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Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has relaunched his duel campaign by coining a brand new slogan that appeals to Hindutva and Marathi Manoos at the same time. The new slogan is designed for mobilising response to the MNS enrolment campaign. Raj made this announcement in Pune on August 25 while presenting the slogan. Just two days ago, he had supported controversial BJP former spokesperson Nupur Sharma in a rally of MNS. At that meeting, he had announced his plans to tour the state to spread his message. The new MNS slogan is, “Mee Hindavi Rakshak, Mee Maharashtra Sevak” (I am a protector of Hindutva, I am a servant of Maharashtra.) It was made public after Raj inaugurated the enrollment drive. Banners displaying this slogan have come up at prominent locations in Mumbai and elsewhere. Raj’s return to the Hindutva plank is considered important since the Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray has been finding it difficult to make earlier claims of being the sole representative of Hindutva or Marathi Manoos after Uddhav joined hands with the Congress and the NCP. As a result, there is a vacuum which Raj is planning to fill up. Since his bold assertion over Hindutva in Mumbai a couple of days ago, Raj has been receiving increasing response. In Pune, he enjoyed a hearty welcome. Soon, he will be visiting Nasik and Aurangabad.
Mumbai-based Ashu Thakur who heads Ashu Thakur & Associates, a law firm, has been flitting in and out of London for the past few months to help two of her key clients close the deal. It may be recalled that the Mumbai-based Restaurateur Riyaaz Amlani was keen to sell his stake in Mumbai-based French restaurants Slink & Bardot, and Soufflé S’il Vous Plaît back to his partner Alexis Gielbaum and Nick Harrison. Now, there has been a change of heart. Amlani, CEO of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality and President of National Restaurant Association of India, is keen to stay invested and Thakur seems to be working on the finer points in light of the new development. The other deal Ashu worked closely on was the signing of the JV between the French designer Maximiliano Modesti’s Les Ateliers 2M and Asian Paints. The JV between two firms Asian Paints and Modesti saw the launch of brand INK in India. The collection comprising six distinct patterns combines techniques of screen-printing, block printing and embroidery. According to Amit Syngle, MD & CEO of Asian Paints, this collaboration will help the customers provide a complete portfolio of home décor products and services. Clearly, Ashu is on a roll.
Come January 2023 the entire world’s gaze will be on Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Reason: The Odisha Government will be hosting the Men’s Hockey World Cup tournament. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already unveiled the official logo for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023. FIH and CoA members have planned to visit Rourkela on September 7 which will be followed by the official draw for the tournament on September 8. Both the Odisha Government and FIH members confirmed that Odisha is well prepared to host the upcoming Men’s Hockey World Cup tournament in January 2023.The international hockey matches will be spread between Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium and Rourkela’s Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium which is nearing completion. Both cities will be beautified to welcome national and international players and visitors. The new Astro Turf stadium at Rourkela with a seating capacity of 20,000 and allied facilities is set to become the benchmark for global standard. Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra said, “We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming the top teams of the world.” VK Pandian, 5T Secretary said the Chief Minister has directed the state government to use this forthcoming World Cup as an opportunity to showcase not only Odisha’s capability as a remarkable host but also promote the art, culture and heritage of the state”. Incidentally, the 5T governance model adopted by the Patnaik government stands for transparency, teamwork, technology and timeliness — leading to transformation.
In the new world of competition, one has to keep running to stay where you are. Well, this realization has forced many to think out-of-box. What comes out of this new thinking? Fresh alliances of unusual kinds appear to be the order of the day. This Chennai-based two-wheeler major has just inked a partnership with a start-up promoted by the Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan. TVS Motor Company is picking up over 48% stake in a start-up promoted by Karthikeyan. NKars Mobility Millennial Solutions Private Limited (NMMSPL) is a pre-owned two-wheeler platform. TVS Motor will invest Rs 85.41 crore to get 48.27% stake in NMMSPL by way of primary and secondary investments. Founded in April 2020, NMMSPL runs a digital platform ‘DriveX’ which provides two-wheelers to customers on a subscription model for a flexible tenure and on a purchase model. The coming together of Narain Karthikeyan and TVS Motor indicates a tale or two. For one, this signals a convergence in the mindsets of GenNext. Perhaps Narain Karthikeyan and Sudarshan Venu, MD of TVS Motor, have lots in common in terms of thinking and approach. For another, the pre-owned two-wheeler segment is also seeing a significant shift away from the unorganised and moving towards the organized field. Well, the race for two-wheeler share is heading for an interesting phase.
Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has kicked up a fresh political storm by declaring that “The right hand of Uddhav Thackeray is already in custody, very soon the left hand will join him there.” Somaiya has been relentless against the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray over the past two years by making one serious allegation after another. Although Somaiya has not mentioned any name, it is believed that he has trained his guns against former minister Anil Parab, whose sea-side resort at Dapoli in the Konkan is now on Somaiya’s radar for some illegal construction in the property. Parab has denied any connection with it. By right hand, Somaiya is believed to be referring to Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who is in ED custody. BJP activist Mohit Kamboj has been similarly tweeting over the past few days to warn that ‘some big fish’ from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) would soon be caught in the net. Kamboj says the list has 10 names but hasn’t disclosed any of them. Incidentally, only the Congress party is not targeted by any BJP functionaries. Somaiya poured out his chagrin against Uddhav by describing how his wife Medha, son Neel and he himself were hounded by the previous government. A retired naval officer was beaten up while a family was publicly shaved for talking against the then government, he recalled.
The ‘Prime Time’ of PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, Tamil Nadu’s finance Minister, has been all the rage for a while now as he dared to take on the Prime Minister and his plenipotentiaries questioning their pronouncements over freebies. The PM had opened up a big debate after comparing freebies to the coarse sweet ‘Revdi’ and Opposition states took it up big time. PTR was on the warpath everywhere, including in an Oxford debate, in which he compared the Modi regime to British rule. He questioned whether the Centre had performed so well on the economy front that everyone had to follow its dictates. Not to be outdone by someone who took on the highest in the land, the BJP’s mouthpieces began digging into the Tamil Nadu economy to point out that its finance minister was just bragging about a Dravidian model while he was sustaining government expenditure by simply borrowing – as much as Rs 72,500 crore in 2021-22, to be scaled up to Rs. 90,000 crore in 2022-23. After PTR took over, the State’s debt ballooned to Rs 3.02 lakh per family from Rs 2.63 lakh per family. The percentage of debt to GSDP is also on an upward curve even as the Dravidian state leans on liquor sales to sustain its expenditure, boosted of course by freebies like free electricity for farmers and others.
After taking over the reins of India’s captaincy in Twenty20, one-day internationals and Test cricket and from a beleaguered Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma is set for challenges in the form of the Asia Cup Twenty20 in the UAE from August 28 and the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in October-November. Sharma’s stock will rise should he show the way for the men in blues team for trophy triumphs. A great entertainer in white-ball cricket, Sharma has demonstrated that he is his own man in terms of leadership. In the many months of the post Kohli phase, after the last year’s World Twenty20, Sharma has led India in 16 Twenty20 internationals and won 14 recording 88% success rate. He has scored 449 runs too. But for the first time Sharma will lead in a multi-team tournament that has a champion team like Pakistan and equally quality outfits like Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Sharma will have Rahul Dravid by his side to give valuable suggestions on the playing XI and tactics, but the most successful captain in the IPL with five silverware wins for the Mumbai Indians would like to leave his mark in the Arabian Peninsula first, and then in Australia though he will be handicapped without the ace up his sleeve, Jasprit Bumrah in the Asian competition.
In the fast unfolding dynamic environment, the key to success lies in the quick reconfiguration of the thought-process. A legacy mindset often proves to be a stumbling block to embrace any new idea. This is no rocket science for anybody to comprehend. An expert, nevertheless, can play the change-agent with finesse. Well, this is what this consulting firm Circular Angle is now doing at one of the top cement companies in India. Circular Angle, a decade old consulting firm which provides consultancy services to some of the big names in the corporate world suggested a few tweaks in the way India Cements sells its cement. This has seen this Chennai-based company slowly changing over to communication-oriented applications and making products for each application. This is reaping dividends at the ground level as seen from the success that the recently-launched CSK brand of cement is showing in the marketplace. The beneficial impact of the engagement with Circular Angle is now being sought to be extended to other areas of India Cements. From implementing new business strategies to ultra-efficient work processes, Circular Angle is ready to tackle any challenge and put its clients on the path to success. Well, a make-over is definitely happening to make this cement major a modern company.
The political focus in Maharashtra once again turned against Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray when he was challenged by the BJP and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray in the course of the day. BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar referred to Thackeray’s past announcement of resigning his legislative council membership and asked, “Where is that resignation?” Uddhav had made the announcement the night he quit the chief ministership following the rebellion in the Sena led by Eknath Shinde. In that connection, Bhatkhalkar ridiculed Uddhav and taunted, “You are telling your followers to come to the streets to fight for people’s problems. But what about you? Why can’t you come to the legislature and highlight them? Bhatkhalkar alleged that many crucial decisions under Uddhav’ government were taken at the behest of Aaditya Thackeray. He said these arbitrary decisions had cost Mumbai billions of rupees. Bhatkhalkar demanded a thorough enquiry of all such matters. Raj Thackeray, while addressing his party workers, challenged cousin Uddhav on many counts. He said, ”PM Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah had announced from public platforms in 2019 that Maharashtra’s next chief minister would be Devendra Fadnavis. Some of the announcements were made when you were on the same dais. Why did you remain silent then?” Raj announced his plans to tour Maharashtra after the 10-day Ganesh festival is over.
For PM Narendra Modi atmanirbhar is just not a slogan for his countrymen, it is also meant for his proximate security — Special Protection Group (SPG). Recently, he had talked about Karnataka’s Mudhol hound breed of canines, which have an international reputation for their predatory skills as well as looks. Mudhol hound dogs have been used by predators since the times of kings. The PM had stated that if this breed is encouraged, then other Indian breeds too would get a boost. Taking a cue, SPG which usually prefers Labradors and German Shepherds decided to induct the ‘sharp-sighted, agile and indigenous hounds’. The PM`s security team chose Mudhol hounds after considering the Rajapalayam dog breed from Tamil Nadu and Rampur Greyhound from Uttar Pradesh. The dogs already serve with the Indian armed forces and some paramilitary forces. Now, they could become the first indigenous breed to be part of the SPG. In April, SPG officials visited the Canine Research & Information Center (Mudhol Hound) at Thimmapur in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district and took two male puppies. They will first undergo four months of training and later rigorous coaching. Lean and tall structured and tiny heads are the special characteristics of this breed. Predators prefer this breed for its capacity to run long distances without getting tired and special sniffing abilities. These dogs weigh between 20-22 kg and grow up to 72 centimeters.
Post his six-month extension, Chief Secretary of the Odisha government Suresh Chandra Mohapatra is due to retire at the end of August 2022. Sources say he may get another service extension. Retaining Mohapatra is a distinct possibility because the Odisha government could not finalise candidates for the top job, though several names were doing rounds including that of Pradeep Kumar Jena, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Sources say the Odisha government has sent a request letter to the Department of Personnel and Training seeking extension of services of Mohapatra, a 1986 batch IAS Officer. In all probability the Centre would accede to Odisha Government’s request. It is not unusual for capable IAS officers to get a couple of service extensions and there has been past precedence. For instance, RN Das who was Chief Secretary of Odisha between 1992 and 1995 got 3 extensions of six months each when Biju Patnaik was the Chief Minister. Mohapatra, one of the three candidates whose names was short-listed to be appointed as the Chairman of OERC, may be out of the fray, once he gets another six months extension. This means the Odisha government will have to decide between the other two short-listed candidates, Arun Panda (retired former secretary in the Ministry of MSME) and Union Territory cadre retired IAS officer Manoj Parida.
Trade buzz is that Vijay Deverakonda’s Liger has a better chance at the box office as it features a south star. Is the audience today more receptive to South films? Not really. Not all south films dubbed in Hindi or their remakes have been a success. But, generally speaking movies starring Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, Mohanlal have done well. In the last one year films like KGF 2, RRR, and Pushpa recorded big draws in the Hindi belt. A trade source said, “It’s not that all the movies are accepted. If the audience accepted three movies then they have also rejected 10 movies from the south. The general perception is that south films are better in narrative and presentation while Bollywood is failing to deliver on the content front.” Liger has been shot both in Hindi and Telugu languages and it marks the debut of Vijay Deverakonda, a huge star in Telugu film industry. His Telugu film Arjun Reddy remake Kabir Singh has been a huge hit in Hindi. To project himself as a pan India star Vijay is going all out to promote Liger by chatting with social media influencers to visiting malls and eateries so as to make his face familiar to the north audience. Interestingly, Vijay, who has a big fan base, is an outsider who made it big in the Telugu film industry by his sheer performance.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has announced that he is writing a book that will uncover the truth about the controversial Patra Chawl housing redevelopment matter, which has landed him in judicial custody. Raut’s had been a daily TV appearance till his arrest by ED on August 1. He was held in connection with the mega deal which would run in a thousand crore rupees at the most conservative estimates. For over two years, Raut used to castigate every person and party against the Sena under Uddhav Thackeray. He would appear on the small screen many times every day and dare the government to arrest him. Even after extension of his ED custody today, Raut showed that he has maintained his aggressive posture. The special PMLA court has extended his custody till 5 September. Over the past two days, ED has dug out some more information which can damage Raut’s case if proved correct. According to tax authorities, two cars with Raut belong to a real estate firm. Earlier, it was alleged that he had purchased property near Alibaug from the proceeds he received from some builder. Raut said he is working on a tome that will throw light on the Patra Chawl matter. He reiterated that he was not connected with it in any manner. The case against him is ‘false,’ he said.
The family enterprises are a dime a dozen in the city of Chennai. All of them have made a significant impact on the industrial landscape of Tamil Nadu. TVS, Murugappa, Rane, Chemplast and Apollo group have made enormous contributions to not just the economy of Tamil Nadu but the nation as a whole. With families expanding – through induction of new members via marriage – the dynamics of their management has changed. And, the metamorphosis has introduced fresh implications in the management of these family-run enterprises. The TVS – comprising four wings – has recently gone in for a legal separation. Coming as it did after internecine quarrels – that at times took legal overtones – the smooth formal legal separation in the TVS conglomerate is looked upon by other groups which too are experiencing some pressure or the other within. For the first time perhaps, the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, has come out with a comprehensive case study on “Splitting the century-old TVS Group – The Family Arrangement”. It’s a comprehensive effort, chronicling the history of the tension within the larger TVS empire, one of India’s oldest and prominent family business groups with more than 110 years of history. The study dwells on the framework for the split and highlights the governance issues in its wake. An insightful exercise in education indeed!
Now you can travel hassle free without being taken for a ride by rude taxiwalas or auto guys as Kerala’s Left front government headed by Pinarayi Vijayan has launched an App hailing cab service called Kerala Savari. Unlike other App hailing cab services which charge 25% more than normal fares, Kerala Savari will charge only 8 % more. There are several differences between existing players and Kerala Savari. First, drivers are vetted and cleared by the police. Second, the fares are fixed, there is no surge rush hour and drop-in lean hours pricing. A cancellation option has been built into the app. Comrades turned capitalists have even conceptualised a driver training program that includes training for tourism skills for out-of-state tourists. Even a panic button will be installed in the vehicle for both passengers and driver, to access the police, hospital or fire service. Kerala’s Minister for Education and Labour V Sivankutty proudly claims that Kerala is the first state to enter the online ride business. It may well be the first, worldwide too. The 360 degree vision plan includes discount rates for tyres, batteries, insurance and diesel for those who register for the Savari. The only downside…Kerala is known for its militant workforce, and the best intended App may fail if the drivers and taxi operators raise the red flag.
Maharashtra BJP has fired the first salvo in the upcoming battle for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) by squarely blaming the Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray for the neglect and deterioration of Mumbai. The BMC has remained the Sena’s backbone and losing it would dent its main support base. “We will make Mumbai free of corruption. Be sure that a mayor belonging to us and the Sena of chief minister Eknath Shinde is going to be installed,” declared deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis amidst huge applause at a rally today organised to felicitate newly appointed Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar. All BJP bigwigs, including its city MPs and MLAs, were present to show solidarity. Fadnavis recalled that when Shelar was heading Mumbai BJP earlier, the party had registered a handsome win in BMC elections. “Even at that time, we would have been able to install our mayor. However, as responsible alliance partner, we allowed the Sena under Thackeray to occupy the mayoralty,” Fadnavis claimed. The BJP and the Sena under Shinde have made it a strategy to corner and attack the Sena under Uddhav at every possible opportunity. He is yet to venture outside Mumbai. But Sena workers feel that Uddhav himself needs to be at the forefront of the assault. He is expected to announce his plans shortly.
Looks like Prime Minister Narendra Modi has got the CBI to do a thorough job before proceeding against Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. Reportedly, the central agency secured prior mandatory approval of the President of India before filing a corruption case against Sisodia in connection with alleged irregularities in Delhi government’s excise policy 2021-22. Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act requires Presidential assent to investigate a legislator in Union Territories. For excise officers, the Lieutenant Governor is the permitting authority. An FIR was filed against Sisodia on August 17 only after receiving the 17A sanction from the President’s office. Once the FIR was registered, the LoCs (look out circulars) were issued against all named 13 individuals, including Sisodia, so that immigration authorities are alerted in case anyone travels out of India. The CBI is taking precautionary steps because it doesn’t want a repeat of the March 2016 slip-up when former liquor baron Vijay Mallya fled the country for the UK. Since then the agency has started issuing LoCs against accused persons in almost all cases “as a precaution”. Meanwhile, the Congress seems to be the pumpkin in the CBI raid episode with party spokespersons speaking /acting differently. While on Day One Pawan Khera was questioning the CBI raid, next day Delhi Congress leaders were marching to AAP offices sensing mood in NCR against AAP over its liquor policy.
The National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL), which was supposed to start functioning in April 2022, is yet to take off. Also known as Bad Bank, NARCL was to acquire bad loans worth Rs 51,000 crore by April 2022. The Bad Bank was supposed to acquire the bad loans from Indian Banks and transfer them to the India Debt Resolution Company (IDRCL) for part-realisation. It is believed that the Bad Banks initial offers to acquire bad debts stunned banks for their low value, raising questions about the validity of the exercise. NARCL offered Rs 80 crore for an outstanding due of Rs 1136 crore from Rainbow Papers. And for Consolidated Construction Consortium Ltd the offer was Rs 60 crore for an outstanding of Rs 2623 crore. In fact, both the offers dwarf the offer of the existing promoters of both the companies. The Bad Bank has been plagued with regulatory issues, talent and operational headwinds. NARCL now plans to buy 15 accounts aggregating Rs 50,000 crore initially and 38 accounts overall totalling Rs 83,000 crore. The game plan is simple but cumbersome. The banks will transfer their bad debts to NARCL for 15% per cent cash. Security receipts will be issued for the remaining 85% for which the government has approved a five year guarantee of Rs 30,600 crore. If things go as per plan, NARCL will now kick-off in September 2022.
With several of his films bombing at the box office in quick succession the producers of Akshay Kumar’s next film Cuttputli are thinking of streaming it on the OTT platform. Akshay who has over Rs 1000 crore riding on him has had maximum releases and flops in the last two years. Even his latest release Raksha Bandhan was a super flop. Earlier, it was Samrat Prithviraj and Bachchhan Paandey. Atrangi Re was streamed on OTT platform but that too met with similar fate as it was also panned by the critics and all. While his producers are still in shock and trying to recover their investments, the actor has moved on signing up for more films. He is not affected as charges acting fees not percentage of profits. Today, Akshay has around seven films on hand. He is shooting for Selfie with Emran Hashmi and Ram Setu. He has to start shooting for Capsule Gill, Start Up, OMG 2, Khel Khel Mein, and Sajid Nadiadwala’s movie. In a politically sensitive environment where social media has become a powerful tool, jittery producers, seeing the fate of Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chadda, are wondering how to fight this boycott battle and recoup their investments. Looks like the producers will have to rethink content and choose stars who are politically neutral.
The Congress announced it was putting off its anti-price rally due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation. “Mehangai Par Halla Bol” Rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi was rescheduled from Aug 28 to Sept 4. While growing Covid infection is the official reason, the real reason is Jat politics. The Congress leadership has been forced to drag its feet on the rally as Haryana leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda made it clear he will not support the rally as long as his bête noire Randeep Surjewala remains AICC General Secretary. Hooda has been upset ever since Surjewala got elected as Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan. Incidentally, Surjewala, once Hooda’s minister, is now a close Rahul aide. Hooda is one of the few mass leaders of the party and without his support Congress cannot hope to have any rally in Delhi. Only Hooda can mobilise crowds. Ideally, Hooda should not be sulking considering the entire state unit has been entrusted to him. Party sources say Surjewala, who is recuperating from health issues, could soon be relieved of his Karnataka charge. That is why when Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claims “The rally will send a powerful message to the insensitive Modi sarkar!” cynics in the Congress feel the rally would be called an anti-price rally no matter whenever it is held. That is even if the prices are going south.
PM Narendra Modi apparently took a dim view of his Housing & Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri comment on Rohingya refugee issues. In his tweet Puri seems to have relied more on his IFS background than on the BJP stand and had gone loquacious about a news item on shifting Rohingya refugees to EWS flats in Delhi. This had led to backlash in the social media against the BJP. Currently not in India, the minister had commented about how the country always welcomed those who sought refuge in India. As soon as AAP attacked the Centre for trying to provide shelter to Rohingyas, the MHA came out contradicting Puri. In a letter to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra charged that the decision to shift Rohingya Muslims from Madanpur Khadar to EWS flat in Bakkarwala was one-sided by the Delhi Government. Urging Sisodia to act against Rohingyas under Foreigners Act, 1946 of the GOI with immediate effect, Mishra pointed out how Delhi Chief Secretary had convened a meeting on July 29. At the meeting the MHA director and FRRO officials had clarified that the GOI was not a signatory to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees 1951 nor is it subordinate to the 1967 Protocol. The minister also made it clear that India does not accept the identity card of UNHCR.
BJP MP Ranjitsingh Nimbalkar has revealed that 10 NCP leaders are already under ED’s scanner while files of five of them are ready for action. Though he did not mention any name, he amply indicated that the 10 leaders are in the top bracket of the NCP. Nimbalkar has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Madha in Solapur district in south Maharashtra. The constituency was earlier represented by NCP chief Sharad Pawar. The damning revelation has come amidst discussion that the ED’s action will not be too distant now. Nimbalkar is the third BJP functionary to have pushed the NCP in a corner. The first was former MP Kirit Somaiya. He was followed by Mohit Kamboj, who had said a few days ago that ED action against five NCP leaders was imminent. Nimbalkar touched upon the controversial Lavasa project developed near Pune. Pawar is alleged to have been associated with this huge project. The Mumbai high court has disposed of a petition filed against it by a farmer. Responding to such constant threatening utterances, NCP Maharashtra president and former minister Jayant Patil dared the government to go ahead with any action. Within 24 hours of this response, Nimbalkar has come out with a more serious statement against the NCP.
On a day Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s home and 20 other locations across seven states were raided by the CBI over the Centre’s allegations of corruption in the Delhi liquor policy, his party colleagues from AAP like Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjay Singh were busy defending him on a different score — the twin articles that appeared in praise of Sisodia in front pages of the New York Times and the Khaleej Times. “If NYT article is paid news, I challenge BJP to get something published in it by spending money,” said Bharadwaj. While BJP MP Parvesh Verma dubbed it as paid news, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said the CBI landed at Sisodia’s doorstep the “day on which the Delhi education model was praised and Manish Sisodia’s picture was printed on the front page of America’s largest newspaper NYT.” Delhi’s Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena ordered a CBI probe, accusing AAP of bringing the Excise policy “with the sole aim” of benefiting private liquor barons for financial benefits to “individuals at the highest echelons of the government leading up to Manish Sisodia”. On July 30, Sisodia announced a rollback of the policy, a waiver of Rs 144.36 crore was given to the liquor cartel on license fee tender citing the Covid pandemic as the reason. It has now been alleged that the cabinet was not kept in the loop when this one-time waiver was given.
In less than 10 days’ time, India will lock horns with Pakistan in its Asia Cup Twenty20 lung-opener in Dubai on August 28. Flashes of last October’s deadly exploits by left arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi against the arch-rival in the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup come to mind; on that occasion the crafty Afridi outwitted India’s openers Rohit Sharma, trapped leg before and KL Rahul, clean bowled. The two peach of deliveries from Afridi sounded the death knell for India in the global event. Virat Kohli dug in his heels to make a stoical 57 in 97 minutes, but Pakistan made short work of India’s 151, winning by 10 wickets. India and Pakistan have not clashed again for 10 months, but Afridi, the master of swing and cut from bowling over the wicket, would like to hoodwink Sharma and Co. India would need a bit of luck to see through the new ball menace. Sharma has taken over from Kohli as captain, and it has to be seen whether a left-right combination will be tried to neutralise the probing opening burst by Afridi. Pant has opened in Twenty20 internationals just twice and hence it’s unlikely his batting order would be relocated to the top. He made a useful 39 at No 5 against Pakistan in the ICC event last year. But after a long gap, the Afridi threat looms large!
Former Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami declared war in the AIADMK against O Panneerselvam. Declining his offer of an olive branch a day after the high court reined in EPS’ moves to get himself elected as General Secretary, EPS went on to demolish OPS’ character at a media conference, alluding even to his role of canvassing against J Jayalalithaa in the 1989 elections. He declared that OPS only seeks posts for himself and his son. He accused him of going to court to try and stop the GC meeting and, worse, getting into the party HQ on the day of the meeting and demolishing the place. Not only was the party office damaged and jewellery stolen but also key property files were taken away. EPS also rammed home the fact that had OPS commanded enough of a following in the party, he would have challenged him on the floor instead of staying away from the GC venue on July 11. He challenged the reporters to name one worthwhile scheme that OPS had initiated when he was CM several times in place of Jayalalithaa while she was fighting disproportionate assets cases against her. So outspoken was EPS in putting down OPS that a long legal battle is the only way forward now for the main Opposition party in Tami Nadu, which might just make way for the BJP to assume that role.
The Odia actor Anubhav Mohanty who defeated BJP’s Baijayant (Jay) Panda in 2019 Lok Sabha polls standing on a BJD ticket now finds himself in the dock. Reason: marital discord. His wife Varsha Priyadarshini is also an Odia actress. It has turned ugly with both sides trading charges. Anubhav’s petition for divorce is in the Odisha High Court. The mutual allegations are endless which includes domestic violence and harassment justifying police complaint filing by Priyadarshini. Reportedly, BJD MP Mohanty to defend himself has opted to explain his troubled relationship through a video broadcast to the netizens as to why he is seeking divorce from his wife alleging denial of conjugal rights while Varsha alleging Anubhav’s extra marital affairs as a reason for the discord. So far, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has maintained his usual stoic silence. But in a parallel development, Patnaik thought it prudent to reconstitute the list of BJD spokespersons in the process has dropped Anubhav Mohanty amongst others as national spokesperson. Besides, he has also not been included in Naveen’s apex state executive panel for decision making. Action speaks louder than the word, hope Mohanty sees the writing on the wall.
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A piquant situation has arisen in Maharashtra, the first such in parliamentary history of India, as the chief minister and the leader of the opposition in the state legislative council claim to belong to the same party. Nobody has a ready solution. Chief minister Eknath Shinde and his 50-odd supporters have continuously maintained that they have not left the Shiv Sena; in fact, we are the real representatives of the original Sena, they claim. On the other hand, former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s legislative wing had submitted to deputy council chairperson Neelam Gorhe that it was nominating Ambadas Danve as leader of the opposition in the upper house. Incidentally, Gorhe, too, is with Uddhav. Her decision to appoint Danve had generated intense speculation about its constitutional validity. This was viewed in the context of change of guard in the state. The situation became more intriguing as Uddhav had forwarded Danve’s name to Gorhe without consulting either the Congress or the Nationalist Congress party although they were partners of the earlier ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi. Both immediately expressed disapproval of this unilateral action by Uddhav. As the power play is now before the Supreme Court through various petitions, it will be tricky for the authorities to take any decision either way. Hence, wait-and-watch seems the safe policy.
Hurling shoes at politicians is an art form born of courage. And the targeted leaders make more news by responding with humour instead of rancour. Seems like the Tamil Nadu FM P Thiaga Rajan popularly known as PTR borrowed a leaf from the former U.S. President George Bush when women BJP workers hurled a ladies chappal at him at the Madurai airport. Immediately, PTR tweeted “If Cinderella wants her sandal back, my staff saved it for you”. Shoe hurling is tame news; how many of us secretly yearn for such courage? It is the reaction and aftermath that spins even more news. Remember George W Bush on his farewell visit to Baghdad in 2008, when a seething Iraqi journalist Muntadhar Al Zaidi threw both his shoes at Bush! Cool Bush fielded one, said “it’s a size 10 “! Three women BJP workers have been identified and the police are booking them. PTR has harboured a degree of resentment at both the Centre and his own party, as he is seen as a Lone Ranger import, with a fancy education. This incident, when PTR had come to pay his respects to slain TN army personnel, Lakshmanan gave him the ideal opportunity to take on the BJP. He vowed, “By tonight I will teach a lesson to the BJP “. Presumably, the shrewd FM is busy stirring up a storm for K Annamalai and his flock.
It is very difficult for anyone in the Congress to believe that senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad would not have been consulted before reconstituting the Jammu and Kashmir unit. The manner in which Azad refused to be part of it and resigned as Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Campaign Committee and a member of State Political Affairs Committee within hours after announcement shows he has blown a war horn. Congress sources say Azad was consulted four times and some of his suggestions were even accepted. If he had headed the Campaign Committee, when Saiffuddin Soz was PCC chief, why was he having a problem to be part of the team under Tariq Ahmed Karra now? Party sources say it is quite likely Azad may have been surprised by the final list as he may not have been apprised about its details. “It is quite possible that the Congress leadership didn’t want him to continue or else the AICC would have shared the list with him,” points out a leader. Officially, of course Azad has cited health reasons to decline responsibilities. However, the buzz is he could be launching his own political outfit to contest the J&K polls which are a year away. A prominent leader of the G 23 who wrote to Sonia Gandhi seeking better practices within the party, Azad was disappointed when the party did not nominate him to Rajya Sabha.
Within two days of PM Narendra Modi’s making a pitch for women empowerment, the BJP appointed two women — BJP Mahila Morcha chief Vanathi Srinivasan and former Haryana MP Sudha Yadav — to the party’s 15-member Central Election Committee. Both Vanathi, who is also a Tamil Nadu MLA and Yadav belong to the OBC. In another significant move veteran BJP leader BS Yediyuruppa, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Sudha Yadav, Union Minister Sarabananda Sonowal. OBC Morcha chief K Laxman, B L Santosh, Satyanarayan Jatiya and former chairman of Minorities Commission Iqbal Singh Lalpura have been appointed to the 11-member parliamentary board. It also includes party chief J P Nadda, PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The board significantly saw the exit of Nitin Gadkari, probably making way for Fadnavis and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan making way for former Union Minister Jatiya. While most of the members are common to both the parliamentary board and the CEC, the party has inducted a mix of young and experienced hands. While Fadnavis , Yediyuruppa, Sudha Yadav and B L Santosh are on both the panels , veteran party functionary Om Mathur has a place only on the CEC.
Former CM Edappadi Palaniswami took a massive hit in the Madras high court which restored the status quo in the AIADMK party that existed before the contentious July 11 General Council meeting that he had convened and in which he was appointed as interim General Secretary. His colleague O Panneerselvam is now celebrating the restoration of the party to dual control after he had been expelled by EPS. The high court order is not the final word as it is bound to be challenged by EPS in the Supreme Court. OPS had not attended the GC meeting on July 11 but had gone for an earlier meeting. He had walked out when heckled and water bottles were thrown at him. The court order means the party is back to the status which had prevailed after the death of J Jayalalithaa and the imprisonment of her aide and confidante VK Sasikala in February 2017. After being together in his reign as CM of more than four years, EPS had manoeuvred his way to take over the party, his ambition being fulfilled as he had the clear majority of the party members. That majority is in question now as both he and OPS have to steer AIADMK through party polls and they are not even on talking terms.
It was an iconic name once upon a time in the industrial landscape of Tamil Nadu. Today, it is a shadow of its past. Is there a way to salvage it? Well, some are still willing to get into it! A well-known player in the electrical industry, W S Industries, founded in 1961 by V. Srinivasan, was closed down in November 2018 due to assorted reasons. The demise of Srinivasan in July 2017, the intense competition from Chinese firms and the like had all short-circuited the company, and W S Industries had downed shutters of its factory at Porur, just on the edge of the city of Chennai, after a golden handshake with its 400-odd employees. Close to 31% shares changed hands a couple of months ago for Rs 115 million. On behalf of the acquirers, Saffron Capital Advisors Private Ltd has come out with an open offer for the shares of W.S. Industries. The acquirers – C K Venkatachalam, C K Balasubramaniam, Trineva Infra Projects et al – reportedly have expertise in infrastructure development. Indeed, W S Industries is set for a metamorphosis of an entirely new kind. Hopefully, under new owners there is hope for the company which runs two divisions: Insulator Business that manufactures porcelain Insulators and Turnkey Projects Division which offers Erection, Installation and Commissioning of Electrical High Voltage Lines, and Substations, and Line Quality Solutions.
Uddhav Thackeray’s mouthpiece Saamana has warned the rival faction over its plans to erect another ‘Shiv Sena Bhavan’ in the vicinity of the original one in Dadar area. Ever since the Shinde faction revealed its strategy to checkmate the Sena in its Dadar stronghold, restlessness was palpable in Uddhav’s followers since no rejoinder was forthcoming from their boss. Now that the legislature session is beginning in Mumbai tomorrow (Aug 17), the stern warning has been published by Saamana, whose editor Sanjay Raut’s absence was felt as the language and tone of the editorials in the daily had sobered. With this warning, Uddhav has sent clear signals that his followers are now prepared to take on the breakaway group. The Saamana editorial said, “Shiv Sena Bhavan has been standing tall despite various challenges and attacks. It has been built to exhibit the spirit of Marathi manoos. This is not just a building. It is the impenetrable shield of Maharashtra. Those turncoats who jump from one camp to another need to remember this.” Shinde’s camp is jubilant as the chief minister has been receiving warm welcomes around the state. He has been praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis unreservedly in his every speech. Despite murmurs of discontent from among the 50 MLAs who walked out with him, Shinde is confident of placating them.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin is on a two-day visit to Delhi, primarily to pay a courtesy visit to PM Narendra Modi and thank him for giving him the opportunity to host the 44th Chess Olympiad (July 28-Aug 9) in Chennai. In view of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Olympiad had decided against hosting it in Russia. Poland and Uzbekistan were keen to host the event, but it was PM Modi’s equation with Russian President Vladimir Putin which had helped in shifting the event to India. Though the Olympiad itself was inaugurated by Modi, Stalin never got the opportunity to come over to Delhi and invite him personally as he was hospitalised due to Covid. Tamil Nadu became the ideal venue as it is home to chess legends like Viswanathan Anand and young Indian grand master R Praggnanandhaa. The state also has a temple dedicated to chess and Lord Shiva – called Sathuranga Vallabhanathar in Thirupoovanur near Needamangalam, in Tiruvarur district. Assigned to host the Olympiad, Tamil Nadu Government had worked hard for four months, creating the infrastructure for the event at the cost of Rs 92 crore. Stalin has also been advised by senior DMK leaders to call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jadgeep Dhankar — both of whom the DMK had not backed during their elections. Stalin is scheduled to meet President Murmu, Vice-President Dhankar and PM Modi on August 17.
The FIFA decision to debar the All India Football Federation (AIFF) from its primary membership has apparently not gone down well with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was in the vanguard of promoting the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai in July-August and he doesn’t want anything in the way to impede India from taking the centre stage by hosting FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup from October 11. Ever since he became the PM in 2014, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has been on an overdrive providing all facilities for the sports persons to excel at the Olympics, Asian Games, World Championships and the Commonwealth Games. The AIFF being run by the Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) has been described by the World’s governing body as a “third party interference” and hence it wants the COA to clear the decks for an elected body in line with the FIFA charter. The FIFA has been having a dialogue with the Sports Ministry officials and top officials were told in no uncertain terms that the AIFF will be suspended from its primary membership. The FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup is in jeopardy now, but one can hope for a favourite outcome from a SC hearing on August 17. The FIFA also wants the AIFF to run the sport in India, not people without any obligation.
Mahimananda Mishra, one of the richest businessmen of Odisha with an estimated net worth of Rs 10,000 crore seems to be in trouble with the CBI on his tail. Mishra, who runs Orissa Stevedores is being investigated for questionable business practices that includes corruption and bribing officials at Paradip port. Four decades old Orissa Stevedores is the flagship company of the OSL Group which has presence in shipping, mining, logistics, and exports. The allegations against Mishra, who has been arrested in the past, ranges from bribery, corruption, ducking court summons. But what is worrying Mahima is that CBI after raiding his office and residence also raided the residences of his two sons Chandan and Charchit but took into custody only Charchit. So what led to Mishra’s downfall? He is known for making a killing by providing labour for loading and unloading cargo at the Paradip port by questionable methods. His company held sway at Paradip port and nobody dared challenge him. Little wonder he is known as Odisha’s stevedore king. His meteoric rise saw him being conferred business leader award 12 years ago by the Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. But, nobody reckoned Mishra’s reputation will hit rock bottom. “With CBI investigating Mahima’s ways of doing business in Odisha, is bound to improve accountability, plug loopholes and bring in transformational changes in the state so as to ensure such incidents do not recur,” says a confident retired bureaucrat.
The uneasy question among the top leadership of Trinamool Congress is: who would take up the mantle from the party supremo Mamata Banerjee. Significantly, after a long time, Didi was accompanied by Abhishek Banerjee who holds the position of national general secretary during her recent visit to New Delhi. He was also present with Mamata when she took stock of her party’s activities in the monsoon session and endorsed the joint opposition moves in Parliament, especially those against the BJP’s use of central agencies to raid and arrest opposition leaders. Incidentally, a section of senior leaders including Kalyan Banerjee had been vocal about Abhishek’s prominence in the party. He was criticized for both the Goa election and Tripura bypoll debacle, and also for trying to replicate the Diamond Harbour model, his Lok Sabha constituency. However, the opposing faction including Kalyan babu praised Abhishek stating that the young leader gave space and a patient hearing to all senior MPs and leaders. But, the message is loud and clear; in the run-up to the party’s Martyrs’ Day rally in Kolkata, posters put up across the state featured just two leaders — Didi and her nephew Abhishek. Furthermore, it’s Abhishek who’s now expanding the party in Tripura, Goa, Assam, and Meghalaya. Clearly, Abhishek is being projected as the natural successor of Mamata Banerjee, but it has been the BJP that made him a leader by constantly attacking him.
With Amit Shah exuding confidence in his recent trip to Odisha saying BJP will form the government in the state in 2024, questions are being raised if Biju Janata Dal supremo Naveen Patnaik is beatable by BJP in 2024? Political watchers dismiss Shah’s bravado saying “not possible during Naveen’s lifetime”. It’s difficult to defeat a leader like a performing chief minister like Naveen babu in 2024. He has never tasted defeat, as yet. Does BJP have one leader in the state who can match Patnaik’s stature? It is common knowledge that “Modi-Shah juggernaut isn’t all powerful enough to steamroll Patnaik’s huge popularity. This has been amply demonstrated by BJD in the panchayat and urban elections vis-a-vis BJP’s total washout in both instances. Here is the contradiction, while Modi-Patnaik politically are fighting each other at personal level they share a great equation. Given this scenario, Amit Shah has to tread carefully to ensure BJP leaders don’t attack Patnaik personally and at the same give cadres enough ammo that keeps them charged and hopeful that BJP will be in the saddle one day. For starters, the party has elevated Sunil Bansal to the National General Secretary position, in-charge of Odisha. He has been asked to replicate BJP’s UP victory in Odisha. Clearly, for BJP their task is cut out, to make a dent against a tall leader like Naveen babu whose popularity continues to be on the rise.
In a dramatic turn of events, controversial minister Sanjay Rathod has threatened ‘anyone’ who makes derogatory statements against him in public. Rathod had to resign from the previous Uddhav Thackeray ministry in connection with allegations concerning the suicide of a female social media star, Pooja Chavan, in February last year. He is attacked for the same alleged misdeed. Rathod’s most spirited critic is BJP leader Chitra Wagh, who not only condemned his inclusion in the present ministry but also threatened to continue the battle against him, come what may. On the other hand, chief minister Eknath Shinde has said that Rathod had been given a clean chit by the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Rathod himself has said that there is no FIR against him nor has the judiciary entertained any charges against him. As allegations continued to be aired even after his clarification, Rathod has threatened to file defamation cases if any new damaging statements are made about him. Rathod said, “I have been elected repeatedly to the assembly from Digras in Yavatmal district. I have a family, parents. I know what I have gone through. Such slandering must stop.” Rathod was made to resign by Thackeray in February 2021 after his government was cornered over the suicide of Pooja in Pune where she had come from Beed to pursue a career
Nothing seems to be going well with the ruling Trinamool Congress after two of its prominent leaders Anubrata Mandal and Partha Chatterjee were arrested by the central agencies CBI and ED respectively. However, despite washing away hands from these two leaders, TMC has been prompt in protesting against Mandal’s arrest in a subtle way by organizing a two-day protest through youth and students wing. However, this was not the case for “Parthada”. “Kestoda” as Mandal is popularly called has held an unprecedented power for over a decade despite not holding any position in the government, not even as an elected legislative representative. His exceptional organizational skill of mobilising the masses to counter the Left in their erstwhile citadel of Birbhum helped Mandal to gain prominence in the TMC. Incidentally, Bahubali of Birbhum helped the party to win 11 out of 12 seats from Birbhum in the 2021 Assembly elections, and both Lok Sabha seats — Bolpur and Birbhum in 2019. Does Anubrata hold power beyond his district? Yes, he does. His influence spread over Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, which is why he was also made a part of the party’s national working committee. Kestoda, who is also a fundraiser for the party, has delivered on all fronts, party insiders. And this is why Mamata Banerjee has always defended him vehemently in public especially now by holding protest marches after his arrest.
Maharashtra Chief minister Eknath Shinde is preparing to deal one more blow to his nemesis Uddhav Thackeray in his stronghold, Dadar in central Mumbai. Shinde is reported to be looking for office premises for his faction, which he claims is the real Shiv Sena. His supporter and Dadar MLA Sada Sarwankar has revealed that Shinde is looking for space for a party office at a location convenient to people to visit. Shiv Sena Bhavan, the Sena’s headquarters near Shivaji Park in Dadar, has been like a place of pilgrimage for countless Sainiks. Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and now Uddhav have been regular visitors to Sena Bhavan that has witnessed rise and downfall of various leaders over the decades. The most prominent former Sena leader, Raj Thackeray, has an office a stone’s throw’s away from Sena Bhavan and his residence, too, is close by. Thus, the area around Shivaji Park assumes political significance due to such happenings. Shinde has been feeling the need for a separate party office since the common public can’t easily meet him due to security reasons and the 24X7 police cordon at his Malabar Hill bungalow. If Shinde’s office comes up in Dadar, the after effects will be felt most by the Sena under Uddhav.
To add more “zaika” to the growing exports of spices from India, BN Jha, Marketing Director, Spices Board of India has embarked upon a new mission: promote Turmeric Latte. Jha who was in London at the IFE Manufacturing 2022 Fair is scouting for brand ambassadors from UK who can promote this turmeric drink globally. During the pandemic and post Covid “haldiwala doodh” has given big boost to turmeric sales, and its exports have quadrupled because of its medicinal properties, says Jha. During 2020-21 turmeric ranked fifth with an export share of 6.16% of the total exports of spices valued at Rs 27,193.20 crore. Turmeric is globally recognised for its immunity properties. This is why Spices Board is aggressively marketing Turmeric Latte world over. Interestingly, the demand for organic products is growing rapidly in developed countries like Europe, USA, Japan and Australia. The current estimated share of organic foods in these countries is approximately 1-1.5%. This awareness and value for turmeric including other spices is seeing the Spices Board going all out to increase their market share from the current level. Under the Act of Parliament, 52 spices have been brought under the purview of the Spices Board. However 109 spices are notified in the ISO list.
Cricket is broken, they said when Ben Stokes gave up ODIs to concentrate on his Test career. But even as the death of the 50-overs format was being freely predicted, ICC’s future tours programme is dotted with cricket in all three formats, as busy as ever. It’s not cricket that is broken but the bodies of star cricketers who are playing too much. The greatest danger ahead even as Trent Boult quits the New Zealand contract and predicates his playing future around various T20 leagues is that T20 franchises will soon be ruling world cricket. Indian IPL owners have bought into the Caribbean, South African and UAE leagues and soon the stars may be forced to make a difficult choice between club and country. Cricket Australia is prepared to spend a hefty packet to keep David Warner interested in the Big Bash rather than travel to UAE as expanding T20 leagues start cutting into the southern summer cricket scheduling in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Spectators used to own the game until the TV stations came along with their multi-million-dollar rights bids. And now it appears the T20 franchise owners, like the club-owning oligarchs of English football, are set to dominate world cricket.
Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav’s meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi (Aug 12), three days after he took oath along with Nitish Kumar has come as a booster dose to the secular alliance. The Mahagatbandhan government will face a floor test on August 24. Bihar Congress leaders described Tejashwi’s visit as a courtesy call and said specifics of portfolios of Congress ministers would not be discussed. Congressmen are delighted with the Yadav scion’s visit, as 10 Janpath is back in the reckoning. After all it was Sonia who had played a crucial role in forming the Nitish-Tejashwi government. Reportedly, Nitish had reached out to Sonia when she was battling Covid in early June. While discussing her health, Nitish had shared with her how the BJP was trying to break his party. Sonia had asked him to contact Rahul Gandhi as well. Nitish had asked Tejashwi to get in touch with Rahul. Years ago, Rahul had taken out Tejashwi for lunch. But, Rahul will not be part of Sonia-Tejashwi meet. Even as all 19 Congress MLAs want to be ministers, a section of Bihar leaders are keen that the party does not join Nitish-Tejashwi and like the Left parties they should provide outside support. “Whenever we have shared power with RJD, Congress has lost. Whether in 2005 or in 2015, our tally has always gone down,” says AICC member Kishore Jha.
Ahead of Gujarat and Himachal polls, the Centre pleaded in the Supreme Court (SC) to set guidelines on freebies with dos and don’ts till the time legislature steps in as the country was heading towards a financial disaster. In its affidavit, the Centre offered to set up a committee of experts such as Union and state finance secretaries, finance commission chairman, a member from every national political parties, officials from the RBI, and ECI, and NITI Aayog, representatives from FICCI, CII and Discoms. The panel would examine all freebies. The AAP vociferously argued against the SC getting into the area of freebies and warned that the Apex Court should not heed Centre’s plea as it would lead to a political thicket. The SC remained unfazed and has endorsed the Centre’s move for an expert panel. Looks like AAP’s free power promise has the Centre worried with “many electricity generating companies and distribution companies most of which are government-owned being severely stressed. But having won Punjab on freebies, Kejriwal is just not bothered and is out there wooing Gujarati voters with 300 units of free power and Rs 3,000 dole to unemployed youth. Ironically, when Modi took over the state as CM two decades ago people had proudly told him — we don’t want free power, we want assured supply. Does Kejriwal hope to entice Gujjus with his Revdis (sops)?
Distance between Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and the Congress party in Maharashtra is widening. The latest provocation is Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole’s assertion that the earlier ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was not a ‘natural’ alliance. Sena’s unilateral decision to install its MLC Ambadas Danve as leader of the opposition in the state upper house has exposed older wounds in MVA. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has backed the Sena, isolating the Congress further. Former chief minister Ashok Chavan has attempted damage control by claiming that Patole’s statement was his ‘personal view’ though he concurred that Uddhav’s step was taken without consulting the Congress. On the other hand, NCP leader Ajit Pawar said the party with the largest number of MLCs can automatically become the main opposition party. Pawar is the opposition leader in the assembly. NCP also had ignored the Congress earlier when its senior leaders called on chief minister Eknath Shinde to greet him. At that time, the NCP had informed neither the Sena nor the Congress. This had angered both. During the MVA regime, the assembly’s speakership was with the Congress. But Nana Patole, who was the speaker then, had resigned and the post was vacant till the Shinde-Fadnavis alliance elected Colaba MLA Rahul Narvekar to it after coming to power.
When members of a marriage party that had just arrived in Jalna (Maharashtra) started striding purposefully towards the premises of two famous steel manufacturers rather than to any nuptial venue, the onlookers were puzzled. Because rarely any weddings happen in monsoons. But the suspense did not last for long. It soon became evident that huge amounts of cash and gold were being unearthed. It was a series of simultaneous raids by the Income-tax officials, who had hired about a hundred private vehicles which displayed the announcement, “Rahul Weds Anjali” for the surprise visit. Nearly 250 of them swooped on the establishments on August 3 and continued their operation till August 8. The raids yielded cash of Rs 58 crore and over 30 kg of gold, besides precious stones. The cash was found in a farmhouse outside the town in Marathwada region of Maharashtra. The officials needed 13 hours and eight note counting machines to calculate the booty. After counting, the notes were sealed in stout gunny bags which were stashed one atop another. The resultant wall was eight feet in height. The raids were based on intelligence received by the I-T’s Nasik office. However, it was kept a secret till the last moment. The businessmen concerned deals in steel, real estate and textile. Moreover, documents leading to benami property deals worth Rs 100 crore are also said to be recovered.
A day after BJP leader Sushil Modi claimed that the BJP and the JD (U) parted ways because Nitish Kumar was not made Vice-President, the Bihar CM rushed to deny it. Nitish’s rebuttal came on a day Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar took oath of office. The denial possibly came as the ambitious CM who wishes to be PM in 2024 doesn’t want to be seen as challenging a Jat V-P. “I have no such desire. Did they forget how much our party supported their President and Vice-President candidates?” he said, pointing to how he had announced his exit from the NDA only after polls were over. In Bihar BJP, no one is grieving over Nitish’s exit from the NDA. It is good riddance; their only worry is about the fate of their initiatives such as the mega textile park undertaken by industries minister Shahnawaz Hussain. State BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal says, “Nitish didn’t like our work on the textile park; we had brought land prices down. Whenever we raised issues of law and order, he did not like it. He didn’t like the NIA investigation into the PFI links case. I bet by Holi next year, Tejashwi who has support of 115 MLAs, will force Nitish out of CM’s office.” BJP feels it was the arrest of Bhola Yadav, a key accused in the land-for-railway-job scam by the CBI last month that triggered Tejashwi to forgive Nitish for 2017 betrayal.
After J Jayalalithaa‘s demise, Rajinikanth’s political entry was much trumpeted. Even when a huge fan following bragged about the style he would bring as the “CM of TN“, sceptics bandied this joke…”Rajini Can’t” wade into the turbulent political waters. When he announced that he was withdrawing from politics his fans went into despair. He was trolled mercilessly for developing cold feet. His last two movies did nothing much to boost his cine status. Better to ride off into retirement gracefully. But no, adulation is an addiction and fan worship is a narcissistic opiate. Suddenly, on August 7, he dashed off to Delhi, followed by a much-hyped meeting the next day with Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi at the Raj Bhavan. Soon he was front-page news and trolled heavily. Was Rajini, the Pink Panther on the prowl again? Why would a film star meet the Governor? Was he joining the BJP? Post Raj Bhavan visit, Rajini met the Press at the gate of his bungalow and a volley of questions followed: Did you discuss politics with the Governor? Did you highlight the niggardly, miserly GST share for TN? Rajini quickly but stylishly put on his mask, and bolted into his house. Is Rajini hoping that his next movie Jailer would put him into the limelight like Vikram did for his rival Kamal Haasan?
For his ready wit, Eknath Shinde got a 100/100 at the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023 launch event held at the packed Regal Room at South Mumbai’s Trident Hotel on Wednesday (Aug 10). Dressed in his signature long-sleeve white shirt, trouser and the prominent round tilak on his forehead, Shinde created an electrifying atmosphere at the event saying: “What about our marathon; Mumbai to Surat and from there to Guwahati and to Goa. We did not know if we would be successful. But we won it eventually. But we have won only the half marathon now, we will win the full marathon in 2024.” The Maharashtra Chief Minister took a quick recall of the dramatic incidents that his supporters in the Shiv Sena were part of before taking control of Mantralaya. The Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was scheduled to share the stage at the unveiling of TMM 2023, but instead came the towering and erudite Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Also present at the high profile registration launch of the street race were the BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and the Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan. As a parting shot Shinde said amidst a guffaw: “We not only run our marathons, but also make others run the marathon.” So many political connotations at a sports event, but Shinde won a lot of admirers!
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken umbrage at the Congress party’s recent black clothes protest against price rise, saying that “Those who believe in black magic will never be able to earn the trust of the people. Some people are resorting to black magic as they are immersed in despair and negativity. We saw on August 5, that there was an attempt to propagate black magic. These people think that by wearing black clothes, their period of despair will end,” Modi said. What Modi does not know is that the all black protest first started in Kerala, albeit inadvertently. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been at the receiving end with the opposition waving black flags at almost all his public functions and motorcade. Since the Kerala Police was at its wits end to stop this form of protest, an over-zealous officer issued an order banning not only black flags but also wearing black shirts to CM’s function. This blew up in the face of the cops with protesters across the state wearing black shirts not only at the CM’s functions but also during the assembly sessions. The CM is in a spot of bother these days as an ex-employee — Swapna Suresh — of the UAE Consulate in Trivandrum revealed that gold was smuggled using the diplomatic channel by the CM’s office.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack
It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
And this is vindicated by our two marquee advertisers – IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Lombard. Both believed in our story and have supported us from Day one. A big thank you to both.
If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.