Three organisations, including Amra Padatik, had written to CEO Manoj Agarwal highlighting documentation challenges. Sources said the Commission initiated steps to address the issues and informally noted that while states such as Bihar also have red-light districts, no organisation there has taken similar initiatives. Groups in Kolkata’s red-light areas have stepped up outreach, visiting brothels and urging sex workers to attend the special camp. Dedicated screened-off spaces will be set up at the camp to ensure confidential interaction with election officials. Kolkata’s central red-light district has nearly 10,000 sex workers. About 3,000 travel daily for work, while 7,000 live there permanently. Most permanent residents possess voter ID cards, but many cannot provide documents dating back to 2002, required for SIR verification. Organisations estimate that around 1,400 sex workers from this area face documentation hurdles, with over 100 more in Kalighat and Khidderpore.

When it comes to Sachin Tendulkar, it’s always a long innings. Starting as a wonderkid in the mid-1980s, the Mumbai cricketer turned out with phenomenal displays to earn the moniker “master blaster” and brought an end to his international career in the winter of 2013 — that’s around 25 years after playing matches across formats for India and other teams. So, no one was surprised, when he said at the new brand identity (logo) launch of Ageas Federal Life Insurance that he’s going to complete 10 years with the insurance company. During his illustrious career, Tendulkar played 200 Test matches, 463 one-day internationals, 78 IPL matches and one Twenty20 international and scored 18426 runs with 101 centuries.  His numbers are staggering, and he and the insurance company must be hoping for a very long association. As the master blaster said, Brands are important in society; as a cricketer he triggered a big wave for the game — much more than what he achieved with the bat! And that’s been acknowledged by many cricketers for whom he was the role model to emulate. The corporate world was keen and eager to get him on board as Brand Ambassador, and that the insurance company has signed up one of the greatest cricketers in the annals of the sport that will soon cut a milestone of 150 years of Test cricket, is a recognition of the brand value he brings to the table. He is already in the course of a long innings with the company which sponsors quite a few sports events, and not long ago conducted fast bowling camps with the Australian Jeff Thomson. With Tendulkar as its Brand Ambassador, it’s time the company gets into cricket in a big way — for a long innings like Tendulkar!

On December 8, the Temple Town of Kancheepuram was steeped in Hindu devotion and VIP arrival. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin’s wife Durga visited the temple. Dressed in a beautiful Kanjivaram mustard yellow saree, her long hair braided and adorned with Jasmine, she carried herself with much grace …quietly presiding over her role as the First Lady. The initial Camel Pooja …not seen as a droll dromedary today, then the temple Elephant worship with coconut, sugarcane and bananas. Then on to worship at the Manimandapam of the Kanchi Seer, Maha Periyavar where she prayed, transfixed.  A Golden Chariot made of 23 kg of gold had its inaugural run in the precincts of the Ekambareswarar temple in her presence. Of course, the wagging tongues had much to talk about …that a minister close to the First Family had influenced the renovated temple’s Kumbabishekam to coincide with Durga Stalin’s visit. Others floated yet another angle …with elections just around the corner was she compensating for her husband and son’s open defiance of Sanatha Dharma. One wonders …is Durga a strong First Lady who has her own faith and religious beliefs? Or is Stalin the tolerant power centre who allows his wife to practice her faith? Or is it a third dimension…Stalin and son Udhayanidhi trumpet their rejection of Hinduism with an eye on the Dravida vote bank, even as Durga takes her role as mitigator seriously? There is a saying in Hindi “Hathi ke dant khane ke aur, dikhane ke aur”. Translated it means hypocritical people who appear one way but act differently. Will this double optic strategy bring the DMK back to power in 2026?

The BJP took to social media to corner Shiv Sena (UBT) for signing up the anti-Hindu move launched by the DMK to corner a sitting judge of Madras High Court Justice GR Swaminathan who had restored an age-old religious practice of the Hindus. That is of lighting lamps to mark Karthigai Deepam at a spot sacred to the Hindus. Senior BJP functionary BL Santosh in a post on X “SS (UBT) members sign impeachment motion against Madras HC Judge for giving a judgement in favour of lighting Karthigai Deepam. Shame on them who chose vote bank politics & political expediency over their Balasaheb’s legacy”. Among the signatories shared in his post was SS (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant. On December 9, the DMK submitted a notice with 120 signatures to the Speaker seeking impeachment proceedings against Justice GR Swaminathan. DMK parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi, the party’s Lok Sabha leader TR Baalu, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra handed the impeachment notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The DMK was keen to appease their Muslim vote bank. In fact, the DMK even dared to mention the judge’s Brahmin caste as a factor in the impeachment motion and forced many north Indian MPs to sign it without explicitly knowing it. The notice alleged that Justice Swaminathan’s conduct raised questions on judicial impartiality and transparency, accused him of showing undue favour to a senior advocate and lawyers from a particular community–Brahmin — and claimed that verdicts were influenced by political ideology, going against “secular constitutional principles”. The opposition move against Justice Swamination shocked many BJP leaders. BJP leader K Annamalai was heard saying how the judge had passed many adverse orders against him. Tamil Nadu Congress sources are only hoping that Justice Swaminathan is quietly elevated to Supreme Court soon.

It seems the Congress leadership is once again very serious about maintaining its alliance with the DMK as its traditional allies in the North are rethinking its ties with the Congress post Bihar results. With the Samajwadi Party planning to go alone in local body elections in Uttar Pradesh and the ruling JMM in Jharkhand is exploring option of joining the BJP-led NDA, the Congress is now determined not to lose its traditional INDIA bloc partner in the South such as the DMK. With this view, the AICC leadership has completely distanced itself from its functionary Praveen Chakravarty’s meeting with TVK president actor Vijay on December 6. When asked how could Praveen meet the TVK chief for a personal reason, a top AICC functionary dealing with Tamil Nadu said, “It is possible Praveen ji may have dropped in on actor Vijay for a cup of coffee or just have idlis or some other personal work. We are not aware. He was not assigned or authorised by anyone in Delhi.” Praveen, who heads All India Professional Congress, called on the TVK chief three days after the Congress set up a panel to engage with the DMK on seat-sharing talks for 2026 assembly elections. Vijay-Praveen meeting completely unsettled the traditional DMK-Congress equation. Of course, it is quite likely Praveen, a close Rahul Gandhi aide, may not have got an audition with Vijay for a private reason. It may be recalled post Karur stampede Rahul Gandhi had also spoken to Vijay. However, now there is an intense speculation that the Congress party may have to take some punitive step against Praveen to win confidence of the DMK. Yet at the same time Congress leaders dealing with DMK conceded that Arivalayam has been playing tough, factoring in Bihar drubbing. “We wanted to finalise the seat-sharing agreement with the DMK by December 15,” says a top Congress leader.

Initiating the Lok Sabha debate marking Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s ‘Vande Mataram’ 150 years PM Modi accused former PM Jawaharlal Nehru of echoing Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s opposition to the national song and “pandering to communal concerns” of the Muslim League. Modi said it was Nehru who had written to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose that Vande Mataram might “provoke and irritate Muslims” and suggested examining its usage. “This, despite Vande Mataram being born in Bankim Chandra’s Bengal,” he said. After the 1857 uprising, the British pushed ‘God Save the Queen’ into every household. Bankim Chandra responded with Vande Mataram, and despite the partition of Bengal in 1905 When Vande Mataram celebrated 100 years, the country was entangled in the Emergency… Now, at 150 years, it is our duty to restore its glory said PM.  Speaking on the debate from the Congress side, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra countered the very need for Vande Mataram debate and declared it was diversion from bread/butter issues. “Modi is not the PM he used to be, his self-confidence is decreasing; his policies are weakening the country,” she said. She said PM Modi’s speech was weak on facts. She said the government was having a discussion on Vande Mataram in view of the upcoming West Bengal polls. Her brother Rahul Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi had skipped the Parliament — they were perhaps preparing for their own upcoming speeches. First published in the literary journal Bangadarshan on 7 November 1875, Vande Mataram was initially composed independently and later included in the author’s novel “Anandamath” (published in 1882). It was first sung by Tagore at the 1896 Congress Session in Calcutta.

Adani seems to have hit a gold mine with the proposed integration of Vizhinjam Port with Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The integration will enable crew changes for ships and also route cargo to other parts of the country, as the port has an integrated check post (ICP) for immigration, customs and cargo paperwork. Once this goes on stream, there will be no need to depend on Colombo’s transhipment and crew changes. This will generate high revenues and make cargo movement and handling of ships faster and easier. The ICP will enable the port to become a sea-air transhipment hub. Adani airport is only 16 km from the Vizhinjam port, which receives motherships and lies close to the international shipping route from Europe and Middle East to South East Asia. Documentation would be easy because of the ICP. It will also be easy for the port to move cargo using flights. Also, on the anvil are warehouses and units where cargo can also be processed, reassembled and moved by any mode of transport — road or rail. Since the airport is also controlled by the same group, it will be easier to offer incentives for freight movement. And if this is not enough the Adanis have got the Union government’s environment clearance to set up a 240-room, 5 star hotel at the airport premises. As part of Rs 136 crore project, the hotel will also have a 660 seat convention centre, dining facilities and also aims to provide world-class facilities, to enhance passenger experience and support the Vizhinjam port’s development.

Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone are back together for a film. They were seriously dating each other but it did not culminate in a marriage.  Ranbir married Alia Bhat while Deepika tied knots to Ranveer Singh. Now, both of them, who have turned parents, are being paired together in Ayan Mukherji’s film which is a remake of Chori Chori.  Incidentally, after marriage Ranveer and Deepika never worked together but Alia and Ranbir have collaborated in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love and War. But they are not the first ex-beaus to work together. Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor have worked together in Udta Punjab after their breakup. Although they were not paired together but worked in the same film and were cordial at public events. Shahid and Kareena broke up in the middle of Jab We Met shooting as Kareena fell in love with Saif Ali Khan on the sets of Tashan. Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit too never worked together after Khalnayak and Mahanta. She did shoot with him to complete the film after he was released on bail in the TADA case. But Madhuri agreed to work with him Kalank produced by Karan Johar though there were no scenes for them to be shot together. She in fact replaced Sridevi in the film who passed away in 2018.  Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur worked together in Ok Jaanu. The two fell in love on the sets of Aashiqui 2 and this was the second film they worked together. In the past, Vinod Mehra was dating Rekha but it did not work out. But they continued working together in films even after their personal relationship ended.

The big news in Odisha is Japan’s JFE Steel is ramping up its play in Odisha’s metal sector. JFE, Japan’s second largest alloy maker will buy 50% stake in JSW Kalinga Steel. This will enable the Japanese giant to operate the ailing Bhushan Power & Steel’s integrated facility through this JV, wherein, reportedly, the JV venture also plans to expand its production capacity at Bhushan’s integrated steel mills to 10 million tonnes a year from 4.5 MT now. JFE is investing Rs 15,750 crore in the ailing steel business of Bhushan Power & Steel. Under the arrangement, Bhushan Power & Steel’s integrated steel plant will be transferred to the new JV, enabling both companies to build a dedicated platform for long term growth. Steel industry sources say, the partnership aims to combine JSW’s local market knowledge with JFE’s technological expertise which will enhance operational efficiency and competitiveness. Sources say, this deal is expected to ease not only JSW’s stretched balance sheet while also sustaining it’s expansion drive but also consolidating and internationalising the Indian steel industry. One of the reasons why this JV deal has been smoothly executed is because JFE has been a trusted partner of JSW since 2009. The newly formed JV between JSW and JFE is expected to drive further capacity enhancements and growth beyond current targets, combining technical capabilities, operational discipline and long term planning. JFE holds 50% stake in JSW. Reportedly, this transaction will be executed in two tranches, wherein JFE will acquire 25% in March next year and the remaining around June 2026.

The recent Odisha High Court ruling against Jindal Steel Ltd (JSL) is unprecedented. The High Court has upheld the decision of Keonjhar Divisional Forest Officer to cancel JSL’s permission over 51.99 hectares of diverted forest land in the Roida-Iron and manganese mine in Keonjhar district but at the same time also gave an opportunity to the company to pursue statutory clearances. As per the Cuttack High Court “The company’s pursuit of mineral wealth in Odisha cannot trample on the sanctity of nature’s trust”. As per allegations and reports, JSL was using a route through Sidhamath reserve forest without obtaining diversion clearance and allegedly illegally extracting minor minerals for commercial use. As per the Divisional Forest Officer, no state government was empowered to transport minerals through reserve forest without approval from the ministry of environment, forests and climate change. On the other hand, Odisha High Court Justice Sanjeeb K Panigrahi said “A miner’s license is a privilege not a prerogative and his first duty is stewardship, not exploitation”. As it stands now the Odisha High Court ruling implies substantial financial liability in terms of royalties, penalties and operational disruption for JSL, reinforcing the importance of mining laws.

The lines of communication between Rahul Gandhi and actor Vijay who leads the TVK in Tamil Nadu are open. The Congress leader sent an emissary to meet Vijay and the meeting lasted a good hour even as the talks between Congress and DMK began on a negative note with the Dravidian party saying it was not willing to part with 40 seats like in 2021 because it had so many allies to accommodate. The Congress’ overture to Vijay is, however, not about Tamil Nadu whose politics is too complex now with the arrival of Vijay into full time politics. The party would like to take a dash at gaining power in the Union Territory of Puducherry by joining hands with Vijay and standing together as one front against reigning chief minister N Rangasamy and his alliance with the BJP. The party is confident that it can gain power in the UT with the actor’s popularity and if that materialises it could take a different view of TN politics in the future. Vijay was inclined to talk to Rahul on a political alignment since the leader had called him and spoken at length to him after the terrible stampede took place to disrupt his fledgling political campaign. While TN might not see a big rupture in alliance coming about before 2026, the Congress is not averse to testing the waters in Puducherry and then taking a call in the south.

With the state headed for the 2026 Assembly elections, the Mamata Banerjee government is pushing aggressively to showcase industrial progress through the MSME sector. Seeking to counter anti-incumbency and reinforce its prospects for a fourth straight term—an outcome the Trinamool Congress believes is likely—the administration is leaving no stones unturned to project West Bengal as an industry-friendly state. The effort is widely seen as an attempt by the CM to shed her long-standing anti-industry image, with the Opposition frequently alleging that despite annual editions of the Bengal Global Business Summit and repeated announcements of investment proposals, the state continues to lag behind in credible, large-scale industrial growth. Ahead of the major state industrial summit scheduled for December 18, significant investment proposals have already come in across four districts, MSME Department officials have indicated. The flow of investments into the Junglemahal region—particularly Purulia and Bankura—is being seen as a major breakthrough. Despite years of road expansion, new industrial parks, logistics hubs, and policy incentives, attracting major industries to this region remained a challenge. With fresh commitments now in hand, the government believes the industrial landscape of Junglemahal is set for a notable shift. Bankura has received investment proposals worth Rs 4,590 crore, East Burdwan Rs 590 crore, West Burdwan Rs 350 crore and Purulia Rs 90 crore. All projects are expected to be implemented within the next 18 months and could generate 18,000 to 20,000 direct jobs. Indirect employment is also expected to rise across transport, food supply, hospitality, energy, services and ancillary sectors. According to Nabanna, an improved business environment, faster licensing, the single-window clearance system and recent Synergy and Business Enablement meetings have played critical roles in accelerating these investments.

The BJP’s plans of ruling Maharashtra single-handed at a future date are becoming gradually visible. Various tiny sections of population like Banjara, Laman, Valmiki and other fringe communities will be approached under a systematic strategy by the party’s rank and file. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has organised three mega events through the Medical Assistance Cell he has set up with a view to integrating them into the mainstream. Details in regard to the timing and location of the three gatherings will be announced soon. In the long run, the BJP will have to garner at least 40% of the votes if it wants to go it alone in the state. At present, its vote bank is nearly 27%. Since 2014, the BJP has faced three elections each, for the assembly and the parliament. While some were solo, it had found partners for others. Overall, its own vote tally has remained between 25% and 28%. The Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) has secured over 12% of the votes while the NCP (Ajit Pawar) managed to clock 9%. Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement last year that the BJP will not need ‘crutches’ (support of other parties) in 2029 is recalled in this connection. Already, the BJP is in a comfortable position in the state. Hence, the concern felt by its allies about its planning has been on the rise.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is a classic case of a budding talent showing skills and nous when given the opportunity. His remarkable century — an 83-ball 105 in the second one-day international against South Africa at Raipur — proved that India’s successful domestic cricketers given a fair run are more likely to succeed. While the ‘cricket diwane’ in India are going nuts over the scintillating performance by Virat Kohli (2/100 s in Ranchi and Raipur) and to an extent Rohit ‘hitman’ Sharma (a half century in Ranchi), the sparkling display by the likes of Gaikwad and his ilk need to be applauded. There are more exciting cricketers like Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma waiting in the wings and ready to fire. Recalled after two years, the gifted right hander from Pune, was utterly gutted when Dewald Brevis went airborne like a gymnast at point and converted a catch to neutralise his well-timed square drive in Ranchi. Five single digit scores — 8,8,5,4 and 8 in five of his previous seven ODIs — conveyed to him the fickle nature of the game. His highest was a 77-ball 71 against Australia in Mohali. After his debut against South Africa in Lucknow in October 2022, Gaikwad has missed 52 matches, but as luck would have it — he needed that in plenty — the brutal first ball he faced from left-arm fast bowler Nandre Burger did not do any damage. Gaikwad got a look look-in again as Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were indisposed because of injuries and he could be benched once they return, but Gaikwad made a point that talents like him deserve chances to prove and not thrown away like in the instances of Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran!

The much-awaited elections to municipal corporations and zilla parishads (ZPs) across Maharashtra are expected to take place between 15 and 20 January 2026. The people’s verdict for this trial of strength will determine the fate of several political leaders and parties. The indications about the timeline for the elections are based on the fact that the voter lists for the elections will be published by December 10, followed by the promulgation of the Model Code of Conduct between 15 and 20 December. The State Election Commission has held a meeting with all municipal corporations already, in preparation of the hustings. The Supreme Court has once again directed that all these elections must be over by January 31 next year. There are a slew of sanctions to various pending or lagging civic projects all over the state. Moreover, impossible promises are showered by the political parties, which have shed all inhibitions while forming local-level electoral alliances. Just as the three-party government led by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is completing its first year in office, constant reports about the unrest between the BJP, the Shiv Sena led by deputy CM Eknath Shinde and the NCP led by deputy CM Ajit Pawar are surfacing every day. The bitterness among the major parties in the state is amplified by poaching of prominent workers from one party to another. The main victims of this are the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Hence, the coming elections will mark a watershed in the state politics.

Nothing may have rankled the Congress more than Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s assertion that former PM Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to use government funds to build Babri Masjid. Remembering India’s first Home Minister at the ‘Sardar Sabha’ organised in Gujarat’s Vadodara, Singh explained how Patel did not look to appease communities, unlike Nehru, who questioned the reconstruction of Somnath Temple. “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was truly secular. He never believed in appeasement. When Jawaharlal Nehru spoke about spending government funds on the Babri Masjid issue, if anyone opposed it, it was one born in Gujarat, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel…” said Rajnath Singh. He said that earlier parallels were drawn between the reconstruction of the Gir Somnath temple, but Patel rejected similarities between the two cases, highlighting that the Somnath temple was rebuilt with donations instead of government money. The Defence Minister said, “The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya too has not been funded by government money. The people of this country have borne the entire cost.” Was Singh imagining this conflict of ideas between Nehru and Patel? Of course not. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said the differences between Nehru and Patel were drawn from the reminiscences and references made by Patel’s daughter Maniben Patel in her book, The Inside Story of Sardar Patel. It mentions all the correspondence between the two leaders from 1936 to 1950. Giving a context to dragging in Nehru and Babri, Sudhanshu Trivedi says how Nehru insisted that Raja Jam Saheb should stay away from the inauguration of Somnath Temple in April 1951, India’s first PM had publicly declared his disappointment in seeing the beautiful temples in south India. This Nehruvian aversion to temples best explains why the Gandhis have stayed away from Ram Temple in Ayodhya till now.

Last week, when PM Narendra Modi was at Ayodhya to hoist the flag of Ram Mandir — marking the completion of the construction of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple — there was a lot of discussion in the social media over the way Modi’s prayerful hands quivered soon after the hoisting ceremony. No, it had nothing to do with the height or weight of the saffron flag, which is 22 feet long and 11 feet wide, raised on a 42-foot pole atop the 161-ft high shikhara of the Ram temple. In fact the flags were effortlessly hoisted through a click of a few gears. While some odd concerns were expressed about Modi’s health, such views didn’t gain currency as the PM has always defied age. After all, he had landed in Ayodhya on Nov 25 after keeping a hectic schedule at the G-20 summit in South Africa. So, what explains the quivering of PM Modi’s hands? His prayerful hands were raised towards the sun/shikhara. It is being explained as a yogic mudra; actually, an act of prayer. A devout Hindu, Modi had apparently performed Naga Hasta Kampana. when fingers quiver like a rising cobra. It stirs Kundalini energy, moves prana, dissolves tamas, balances the heart centre and draws one closer to divine union. Nāga-hasta-kampana is mentioned in Hindu scriptures, specifically in tantric and Purāṇic texts related to nāga-sādhana (serpent deity worship) and certain Śākta-Śaiva āgamas. As for the flag, it was crafted over 25 days by the Ahmedabad-based parachute manufacturing company using parachute-grade cloth for longevity. Its specifications were finalised after consultations with senior Army officials. As for symbols on the flag is the Kovidar tree which is a hybrid of the Mandar and Parijat trees, created by Rishi Kashyap, as per the Valmiki Ramayana. It also denotes purity, prosperity, and “Ram Rajya”.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will remain the Bengal BJP’s main campaign face for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls, but the party is consciously limiting his appearances to avoid “overuse” of its most popular leader. State unit insiders believe Modi’s speeches and announcements at select rallies will shape the state-wide narrative, with the party machinery ensuring these messages resonate across districts. Modi is expected to begin his Bengal campaign later in December. BJP sources said he may address his first rally on a Saturday or Sunday during Parliament’s winter session. From December until the end of the campaign, he is likely to hold 14–15 rallies across the state, according to a senior party source. With the election announcement still at least three months away and the polling process expected to stretch two to two-and-a-half months, the campaign period could run nearly five months. Sources further informed that under the current plan, Modi will not exceed 15 rallies. This marks a shift from 2021, when the BJP’s campaign was heavily Modi-centric. Despite the high-voltage campaign, the BJP could not breach Mamata Banerjee’s stronghold. Since then the party has adopted a restrained approach in other states. In Maharashtra, Modi addressed only nine rallies during the 2024 polls, compared to far more in 2014 and 2019. In Haryana, he reduced from 10 rallies in 2014 to four in 2024. State BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya said no formal decision had been taken on Modi’s rally count. He maintained that whether Modi holds 21 rallies or 12, the BJP is confident of the Trinamool Congress’s exit in 2026.

With the central BJP leadership ticking off former Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai for running a campaign against incumbent president Nainar Nagendran and AIADMK chief Edappadi Palanisawami (EPS), Annamalai’s options are now running out within the BJP. He has been so severely censured for running a social media campaign against NDA ally — AIADMK chief EPS — using his personal troll army, that he has been advised to disband it forthwith. It is being said Annamalai may have felt a little encouraged after PM Modi patted his back at Coimbatore airport during his mid-November. But that did not help him get an appointment with the PM even after multiple requests. This hugely disappointed him. Party sources feel Annamalai’s lack of access to PM Modi may have a lot to do with declining clout of a key official — Hiren Joshi in the PMO (more about it later) — his pointsman for Delhi operations. So, what triggered the tough talk on Annamalai? It has a lot to do with TN BJP chief Nagendran’s recent visit to Delhi, where he met national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh, national secretary Arvind Menon, and election in-charge Baijayant Panda. It was Santhosh who read the riot act to Annamalai that he must stop using his troll army against EPS and Nagendran from BJP-linked handles. It is being said he had already begun to skip key party strategy meetings.  With Delhi leaders also being hostile to him, Annamalai is also expected to go out like the way rebel AIADMK leader Sengottaiyan did and join actor Vijay’s TVK. Only it is not clear if Annamalai exits the BJP will he first float his own party or directly land at Vijay’s office. Will he exit from BJP’s Kamalalayam to land in TVK’s Panaiyur office?

The Rs 67000-croreTata Power Company is preparing for one of the most ambitious clean energy solar bets in Odisha — the kind one has never seen in India. It is investing Rs 10,000 crore to set up 10 GW ingot and wafer manufacturing plant. The ingot and wafer plants are important for solar industries because they produce solar-grade silicon for manufacturing solar cells which then becomes the foundation for solar panels, wherein, India wants to become an integrated manufacturer of solar panels. This move is a clear indication that Tatas are serious about clean energy.  Speculations are rife that Tatas are finding Odisha conducive for its greenfield project and that electricity cost in Odisha is very competitive. Tata Power sources say the company will finalise the location in the next two months. Industry watchers say, Gopalpur Tata SEZ in Odisha is uniquely suited for Tata Power’s ambitious project as it will be designed to provide world class infrastructure, tax incentives and regulatory flexibility to attract the Tata Power’s big time investment in globally competitive industries. Tata Power which earned a net profit of Rs 4,775 crore on a turnover of Rs 66,992 crore in FY25, has an installed electricity generation capacity of 14,707 MW from thermal power and green energy sources. It is India’s largest integrated power company employing 23,562 people.

Navi Mumbai-based Tembo Defence Products Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Tembo Global Industries Ltd, is accelerating its entry into India’s small-arms manufacturing sector with a Rs 1,000-crore greenfield facility planned at MIDC Amravati, Maharashtra. The company has already secured a comfort letter from MIDC for the allotment of nearly 100 acres of industrial land. The MoU for the project was signed with the Government of Maharashtra during the World Economic Forum at Davos. In the first phase, the company will manufacture .45 mm 1911 pistols and matching ammunition under a “Make in India, Export-First” strategy. Production is targeted to begin between July and August 2026, with expansion expected over the next three years. A major technological boost comes through Tembo’s supply and technology agreement with a 140-year-old European defence manufacturer that will provide equipment, technology and production integration support, with 50% of the project proposed to be financed by the partner. According to the D&B India TEV review, Tembo’s Small Arms Line is designed for an annual capacity of 42,240 units, covering CNC machining, heat treatment, coating, assembly, QC and automation. The assessed cost of Rs 267.89 crore aligns with European benchmarks. The Ammunition Line, designed for 30 million rounds annually, has an assessed cost of Rs 214.31 crore, matching global standards for case forming, propellant filling and bullet assembly. The company also plans additional pistol models inspired by global platforms for the U.S. and European markets, projecting 30,000 units annually across two lines. Once operational, this facility positions Tembo Defence as an emerging Indian contender in the global small-arms export ecosystem, backed by modern European manufacturing systems.

At the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa, the audience stood up for this 74-year old legend as he accepted ‘The Lifetime Achievement Award’ not with filmi flamboyance, but remarkable humility and palpable sincerity “I love cinema and acting. How quickly 50 years have passed…for me it seems like 15 years…in every Janam I take I want to be born as Rajinikanth ” His only other competitor is Amitabh Bachchan. But the similarity of incomparable lifetime fame and name ends there…AB was born in high society, parents acclaimed artists. Rajini and the much-recounted story of a Bengaluru bus conductor and his meteoric, stylish and remarkable zoom to the very top of fame and fortune is a lore oft-repeated. His legion of fans who swoon over his every action and every movie stand as testimony that he is no accidental superstar. But his humility and simplicity remain unparalleled. His neighbors see him every day as he takes his morning walks on Raghava Veera Avenue …headphones on, tuft and fringe of white hair around a bald pate, in non-flashy attire. Just an elderly person on his walking routine .put him in front of the camera, glam make up, slick wig etc…lights, camera, action…a high voltage super energetic 40 something swashbuckler leaps and lunges at his enemies…an electrifying hero whose style hits you …was this man a bus conductor who hypnotized millions and still remains a heartthrob? Superstar Rajini has achieved phenomenal fame…yet his unchanged humility makes him Thalaiva.

Ahmedabad or Amdavad has proudly joined the list of global cities that has played host to the Commonwealth Games (CWG). There are not many takers for hosting the CWG; even the next year’s CWG — originally awarded to Victoria, Australia — will be held now at Glasgow, Scotland, the second time the British Isles country will host the event in 12 years; but with competition in fewer sports. Right from the time the Narendra Modi led NDA came to power in 2014, his government has taken steps to give an impetus to sports culture in the country and alleviate the needs of the top sportspersons by founding the Target Olympic Podium Scheme. A handful of States, including Odisha have been on an overdrive to embrace sports, and Ahmedabad lobbied and pushed for the CWG and recently its CWG membership was confirmed at Glasgow. Significantly, Ahmedabad will host the Centenary of the CWG, the inaugural games being held at Hamilton, Canada in 1930. Most international events were held in New Delhi – the capital city hosted the games in 2010 and endeavour will be put up a dazzling display in Ahmedabad which owns the biggest cricket stadium in the World. Most relevantly Ahmedabad will get an opportunity to show case itself through the live broadcast of the events.

Controversial artiste Rakhi Sawant’s shocking comments on actor Dharmendra’s demise rankled his fans and even some members of the public. A couple of days ago, Rakhi was present for an event in Mumbai. During the media interaction on the subject, Rakhi showed her acting prowess by donning a serious look instantly. She made many audacious claims. At one point, she alleged that Dharmendra had breathed his last two or three days before 24 November. Asked to state the basis of this shocker, Rakhi nonchalantly replied that several people had told her this. Unabashed, she claimed that Dharmendra had appeared in her dream. Rakhi lamented that she was hurt just like his numerous fans as she couldn’t get to see him one last time before his final rites. Rakhi is known for never missing a chance to create a sensation or to hog the limelight. Rakhi continues to face flack for her latest outpouring but is unfazed. Several social media posts have been uploaded against Rakhi. Most have described her as ‘insensitive’ for passing such hurtful remarks on the late superstar. Rakhi knows how to make waves. Her well-known roles have been in reality TV shows and Hindi movies. Rakhi has starred in a number of Bollywood films and is well-known for her item songs and fearless public persona. After appearing in “Bigg Boss 1” and making it to the finals of “Bigg Boss 14,” she gained wide publicity. To remain noticed, she manages to send shockwaves.

Although the use of laser beams is banned for public celebrations, the restriction is more observed in breach than compliance. The same is the case with installing Dolby speakers, which can damage the hearing owing to their high decibel intensity. However, a Pimpri resident will henceforth represent all those ignoring the rules after learning it the hard way himself. Pimpri is a suburb of Pune and its municipal corporation is among the richest in India, given the proliferation of industrial units in its environs. Expectedly, the flaunting of money is quite common. Gopi Pandharinath Lokhande, president of Bhairavnath Mitra Mandal in Pimpri, has been sentenced to simple imprisonment for two days and a fine of Rs 1000 for use of laser beam lights during the Ganesh festival procession taken out on 4 September 2024. He was found guilty of flouting Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Samhita. The police presented video recording of the procession and the preventive notice served on the Mandal regarding the ban on using laser beams. These proved conclusive. If the laser beams fall directly, they can seriously hurt eyes. Children, senior citizens and women are especially vulnerable. Similarly, they can distract airplane pilots if projected near airports or airways. The Pimpri court has underscored this restriction through the punishment it has awarded to Lokhande.

In his preliminary message PM Narendra Modi set the tone of the Winter Session of the Parliament on the opening day when he emphasised that the House “does not need drama but delivery.” He hoped the session should not become a battleground for frustration born out of defeat, or turn into an arena for arrogance after victory. With Opposition leaders speaking about the threat of SIR in poll-bound states, he felt that they had not come to terms with loss in Bihar and their statements showed the loss had unsettled them. Modi’s jibe naturally rattled the Opposition. The Congress which touched a new low in Bihar winning only 6 of the 60 seats it contested and wanted to blame it all on SIR, tried to rake up the sudden exit of former V-P Jagdeep Dhankar while welcoming newly elected Vice President CP Radhakrishnan in the Rajya Sabha. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s reference to Dhankar’s exit on health grounds in July drew a fiery response from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who flagged the “unkind words” used by the Opposition on Dhankhar in the past. Rijiju said why did the LoP refer to a case that was not necessary to raise at this point? I want to remind the House of the language used to insult the former Vice President. The minister reminded the Opposition of the unkind words “used in the removal motion that you served on Dhankar” , “a copy of which we still have, we have not forgotten,”. Meanwhile, a senior Congress MP from Telangana Renuka Choudhry violated parliamentary rules by driving into the Parliament House with her pet dog — possibly what seemed like a chihuahua.

Sunny Deol finds himself both under the glare of the media and at the centre of a massive cinematic gamble. After the commercial success of Jaat, directed by Gopi Chand Malineni, the veteran actor is reportedly lined up for six major projects in 2026 — a slate that trade sources estimate represents roughly Rs 750–800 crore of production value riding on his presence. Leading the pack is Border 2, directed by Anurag Singh and said to boast an ensemble including Diljit Dosanjh, Varun Dhawan and Sonam Bajwa alongside Deol. Industry estimates peg its budget at around Rs 90 crore. The most eye-catching commitment is Ramayana: Part One, directed by Nitesh Tiwari — a highly ambitious epic that reports suggest could cost close to Rs 400 crore, making it one of the landmark productions on the horizon. Other noteworthy films on Deol’s plate include Lahore 1947, backed by Aamir Khan’s production house and expected to be a substantial project; M Padmakumar’s Soorya, a Hindi remake of the Malayalam thriller Joseph, which trades estimate at about Rs 60 crore; and Jaat 2, already announced and anticipated in the region of Rs 50 crore. Rounding out the list is Baap, directed by Vivek Singh Chauhan and reportedly featuring Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt and Mithun Chakraborty in supporting roles — another mid-to-large-budget venture. Taken together, these six titles — Border 2, Ramayana: Part One, Lahore 1947, Soorya, Jaat 2 and Baap — place an unprecedented financial spotlight on Deol. While not all budgets and release plans are final, the sheer scale of this slate underscores his continued bankability and the high stakes studios are placing on his draw. With paparazzi headlines and production calendars both heating up, 2026 promises to be a defining year for Sunny Deol.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)has perhaps forgotten the adage – once bitten, twice shy. Despite its humiliating defeat in the Maharashtra assembly elections just a year ago, MVA partners have failed to team up to take on the saffron Mahayuti, led by the BJP. While voting for the local body elections is scheduled to take place on December 3, only three days are left for campaigning. However, the Congress has refused to include the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena led by Raj Thackeray into the MVA fold. The NCP-SP led by veteran Sharad Pawar is hardly visible except in certain pockets in Pune and Satara districts. Moreover, it has aligned with the NCP faction led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who split the parent party three years ago. Thereby, confusing signals about the Pawar clan in particular and about MVA in general are becoming viral, adding to the vexation of the voting public. Surprisingly, no prominent MVA leader has ventured out for campaigning against the Mahayuti. On the other hand, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and both deputy CMs, Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, are combing the countryside tirelessly. MVA leaders are visible only in front of TV cameras or through press notes, making impossible demands. Perhaps sensing the verdict, they have started shouting in chorus against EVMs and charging that the electoral rolls are suspicious. Re-enactment of Bihar is, thus, feared by the rank and file of MVA.

Manish Bansal, an old timer at the Welspun Group heading its operations as CFO in the UK, Europe and the USA begins this New Year with a bang. Bansal has been promoted as President & CFO of Welspun Living Ltd, a part of the $ 3.6 bn Welspun Group. This new title sees Bansal moving from the Land of Blighty to Aamchi Mumbai. Bansal moves from Manchester to the Welspun office at Kamala Mills in Lower Parel. Bansal has been recognised by his colleagues and peers as a key strategist for the global operations of the company. In his new role Bansal will steer Welspun Living’s financial strategy, capital structure, and governance initiatives, positioning the company for sustained growth, improved value creation, and robust financial discipline. With growth in America under the Trump regime not so conducive and the UK not too encouraging for the home furnishing business, Bansal, it is learnt, has drawn up plans to aggressively penetrate into the South East Asian markets and tap countries like Australia and New Zealand too. While in the UK Bansal was actively responsible for developing Christy’s brand to lure the retail market with Welspun products.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has consciously made clear distinction (course correction) for BJP’s further growth in the state. With elections for over 29 municipal corporations, a higher number of municipal councils and even more local self-bodies due imminently, Maharashtra’s Chanakya has put his party first, over alliance considerations. During the 2024 Lok Sabha polls political alliance-Dharma exuberance saw BJP suffering sharp losses in Maharashtra, down to a single digit victory figure of nine MPs despite contesting 28 seats as against the tally of 23 enjoyed in 2019 after pitting 25 candidates back then. The Sena similarly won 18 of the 23 seats it contested in alliance with BJP in 2019. The bifurcated Shiv Sena faction under former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray (UBT) contested 21 seats in 2024, sending only nine MPs to parliament. Just before the subsequent state assembly elections Fadnavis was anointed ‘Maharashtra’s Sarvashri’ by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Fadnavis micromanaged the whole process, putting up BJP candidates to include Nilesh Rane, Shaina NC to contest even as alliance partner Shiv Sena candidates (deputy CM Eknath Shinde led party). The result was an overwhelming victory for the Mahayuti alliance, with BJP bagging 132 by itself, the NDA alliance securing 235 out of 288 assembly seats in all. And yet, post facto analysis of the Lok Sabha debacle clearly revealed to Fadnavis that alliance partner NCP’s vote share (led by deputy CM Ajit Pawar) did not transfer to BJP candidates. Now, Fadnavis has made it clear that no micromanagement, political exuberance will be shown in an each-party-for-itself political showdown though alliance understanding will decide seats to be contested in the civic polls. Poaching of Eknath Shinde’s men in Thane by the BJP and Ajit Pawar’s recent political embarrassments only point in this direction.

The Trinamool Congress’ internal dynamics have once again brought its simmering generational rifts into sharp focus. A routine review of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise has instead revived questions about the shifting balance of authority within the party. TMC’s National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s pointed remarks have taken on significance beyond administrative evaluation, highlighting renewed tension with the so-called Didi faction — Kolkata’s influential old guard long viewed as chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s core circle. The party had earlier instructed booth-level agents (BLAs) to coordinate with the Election Commission–appointed booth-level officers (BLOs) and update daily enumeration progress on the ‘Didir Doot’ app. Abhishek’s sharp reprimand came during a massive virtual meeting with around 25,000 leaders, where he identified eight Assembly constituencies as the poorest performers in voter-list verification. Six of these are in Kolkata — traditionally the base of Mamata’s closest lieutenants. The numbers were strikingly low: BLA activity was only 22% in Kolkata Port (represented by Firhad Hakim), 24% in Kashipur–Belgachhia (Atin Ghosh), 34% in Ballygunge (Babul Supriyo), and similarly low in Beleghata, Entally, Madhyamgram and Chowringhee. His assertion that performance was “non-negotiable” — along with the mention that Mamata Banerjee reviews his reports every 15 days — signalled that his expanding organisational authority carries the Chief Minister’s sanction. His decision to explicitly name certain leaders, including ministers Malay Ghatak and Manoj Tiwary, separate conversations with Hakim and Biswas, and plans for a follow-up meeting with Kolkata MLAs and councillors have reinforced the perception that the National General Secretary is tightening oversight over a region historically dominated by Mamata’s earliest loyalists. As the party shifts toward a data-driven, app-based organisational culture under Abhishek, Kolkata...

In Odisha, the chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi is hitting headlines every other day by announcing various schemes, measures and policies to pitch-fork the state into the big league. His latest vision is to make Odisha a $500 bn economy in the next 10 years from the current $120 bn.  The five-fold growth seems over ambitious, feel experts. To achieve his vision, CM is pulling out all stops, ensuring seamless integration among various government departments. Party insiders say CM is busy with how his team will work cross-functionally holding one another accountable for delivering on commitments. To achieve this target, Odisha has to focus big time on infrastructure, industry and skill development. Meanwhile, the opposition – Biju Janata Dal and Congress – have been critical. They say Majhi government is selling lofty dreams through compelling narratives to cover up his government’s failures. These promises are designed just to appeal to the hopes and aspirations of the electorate. Sure, dreams sell but the true measure of Odisha BJP party’s success lies not in the promises it makes or the eloquence with which it presents its platform, but rather in the tangible impact it has on the lives of Odisha people.

While love and pride for Marathi is the basis of both Shiv Sena factions and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the same factor can play a decisive role in determining the final seat sharing between cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. Both have held repeated meetings to hammer out a solution, which still seems elusive as both are trying to claim certain civic constituencies in Mumbai having predominant Marathi-speaking population. This also covers nearly two dozen civic wards which were won by the Sena (UBT) in the last municipal election. Given the possibility of an electoral understanding, MNS leader Raj Thackeray, too, is learnt to be desirous of fielding his candidates from these areas, for the same reason. At present, the Sena (UBT) is a decimated force in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) since most of its elected corporators have joined the Sena faction led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. Their wards, too, are on the bargaining block, demanded by both sides. In any case, MNS has a sizable presence in at least 30 wards. Assessing the overall scenario, Uddhav drove to Raj’s Shivaji Park residence on November 27 in a bid to take the talks further. As the Congress has refused to accept MNS in the Maha Vikas Aghadi fold, it will be a tough challenge for the cousins to decide their future course of action. Moreover, the Marathi factor has also potential to influence the outcome of the election for the most affluent civic corporation in India.

The Congress high command is expected to take a decisive call on the political situation in Karnataka before the Winter Session of Parliament begins on December 1. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is set to meet Rahul Gandhi, with the crucial discussion likely to take place in a day or two, according to those familiar with the developments. It is being said that party leadership is worried about the perception of a power struggle over the CM’s post .Clarity is expected before the Parliament session opens, with the high command keen to avoid any perception of instability in the party’s only major southern bastion. While the CM Siddaramaiah camp is pushing to maintain the status quo at least until March and wants a cabinet reshuffle, supporters of Dy CM Shivakumar are pushing for the Congress to clearly outline a transition plan— the sort that was informally agreed upon during government formation in 2023. Of course, the final word decision will be made by Rahul Gandhi. Party sources aired concern about the manner in which DKS was increasingly becoming rude and insolent — he had apparently refused to acknowledge CM Siddaramaiah’s presence at the same venue. A KPCC leader says, “We must go beyond the binaries of DKS and Siddaramaiah and opt for a Dalit CM. Rahulji should opt for G Parameshwara — he is an educated Dalit leader; he is someone like Dr BR Ambedkar; he has served the party well and occupied many capacities.” His elevation will have the same the impact for the Congress as what Sushil Kumar Shinde’s rise as CM in Maharashtra in January 2003, did for the Congress in May 2004 Lok Sabha polls across India. UPA I came to power. SP leader Akhilesh Yadav had also promised to push for a Dalit CM with Rahul Gandhi. It is being said Siddaramaiah will happily back a Dalit CM, particularly Parameshwara.

Former Minister KA Sengottaiyan, who was expelled from the AIADMK, tendered his resignation as Gobichettipalayam MLA on November 26. The nine-term MLA handed over his resignation to Assembly Speaker M Appavu at the Secretariat in Chennai. Sengottaiyan is the second MLA of the AIADMK to tender resignation this month. Earlier on November 4, PH Manoj Pandian resigned as Alangulam MLA hours after joining the DMK. While Sengottaiyan refused to disclose to the media about his future course of action, there is speculation that he may soon join actor Vijay’s political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). A Gounder like AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), his exit from the AIADMK is something that would weaken the AIADMK alliance. Initially, it was felt Sengottaiyan was headed towards DMK as he already had a word with DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. He had also met with Stalin’s closest minister Sekarbabu. Sengottaiyan’s political decision is being viewed as an initiative pushed by Stalin to engineer splits in AIADMK, to spite EPS and Amit Shah. The rebel AIADMK leader is also known to be advised by BJP leader K Annamalai on his career moves to achieve their common goal of preventing EPS coming back as CM in Tamil Nadu.

A parody site put up a seemingly convincing post from Gautam Gambhir saying he was resigning from his post as he could not tolerate what was happening to the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati. Another site declared April Fool early with a parody post from Kapil Dev that said what you are getting is what you will get if a political appointee is made the chief coach. All that may be in the kind of fun that the social media pokes at Indian cricket in the bad days in which it gets pummelled on pitches made up of Indian soil. The fact remains that the lens is on Gambhir who is staring at the wrong end of the barrel as pundits, social media humorists and cricket fans are taking aim at him. Team India is on the cusp of losing a second major series at home, this time to South Africa after having folded 3-0 against New Zealand last year. Gambhir’s way of chopping and changing the playing XIs, peculiar strategies thrust on a fledgling captain like Rishabh Pant who leads in place of the injured Shubman Gill and shuffling of the batting order are valid points being made against him. Pant’s handling of the attack on a vital and decisive morning’s play in the first Test when he opened the bowling with Axar Patel instead of Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammed Siraj was the fatal slip that has led to India losing the series to South Africa. But it is the blood of the coach that everyone is praying for. Are there any odds on GG surviving as the chief coach in the Test format?

In Tamil Nadu, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief Seeman is well known for his hot speeches and hasty utterances; a politician who fires salvoes and then thinks about anger management. By any Tamil political standard Seeman is a colourful, cacophonic and clamorous personality. Just a few days back, addressing a press meet in Puducherry, he lost his cool and lambasted a journalist who asked about SIR…even threatened physical harm. Seeman and his two chelas were charged under three sections. His anger and attitude are not surprising especially after an alleged meeting he had with actor Vijay in his Panaiyur mansion. This was the time Seeman was welcomed as a master strategist and alliance partner. Vijay had done the math for the firepower — the Congress, TVK and NTK. So insiders of TVK were surprised to see Seeman walk into the gilded environs of Vijay’s Antilia , ostensibly for a three hour pow wow on the alliance. At the close of this, Vijay is said to have offered to personally drop Seeman home in his car. En route Vijay is said to have asked him, “Anna, what do you think of bringing the Congress into our fold? Vijay was totally shaken by Seeman’s anger and vitriolic response. “This party is totally responsible for the genocide of Tamil Eelam brothers. We must annihilate this party in the same way” Seeman’s hot blooded reaction threw Vijay off his cool …quickly taking a U turn, he drove back home. Alliances and strategies are crucial at this stage for Vijay , especially after the Karur disaster, and Vijay is surely not wanting to ally with leaders and parties that choose indiscriminate paths.

In a stinging public rebuke that has unsettled the Bengal BJP unit, Tamluk MP and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay has said he is “disillusioned” with the party barely 18 months after joining politics, declaring that the BJP is “nowhere close” to removing chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Gangopadhyay, who quit the judiciary last year to contest the Lok Sabha polls on a BJP ticket, said his “only purpose” in entering electoral politics was to “remove Didi from power”. Holding the Modi government, central agencies and the Election Commission for their collective to make headway, and questioned the Centre’s intent toward Bengal. The former judge also stated that Mamata Banerjee who leverages the “anti-Bengali sentiment” issue as a poll plank, as the BJP continues to “misread Bengal’s sentiment”. Expressing “discontent” over the dominance of “non-Bengali leadership” in the state unit, he said the “mindset of North India does not match that of West Bengal” and that the party cannot import leaders from the Hindi belt and expect to win. Delhi-based leaders, he added, do not grasp the “mentality, temperament or sentiments” of Bengal’s electorate. Gangopadhyay further criticised central agencies for “failing” on matters such as the teachers’ recruitment scams and the RG Kar Medical College rape case, alleging that sections were influenced by ruling party leaders for the teachers’ recruitment scam. As a judge, he had once handled recruitment scam cases before resigning to join the BJP. He also accused the Election Commission of failing to enforce FIRs it ordered against officials for alleged irregularities, saying the state instead issued suspensions. His remarks have left the Bengal BJP in an awkward position, with state leaders privately expressing discomfort over his public doubts about the party.

The much-awaited ‘Ashes’ — a biennial Test series spectacle between Australia and England, the old foes of the gentleman’s game — began without the home team’s skipper Pat Cummins, a champion seamer and Josh Hazlewood, who bowls with a curmudgeon-like attitude. The duo has taken a small matter of 604 Test wickets and Hazlewood was looking forward to add five to his 295 to take his personal tally to 300. Cummins has been laid low by a lower back ailment and Hazlewood by a nagging hamstring. But the third gangling man in the three Musketeers, Mitchell Starc (412 wickets after the first Test at Perth) filled the big boots of the other two to send England packing on a remarkable pitch at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Opener Travis Head won all the accolades in the end for his phenomenal flaying with the bat that disintegrated the England bowling and their minds. But it was Starc’s outstanding 7 for 58 and 3 for 56 and a first Ashes 10nner that paved the way for his team to compete hard and win the Test. It was Starc’s 101st Test and fittingly he completed it. 100 plus wickets against England and became the 14th Australian to take a century of wickets in Ashes contests. Starc did so in his 23rd Test against England and he has featured in 13 wins. He is the only left arm bowler — pace or spin — to take 100 plus wickets. At Perth he was the spearhead and the supporting cast included Scot Boland, Cameroon Green and Brendon Doggett. Starc will turn 36 on January 30 and it looks as though the home Ashes could be his last. He has started with a bang with a big 10 in his pocket!

A woman passenger’s bluster that her husband eats only fresh food now stands to gulp humble pie since her bravado of cooking Maggie on the mobile charging socket in the train they were travelling on has invited Central Railway’s punitive action against her. The woman’s identity has not been divulged but in a video that has gone viral, she is seen and heard telling other passengers in the coach smugly, “Saheb likes only freshly made food. I have no holiday here, too.” The clip has been watched by over 65,000 viewers. Railway Protection Force authorities have declared that action was being initiated against her. Passengers are advised to refrain from any such hazardous behaviour. If they notice any such activity, report it immediately, RPF has urged the travelling public. The woman’s “Maggi hack” has raised alarm overall. A passenger alerted that the amperage is not equipped for high-power appliances. Another has commented wryly, “Civic sense of Indians is so high that they will do all the stupidity and flaunt it in public as a biggest achievement.” Supporting the comment, another says, “Indians have no sense of consideration, courtesy or respect towards shared public space. They will treat everything as private space.” While many have questioned the efficacy of security measures on trains, there are those who have demanded to know the sense of filming such blatant violation of law. 

Union Cabinet Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s visit (Nov 21) to Odisha post Bihar election win, has set the tongues wagging.  It is learnt that the chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his loyal band of ministers deliberately did not go to Bhubaneswar airport to receive and congratulate him for his Bihar success. Sources say Majhi has been wary of Pradhan’s clout and his chief ministerial ambition. This new incident, sources say, has possibly widened the unspoken rift between the Union Minister Pradhan and chief minister Majhi. Political observers say “empathy and trust are paramount values in the reciprocal political relationship”. Party insiders say, the chief minister deliberately scheduled a cabinet meeting so as to give a miss to Pradhan’s visit. But, one thing is loud and clear, Pradhan who has been eyeing the CM’s chair for quite some time, may one day well be occupying it given his accomplishments within the BJP.

On the back of Bihar drubbing, the Congress sent a team of senior AICC secretaries headed by Girish Raya Chodankar (AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry) to Chennai to negotiate seat-sharing with DMK for assembly elections next year. The team includes key state leaders: TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai, Congress Legislature Party leader S Rajeshkumar, AICC secretaries Nivedith Alva and Suraj Hegde. The panel is expected to hit the ground running next week. Interestingly, soon after the Bihar results, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin had sent his son-in-law V Sabareesan as an emissary to meet with Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi this week. Party sources said Sabareesan had taken a letter from Stalin offering 15 seats for the Congress in the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly polls. In 2021, the Congress had contested 25 seats and had won 18. The party now has 17 legislators in its fold, after one of the MLAs, S Vijayadharani switched to the BJP in 2024. In Bihar, the Congress had contested 61 seats in an Opposition alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal. It managed to win only 6 seats. The early despatching of the AICC team to Chennai to seal an electoral pact with the DMK effectively shuts down speculation about the Congress moving towards a tie-up with the newbie TVK. This even as some individual leaders like party MP Manickam Tagore have been pushing for a tie-up with youth icon, popular actor and TVK leader Vijay.

The buzz in Odisha for quite some time is who will step into Naveen Patnaik’s shoes, this has become stronger post Biju Janata Dal’s humiliating defeat in the recently held bypoll election. It slipped to the third position while Congress moved to the 2nd position with BJP winning by huge margin. Political observers say “BJD seems to be in the worst moment”. Already, prominent and senior BJD leaders like Mamta Mahanta MP, Sujit Kumar, Rajya Sabha and ex-MP strategist Amar Patnaik have quit BJD sometime back joining BJP. Fresh rumours are that more BJD members could join BJP if discontent within BJD’s rank and file grows further. Given Naveen Babu’s advancing age (79) plus health complications resulting in him not being able to walk without assistance, have convinced his party workers that he should not be looking after the day-to-day running of his party. So, who could take over the party’s mantle? Sources say Sujata R Karthikeyan, ex-IAS, former Mission Shakti Chief of BJD’s powerful women wing and wife of Patnaik’s man Friday VK Pandian could be a strong contender. This is because Patnaik trusts the Pandians totally. Sources say, Sujata’s formal entry into BJD could take place on BJD’s Foundation Day December 26 while others say Sujata could be nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Only time will tell.

For 2026 Assembly polls, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her party Trinamool Congress (TMC) appear to be adjusting their political messaging. The party is presenting a more explicit secular position, moving away from repeated accusations that it favours one community. The TMC’s December 6 rally — usually managed by the minority cell — has been handed this year to the student and youth wings, signaling a shift in how TMC wants the event to be viewed. The rally commemorates the demolition of the Babri Masjid, but TMC’s leadership wants the day to be framed as an appeal for communal unity rather than a community-focused programme. Calling December 6, a “symbolically strong day”, the party wants the event to mark the opening of its grassroots-level campaign for 2026 with both Didi and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee likely to address the gathering. The party leaders say the aim is to counter what they see as increasing communal mobilisation by the BJP. Internally, TMC leaders acknowledge that recent political trends — including the limited impact of SIR in Bihar — have prompted a reassessment. The party believes the BJP is using the issue to sharpen religious polarisation, and it wants to respond with a message that can consolidate secular-leaning voters. Predictably, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has criticised the rally, saying it is another attempt at appeasement. The decision to involve younger wings of the party is also intended to suggest a wider, more inclusive organisational base. The effectiveness of this shift will depend on whether TMC can follow the rally with sustained outreach. The move indicates that TMC recognises that the political narrative in Bengal is changing, and that it must adapt if it hopes to shape voter sentiment ahead of 2026 Assembly polls.

The coming local body election in Maharashtra has forced the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi partners to face a Hobson’s Choice, giving indications that the BJP-led Mahayuti will have a smooth sailing, thanks to the likely vote division in the opposition camp. The already decimated Congress party has declared that it will not team up with the Shiv Sena (UBT) since its leader Uddhav Thackeray has decided to fight the election jointly with cousin Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). If both, the Congress and Uddhav, remain firm on their stand, the Mahayuti’s expectation to win on a platter will become a reality as the opposition’s vote bank will be dented. Realising this possibility, Uddhav has started persuading the Congress to remain in MVA. So far, the outcome is elusive. On the other hand, the Congress has urged senior leader Sharad Pawar to extend his support to it but the NCP(SP) is yet to make up its mind. The Hobson’s Choice, thus, faces the Congress and Uddhav’s Sena. If Uddhav and Raj are not hand in hand, the Marathi vote in Mumbai and Thane will be split, to the advantage of the Mahayuti. If the cousins come together, the Congress and perhaps even the NCP(SP) can think of other options, ultimately harming the MVA prospects, overall. Although all is not well in the Mahayuti camp either, the MVA’s splintering will override the saffron camp’s differences and present it with a massive mandate, it seems as of now.