Just a year for the most bitter battle for the Tamil Nadu gaddi and a whole host of chinks and breaches in the DMK armour are tumbling out. Is the DMK being dismantled by a cunning Chanakya? Are DMK MP K Kanimozhi and MK Alagiri being instigated to rebel against a dynastic family succession? Political seers are seeing red at every turn. The latest buzz about the Maran brothers, Kalanithi and Dayanidhi fighting for their share of spoils has shaken the DMK leaders and cadres. The father of Maran brothers, Murasoli Maran was Kalaignar’s (nephew) alter ego, power broker and conscience keeper. The two families grew wealthy and powerful even as the DMK’s political relevance grew to sustain the families. Kalanithi, founder of the SUN TV Group, an entrepreneur with an unfailing Midas touch and brother Dayanidhi too basked in the sun’s radiance and held sway in Delhi. The timing of the fallout is what everybody is questioning. Whose hidden hand is at work? The recent star status accorded by PM Modi to Kanimozhi (Stalin’s step sister) to lead an all-party delegation post Operation Sindoor indicates she is a power centre in her own right. Was she given the plum role to highlight that she too was ready for the state’s CMship? On his recent visit to Madurai, an estranged Stalin made amends by calling on older brother MK Alagiri, who assured Stalin that he is no longer interested in politics and would create no trouble as the family’s “Southern Satrap”. BJP knows that 2026 may be too early to make a significant dent in the iron grip of the Dravidian parties. But chipping away brick by brick could dent that grip. Chanakya at work on many fronts.

After spending two years at 10 Janpath with his mother Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is moving into a new address. He started the process of shifting on his birthday on June 19. It is being said 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, barely two km from 10 Janpath, will be his new address and Rahul will move into the Type VIII bungalow before the Monsoon Session of Parliament starting July 21. The Sunehri Bagh residence was earlier occupied by Karnataka BJP leader A Narayanaswamy, who was Minister of State for Social Justice in the Modi government from 2021 to 2024, and had not contested 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Since he became an MP in 2004, Rahul has been staying at 12, Tughlaq Lane for 19 years till 22 April, 2023. This was the house he had to vacate after he was disqualified from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a defamation case involving PM Modi.  He was given the choice of moving back to 12, Tughlak Lane — but it was believed that it lacked an auspicious vastu and the Gandhis declined moving back. Rahul had the option of paying market rent and continuing to stay in the bungalow after filing an application but he chose to stay with his mother. He continued to stay at 10 Janpath even after the Lok Sabha election and assumed the chair of Leader of Opposition.

Shares of Sun TV Network crashed over 5% on June 19 after a family feud came to light. Dayanidhi Maran accused elder brother Kalanithi Maran of taking control of the Rs23,000 crore Sun TV through fraudulent practices soon after their father Murasoli Maran’s death in 2003. Now, there are reports that the legal battle over Sun TV ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly elections has begun to worry the ruling DMK. DMK leaders have begun to worry how they would face the polls without media, muscle and money. They are not only feeling caught between feuding Maran brothers but also feel they have no answer for the TASMAC liquor scam involving close aides of Deputy CM Udhaynidhi Stalin. Sources close to DMK say Dayanidhi’s revelation is bound to please chief minister MK Stalin’s son-in-law V Sabareesan as well as be music to ears of his sister DMK Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi, who also runs a TV media network Kalaignar. Both Sabareesan and Kani have been in cold and watched Udhaynidhi flex his muscles. In his notice, Dayanidhi sought to restore the Sun TV’s shareholding structure to its pre-September 2003 status. This implies that Dayanidhi and his sister, Anbukarasi Maran, along with MK Stalin, and his two brothers and sister, would be the owners of Sun TV, as Kalanithi did not own any shares in the company 22 years ago. Dayanidhi says that after their father’s death, Kalanithi took over more than 75% of the company, while the shares held by their parents were reduced from 50% to just one single share. He claims Kalanithi used none of his own money to do this. He has threatened to request a government investigation by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office if Kalanithi does not agree to fix the issue. The notice says that when Sun TV was founded in 1985, the only shareholders were MK Dayalu (Karunanidhi’s second wife) and Mallika (Murasoli Maran’s wife).

The West Bengal government’s action is once again under scrutiny after political cartoonist Manjul received a takedown notice from Cyber Crime wing of the state police.  News website, The Wire, reported that the notice targeted two 2019 cartoons featuring chief minister Mamata Banerjee; one depicting defections from TMC to BJP, and the other on chit-fund scams under her regime. The state police cited alleged legal violations behind the notice. Earlier in March, FIRs were filed against CPI(M)’s Mohammad Salim and BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya for sharing a video showing a woman being flogged by a TMC leader in North Dinajpur’s Chopra. The post led to public outrage, prompting police to seek content removal. These instances reflect a long-standing pattern. In 2012, Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra was arrested for forwarding a cartoon featuring Banerjee; his case dragged on for a decade. Farmer Shiladitya Chowdhury was branded a “Maoist” by Banerjee after questioning fertiliser prices, then detained and legally pursued. In 2019, Sanmoy Banerjee, ex-Congress spokesperson, was arrested for criticising the chief minister’s nephew. In June 2022, YouTuber Roddur Roy was arrested from Goa for allegedly abusing Banerjee and her nephew. In 2023, advocate and former Congress spokesperson Kaustav Bagchi was also detained for allegedly derogatory remarks about Banerjee. Both later joined the BJP. Notably, during protests over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College in August 2023, artists criticised the state’s response. In retaliation, the TMC initiated a cultural boycott led by Kunal Ghosh, backed by MP Kalyan Banerjee and Education Minister Bratya Basu.

After Opposition parties BJD and Congress lashing out at Majhi government’s performance, it’s now the turn of titular Puri King expressing his displeasure and disappointment. He has openly shown red flags to CM Mohan Charan Majhi’s administration capability over preparation of Lord Jagannath Temple’s Ratha Yatra in Puri on June 27.  The King said, “Everyone thought the Majhi government will make darshan hassle-free at Lord Jagannath temple but nothing has happened so far.” Everything is moving at a snail’s pace and the entry/exit of devotees seeking Lord Jagannath’s blessings is yet to be finalised. This is because the temple management committee has not been formed in the last nine months despite King’s personal written request to the Majhi government to appoint the temple governing body. Meanwhile, the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) management committee issue has now snowballed into a legal issue to be decided by the Odisha high court. According to Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan the delay in appointing the temple management committee is because one ‘sabayat’ and seven others had moved Odisha HC challenging the inclusion of two individuals in the sacred ‘patabola seva’ — a ritual service traditionally reserved for hereditary sevaks of the Puri Jagannath Temple. In the recent HC interim order on 19 June by Justice RK Patnaik, he has now directed SJTA to consider excluding finalisation of two names of the new temple committee members for participating in the committee meeting since it is reserved for hereditary sevaks.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has targeted the BJP for distorting Bengal’s contribution to India’s freedom movement through the recently released film Kesari Chapter 2, starring Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan and Ananya Panday. Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) have accused the filmmakers of deliberately altering the names of iconic Bengali revolutionaries, alleging that this was done with political intent, as Kumar is known to be close to PM Narendra Modi and the BJP. According to Didi, the BJP had been consistently targeting the state and its rich cultural heritage. The film, directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, released in theatres on April 18 and later on OTT platform JioCinema, has now landed in controversy. A formal police complaint has led to a FIR under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly insulting freedom fighters and misrepresenting historical facts. Ranjit Biswas, a resident of Nabapalli Sector IV in Bidhannagar South, filed the complaint, claiming that the courtroom scene in the film related to the Muzaffarpur Conspiracy Case misrepresents revolutionaries Khudiram Bose and Barindra Kumar Ghosh. In the movie, they are portrayed as ‘Khudiram Singh’ and ‘Birendra Kumar’ from Amritsar, which Biswas called an “insult to Bengal’s martyrs.” Following the complaint, the police have registered a case under BNS Sections 352 (intentional insult), 353(1)(c) (public mischief), and 353(2) (dissemination of false information). The TMC has demanded an apology and correction, accusing the film of whitewashing Bengal’s revolutionary history.

The Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra is facing some sticky moments over the entry of two controversial politicians, both belonging to the Shiv Sena (UBT). BJP sympathisers and supporters are perturbed over the welcome accorded to Sudhakar Badgujar and Baban Gholap, both from Nashik in north Maharashtra. Badgujar was till a fortnight ago a close associate of Sena MP Sanjay Raut. He was expelled from that party since he presented a memorandum listing civic demands to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who was visiting Nashik. Badgujar was in the news for the past year after his pictures dancing with Salim Kutta, an alleged operator of Dawood Ibrahim, went viral on social media. Several BJP members had castigated the Sena though he had remained untouched. Even after he joined the BJP, Raut was cautious to react. Normally in the habit of launching a tirade against Sena opponents, Raut merely said about Badgujar that he would not comment on those who were not in his party. Gholap, a former minister in the first Sena-BJP alliance regime, was imprisoned for fraud and was rather inactive politically for a long time. His BJP entry was somewhat surprising for many. The BJP is facing heat for admitting the duo. Fadnavis has said that none should be held guilty unless convicted by the court. All said and done, Badgujar’s entry into the BJP has weakened the Sena (UBT) which is already facing a deluge.

Various political parties in Maharashtra are unanimous in opposing the imposition of Hindi in primary schools. The issue of teaching Hindi has provided cannon fodder to the various political outfits, which have started flexing their muscles in view of the coming local body elections. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has repeatedly clarified that the opposition to Hindi teaching is misplaced but this has had no effect for those who have taken up cudgels against Hindi’s teaching. For the first time in many years, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena led by his cousin Raj Thackeray have expressed similar sentiments on the touchy situation. Those leaders and insignificant political parties, which had been in hibernation after the Lok Sabha election, have suddenly reactivated themselves. In this atmosphere, senior leader Sharad Pawar has once again taken an ambivalent position. Pawar has indirectly supported the teaching of Hindi. In a chat with the media, while saying that Hindi should not be imposed, he has observed that hating Hindi will not be in the interest of the students. Pawar also pointed out that nearly 60% of India’s population conversed in Hindi. Pawar’s position is considered reasonable though with a rider, as usual. Other partners of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi are nixed since they can neither support him nor speak against him. The issue, however, has potential to impact the local body elections.

Time to keep fingers crossed as an Indian team, trying to juggle with a number of questions in batting and bowling, will get down to the serious business of the first day of the first Test at Headingley, Leeds on Friday. India’s new captain Shubman Gill (three Tests in England) will have a brush with the maverick Ben Stokes who has led England in 33 Tests and won 20 for a 60.61 % win- record and with an 18- led-13-win record at home for a 72.22 positive percentage. Anyway one looks at it, the odds are stacked against India and Gill. But the charm of multi-day Test run-ins is all about outsmarting the rival team with the bat and ball for near about  450 overs if a contest lasts almost five full days and India has the opportunity to play (out of its skin) to baulk the home team which is a touch short without express fast bowlers Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. England will still have a pace bowling apparatus to trouble the inexperienced (in English conditions) top and middle order in Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair (recalled after many years), Dhruv Jurel and Gill. Fortunes could fluctuate in a matter of a few overs, and the likes of Jaiswal & Co have their task cut out. On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have the experience, but on a day when a team has to bowl 90 overs, the Indian team could be hard-pressed. In these circumstances Gill, while batting and Bumrah, while bowling hold the key for India to take control of events.

There is a saying in Hindi, Aapko Aam khanese matlab hai ya ghutli ginnese?  For Dr S Ramadoss and his feuding son, Dr Anbumani, the PMK and its symbol, the Mango have come to a collision point in their succession battle for taking over the party. In this bitter battle, not just Dr Anbumani but even his wife Sowmya has been targeted by Dr Ramadoss senior stating that her ambition has made the father-son dispute irrevocable. He claims that even as he had brought the alliance with AIADMK to almost closure in 2024, Sowmya sabotaged it with her hectic hospitality, inviting Annamalai to their Thailapuram residence and overturned the alliance as BJP was her choice. The impasse has come to a point where Dr Ramadoss says Dr Anbumani is no longer the party head and leader, even as the son insists that his term lasts till 2026 according to the Election Commission. Going a step higher, Sowmya has taken the matter to the Gods. She travelled with her two daughters to Rameshwaram, Dhanushkodi and to the temple of Nambu Nayaki Amman, a temple where thousands of devotees seek the Goddess’s blessings for their problems. This is highlighted by a ritual …fresh green turmeric is ground on stone grinders here then the turmeric paste is offered to Nambu Nayaki. Sowmya, seasoned bahu and politician went a step further …. She offered luscious looking mangoes too , to the Goddess …probably praying that her husband succeeds in getting both party and leadership in this bitter power struggle in the PMK. Considering that 80 % of the followers are silently throwing their hats in favour of Dr Anbumani, the turmeric and mangoes could well be a winning combo.

In view of the deteriorating situation because of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, the Government of India launched Operation Sindhu to ensure safety and security of Indian nationals in Iran. As a first step, the Indian Embassy has evacuated 110 Indian students from northern Iran, assisting them safely to cross over into Armenia on June 17. The students have travelled by road to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia. These students departed Yerevan on a special flight at 1455 hrs (2.55 pm) on June 18 and will arrive in New Delhi in the early hours of June 19 as part of the initial stages of Operation Sindhu. The Government of India is grateful to the Governments of Iran and Armenia for the smooth facilitation of the evacuation process, the MEA said in a release. India accords highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. As part of the ongoing operation, the Indian Embassy in Iran has been assisting large numbers of Indian nationals in moving from areas seeing increased hostilities to relatively safer areas within the country and to subsequently evacuate them using the available and feasible options. Indian nationals in Iran have been advised to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Tehran through its emergency helpline, and with the 24×7 Control Room established by the MEA, in New Delhi.

PM Narendra Modi’s 35-minute phone call with the U.S. President Donald Trump since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack was clearly aimed at sorting out misgivings back home. He told firmly that no mediation or trade deal led to cessation of hostilities with Pakistan. The highlight of the phone call was when Prez Trump asked PM Modi if he could visit the U.S. on his return from Canada. PM Modi politely declined the offer citing his prior engagement of visiting Croatia. But, interestingly, Prez Trump has accepted PM Modi’s to visit India for the QUAD meeting later this year. As per Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri read out of the phone chat, “PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this entire series of incidents, never was talks held at any level on India-America trade deal and mediation between India and Pakistan by America. The talks regarding cessation of military action was held directly between India and Pakistan under the existing channels established between both militaries, it was done at Pakistan’s request…” He shared that the phone-call overtly clarified that India, “has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it. There is complete political unanimity in India on this issue.” Meanwhile Congress leader Jairam Ramesh was dismissive about Misri’s statement. He said “Understand the ‘triple jhatka’ that the Indian foreign policy and diplomacy has received. Today Field Marshal Asim Munir whose provocative, incendiary, inflammatory comments are directly linked to the Pahalgam terror attacks…is invited for a one-on-one special lunch with President Trump.…” BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya hit back calling Jairam “a congenital liar — much like Rahul Gandhi. He is now peddling yet another falsehood, claiming that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s statement doesn’t match the U.S. readout — while dramatically waving his phone around. ” But here is the catch: the readout he is citing...

 With L&T, Adani and Birla Group already having bauxite mining licences in Odisha’s eastern ghats, the focus now shifts to Anil Agarwal controlled Vedanta Aluminium. This is because Vedanta, India’s largest aluminium producer does not have its own captive bauxite mine in Odisha since 2007 and buys bauxite from Odisha Mining Corporation. The current BJP-run government in Odisha is getting ready to hand over to Vedanta Sijimali bauxite mining which has 311 million tonne bauxite deposit covering 1549 hectares at Koraput. Corporate observers say this is an important move after Vedanta failed to get mining rights in Niyamgiri, Koraput district recently. The only hitch is protests from the tribal leaders.  And the Supreme Court ruling here is very clear,  Vedanta can mine bauxite provided majority of tribals give their consent. The general feeling is Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal is an old hat in this game of winning such battles. He will easily wade through ongoing tribal protests at Sijimalli Hills since the opposition numbers are much smaller.  It seems Agarwal has the backing of the state’s Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari who is pulling all stops to encourage businesses to set base and expand in Odisha. And the government walked the talk by not allowing social activist Medha Patkar from entering Rayagada for the next two months to stage protests against Vedanta’s mine project. This gives Vedanta Aluminium enough time to win trust and confidence of local tribals.

The possibility of political merger of Maharashtra’s most powerful political family, the Pawars, has been ruled out by the family patriarch Sharad Pawar. There had been much speculation following the uncle-nephew (Ajit Pawar) sharing dais on multiple occasions. Underscoring that those aligned with the Congress ideology would not accept the BJP and view them as opportunists, senior Pawar also stressed how those who had left him in his political journey had ended up defeated out of the electoral race. His daughter Supriya Sule, who has now emerged as a strong voice within the NCP-SP since her takeover as the working president, is said to be averse to the idea of reuniting with her cousin. Sharad Pawar’s partymen, known to lead sugar industries and banking institutions, have been reportedly itching to return to power. Sharad Pawar’s good personal equations with PM Narendra Modi clearly are not proving fruitful for his partymen. Being out of power also isn’t helping the senior Pawar faction particularly with Ajit Pawar, known to leverage his position as Maharashtra’s finance minister, for his partymen. Ajit Pawar continues with his mission to poach from his uncle’s party with his official position clearly giving him an edge in the poaching exercise. The BJP too seems to be poaching party leaders from opposition parties with a vengeance and this exercise seems to have picked up steam now with the local body elections around the corner.

Cricket fans always look for an English summer to keep them excited for a period around five months. This season, a major event of the English Summer was the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final that South Africa won, bringing down the mighty Australians at the home of cricket, the Lord’s cricket ground. Kudos to skipper Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada and Alden Markram the rainbow nation staged a second innings comeback to trounce the Aussies. While the WTC final riveted attention on both teams, another burning topic the cricket fraternity in India is glued onto is the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decision — after consulting the BCCI — to retire the Pataudi Trophy and rename the England-India Test series after Jimmy Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar, both the nation’s outstanding cricketers who dominated the scene for over two decades. The unveiling of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has been put off because of the Ahmedabad air crash victims. The trophy will be unveiled a few days before the first day of the first Test at Headingley, Leeds on June 20. A cross section of the cricketing fraternity in India is unhappy with the change, but the argument is that the present generation has seen and taken a thrill at the fantastic displays with the bat and ball by Tendulkar and Anderson and the ECB decision was most appropriate in keeping with the times. Perhaps advised by a few legends of Indian cricket the BCCI, without interfering with the ECB call, has asked if it can name one of the individual awards and continue the legacy of Pataudi-Iftikhar Ali Khan and Mansur Ali Khan, both well known in English and Indian cricket.

The war of words between the Kerala government and Kitex Garments Ltd (KGL) seems to be never ending. The latest flare-up owes its origin to Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu’s decision to send his Textile Minister S Savitha to Kerala to woo Kitex to AP. Savitha, who visited KGL’s headquarters at Kizhakkambalam near Kochi, was impressed with the facilities and made a formal invitation to managing director Sabu Jacob to set up a unit at Amaravati, the capital of AP.  The AP offer to set up a new unit comes at a time when Bangladesh, a major textile manufacturer, is facing a political crisis. KGL is the world’s largest maker of cotton and organic cotton ready-to-wear garments for infants and children between 0 – 24 months. The war of words between the ruling LDF government and KGL, began when Jacob decided to float a political party, Twenty-20 in 2015. The party was successful in bagging the Kizhakkambalam and nearby Panchayats from LDF. Twenty-20 transformed the panchayats into a successful model for any panchayat to emulate – 24-hour water, health facilities including insurance, better schools, roads, including grocery shops offering minimum prices etc.  Jacob who presented a Rs 3,500 cr investment proposal at the Ascend Global investment meet organised by Kerala government withdrew the proposal following harassment by the state government through various raids. It was at this juncture that the then Telangana government of K Chandrasekhar Rao rolled out the red carpet. Sabu set up two yarn-to-garments facilities in Hyderabad and Warangal which is expected to generate employment to 50,000 people when fully operational. In fact, the Telangana government showcased the Kitex project as a major achievement at the World Economic Forum, Davos. KGL, part of the diversified Anna Kitex group, is the largest employment generator in Kerala with 11,000 people on its rolls. 

The question of whether Aamir Khan’s overexposure could hinder the success of Sitare Zameen Par is a compelling one. Aamir Khan is not only a celebrated filmmaker but also a masterful marketer. His ability to craft and dictate marketing strategies has played a significant role in the success of many films he has produced and starred in, including Lagaan, Rang De Basanti, Taare Zameen Par, Ghajini and more. He has consistently demonstrated an understanding of what resonates with audiences, employing innovative marketing techniques that have included unique promotional stunts and celebrity engagements.  However, with Sitare Zameen Par, Aamir’s omnipresence in the media raises concerns. He is currently everywhere — on podcasts, TV interviews, and social media—actively promoting the film by inviting celebrities and influencers to his home for discussions. While this level of visibility can create buzz, it risks becoming counterproductive. The saturation of Aamir Khan in promotional activities may lead audiences to feel overwhelmed, diluting the film’s impact and excitement. Effective marketing should strike a balance between visibility and intrigue. While traditional methods such as social media campaigns, public relations efforts, and billboard advertisements are essential, they should be complemented by innovative strategies that captivate the audience’s imagination. The current promotional approach for Sitare Zameen Par seems to rely heavily on routine visibility without offering a compelling narrative or unique engagement. Aamir Khan has previously employed similar strategies with his son Junaid’s film Loveyapa where he invited notable personalities like Raj Thackeray, Sachin Tendulkar and Salman Khan for special pre-release screenings. However, despite the visibility, the film did not perform well, highlighting that increased exposure does not guarantee success.

Club versus country is an old debate in football in which the club game can at most times seem bigger than inter-country matches except perhaps in the World Cups. There are any number of soccer players who have given up playing the international game because they must satisfy, with their performances, their immediate employers, which are clubs. The Clubs may understand what loyalty to the country means, but they can be mean enough to believe that players owe them loyalty first as they pay their yearly wages and may have been responsible for spotting them and nurturing them. The fine West Indian striker – yes, there are new terms from soccer for batsmen these days — Nicholas Pooran has become an extreme example of loyalty to the club first in his retirement from international cricket at the age of 29. And the very next day he was named captain of the MLC league team MI New York. He has bowed to money in quitting wearing the colours of the West Indies in international cricket to play multiple leagues across the world in which he can make a good living without having to meet availability conditions that countries demand, especially during the peak season from November to March when their teams play a lot of international cricket. Pooran had just struck a six-hitting record in 2024, the year in which he made170 hits beyond the boundary and he had continued that rich form of six-hitting in IPL Season18 too. The fact is money calls and so does an easier life with less fierce expectations to fill when you turn up for a T20 league or Cup game as opposed to turning up in international cricket. Truth to tell, money is thicker than patriotism.

For now, Odisha has missed the opportunity of scripting new history in steel making. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, a JV between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, established in December 2019 after acquiring Essar Steel ambitious plan of setting up 12-MTPA steel plant in Kendrapara, Odisha may not fructify it seems according to knowledgeable sources. Reason: Land acquisition issue. Since March 2021 the Odisha government has been moving at a snail’s pace over land acquisition compared to Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu’s proactive approach. AM/NS India shifted its steel investment to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh as it feels very confident in the leadership of the chief minister Naidu who is part of the NDA dispensation. It is learnt that Naidu’s son and IT Minister Nara Lokesh played a pivotal role to persuade Aditya Mittal, Lakshmi Mittal’s son, to move the steel plant to Andhra — with whom he has been engaged since 2018. His constant follow-up with Aditya by guaranteeing him quick land allotment and special status seems to have tilted in Andhra’s favour. Reportedly, AM/NS was forced to take this decision as nothing moved from 2021 between BJD and the current BJP government. AM/NS India is initially establishing 7.3 MTPA steel plant in Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh as part of its plans to set up a state-of-the-art integrated steel plant in Rajayyapeta involving an investment of Rs 147,162 crore (Rs 61,780 crore in phase I and Rs 85,382 crore in phase II). Earlier, Sajjan Jindal group JSW’s electric vehicle also shifted out of Odisha to Maharashtra. It’s about time the Majhi government woke up and smelled the coffee. 

The New Indian Express has a whole op Ed by Prabhu Chawla on titled ‘Bollywood flops as the South shines’. Chawla quotes chapter, verse, stats, stars and spectacle as huge budget films are crashing. Even with the most tantalising attractions, big budget films of cult figures and classic heroes are cringing; in some cases even manipulated data on pre-booking and daily takes are cleverly presented to give an impression all is well. Recently, a top hero seeing how his latest much-touted film tottered, took to “rewarding” influencers for good reviews. The disturbing trend has festered for over three years. Khans and the Punjabi machos have not been able to draw sustained crowds, repeat audiences and clever Pan India plans have failed. Even OTT has built a strong resistance. Take Salman’s Sikander with every trick in the trade to showcase Bhai and Rashmika, fiery action, fierce fights and oodles of glamour could not stave off its tepid reception. SRK at least had a medium hit in Jawan. But it is Akshay Kumar who wears the crown for serial flops. Housefull 5 has fallen flat. It would be unfair to single out Bollywood alone; the South too has had its share of cringeworthy flops of Vikram, Suriya and even Kamal Haasan. The super star Rajini has snagged a new formula …sign up a big name from every “film wood” …it’s bound to draw the fans of the star and the sum of the parts would rake in overflows. It’s not the money spent or the overwhelming star cast, sets and show that have made Tamil films like Parking, Ayodhya, Tourist Family and few others succeed at box office. These engaging movies have all developed strong, relatable plots and gripping story telling which the audience identifies.

A devotee of Lord Krishna and the Bhagavad Gita, Panvel girl Maithili Patil perished in the Ahmedabad plane tragedy but her memory lingers since an undamaged idol of the deity and a copy of the Hindu holy book have been recovered from the debris. Maithili’s father confirmed that she was a Krishna bhakt and endorsed the possibility that both may have belonged to her. Images of both have gone viral on social media, kicking off a fierce backlash from the so-called rationalism proponents, who hate the word ‘miracle,’ used in the news stories while reporting the recovery of the sacred scripture and the Lord’s idol. Soon after the crash, a man was seen flipping the pages of the Gita, showing it to the people at the crash site, who were filming the wreckage. The visuals showed that there was only some minor damage visible on the holy book’s cover but the printed text and images on the pages inside were intact. The critics, on the other hand, lament that rather than giving importance to the horrific incident, ‘such’ details were highlighted. The recovery of the Gita and idol are listed as miracles along with the survivor Ramesh Vishwas Kumar and Bhoomi Chauhan, who missed the flight by a mere 10 minutes. Amid the devastation, this intact scripture stands as a powerful symbol of hope and faith, many have said in their social media posts.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray’s 57th birthday on June 14 has generated many news stories, one of which has been discussed with relish. It is about the present age of various prominent leaders. Expectedly, Sharad Pawar tops the list at 84. He has been taunted on this count repeatedly. Pawar’s nephew Ajit is 65. He stands apart in Indian politics since he has become deputy CM a record number of times.  “Who do you prefer, me or an octogenarian leader,” Ajit has been asking people while toiling to expand the base of the NCP faction under him. Veteran Sharad Pawar’s nemesis in the state is Prithviraj Chavan, the last Congress Maharashtra CM. Chavan is junior to Pawar by just five years at 79.  A confidant of then PM Manmohan Singh, Chavan was appointed CM of the state to regain Congress party’s credibility. He only reduced it by attacking Pawar indirectly. Another deputy CM Eknath Shinde is 61. An autorickshaw driver in Thane once upon a time, he rose to the top post and surprised all by handling it adroitly. The other interesting nugget is that both, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and state CM Devendra Fadnavis are 54. While Rahul has not handled any administrative assignment, Fadnavis is steering the state in his third term in office. Finally, the speculation about the coming together of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray continues ad nauseam. They are 64 and 57 respectively. On the occasion of Raj’s birthday, it receives traction afresh.

In a move reflecting deeper shifts within the Trinamool Congress’ internal power dynamics, national general secretary of the party and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, it seems, voluntarily opted out of being featured on posters for the TMC’s Annual Martyr’s Day Rally to be held on July 21.  This decision underscores Didi’s continued projection as the sole face of the party amid ongoing debates over leadership prominence. According to party veteran Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Abhishek has conveyed the decision to exclude his image from the posters. Sudip further clarified that the posters for the programme, provided by Abhishek’s office on a pen drive, contained only Didi’s image. The absence of Abhishek’s image in posters in the past had sparked off debates. In the November 2023 Netaji Indoor rally, party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh publicly questioned nephew’s omission. The controversy resurfaced in early 2024 and now in 2025 over the party’s New Year calendar, which featured both leaders but with Abhishek’s photo noticeably larger, prompting the leadership to recall it. February’s rally this year also showed only Mamata’s image. Incidentally, Mamata has repeatedly asserted in party meetings that she is the final authority in both government and organisation, even declaring that she will continue leading the party for the next 10 years. Significantly, Sudip also highlighted the importance of this year’s rally, which is being viewed as a precursor to the 2026 Assembly elections.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s presence at the Yogi government event on June 15 is considered significant, say UP watchers. The presence of Shah at the Lucknow event to distribute appointment letters to the newly recruited 60,244 police constables is more than a symbolic value. When CM Yogi Adityanath met Shah in Delhi on June 9, the pictures of the meeting went viral, becoming a hot topic of discussion in political circles. Although it was officially termed a ‘courtesy visit’, sources said that Yogi called on Shah to extend an invitation to be the chief guest at the ceremony for the distribution of letters to police constables recruited recently. It must be pointed out that there were a lot of misgivings between the two leaders after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections had not gone exactly the way the BJP had planned. For a party that had won 71 seats out of 80 seats from UP in 2014 when PM Modi first entered the national scene and 62 in 2019, it was quite tough when it crashed to 33 in 2024.  Apparently, it was differences in perception about choice of candidates between Shah and Yogi that had affected the outcome. Now, a year later, it looks like both the leaders were being directed by PM Modi to bury the hatchet. The result was there for all to see in Lucknow. Shah was seen showering praise on Yogi Govt for improving law and order in the state. He said after the BJP government was formed in the state in 2017 and Yogi Adityanath became the CM, Uttar Pradesh Police had moved towards achieving new heights.  That is because the Yogi government had recruited 2.15 lakh police personnel in the last eight years.

Well, when National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on June 10 evening at his official residence in Mumbai, Fadnavis shared a picture with the ace sleuth on his X handle. Though the CM did not share details of his discussions, the meeting has set off speculation in Delhi political circles that Doval, who is 80 years old and has been the NSA since 2014, could be considered for a gubernatorial role. It is being said Doval could be moved to Raj Bhavan in view of his advancing years and somewhat indifferent health. Since he has done tremendous work in revamping the security set-up under the Modi regime, PM Modi is not keen to let go of him. It is being said Modi would like to accommodate him as Governor and Maharashtra Raj Bhavan could be an ideal place. BJP sources said governors reshuffle/appointment would be first in the series of changes in the Modi government that would come before the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. With the Governors’ appointments, changes will happen in the Union Cabinet and eventually in the election of BJP chief.  Lot of administrative changes and changes in the party set up have been delayed because of a series of unfortunate events. As far as Doval is concerned what is  working for him is that he is a much  decorated IPS officer of the Kerala cadre (1968 batch ) who hails from Uttarakhand  who has been overseeing sensitive  security operations of the Modi Government in the past decade. In June 2019, when he was reappointed NSA he became the first NSA to get a Cabinet rank. In 2024, he got a 3-year extension as NSA.

The meeting of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis with Raj Thackeray was a clear indicator that the Thackeray brothers are not fighting the local body elections together. It practically nipped in the bud all speculations of the reunion of Thackeray brothers that would have led to the consolidation of the Marathi vote bank particularly in the urban belts of Maharashtra like Mumbai, Thane and Nashik where Raj Thackeray’s party holds some influence. Currently, the loyalties of the traditional Marathi vote bank are split into three between the Thackerays and Eknath Shinde, who has thrown in his weight behind the BJP. Shinde’s key aides like Uday Samant have played a crucial role in getting Raj Thackeray to go with the ruling Mahayuti alliance. While the speculation of the reunion of the Thackeray brothers was received with much warmth and support from the cadres on either side, clearly the consolidation of the Marathi vote bank would not have suited all parties. Definitely not the BJP which is looking to decimate the Shiv Sena particularly the Uddhav Thackeray wing in Mumbai and would not have wanted him strengthened.  The Raj-Fadnavis meeting, coming as it did in the wake of heavy speculation and lobbying from Shiv Sena’s vocal spokesperson Sanjay Raut left no doubt about Fadnavis emerging as the boss in Maharashtra politics. The entry of Raj Thackeray in the BJP-alliance could also prove to be a counterweight against Shinde, whom the BJP is not keen to let him grow stronger in Mumbai post the BMC polls.

Rain or shine, criticism of the government by certain Opposition leaders does not cease. The tragic air crash in Ahmedabad is no exception. This trait was seen after the suburban train accident in Mumbra (outskirts of Mumbai) a few days ago. Although it is known that aviation is a complex subject, these leaders do not hold back. They don’t stop even when it is the question of India’s defence, not caring that the military should be kept away from such wrangling. For instance, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has given sage advice that no politics should be made of the air tragedy. In the same breath, he has criticised the government by raising some questions. If this government can’t avert an air crash, train accidents or attacks like at Pahalgam, what can it prevent, he asked? In this connection, he has attacked Union home minister Amit Shah. NCP(SP) leader Jayant Patil, too, has made some comments. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray has posed several queries. Frankly admitting that he does not possess any technical knowledge, he has pointed out that many leading newspapers around the world have asked pointed questions. He has also expressed apprehensions about the continuous use of the Dreamliner Boeing aircraft. Shiv Sena (Shinde) MLA Dilip Lande has warned the government that countless lives can be lost if such a mishap takes place in Mumbai since the international airport is surrounded by slums on all sides.

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar and nephew Ajit Pawar will clash once more on their home ground. But for a different reason. Both have entered the fray to elect a new board of directors of the famous Malegaon Cooperative Sugar Mill in their backyard in Baramati. The factory has been the focal point in that wealthy sugar belt for several decades and every election for its control is marked by a battle between the Pawar family and its opponents. The election is fought without any party labels. The anti-Pawar forces unite under the leadership of Chandrarao Taware, a staunch foe of the elder Pawar. In the past, the Taware panel has wrested the factory’s control a couple of times though both Pawars were in power. This time, the suspense was heightened since Sharad Pawar had kept his signal to enter the election in abeyance. Now that he has asked his followers to file nominations, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has become extra cautious since his power base can be threatened if the factory’s reins are snatched by his opponents in Pune district. Sharad Pawar’s decision to take on his nephew has once again jolted his clan since talks of merger of both factions of the National Congress Party are said to be in an advanced stage. Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule has given such vague indications, especially after her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few days ago. All in all, another twist to the politics in Maharashtra will be witnessed soon.

In a rare and increasingly confrontational political climate within the West Bengal Assembly, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari has set an extraordinary record with multiple suspensions and breach of privilege motions against him over the past four years. From chief minister Mamata Banerjee labelling him as a “limitless opposition leader”, the Assembly passed yet another breach of privilege motion against BJP leader Adhikari, the eighth since 2021. Reminding that he had defeated the CM in Nandigram, Adhikari has already faced suspension from the Assembly four times over the past four years and maintains that the government would not be able to take any effective action against him as he had never claimed any medical bills since 2006 and had not drawn his salary during suspension periods. He argues that these motions are attempts to silence his voice. Dismissing the claim, TMC Chief Whip Nirmal Ghosh and senior cabinet minister Chandrima Bhattacharya explained that the party had repeatedly approached the Speaker due to various statements made publicly by the LoP. Assembly records show that no previous LoP since 1957 has faced as many disciplinary actions as Adhikari. Former opposition leaders such as CPI(M)’s Surjya Kanta Mishra and Congress leader Abdul Mannan also faced privilege motions during Didi’s tenure but not to this extent. Veteran leaders noted that even former CM and CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu, who served as Opposition Leader from 1957–67 and again from 1971–72, did not face such a record. Congress leader Abdul Mannan viewed that the situation was unprecedented adding that while strong opposition is important, lawmakers must remain mindful of their language.

Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani was among the 240 who died in the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad on June 12. The plane was headed to Gatwick airport, UK when it crashed in a civilian area near the airport. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board crashed within 32 seconds after its take off.  One passenger – 40-year old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh — survived the crash while rest of the passengers including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals died. Rupani, the 16th CM of Gujarat (Aug 2016 –Sep 2021) was on the ill-fated aircraft. Known for his composed demeanour and firm administrative style, he steered Gujarat through a critical phase of post-Covid recovery. He was traveling to London to meet his daughter. He stepped down from the CM’s post in September 2021, making way for Bhupendra Patel. He was close to Home Minister Amit Shah. Which is why the incident has completely shaken the government, got Shah to rush to Ahmedabad as he is a local MP. Until then in the past few days Shah has been busy showcasing PM Modi’s 11 years’ in office to the national media. Meanwhile, a lot of theories are already floating about what may have led to the aircraft crash. There were speculations about engine failure. Aircraft engines are made by Rolls Royce or GE or Prat Whitney.  While bird hit is quite possible at the height from which the aircraft fell, these planes are designed to fly with one engine when the other engine shuts off. But it is impossible for both engines ingesting birds separately. The other theory was that incorrect flap settings contributed to the Air India Flight AI171 crash.

Vikrant Massey who bagged the Filmfare Critics Award winner for 12th Fail, and after his lead role in the sensitive political film The Sabarmati Report, had declared in December 2024 that he would retire from films. He said he would probably do just one film a year, and he would focus on his family life, spend time with his young child and recalibrate himself. Recently, Vikrant and his wife Sheetal visited Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s International Art of Living Ashram in Benguluru. Reason: he is playing the role of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in an international thriller titled White.  So the visit to Bengaluru must be both to seek Gurudev’s blessings and closely observe him. The film White which is based on the real-life story of spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, will be a largely untold chapter of modern peace-building that will show how Sri Sri helped end Colombia’s 52-year-long civil war, and how ancient Indian wisdom played a pivotal role in resolving one of history’s longest-running conflicts. The film shooting is scheduled to begin in August 2025 and is expected to release in 2026. The makers intend to bring in an international cast and crew from Los Angeles to depict the true story of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s life. Directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Mahaveer Jain, the film aims to bring a lesser-known story of peace and humanity to the big screen. The film will be produced in Hindi, English and Spanish.

Sunil Gavaskar has hit the nail on its head saying that performances in the BCCI’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20  tournament should count a lot for the IPL franchises’ talent scouts to look at than the Twenty20 Leagues run by the States. The former India batting maestro and commentator for around four decades shared his thoughts in a Sunday Column for Midday on the basis of some players’ performances in the Tata-IPl-18. His visit to the Wankhede Stadium during the T20 Mumbai League (TML) enthused the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officials, but the Champion association of domestic cricket may do well to energise its multi-day tournament structure. Revived after a long gap of six years, the rain-marred TML may have served its purpose to the extent of keeping the local talent busy and happy too because of the financial compensation they received, but what good hope is there for a 38-year-old replacement medium pacer Rohan Raje who became the first to pinch a 5-ver in the league! The big haul cheered him up; he spoke happily at the press conference sitting by the side of his captain Siddhesh Lad of the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals that would vie for the title with the Shreyas Iyer led SoBo Mumbai Falcons. The TML lost Mumbai and CSK’s new kid on the block Ayush Mhatre because, as batter and captain, he has to focus on the India under-19 tour to England. Mhatre was a talent that flourished in the Ranji Trophy and so the MCA could mull over a meaningful multi-day league to run parallel with the Ranji Trophy tournament of which it’s the winner 42 times. As an idea, the TML is good, but an MCA multi-day professional league is the need of the hour.

On June 9, BJP national president JP Nadda addressed a spirited presser to mark PM Modi’s 11 years in office – which he called a transformative period that should be “written in golden words”. The best part of the presser was that Nadda had marked his targets. He wanted to highlight the achievements of the government. It may be recalled that at a meeting with his ministers recently, PM Modi had shared a sense of disappointment that achievements of the government had not been adequately showcased. That is why even as Nadda attempted showcasing some of Modi government’s achievements such as reduction of Naxalite-affected districts from a high of 126 to just 18, he also settled political score with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh who was mocking PM Modi for not addressing a press conference in all these years. Nadda reminded Jairam, a Rajya Sabha MP, that he would never have spoken to the public as much as PM Modi does. Nadda credited the BJP government with bold decisions like the repeal of Article 370, abolition of triple talaq, Waqf amendment, demonetisation, and the women’s quota bill. He said PM Modi had changed the country’s political culture by making the government more responsive and accountable. Reacting sharply to LoP Rahul Gandhi’s remarks questioning Operation Sindoor and EAM Jaishankar, Nadda dismissed the LoP’s charges with a prayer  that “may God give them true wisdom” because it’s very difficult to understand their objective. “When they attend an all-party meeting, they say they stand with the country. But when they step outside, they start raising questions, questions that are completely baseless. That’s why I can only say they are playing the role of an irresponsible opposition.”

If Rajeev Shukla, senior vice president of BCCI, goes on to become the president of BCCI in the elections to be held in September at the annual meeting, it will be unique as he is a veteran politician from the Congress fold. In the last 15 years or so, BCCI had presidents like Jagmohan Dalmiya and N Srinivasan who were industrialists taking the honorary role of cricket administrators. But, after the Lodha Committee ruling on the board, no administrator who reaches the age of 70 can continue. With Roger Binny attaining 70 in June, it is 65-year old Rajeev Shukla who will take over as the interim president. If the old liaison man, political survivor and acceptable personality across the spectrum can convince the ruling party BJP — which has been in total control of BCCI through the Home Minister Amit Shah’s son — that he can be a consensus candidate, he would be achieving quite a feat in cricket administration of today. Of course, Shukla had been useful to many top administrators when the UPA was ruling till 2014, and he had access to Sonia Gandhi when she was the Congress president and all-powerful figure in the country. A brother-in-law of senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shukla had also been IPL chairman for a few years. Of course, he would have to cash in on all his old cards if he is to convert his interim presidency to a more permanent one at the AGM. The political survivor would then have achieved quite something as cricketers Sourav Ganguly and Roger Binny were the last two BCCI presidents who had served the game as players.

A couple of significant developments have taken place in the Chennai corporate world. One, Lakshmi Venu has been elevated as Vice-Chairman of TAFE (Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd), one of the largest tractor makers in the world. She had been a Director of TAFE, the flagship company of the Amalgamation group. TAFE has been driven by Mallika Srinivasan, mother of Lakshmi Venu. Two, Sudarshan Venu has been appointed the CMD of TVS Motor Company, one of the largest two-wheeler producers in the country. Venu Srinivasan, father of Sudarshan, continues to be the Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor. Sudarshan and Lakshmi are children of Venu and Mallika Srinivasan. The elevation of Sudarshan and Lakshmi in TVS Motor and TAFE respectively is significant for the way the young ones in the family are guided up the ladder. More importantly, this sort of set the template for succession planning for many in the family business. The erstwhile TVS conglomerate – which comprised four families — saw formal legal separation a few years ago which allowed each family within the TVS conglomerate to go their separate ways. This, in fact, has seen each one of them chalking out independent business strategies. The family arrangement in the erstwhile TVS group took over two decades to arrive at after two families went to court to settle a dispute over the floatation of a competing venture in early ’90s. If grapevine has to go by, the Murugappa group (which like the TVS family comprises many wings), too, is working hard to arrive at a similar family arrangement. Reading against these backdrops, the elevation of Sudarshan and Lakshmi is remarkable for the calibrated manner in which it was done.

Brand “Thackeray”, currently flavours Maharashtra politics over possible rapprochement between cousins Uddhav and Raj appears headed nowhere even as internal party conflicts within BJP leaders on the wrong side of CM Devendra Fadnavis use pretext to settle scores with him. UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray will announce what Maharashtra wants to hear (UBT Sena and MNS coming together or not) though no formal proposal has emanated thus far, apart from MP Sanjay Raut’s daily proclamations. Factions within BJP inimical to Fadnavis, termed as the ‘Raj Thackeray fan club’ by BJP insiders who insist MNS chief’s political flip-flops render the “Thackerays” coming together talks a non-starter. National BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde, former MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar, Ashish Shelar blame Fadnavis for their respective political downfalls in Maharashtra, are ratcheting up political foreplay to settle scores with Fadnavis as the climax. Tawde eschewed his Borivali MLA constituency to Sunil Mane (2019) who followed suit in favour of Upadhyay (2024) considered to be Tawde’s man. Tawde idolises Raj Thackeray, took MNS Chief to meet Home Minister Amit Shah a few months ago, even hosted Thackeray scion in Delhi hotel. Fadnavis backers in turn include Shiv Sena chief/DCM Eknath Shinde, his top lieutenant/industries minister Uday Samant who also held political parleys with Raj. BJP itself currently weighs options to appoint Mumbai Pradesh President as contenders in fray include MLAs Sanjay Upadhyay, Yogesh Sagar, Sunil Mane. Mane is frontrunner, sacrificed MLA constituency to favour Upadhyay, particularly, since he is the ‘Marathi Manoos’ imminently set to become Vice Chancellor of Atharva (deemed) University that he administers as an educationist whose institute of learning is renowned for having its own robot to boot.

Deepika Padukone has acquired significant sass after motherhood. Naturally when she has overtaken all female leads in Bollywood, is the brand ambassador to many snazzy brands and is now able to call the shots and crack the whip, she is a true Diva. Was she shown the door by Sandeep Vanga from the film Spirit or did she toss her regal mane and walk out? Now the buzz is she has walked out of Kalki 2 also? So, what are the reasons for this huff and puff?  After the success of Jawan, it is rumoured Deepika has set the base remuneration of Rs 25 crore plus10 % share in profit, and working time restricted to 8 hours. Next…Spirit demanded some risqué scenes and she was not agreeable, so chose to walk out. And walked into SUN Pictures Pan World, under production …#AA 22xA6 (sounds like a rocket out of NASA) directed by Attlee. The lead is iconic star Allu Arjun, a name that has carpetbagged crazy global fans and dizzy fanfare after the twin Pushpas. This blend of mega scale, lead popularity and now Deepika’s electric presence is expected to bring big money to SUN and Kalanithi Maran, he of the gilded golden goose touch. One cannot but help ponder over the pole-vaulting success dynamics of stars …when a lead is unknown, an able director with a strong script and a production house that wagers big money on the project go all out for a hit film. Three or four such hits, the unknown turns Diva…the scales turn, equations spin upside down. This happens so often in cinema …the chronicler of fantasy. Till the next Deepika Padukone. 

In an unprecedented step, the Election Commission has castigated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for once again raising suspicions about the Maharashtra assembly elections held late last year. The Congress and the INDIA bloc under its leadership had fared miserably in the election that had given a thumping mandate to the Mahayuti under the BJP. “Unsubstantiated allegations raised against the EC’s conduct of the elections are an affront to the law. All these facts were brought out in EC’s reply to the Congress party on 24th December 2024 itself,” the EC has said. At the same time, the political battle over the allegations has caught Rahul in a tight corner. BJP leader Amit Malviya and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis have ridiculed these charges. Moreover, Rahul has warned of similar tactics being used in the upcoming Bihar polls. “This means Rahul has already accepted defeat in Bihar,” Fadnavis has said. Accusing Rahul of undermining public trust in democratic institutions and the electoral process, Malviya has reiterated his allegation of a link between Rahul and U.S. billionaire George Soros. Malviya in his X said, “This is straight out of George Soros’ playbook – systematically erodes people’s faith in their own institutions, so they can be cracked open from within for political gains.” The Congress in the state is in a paralysed condition, lacking a focus or leadership. Hence, Rahul’s attack is not taken seriously by prominent leaders, but for making fun of him.

Gautam Gambhir was point blank saying that he was always against road shows to celebrate victories in sporting contests. The head coach of the Indian cricket team and an illustrious former cricketer, Gambhir did not mince words when he was asked to respond to the terrible tragedy in Bengaluru where 11 people died in a stampede around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium within 15 hours of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) winning its maiden IPL title in Ahmedabad. Gambhir who has led and mentored Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to IPL title wins had some strong words to express his anguish. He said he was against road shows and that the sad happenings in Bengaluru should be an eye-opener for all franchises. Gambhir and Shubman Gill were at the Cricket Centre, Mumbai for an interaction with the media before the Indian team’s departure to London for the five-Test series starting on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. Gill and Gambhir were asked pointed questions on the challenges that’s likely to come up in England post the retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and the potential absence of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah from one or two Tests in order to look after his workload. While his answers were predictable about the cricket part, Gambhir sent a message across to all the stakeholders and the franchises in particular that there has to be a strict ‘No, No’ for road shows and that human life is more important than anything else. RCB — like MI, CSK and KKR — has a humongous fan following and one and all is sad and gutted with what took place in the Garden City, the day after a memorable first IPL victory. 

In recent times, the release of politically nuanced films ahead of elections has become a pattern too deliberate to ignore. Movies like Uri or The Kashmir Files, The Accidental Prime Minister or Mein Atal Hoon’s releases were timed so as to stir public sentiment during elections time. Now, with West Bengal’s assembly elections scheduled next year, acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Arindam Sil is on overdrive to get his film Karpoor, released this December. A politically charged mystery thriller it could test the boundaries between art and electoral influence. Karpoor is based on Dipanwita Roy’s novel Antardhaner Nepathye, which draws from the real-life disappearance of Manisha Mukhopadhyay, a former Assistant Controller at the University of Calcutta. Her vanishing in 1997, amid an alleged education scam, rocked Bengal’s academic and political landscape and triggered accusations against the then-ruling CPI(M) regime. Nearly three decades later, Sil revisits the unsolved case, threading it through dual timelines — 1997 and 2019 — with veteran actress Rituparna Sengupta leading the cast. The film is already generating buzz, not just for its sensitive storyline but also for its notable ensemble, which includes several political figures stepping into acting roles. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh makes his screen debut in a role reportedly inspired by the late CPI(M) heavyweight Anil Biswas. Minister and theatre stalwart Bratya Basu portrays the lead investigator, while TMC councillor Ananya Bandopadhyay takes on the role of a powerful media editor. Despite the presence of figures aligned with West Bengal’s ruling party, Sil has firmly denied any deliberate political messaging. The film’s content and timing could reignite and provoke fresh political discourse in the state.

RSS Ideologue S Gurumurthy who has facilitated many alliances and peace talks in Tamil Nadu is in the news once again. This time, the ambassador-at-large, has been called upon by the PMK party founder Dr S Ramadoss to find a solution between him and his son Dr Anbumani. The meeting between Gurumurthy was a personal one and the BJP had nothing to do with it, said BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran. With 2026 Assembly Elections ahead, brokering a rapprochement between the patriarch and his son was the number one need when all parties in Tamil Nadu are circling and calculating to shore up alliances. Earlier Gurumurthy had met Dr Ramadoss at his Thailapuram residence, the party headquarters. There is a power struggle between father and son over the control of the party. Clearly, Dr Anbumani, who was a Union health minister in the first UPA government, is no novice at power play. He has challenged his father on a number of issues: party funds, choice of his nephew, Mukundan being appointed as the leader of the Youth Wing. A sudden trip to Chennai by senior Ramadoss set off the grapevine bells clanging. Sure enough, Ramadoss headed to Mukundan’s residence in Poes Garden. Gurumurthy along with former Chennai Corporation Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy met Ramadoss. Obviously, bringing this Mango (the party symbol) on a platter will certainly help the NDA. It may be recalled that Gururmurthy was also closely involved in trying to patch up the differences between EPS and OPS.

Sixty-five-year old Pinaki Misra, an eminent Supreme Court lawyer and politician, created headlines for marrying 51-year old firebrand Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and that too quietly in Germany on May 3. Odisha born Misra is four-time MP, winning on both the Congress and BJD tickets. Their marriage photo which went viral was broken by ABP’s The Telegraph. Why did two high profile people get married in Germany and that too quietly was the question everybody was asking. Incidentally, it’s the second marriage for both. Reportedly, Misra who hails from an illustrious family, his father Loknath Misra was a Rajya Sabha member, later Governor of Assam and whose net worth estimated around Rs 130-crore plus has houses in Germany and Delhi. It is said that Mishra’s relationship with Mahua solidified in 2023 following her expulsion from Lok Sabha in cash-for-query scandal wherein she received cash and gifts from industrialist Darshan Hiranandani in return for allowing him to use her Parliamentary login to pose questions against the Adani Group. When this issue came to light, Hiranandani openly alleged about her relationship with Mishra. At that time Mishra brushed it off labelling it malicious.  For both Mohua and Pinaki this is their second marriage. Mohua was married to Danish financier Lars Borson and later she was in a relationship with lawyer Jai Anand Dehadrai. Pinaki, who divorced his wife Sangeeta in 1984, has two children. Incidentally, Page 3 circles were not surprised by this wedding as their affair was a public secret.

The issue of dowry harassment picked up steam in Maharashtra after a party worker’s family from Ajit Pawar’s NCP got arrested following the suspicious suicide of his daughter-in-law in Pune. Public ire soon turned into a political slugfest once it emerged that the distraught victim had sought help from chairperson of the state women’s commission Rupali Chakankar, who failed to act. Chakankar, known to be a close aide of Ajit Pawar did try to downplay by pointing out she had forwarded the complaint to the authorities for action. The Shiv Sena faction of Uddhav Thackeray jumped in, raising questions about the effectiveness of political nominees, instead demanding only non-political appointees. Many other instances of daughters being harassed for dowry too surfaced thereafter. Just when the issue of dowry harassment by politically influential families threatened to snowball big, deputy chairperson of Maharashtra’s legislative council Neelam Gorhe waded in to summon an all-party meet of women leaders including the current incumbent women’s chairperson, whose resignation was being demanded for inaction. Gorhe, who had earlier suggested replacing the chairperson for her failure to provide sound guidance to the victim, instead patted the back of Chakankar. Instead administrative demands were sought like additional funding, vacant posts being filled and regular meetings being held. Not surprisingly, Gorhe, currently with the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, had conveniently failed to summon politicians from her rival Uddhav Thackeray wing of Sena. Opposition women leaders did take a delegation to the Maharashtra governor but stopped at that. A high-profile suicide case with allegations of Fortuner SUV being demanded, of crores in dowry being given, of domestic violence meted to victim, thus disappeared away from headlines.

The confusing signals coming constantly from leaders of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) over the merger of both organisations has stirred the state’s political scene once again, raising some serious questions too. The likely hand shake between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray has been a subject of speculation for a long time. After both suffered badly in the assembly election last year, several local-level leaders from both sides had started exerting pressure on their leaders to team up. The priority was the survival against the BJP onslaught, they had conveyed. As a result, feelers began tossing back and forth. Both sides ensured that they became public knowledge by leaking the contents to the media. The main obstacle in the merger is the leadership issue. Will Raj agree to work under Uddhav and vice versa? While Uddhav is more outgoing, Raj’s followers have demanded that the initiative must come from Matoshri. If and when the alloy happens, what will happen to the so-called INDIA bloc in the state? Uddhav is the leading figure of this formation while Raj has been critical and has intermittently supported the BJP and PM Narendra Modi at critical junctures. Will INDIA bloc leaders accommodate him? None has the clear idea how and when the next turns and twists in Maharashtra politics occur. Nonetheless, the suspense is deepening about the future of certain leaders, too.

All eyes are on Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s planned celebration of the first anniversary on June 12.  It may be a big affair dashed with cultural extravaganza, exclusive dinners with CM for business leaders, MPs, MLA and media. Specially branded vans will visit all the 314 blocks of Odisha to amplify BJP government’s achievements, reforms, various schemes and various public service initiatives. The centre piece of the celebration will be the PM Modi attending the same. The day will also see the unveiling of the Odisha Vision document which has been prepared after taking suggestions/inputs from over 320,000 Odites across the state. As per CM Majhi the aspiration is to make Odisha $ 500 bn economy by 2036 and $1.5 tn by 2047. While the CM seems gung ho, his critics say Majhi is skating on thin ice as in terms of performance he has not achieved much. He has lots of ground to cover. But in all fairness one year is a small period to judge the capability, ability of any CM.  

Tushar Kumar has been appointed as the Deputy Mayor of Elstree & Borehamwood. He has created history by becoming the first and youngest person of Indian origin to hold this position. Based in Elstree & Borehamwood, Tushar, a political graduate, has been actively involved in initiatives that promote youth development, cultural awareness, and social unity. Tushar’s path has been greatly influenced by the values and guidance of his mother, Parveen Rani, a respected councillor and former Deputy Mayor known for her unwavering dedication to public service and cultural education. This significant milestone not only marks Tushar’s achievement but also highlights the growing impact of British Indians in shaping the future of local leadership across the UK. In 2023, two people of Indian origin made waves in the UK –mother-son duo, Councillor Parveen Rani and her 20-year-old son Tushar Kumar. They won the Council elections as Labour Party members breaking the traditional Conservative stronghold. Tushar became the youngest Indian-origin councillor in the UK. Tushar’s victory in the local elections marked a significant shift in the political landscape of the UK. It reflects the nation’s changing demographics and highlights the importance of younger voices in politics. Tushar who moved to London at the age of 10, was passionate about politics and community work from a young age. A former student of politics at the prestigious King’s College London, he teaches Hindi pro bono at the Hindi Shiksha Parishad UK.

Nearly a week after Bengaluru’s stampede (June 4) that killed 11 people, the Congress high command seems to have finally got into the act. It has summoned both Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar to Delhi to meet Rahul Gandhi on June 10. It is good that the Congress leadership has stepped in as the stampede itself was widely seen as a game of one-upmanship by state leaders. DKS was at the forefront trying to hijack the IPL victory to further his own politics. The worst part was the manner in which Siddaramaiah tried to politically shift the entire blame on Shivakumar aspiring to oust him in November and administratively pinned the blame on the city police. Bengaluru police had declined permission to hold the victory parade for the Royal Challengers team that had won the IPL cup at a short notice. But phone calls from senior ministers, particularly Shivakumar, forced police officials to give go ahead for the event. Shivakumar took complete ownership of the IPL victory in such a way that he packaged it as a campaign to make him CM. When Siddaramaiah’s close aides led by K Govindaraj heard of this they decided that the Governor, the CM and other ministers should preside over a reception for the RCB team outside the Vidhana Soudha. This led the police to prioritise the Soudha event, resulting in a lesser number of policemen available for the Stadium event where more than two lakh people had gathered. Many of them were supporters of DKS who had come from his home turf of Kanakapura. It is learnt that when the stampede happened Siddaramaiah was out with his grandchildren having dosas. To fix DKS, Siddaramaiah fired his political secretary, Govindaraj three days after the stampede.

PM Narendra Modi delivered a powerful message as he marched on the Chenab Rail bridge with an Indian flag. The Tricolour march reminded many of the 1992 Republic Day flag-hoisting at the Lal Chowk in Srinagar, during the peak of militancy. At the peak of militancy in 1990s, when separatist violence sought to tear Kashmir away from India, Modi, along with BJP party stalwart Murli Manohar Joshi, hoisted the Indian flag at the iconic Lal Chowk– a move that Modi and saffron party leaders still boast of as an audacious challenge to anti-India forces. On June 6, it was the first time since the Pahalgam terror attack, followed by the recent military conflict with Pakistan, that Modi landed in Jammu & Kashmir to inaugurate the Chenab Rail Bridge in the Reasi district. As the Valley’s railway was linked with that of the rest of India, a big message of integration was delivered. Power and meaning were added to that message as Modi walked on the Chenab Rail Bridge, waving an Indian national flag. What makes the inauguration and the PM’s Tricolour walk especially significant is that they come within a month of Operation Sindoor which was conducted after the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam, South Kashmir. The 1.31-km-long Chenab Rail Bridge is an engineering marvel. The key infrastructural project will enable direct rail travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. But this isn’t just any other connectivity project. It lies in the world’s most heavily militarised zone, sandwiched between three nuclear-armed countries—India, Pakistan and China. Over 215 km of approach roads were built through rugged, terrorism-hit terrain, opening up areas once reachable only by foot or boat.

When news of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra (50) tying the knot with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former MP Pinaki Mishra(65) in Germany was first announced in a Kolkata newspaper, mind you nearly a month after their marriage (on May 3), it was clear that the couple had officially wanted the world to know about it. A day later Mahua shared a picture of Pinaki and her cutting a cake on her X handle. Interestingly, the post was shared on TMC handle by party leader Abhishek Banerjee even as he was abroad on Operation Sindoor delegation. Looks like the news leak was timed with the private party that the couple threw for their friends in Delhi this week. Interestingly, what is worrying BJD leaders from Odisha is the manner in which Pinaki, who was a 4-term Lok Sabha MP from Puri and had been BJD Parliamentary Party leader, was being sidelined by the Bengal media. How can Kolkata media be so dismissive of the high networth BJD veteran with a poser like “who is Pinaki Misra?” BJD sources even wondered why Pinaki was getting bad press. While it may be true that Naveen Patnaik had denied Pinaki the Lok Sabha ticket in 2024 polls from Puri as his victory margin had been steadily declining, BJD sources felt it would be unfair to be dismissive of the Supreme Court lawyer. Party sources pointed out that Pinaki belonged to an eminent family of jurists — at least two from his family — Dr Ranganath Misra and his cousin Justice Dipak Misra went on to be CJI. His first wife, Sangeeta is a legal professional and hails from Maharashtra; they have two children.

The board of directors of Maharashtra’s cash-rich state corporations, to include MHADA, MMRDA, MTDC and scores more (many holding more funds than respective ministries) are being revamped with fresh appointments of chairpersons (MLAs) and board members (uncommon party workers). A three-member committee comprising deputy CMs Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena), Ajit Pawar (NCP) and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule (BJP) will seek consensus on fresh appointees, accommodate respective party representatives probably in a 15:15:30 ratio respectively. CM Devendra Fadnavis will vet the finalized candidates to these state corporations, being the last word on the new look state bodies. The move is aimed at stimulating, assuaging, accommodating party workers of all three parties, unsung heroes who toiled hard to ensure the parties’ success at the last state assembly polls. More importantly, the move will rectify the anomaly that existed in these state corporations, religious trusts being manned by the same old appointees, some even dating back to the pre-BJP era that was ushered in 2014. For instance, even by 2017 most of these state bodies including the Saibaba Sansthan, Siddhivinayak temple trusts continued with appointees from the erstwhile Congress-NCP regime that was sharply ticked off by Union Home Minister Amit Shah back then. If a particular ministry is held by one party for eg: Minorities department currently under Ajit Pawar the relevant state corporation on minorities would likely be led by an MLA from either of the two other alliance parties. Hectic lobbying has begun in earnest and an all-out ‘Mara’Mari’ for posts is likely to follow.

In an interesting move, the Tamil Nadu government decided to lend a hand to residents of ‘Madrasi Camp’ in New Delhi, whose unauthorised houses on the bank of the Barapullah drain were demolished by the Delhi Development Authority. An official release said the State government, as directed by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, would help the residents return to their native districts, if they chose to do so. They would be given comprehensive support, including assistance for livelihood, through the Collectors, it said.. ‘Madrasi Camp’ is an informal habitation along the bank of the Barapullah Jangpura drain, near Nizamuddin Railway Station in South Delhi. It had 370 slum dwelling units. The settlement was predominantly inhabited by persons of Tamil Nadu origin. The Delhi High Court had noted that ‘Madrasi Camp’ was an “unauthorized construction/encroachment” that had led to the obstruction and blockage of the Barapullah drain, “causing significant waterlogging in the surrounding areas, especially during the monsoon”. It had directed that eligible residents be rehabilitated and relocated under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board Act (DUSIB). The DUSIB determined that 215 out of the 370 residents were eligible for allotment of residential units under the economically weaker section category at Narela. On May 9  all petitions filed by the residents were disposed of by the Delhi High Court, which ordered the commencement of demolition at ‘Madrasi Camp’ from June 1.While nearly half of the residents were offered alternate accommodation — most residents didn’t quite warm up to the idea of moving back to TN.  At least one resident lamented over the lack of opportunities in TN. “They should give first jobs to those already in Chennai and then they should call us,” was the general refrain.