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Maharashtra’s most prestigious civic elections to be scheduled for India’s financial capital, Mumbai’s metropolis is turning into a political potboiler. Every formation worth its salt wants to make its political presence count. Before this happens, realignment of 227 seats electing our city fathers, to include designated reserved civic constituencies is the big news. A former state election department officer emphatically says, “No electoral officer can provide you the last value on anvil changes of civic wards. Reservations, realignment of individual seats is the prerogative of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations’ ward offices. We provide electoral lists of the six parliamentary, 36 assembly constituencies in Mumbai and enjoy hands-on involvement only during general, state assemblies.” BMC Chief Bhushan Gagrani says 2011 census data (alongside estimated population figures) serve as the benchmark aligning individual civic councillor seats. “Wherever there is a geographical change — the coastal roads infrastructure — where ‘nullah’ (sewer lines) were diverted and, couple of redevelopment projects impact population demography within 26 wards will witness marginal realignments,” he says. That done, Uddhav’s Sena (boasting 85 sitting corporators) demanding over100 seats, Congress emphasising minority voter base in Mumbai — citing Lok Sabha results to wrest an equal number of seats leaves Sharad Pawar rueing his woes or, will he? BJP’s 83 invisible sitting corporators failed emphasizing PM Narendra Modi’s schemes over five years so, CM Devendra Fadnavis will micromanage BMC polls also while sharing civic seats with deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar’s political parties without much acrimony. Despite the Supreme Court’s mandate for early polls, some delays still threaten to postpone Mumbai’s civic elections some more.
Hindu Munnani, a right-wing outfit close to BJP, organised a Lord Murugan (or Kartikeya) Devotees Conference on June 22 and passed a resolution for ‘Hindu unity’ and protection of Hindus in the temple town of Tirupurakundram in Tamil Nadu. An interesting aspect of the Murugan Meet of devotees was that it was attended by Andhra Minister Pawan Kalyan and BJP office-bearers of Tamil Nadu. The conference adopted a number of pro-Hindu resolutions to protect the rights of Hindus. The Murugan Meet seemed like the first of steps to rally Hindu votes ahead of 2026 assembly polls. It not only suggested that the DMK government should “stop treating temples as a revenue source and use temple funds to only benefit devotees”. A highlight of the Murugan Meet was the record-breaking mass recital of “Skanda Sashti Kavacham”( a popular Tamil hymn in praise of Lord Murugan) by an estimated 5 lakh Murugan devotees. It was also resolved to have such recitals of Skanda Sashti Kavacham regularly. The political message of the meet was a clarion call to Hindus to vote en bloc. Pawan Kalyan, who had been encouraged by the RSS to take active interest in TN politics, spoke in Tamil. He hit out at ‘secularists’ and atheists for targeting Hindu gods and temples. In a grand gesture Pawan Kalyan also sought to bring together former TN BJP chief K Annamalai and present incumbent Nainar Nagendran as he made them hold hands on the stage. As for the AIADMK, former CM Edappadi K Palanisamy made it a point to send four MLAs for the meet. Meanwhile RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was in Coimbatore where he praised the spiritual tradition of adheenams in TN.
Developers in Mumbai owe pending rental dues worth over Rs 646 crore to slum dwellers whose houses have been taken up for redevelopment under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme. The pending rental dues had swelled upto Rs 1382.48 crore since 2022 of which the state helped recover Rs 735.67 crores till May, 2025. Defaulting on rents for slum dwellers of SRA projects has assumed such proportions that the government now insists developers deposit two years of rent in advance. The SRA also managed to get Rs 552 crore as advance rents from developers. In a bid to expedite stalled projects, the SRA has also served notices to 86 errant developers to facilitate their replacement and help these projects take off. About 1700 projects of SRA are currently ongoing in the city of Mumbai, out of which about 517 are stalled due to various reasons. In order to take such stalled projects off the ground, the Maharashtra government has also got government statutory bodies like the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) and even the City Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to intervene and get into the slum rehabilitation space. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is also undertaking SRA in 64 of its own plots. Though the SRA was adjudged as the best performing department in the 100 days administrative reforms review by the Devendra Fadnavis government, activists are convinced that it continues to remain a developers’ domain.
There wasn’t much reaction in Telangana Congress when former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin’s son, Asaduddin, also a cricketer, recently parachuted in and landed as a General Secretary of the Telangana Congress. A senior leader and a former MP dismissed the appointment as a non-event and routine. After a stint in cricket, Asaduddin expressed his desire to serve the public through politics, drawing inspiration from his father and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Describing his new role as a “big responsibility”, Asaduddin said he was committed to working for the party in line with its ideology. He praised Rahul Gandhi for fighting for the Congress’s values despite facing numerous challenges He also credited his father, who has been active in politics for over 15 years, as a major influence. Azharuddin, a former Lok Sabha MP from Moradabad, UP, contested and lost the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections from Jubilee Hills constituency. Asked why he quit cricket, Asaduddin remarked that a sports person’s career is short and timing plays a crucial role in success. Married to tennis star Sania Mirza’s sister, Anam Mirza, Asaduddin felt his time in cricket was over. In a post on X, Azharuddin wished his son and said he had seen his (Asaduddin) commitment to people, his passion for service, and his sincerity up close and hoped he would stay “grounded”. With his son’s debut in state politics, Azharuddin is now confident that he will once again be fielded for Jubilee Hills by-elections. He had lost the seat in 2023.
Having once been condemned by Sunil Gavaskar from the commentary box with a serial “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid” description, Rishabh Pant made the legend say “Superb,” three times in tribute to a century at Leeds. That was soon as he became the Indian wicket-keeper with most Test centuries (7) – not Dhoni (6), not Saha (3) nor any of the older greats. And he has kept this “all-rounder” status in his own unique way, rolling on his back not to collect stray wide balls from bowlers but to punt the ball over the ‘keeper’s head. And who else can conceptualise a virtual one-handed lofted shot to mid-wicket sailing beyond the ropes for a six to get to a century. After all, he is a batsman who opened his Test account with a six. Even Gavaskar, who has watched more cricket than many of the legends, may never have predicted such a fulfilling future for a plump youngster. And if he thanked God it may have been not only for the record-breaking century but also saving his life the night that he was involved in a car crash from which few gave him a good chance of survival. Maybe that is why Pant is determined not only to live every minute of a second chance at life but also enjoy it. Maybe, Pant has shown Sunil that despite all that madness that seizes him now and then while batting that he is perfectly capable of stringing together long Test innings. If there is one thing that has not left him may be a bit of spirited batting that in the eyes of critics may seem “Stupid.” Maybe, none will call him “stupid” again regardless of how adventurously he bats when the whim captures his mind.
Titagarh Rail Systems, one of India’s foremost manufacturers of rail wagons and coaches, is taking a strategic step to bolster its production capabilities through a new joint venture with Ramakrishna Forgings Ltd. The joint venture, named Ramkrishna Titagarh Rail Wheels Ltd, is setting up an advanced manufacturing facility in Gummidipoondi, located near Chennai. This state-of-the-art plant is designed to produce high-performance forged wheelsets, catering to the requirements of metros, freight wagons, and passenger railcars. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 220,000 wheels. As part of the venture, 80,000 of these wheels will be supplied to Indian Railways under a guaranteed offtake agreement, offering long-term business visibility. Each forged wheel is estimated to cost around Rs 1 lakh. The plant is expected to commence full-scale operations by Feb-Mar 2026.This initiative is crucial, especially after Titagarh faced a slowdown in wagon sales last fiscal due to a shortage of wheelsets from the Rail Wheel Factory. By building its own supply capability, the company aims to eliminate such supply chain disruptions in the future. With about 25% market share, Titagarh remains India’s largest freight wagon manufacturer, leveraging a vertically integrated model for operational resilience.
The name Prashant Tipirineni Nani may not stir recognition until you notice Nani. Oh yes, HIT: The Third Case or Hit 3 starring Nani in an electric turbo action role will immediately stir memories of that action thriller. Much talked about but given mixed reviews by critics. But redemption too…it is the third highest grosser Telugu film, collecting Rs 56 crore in 6 days of cinema run. The team of Nani, Srinidhi Shetty and Director Sailesh Kolanu were happy that HIT 3, third instalment in the series, had surpassed Nani’s earlier Hi Nanna, Saripodhaa Sanivaram and HIT 1 collection. But happiness and celebrations in this mercurial make-believe world of cinema is often short lived…ghosts from the past or ghosts who walk in due to bad Karma often wreck the party and the high of commercial success soon, nosedives. Allegations of story/plot plagiarism are hurled and more often than not, end up in court. Hit 3 has just been hit by allegations from Soniya Vimal (Vimalavalan) who has accused Nani of lifting most of her story, making a few changes here and there in the making of HIT 3. The writer is now demanding copyright compensation of 20% of the take. Vimal claims she had registered her story with the South Indian Film Writers Association in 2021, met with Nani and gave him an outline but got no response from the makers. After watching the first show, she could identify and record every spin of the story, her original. The only recourse was to go to the court. The Madras High Court has now posted the hearing for July 7.
For AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal winning MLAs in Gujarat by itself may not be a big deal; about half a dozen or so have won before. But none of the MLAs have stuck around. However, with AAP candidate Gopal Italia winning from Visavadar for the second time in a by-election, Kerjiwal has something to cheer about. In the backdrop of losing power in Delhi, AAP felt it had to make a song and dance about securing assembly seat in Gujarat by-election– where the BJP has been in power for 30 years –that too from a seat– Visavadar which the BJP has never won. In a post on X, Kejriwal bragged that his party won with nearly double the margin compared to the previous elections and claimed that “people of Punjab are very happy with the work of our government and have voted even more in favour of us than in 2022. The people of Gujarat are now fed up with the BJP and see hope in the AAP”. Italia shot to fame during the 2015 Patidar agitation in the state. The seat has been vacant since 2023 after the then AAP legislator Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the BJP. BJP sources said Italia winning the seat wasn’t a surprise. Visavadar has been a traditional Congress seat. “BJP has never won from there. In 2012, Keshubhai Patel won from there as Parivartan Party candidate. Kesubhai later rejoined the BJP. Sources say more than Visavadar what is of significance for Gujarat politics is that BJP managed to win Kadi assembly seat, a reserved seat in Mehsana. BJP’s Rajendra Chavda won by a margin of over 39,000 votes in a triangular contest taking on both the Congress and the AAP.
Aamir Khan, hailed as one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars, has consistently pushed the boundaries of Indian cinema with his choice of diverse and thought-provoking roles. However, his latest film, Sitare Zameen Par, which garnered approximately Rs 10.70 crore on its opening day, raises critical questions about the viability of niche cinema in a commercial landscape dominated by mass appeal. While the film showcases Aamir’s commitment to storytelling that resonates with a more elite audience, its limited screen release and lack of mainstream entertainment elements have significantly hampered its box office potential. Unlike his contemporaries, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, who frequently deliver mass-centric blockbusters, Aamir’s foray into niche narratives may alienate the average moviegoer. The film’s intellectual depth and artistic merit, although commendable, do not cater to the broader audience base that thrives on high-octane entertainment and relatable themes. The expectation for Aamir Khan films to cross the Rs 100-crore mark within the first three days has become a benchmark of success in Bollywood. However, Sitare Zameen Par weekend collections appear to be around Rs35-40 crore, a figure that many industry insiders deem disappointing for a film featuring such a prominent star. This trend raises concerns about the sustainability of niche cinema in a market that increasingly favours commercial viability over artistic expression. As the film fraternity navigates this evolving landscape, it is imperative for stars like Aamir Khan to strike a balance between artistic integrity and audience engagement. While niche films have their place in cinema, the current climate suggests that a more mass-oriented approach may be necessary to foster the growth of Indian cinema as a whole.
Shubman Gill has settled the No 4 position for himself in the New India batting order in Test cricket. The moment he was named the captain of the Test team for the five Test series in England, the grapevine was rife with pros and cons of his batting at No 4 with the MRF sticker bat. Just like his predecessors Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli who batted at No 4 and the lithe right-hander from Punjab confirmed it after the fall of debutant Sai Sudharsan at the stroke of lunch on the first day of the Headingley Test. Gill batted with a lot of assurance and compiled an elegant 227-ball 147 with 19 hits to the pickets and one six on the onside. For 12 minutes short of six hours, Gill looked the master playing behind and beside the line against the England fast bowlers. It was Gill’s first time undertaking at No 4 and he and those who helped him take that call would be more than satisfied with his effort. Gill may have thrown away a chance to convert his knock into a double and much more had he not taken the chance against the off break bowler Shoaib Bashir and offered a high catch to Joshua Tongue in the deep. When the going was good, Gill could have really cashed it on, but his departure (430/4) triggered an India collapse to 471. The pitch aided the home team seamers who were also able to swing the ball, and Gill stood up to the task after Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a lovely hundred opening the innings after being put into bat. A great knock from Gill, but a rush of blood heave spelt his doom.
The role of the Indian National Congress leadership in taking a backseat in the I.N.D.I.A coalition has emerged as one of the key factors that has kept the front together. Had the Congress taken up leadership positions, it would have put off some anti-Congress parties that are part of the coalition,” according to a political analyst. Also, being the dominant partner, the I.N.D.I.A coalition would have earned the tag of a Congress-led initiative, another deterrent factor. Analysts believe that this playing down strategy reflects political maturity on the part of the grand old party. “They are aware of the fact that there are a few parties within the I.N.D.I.A coalition that have won elections on an anti-Congress plank and these parties need to be reassured about their place,” felt Bhalchandra Kango, member of the national secretariat of the Communist Party of India. If Nitish Kumar had got the parties together in the I.N.D.I.A coalition, we must work to keep all the parties together, Rahul Gandhi is believed to have stated in one of the internal meetings. With this, the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls now promises a straight fight between the 28-party India alliance and the 38-parties BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin chose to give his closing address of the 28-party I.N.D.I.A meet at Mumbai in Tamil. The only South Indian chief minister present on the dais, Stalin just started off in Tamil without any warning. His colleague, six-times Parliamentarian TR Baalu, who was with him on the dais, neither translated his address nor bothered to explain the context to either the delegates or the press. All the other speakers including Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, chose to address in Hindi except for Sitaram Yechury who spoke in English. A delegate, who was part of the I.N.D.I.A front internal meet, revealed that Stalin failed to fully participate in the internal meetings, due to the language barrier. “Stalin always kept his counterpart TR Baalu around him. Baalu presented the party view at the internal meetings while Stalin merely followed the proceedings in English,” a delegate informed. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has been a strong opponent of imposition of Hindi. Stalin started his short address with a greeting of ‘Vanakkam’ and went on to explain how the I.N.D.I.A front has not come together with the quest for power but with the resolve to protect the nation, its constitution, the society and cultural values. Soon after he wrapped up his speech, he left the dais along with Baalu.
The 28-party I.N.D.I.A front has decided to side step the contentious issue of finalising the prime ministerial face to forge ahead in the alliance. The alliance has decided to stay face-less in its fight against prime minister Narendra Modi to diffuse tensions in I.N.D.I.A with multiple claimants throwing hats in the ring. With 11 chief ministers like Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal in the fray, the leadership of I.N.D.I.A is a delicate issue that could destabilize the alliance at any point of time. Though the Congress wanted to push Rahul Gandhi for leadership position, it wisely seems to have given up. Though a similar anti-BJP front had emerged in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it had failed to work due to lack of unity. Hence, it has been decided to instead let the PM candidate emerge post-election depending on how the parties fare in the Lok Sabha polls. Another contentious issue, that of seat sharing is also likely to be delegated to various state-level committees to diffuse tensions. With parties in West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi and Kerala being at loggerheads in Delhi, the emphasis will be on the ability to win seats to determine seat sharing allocations. Similarly, key responsibilities will be décentralised and delegated to coordination committee and sub-committees rather than a single convenor to avoid focus on a single party or leader.
The sustained box office and artistic success of Southern films is not just about strong story lines, brilliant directors, tight budgets, organised shooting schedules and artists who give value for what they earn. Southies know how to get the best ROI, even in remarkable budget films. Much of the credit goes to producers like AGS Entertainment founded in 2006 by three brothers — S Aghoram, S Ganesh, and S Suresh — which has consistently bankrolled good, wholesome and mostly family oriented themes. AGS Entertainment just announced their Thani Oruvan 2 to mark 8 years of the original hit movie that ran in cinemas for 50 days, grossed Rs 150 crore worldwide, with no carpet-bombing gimmickry or cooked books. What is even more remarkable, the sibling team of director Mohan Raja and Jayam Ravi, team up yet again for a seventh film in Thani Oruvan 2. Jayam Ravi is already riding high as a bankable artist, as gracefully as he rode a caparisoned elephant in both Ponniyin Selvans. He is Ponniyin Selvan, Mani Rathnam’s muse. Starting with Jayam, M Kumaran S/O of Mahalakshmi, Unakka Enakka , Santosh Subramaniam, Thillalangadi, Thani Oruvan 1 all back-to-back hits, and paisa vasool for film buffs. Jayam Ravi will play an IPS officer Mithran once again. Spoiler alert …could the antagonist go after the hero? Nayantara is his love light.
The world famous Mumbai Vada Paav, Maharashtra’s iconic Puran Poli, popular savoury Baakar Vadee or plebeian staple Zunaka Bhakar were among the more prominent dishes served during the two-day I.N.D.I.A front meet underway at a 5-Star hotel in Mumbai. The entire menu, vegetarian though, has attracted attention since it became a matter of sparring between the state Congress, organisers of the meet, and the ruling BJP-led alliance. The social media army aligned with the BJP immediately published a rate list of the various items like a water bottle which was quoted as costing over Rs 200 and like NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s confidant Jayant Patil’s demand that a drought situation should be declared in Maharashtra in view of the absence of rains in large parts of the state became a tool for the trollers. They questioned the expenditure for the I.N.D.I.A meet at the luxury hotel in which each room rent runs in five figures and a cup of tea or coffee in hundreds. “If the Opposition is so much concerned about the privations suffered by farmers, it should explain the royal treatment meted out to the various leaders who have arrived in Mumbai for the I.N.D.I.A meet,” some remarked. State Congress president Nana Patole said that the entire menu was vegetarian and traditional Maharashtrian dishes were served. The give and take became spicy for a short while though ended without leaving any bitter after taste.
Parliament Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi’s tweet announcing a Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) from September 18 to 22 predictably triggered a howl of protest from the Opposition. The announcement best served to take the limelight away from Opposition-I.N.D.I.A meet. With speculation rife that PM Modi could even push for a one nation-one election bill at this session, it must have sufficiently altered the agenda of the Opposition conclave in Mumbai. The Shiv Sena UBT protested loudest as the 5-day session coincided with Ganesh Chaturthi festivities beginning on September19 and dubbed it as anti-Hindu move. For the Modi government it was an auspicious day to launch numerous things, including holding the first session of the Parliament in the new building. While the Sena UBT may cry foul, what it does not know is that Ganesh Chaturthi is auspicious and celebrated not just in Maharashtra but in other states including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat. As for government business in the brief session, the session will adopt resolutions on successful launch of Chandrayan-3, conduct of G 20 summit and laud achievements of athlete Neeraj Chopra and chess wizard R Praggnanandhaa. As for the bills there is talk about a new reservation policy in the pipeline.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, who has been under the cloud, following his hobnobbing with his nephew Ajit Pawar even after splitting his party, dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to investigate and act against him. “You are in power, the facts are with you. Investigate and bring the truth before the entire country,” the senior Pawar dared at the precursor press briefing of the INDIA alliance. Prior to Ajit Pawar aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), PM Modi had alleged that the NCP was involved in corruption of over Rs 70,000 crore. Sharad Pawar has stated that there is no confusion among people and they will show the defected NCP leaders, who shifted allegiance to the BJP-Shiv Sena ruling alliance, their place in the polls. The NCP party is expecting deterrent action from the Modi government in the form of losing their party name or symbol, a la the Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, a senior NCP leader said. Incidentally, while Uddhav Thackeray works closely with Sharad Pawar, his party mouthpiece Saamna continues to be strongly critical of Pawar’s mollycoddling with his nephew, which it termed sends confusing signals to workers of the alliance partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
The multi-party I.N.D.I.A front is already besieged with the issue of electing its contender for the post of Prime Minister as former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, too, has indirectly expressed his willingness to enter the fray. Former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal are already believed to be in the race. The I.N.D.I.A front has started on a good footing as leaders of most prominent Opposition parties have arrived in Mumbai for the two-day meet. Though the previous two meetings, held in Patna and Bengaluru, could not decide on any of the major policy issues, the Mumbai meet will attempt to arrive at a consensus on the front’s logo, agenda and collective leadership. SP’s Juhi Singh has announced the name of Akhilesh for premiership. According to her, Akhilesh has established his credentials to hold the top post. AAP’s Priyanka Kakkar has praised Kejriwal’s performance as Delhi CM and has cited his various decisions like holding the price line in the national capital by subsidizing water, power, education and free bus travels for women. She claimed that he will be able to do it for the entire country, too, given an opportunity. Uddhav’s candidature has been declared by party MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, recalling his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. As all three names are forwarded by women leaders, the outcome will be awaited eagerly.
In a surprise move that is being seen as a raksha bandhan gift from PM Narendra Modi to all Indian households, the price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder was reduced by Rs 200 in all markets across the country. In Delhi for instance, the decision will bring down the cost of a 14.2 kg cylinder from Rs 1103 to Rs 903.”This is a gift to crores of my sisters of the country on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan”, said PM Modi. Opposition parties are already crying foul and see it as a move aimed at targeting voters in poll-bound states in Hindi heartland at the end of this year. The sop was announced just days ahead of a meeting of Opposition leaders of I.N.D.I.A in Mumbai on Aug 31-Sep 1. The effective price for PMUY (Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana) households in Delhi after this reduction will be Rs 703 per cylinder. There are more than 31 crore domestic LPG consumers in the country including 9.6 crore PMUY beneficiary families and this reduction will help all LPG consumers in the country. Reacting to the government move, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that Karnataka rout of the BJP — the high price of LPG was one of the main issues of the election. He also bragged about how the Congress government in Rajasthan was giving LPG cylinders at Rs 500. “Expect more such ‘gifts’ in the coming months as the PM becomes even more desperate to cling on to his chair.”
In a significant move, the BJP leadership appointed Anil Anthony as its national secretary as well as national spokesperson. It is significant that it chose to make the announcement on the traditional Kerala festival of Onam. Anil Anthony, son of senior Congress leader AK Anthony, had joined the BJP in April this year after quitting the Congress and criticising its stand on the controversial documentary film of the BBC on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had termed BBC as “a state sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices” against India, after which, he said, he had received threats as well. “Despite large differences with BJP, I think those in India placing views of BBC, a UK state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over Indian institutions is setting a dangerous precedent, will undermine our sovereignty,” Anthony had tweeted. Welcoming Antony to the BJP, Piyush Goyal described him as a “very grounded political worker”, who was convinced that the BJP cares for the country and shared the vision of sustainable growth.
Ex-AIADMK minister D Jayakumar has many epithets…motormouth, loose cannon, party mouthpiece, King of repartee, master of comedy. While in power, the media was hilariously entertained by his innuendos, and funny swipes. Jayakumar knows how to give what he gets…in spades. After his telling success at Mayiladuthurai’s DMK Youth Wing meet where Udhayanidhi Stalin upped the swag quotient, he went a bit over in inciting the AIADMK citing instance of an AIADMK functionary lodging a police complaint about his missing wife, and mirth erupting as some smart alecks suggested that Jayakumar be questioned. A composed Jayakumar said, “This Udhayanidhi is a mere cub. Neither his baap nor his baap’s baap can neutralise our party. I am warning this cub, stick to politics, don’t stray into personal attacks. If you try, we can pepper social media with filth exposés that you won’t withstand “. He further added, they call our party “garbage” but… garbage at least can be turned into fertiliser compost. The DMK has gnawed into the state like termites, leaving everything wasted in its wake. TN is now an “addiction” state — alcohol, ganja, power, money, you name it. Even the police are beaten up by cadres. DMK scraped through in 2021 assembly elections with a mere 3 % lead. After 2026, it will be buried, swag, money, power and all. Will Udhayanidhi, the SUN in waiting, be more politically gracious in his speech?
NCP chief Sharad Pawar is facing one attack after another from his long-time confidants, notably made in presence of his nephew Ajit Pawar, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. Chhagan Bhujbal, the first Shiv Sena rebel is at the centre of the latest furore which has erupted due to his allegations that Pawar made him resign as then home minister owing to the multi-crore Telgi stamp paper scam on 23 December 2003. Bhujbal reminded Pawar at a Beed rally that he himself had arrested Telgi, and had asked the police to invoke MCOCA against him. But based on some allegations levelled against him, “you asked me to resign,” he lamented. On Bhujbal’s charges, Ajit told the media that though he was on the dais, he couldn’t hear fully what Bhujbal had said. “I have read some newspaper reports about it but not yet spoken with him,” Ajit said. Bhujbal had walked out of the Sena in 1991, dealing it a severe blow to join the Congress party. When Pawar quit Congress to set up NCP in 1999 Bhujbal joined him. It may be recalled that a few days back, Pawar’s one-time secretary Dilip Walse Patil had remarked that Pawar inspite of being the tallest leader of Maharashtra had never been able to form a government in the state on his own. This observation, too, was endorsed by Ajit.
Neeraj Chopra has showcased his talent with a spear-like object, won gold medals in international competitions and proved to a nation starved of sports icons that nothing is impossible to achieve. The 25-year-old javelin thrower’s feats have to be described as phenomenal; one that has lifted the aspirations of the young talent across all sports. Hailing from Panipat, Chopra — who took an interest in a not-so-popular discipline of the mother of all sport, athletics — has, in the last seven years, demonstrated that individual drive and ambition in pursuit of excellence will be rewarded. Ever since he won the World Under20 Championship title in Poland in 2016, he has only improved and remained on the World stage. It was an extraordinary display by two more javelin throwers at the World Championships in Budapest — Kishore Jena and DP Manu — who finished 5th and 6th respectively. Chopra has all the titles with him — Asian, Commonwealth, Diamond League, Olympics and the World’s. Chopra will be one of the star attractions in the forthcoming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China and at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024. Training abroad has helped him to maintain fitness and sustain his form in the context of achieving consistency; what has eluded him though is the 90m mark which he was hopeful of touching at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest where he won the gold with a distance of 88.17m.
There are certain timeless topics (read issues) that make it easy for political parties/politicians to be in the news. There are at least five to six issues which are raked up at regular intervals — once in two-three years – which keep the politicians going. Take the case of Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka which has not been solved for decades. The issue has been deliberately kept on slow boil; once solved the politicians and their existence will be forgotten. Ditto the border issue between Maharashtra and Karnataka, or Naxalite menace. Here, the communal issue is a tool of the last resort. But, generally all politicians go in for low hanging fruits like corruption, bad roads or environment issues. Not surprisingly, the media will oblige with non-stop coverage. Of course, the favourite whipping boy is the film industry. Sushant Singh Rajput’s death became almost a national issue. Likewise flags of revolt were raised over movies like Padmaavat or The Kashmir Files for misrepresenting history or showing religion in bad light. Then hijab issues keep surfacing from different corners of the country bringing the entire Muslim brotherhood together. The timing of the issues have also become predictable – it is either run-up to the elections or some serious issues rocking the government either at the Centre or State, and suddenly as part of the deflecting strategy these issues are raked up. Interestingly, all these issues die a quick death too.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin continues to present his festival paradox by wishing people on the occasion of Onam while he would not countenance doing that for Deepavali. In some strange Dravidian party ideology logic, their leader is not to wish people on Hindu festivals, but somewhere they seem to have lost the plot because Onam is very much a Hindu festival, marking as it does the good governance of a mythical Hindu king Mahabali. The date of the festival coincides with the day of the Thiruvonam star according to the Hindu Panchangam. While the celebration of festivals has an increasingly universal ring to them these days with people of all religions joining in to take in the grid times and the feasts that go with them, it does appear Stalin has to explain the paradox at least to himself that while he wishes the people of Kerala on a festival he would not do so for a more pan-Indian Hindu festival like Diwali. Of course, on the political front, Stalin has picked up courage to take on Prime Minister in a direct frontal attack saying Narendra Modi has no moral right to comment on corruption and how he plans to fight it while his own government has been pulled up on seven counts by the CAG.
Bollywood seems to have got its mojo back. After a series of flops, sequels seem to have given Bollywood a new lease of life. Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2 is a runaway hit, earning close to Rs 450 crore thus surpassing KGF 2 collection’s record. Interestingly, Sunny Deol travelled around promoting Tara Singh, the character and not himself… and that worked. In the case of Akshay Kumar, now an Indian citizen, he has finally got a hit after a string of flops. OMG 2 has earned Rs 120 crore till date and counting. And for Ayushmaan Khurrana Dream Girl 2 got the biggest opening of his career. All these three hits indicate its boom time for Bollywood. Audience is back to theatres. And what is also giving the leg up to the whole industry is the OTT platform. Some of the characters like Vartika played by Shefali Shah in Delhi Crime, Kaalen Bhaiya by Pankaj Tripathi in Mirzapur have made them a household name. No wonder they are thriving on Season 2, 3…Earlier, Bollywood which thrived on remakes of Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil movies is now encashing on sequels. Some of the successful sequels were: Munnabhai by Raju Hirani, Krrish by Rakesh Roshan, Singham, Phir Hera Pheri by Firoz Nadiadwala. Get ready to see Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 this Diwali and also in the pipeline is the confrontation between two Khans in Tiger Vs Pathaan. Happy days are here again!
It is one of the oldest private banks in the country. And, this private lender is over 100 years old. A Nadar community-floated bank, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) has consistently found itself hitting the headlines for several years. An internecine quarrel between the promoter groups saw it lose control to the Ruias of the Essar group in mid-90s. But the Ruias faced resistance and had to give it up somewhere along. In came the serial entrepreneur C Sivasankaran. But he too had to retreat. After several twists and turns, TMB went public in September 2022. TMB remains in focus for all the wrong reasons. Sometime ago, the income-tax officials conducted a search at its headquarters in Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin). It has returned to focus yet again now. The TMB publicly corrected itself for quite a number of errors in its annual report for 2022-23. At least half-a-dozen discrepancies – some minor and a few major – have crept into the annual report. The private lender, a few days ago, was forced to come out with a corrigendum in a local publication. The corrections related to numbers in some places. In still others, it pertained to the shareholding of the directors. Big or small, a slippage is a slippage. Is there a sense of nonchalance in preparing the annual report? Perhaps, TMB is still adjusting itself to the post IPO situation.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has retracted his remarks about his nephew and breakaway group leader Ajit Pawar within hours, contradicting his daughter Supriya Sule as well in the same breath. Pawar’s public statement that “Ajit is a leader of our party” was flashed by social media within moments after it was made. Nearly four hours later, Pawar said he had never made any such claim. Moreover, Supriya’s assertion that Ajit was the party leader was also rubbished by Pawar. To top it all, Pawar flatly refused that there was a split in the party. He said certain members of the party had taken a different stand but it could not be termed as a split. Pawar’s diametrically opposite statements have created a question mark for the proposed I.N.D.I.A meet to be held in Mumbai next week. Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leader Sanjay Raut maintained that Ajit’s desertion of the NCP was very much a split. The Ajit group had appointed Sunil Tatkare as its own Maharashtra president while Pawar had continued Jayant Patil in that post. If there are two presidents of the same unit, is it not a split, Raut posed a counter question. Ajit Pawar was quizzed by the media in Pune about his uncle’s and cousin’s confusing statements. He merely said, “No comment” and walked away, deepening the suspense over the possibility of bridging the NCP’s split.
Radhika Sarathkumar chugged into the film scene in Bharathiraja’s Kizhakke Pogum Rail in 1978. Today, she is the Bullet train of Kollywood, trail blazing her way through over 200 films and Tamil mega serials that have spun money and enduring fame for this superb actor. Her very first film (ran for 365 days in theatres) and its success brought her the sobriquet Rail Radhika, and the SUN TV serial, Chithi made her the family icon of thousands of women who waited for the prime time slot of Chithi. Significantly, Radhika would have not aced any star test…she herself once acknowledged that she is a plain Jane, no sultry siren nor sexy screen sizzler. But she was the master of transformation to the character she played and the audience remembered her performance even in average films. Her only claim to fame at her debut was that she is the daughter of late MR Radha, a controversial and stormy petrel of Kollywood in his heydays. She went through three marriages, her second one to Prathap Pothan, actor-filmmaker. Finally she has found her anchor in actor Sarathkumar. Her vast experience in show biz motivated her to start her own company, Radaan Mediaworks which has produced a number of TV shows. Radhika still remains the iconic rail Radhika, a woman who scripted her life on her terms. Happy birthday Radhika.
The BCCI’s selection committee, captain Rohit Sharma and Head Coach Rahul Dravid are looking in the same direction in so far as the choice of Kuldeep Yadav for the Asia Cup juxtaposed against Yuzvendra Chahal. Wrist spinners are unique; they practice a difficult art. Many find it difficult to maintain a high degree of consistency blending with a variety of skill sets. Yadav tweaks with his left hand thus changing the angle of the delivery, bowling over and around the wicket. In a little over six years, Yadav has featured in 59 wins taking 110 scalps at 23.45, conceding 4.88 runs an over. In all, he has played 84 matches and taken 141 wickets at 26.55, conceding 5.17 runs an over. Chahal tweaks with his right hand and in seven years has featured in 49 wins taking 102 wickets at 20.76, conceding 4.82 runs an over. In all, he has played 72 matches, taken 121 wickets at 27.13, conceding 5.27 runs an over. India with Chahal has won 65.52 % of the matches, while with Yadav, India has won 70.24 %. Looking at the batting numbers, Yadav has an average of 11.71 with an aggregate of 112 at No 9 (scored 164 runs in all) and Chahal has an average of 8.56 with an aggregate of 49 at No 10 (scored in all 77 runs). Yadav brings in a 7-match 2019 World Cup experience and a 6-match 2018 Asia Cup experience. That’s that!
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has decided to go all out to oppose the Centre on all issues while throwing his weight behind the I.N.D.I.A that has been cobbled to try and beat BJP in the 2024 polls. He has told his party to go flat out to expose the Governor RN Ravi’s activities in support of the Centre and in being a spanner in the works in the State. He also sought the help of the Congress to highlight the Governor’s activities on occasions on which the government cannot oppose him directly as in the case of the Governor seeking clarifications on the proposed appointment of the retired DGP Sylendra Babu as head of TNPSC. The CM is also prepared to let go of the good equation with the Prime Minister at a personal level if that would help the case of the Opposition bonding more. Any chance of DMK changing sides even in a post-poll scenario of an unclear majority in the Lok Sabha may have disappeared already with the CM deciding on this hard line against the PM and BJP. The State will also take up the reopening of cases against two of its ministers by the Madras High Court by approaching the Supreme Court. The gloves are truly off now that Stalin has decided to throw in his lot with I.N.D.I.A.
He is a veteran in the field. He had a successful term as the head of a public sector insurance firm. When the government opened up the industry for the private sector, he was among the first to get into the private sector space. But he chose to do differently. Star Health Insurance, the company he floated, was not the usual insurance company that a commoner comes to know. His was a daring initiative. Star Health was the country’s first standalone health insurance. Today, it is a highly successful one. V Jagannathan, who founded Star Health, has completely come out of it. An active person like Jagannathan, who has an abiding interest in Tamil literature, can’t keep idle. If grapevine has to go by, Jagannathan is seriously contemplating his next move. For a veteran in the insurance field like him, there must be plenty of options. Will he float an insurance firm yet again now that the non-compete period is over? Speculations are indeed doing the rounds. A little bird however suggests that he should be looking deeply at unexplored terrain in the insurance space. Is there any? Yes, indeed. There are possibilities beyond the subject of human insurance. Cattle insurance space offers immense scope. In a country like India which strives hard to boost farm economy, cattle insurance is an interesting subject to explore. Why not?
The Maharashtra onion crisis has triggered a fierce verbal battle in which top leader Sharad Pawar is the object of attacks by chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Ajit Pawar among others. The Centre has decided to purchase onion through NAFED at Rs 2,410 per quintal after the ruling alliance in Maharashtra pressed it for early decision in view of the glut in onion market and the resultant price crash. Opposition parties exploited the situation to corner the state government, which sent distress signals to Union home minister Amit Shah. Thereafter, Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal, who hails from Mumbai, has declared that the Centre will purchase two lakh tonnes of onion to start with and could buy more, if needed. Pawar has criticized the decision, saying that Rs 4,000 per quintal must be sanctioned by the Centre. He has been harpooned by Shinde, who recalled that Pawar had never taken such decisions in crisis situations during his 10 years as Union agriculture minister. Shinde has also reminded Pawar that the Centre has announced a Rs 10,000-crore package for the sugar industry, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative. Shinde’s observations articulated in presence of Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar were reciprocated by the Deputy CM, who has asserted that the state would always stand by the farmers, did not name his uncle but left no doubt about the object of his spirited support of Shinde.
Captain Rohit Sharma and Head Coach Rahul Dravid will be watched and commented upon once the Asia Cup starts against arch-rivals Pakistan at Pallekele on September 2. It has already begun with former India captains Sourav Ganguly and Irfan Pathan not agreeing with the non-selection of the orthodox leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for the Continental tournament. Chahal (33) has been competing with another wrist spinner but of the Chinaman (left arm unorthodox) variety in Kuldeep Yadav. The selection committee could have us all believe that Yadav is a better option with the bat after No 7 or 8 and that he is also a better fielder. Yadav has 141 wickets in 84 ODIs and he has been consistent this year taking 22 wickets in 11 matches at 17.18. He took 10 wickets in six matches of the 2018 Asia Cup (50 overs a side) in Dubai. The selection committee appears to have given the leeway to the captain and coach to pick the squad and for the first time Sharma will have a near full-strength team for a tournament. The only batsman who could not make the Asia Cup cut is left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal, but he could be in the probables for the ICC Cricket World Cup in India in October- November. The Sharma- Dravid team has won 12 out of 17 ODIs. It could be a make or mar case for them over the next three months.
Superstar Rajinikanth’s latest movie Jailer has crossed the Rs 500-crore magic figure. Having scripted one of the most telling comebacks, the superstar climbed the Himalayas to worship at Badrinath, even as he laughed all the way to the bank with his producers. The comeback seems to have boosted Thalaiva’s morale enough to think of a political comeback too. No, he has not made any announcements. But, his actions and touching base with key players in UP and Jharkhand have raised the speculation balloon sky high. He met Jharkhand Governor Anandiben Patel, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. His mercurial enthusiasm must have waned a tad when Yogi deputed his deputy CM for the special screen of Jailer. But the most visible and talked about optic was Rajini touching the feet of Yogi — a 72-year old falling at the feet of a 52-year old! His avid rabid followers were visibly upset and condemned this “slavery attitude”. The talk that Rajini is back to teasing his followers, dangling the political entry bait is sweeping the fan clubs. But a more practical, sane voice says, with marked desperation levels, the BJP could have dropped the clickbait again…if not openly joining the party, at least give your charismatic voice. For the superstar, spouse pressure could well be the major push towards a political entry, yet again.
AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palanisami (EPS) organised a mega event in Madurai on August 20. To draw crowds from all over Tamil Nadu, money was poured like ghee on the havan khund. A few party cadres say they were given tickets for Jailer, costing Rs 4,000 and exhorted to make it to Madurai at any cost. According to local intelligence, lakhs of ADMK?????(OR AIADMK) cadres…. came for the meet, to evaluate EPS and his crowd pulling ability vis a vis MGR and JJ. EPS smiled all the way through the meet, accepted piles of garlands and anointed himself Purathchi Thamizhar (revolutionary Tamilian) as prefixes. But deep down, EPS is acutely aware of the serious threats to his status and leadership. The BJP is playing a wily game of seemingly promoting EPS, knowing full well that at the right time they could up the ante and demand more seats in an alliance. BJP leader K Annamalai’s job is to needle EPS regularly just in case he acts tough in their shotgun marriage. Meanwhile, the troika of Sasikala, OPS, and TTV are baying at his heels, raking up every scandal including the shooting at late JJ’s Kodanadu estate. The option of merging his outfit AIADMK with BJP may have been attractive …till a savvy political leader told him, he would totally lose that Dravidam brand and leave the DMK the full arena to skate. Sleeping with the enemy brings its own dangers.
They have been in the news for all wrong reasons. One of their own members dragged them to the court. That member happens to be a female, adding a gender twist to a corporate feud — should we say domestic dispute. More than the legal battle, what has been hurting the group most is the negative publicity that the whole issue was getting them. To be sure, the family members of the Chennai-based $ 5-billion Murugappa Group have shown extraordinary restraint in the face of an avalanche of media reports which featured the versions of Valli Arunachalam, the elder daughter of late MV Murugappan who was the head of Carborundum Universal. Post his demise, Valli and her sisters insisted that they be accommodated in the businesses of the group. Valli even reportedly suggested that they be bought out in the group. All of a sudden on a leisurely Sunday (Aug 20), both sides have agreed to bury the hatchet and settle amicably out-of-court. This could put an immediate end to the washing of dirty linen in public. They have a 90-day window to work out an amicable deal to part ways. Will there be a friend in need for the family to get Valli off their back? Well, interesting times are ahead at Murugappa Group.
In a major reshuffle in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Shashi Tharoor, Anand Sharma, Manish Tiwari and Sachin Pilot to the policy making body. Except for Pilot, whose inclusion is being seen as a sop ahead of Rajasthan assembly elections, inclusion of the other three leaders is significant as it finally buries the ghost of Group-23. These three leaders were among the many who in a letter to Sonia Gandhi last year had questioned non-transparent functioning in the Congress. Only exception among the G-23 leaders who got left out is former Maharashtra CM Prithiviraj Chavan. It is surprising that Chavan was kept out of the CWC unless the Congress brass is planning some other assignment for him. Also important is the inclusion of Ajay Maken and Alka Lamba, leaders who have been vocal against Arvind Kejriwal. Party sources were equally surprised that Kharge’s team decided to keep out a close Rahul Gandhi aide Milind Deora out of the CWC. Party circles from Telangana blamed bias of Kharge’s team for packing the CWC with men from Andhra — 4 leaders and only 2 from Telangana that too at a time when assembly elections are going to be held in Telangana by end of this year. “It just seems we have lost the plot to win elections,” said a close Rahul aide from Telangana who got axed in the CWC rejig.
The Maharashtra government’s abrupt decision to postpone Mumbai University’s senate election from the graduate constituency has brought arch enemies Aaditya and Amit Thackeray on the same page, at least on one issue. The two cousins, who were bracing for a pitched battle between their youth wings to control the senate, have condemned the decision. Both have alleged that the ruling Shinde-Fadnavis alliance has put the election on hold ‘fearing the BJP’s rout.’ On the other hand, BJP leader Ashish Shelar has defended the decision, saying that the electoral rolls were defective as many names had been missing. A university official announced the postponement ‘till further orders’ without citing any reason. At present, the senate is controlled by Aaditya as all its 10 seats were won five years ago by the Yuva Sena. On the other hand, Raj Thackeray’s son Amit was to fight his first political battle by fielding the candidates on behalf of his Vidyarthi Yuva Sena. As a trial of strength, the election would have been a game changer in Mumbai and surrounding areas. Amidst this slugfest, Aaditya’s close confidant Praveen Patkar declared his decision to join the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde. Yuva Sena’s past victories are credited to Patkar’s untiring efforts
It is going to be almost a year since he was elected Congress President, yet Mallikarjun Kharge has not constituted Congress Working Committee or the AICC. However in the last few days it seems he has begun effecting changes which speaks of his efforts to reshuffle responsibilities in the organisation. He deputed Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC General Secretary who handled Karnataka, to election-going Madhya Pradesh, recalling old hand JP Agarwal. Congress leaders were surprised that Kharge should send Surjewala to MP just three-four months ahead of the assembly elections. While it is not clear if Surjewala was chosen because he delivered Karnataka but he also shot into limelight for his recent utterance while addressing a public meeting in Kaithal, Haryana. Chiding those who vote BJP, he said “…Those who vote for BJP and are BJP supporters are of ‘rakshas’ (demons) tendency. I curse from this land of Mahabharat…” Sending Surjewala to MP to oust the BJP where it has been in power for over two decades or more may not be much of a challenge to the veteran party manager. But then Surjewala hasn’t won any direct election in his home state for a decade now; he was elected to Rajya Sabha as an MP from Rajasthan angering his rival Bhupinder Hooda. Unlike Karnataka, MP is a Hindu-majority state. No wonder even Congress leaders like Kamal Nath are wooing Hindu voters with pravachans of Baageshwardham.
In their third meeting in Mumbai, the main focus of the Opposition front I.N.D.I.A will be over seat sharing, based on the formula floated by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee. Didi has stated that the party which is strongest will contest the state and the specific seats. According to Congress sources, in West Bengal the Congress High Command is counting on Didi to decide on the seat sharing of 42 Lok Sabha seats. Insiders have also mentioned that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have no objection to the proposal. Incidentally, in 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, Congress won only two seats in Bengal with Bengal Congress Chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury winning from Baharampur and veteran leader Abhu Hasem Khan Chowdhury from Maldaha Dakshin. Moreover, political analysts believe that the TMC supremo might think of restricting Congress in those two seats, but Congress insiders say that the High Command may seek for six more seats. Interestingly, Chowdhury seems to have softened his stand on TMC. He further stated that Congress will be maintaining its relationship with TMC and CPI(M) at the national and state levels respectively. Meanwhile, the third meeting of the Grand Alliance will be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1, besides seat sharing, discussions will also focus on EVMs. Two more alliance meetings are scheduled before Diwali.
Generally, there is a tendency to keep at arm’s length from people who have served jail terms. More so, if the person has had alleged dealings with enemy of India Dawood Ibrahim. Maharashtra’s former minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik was arrested on February 23, 2022 by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a case allegedly linked to fugitive underworld don Dawood and his associates. After cooling his heels for nearly 18 months he got two months bail from the Supreme Court on August 14, 2023. But what’s surprising is that all NCP leaders were out in full force to meet him at his residence. They were: Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, Dilip-Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbul, AnilDeshmukh and Sunil Tatkare. And reportedly, Sharad Pawar telephonically spoke to Malik. Does this show of solidarity indicate that Malik may be let off the hook? After all, the NCP (Ajit faction) has aligned with the BJP and various agencies have dialled down where his cases are concerned. So too have agencies put on back burner cases on Shiv Sena leaders who quit Uddhav and joined Eknath Shinde camp. It does not require a genius to predict what will happen next going by the past record of politicians who crossed over to the BJP camp. But the general sentiment is that people are not happy; their lament is why are they compromising principles to win elections? Quite.
India has won 49 one-day internationals when fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah spearheaded its bowling department. Precisely the reason Indian cricket is praying that he doesn’t break down again after his return to the ranks as captain for the short Twenty20 series in Ireland. In his absence (37 matches, 28 since July 2022) India has lost 23 matches. The numbers paint the importance of his presence at the ICC World Cup. He has sent down 633.5 overs in 72 innings, taking 121 wickets at 24.31 at a low economy rate of 4.64. Bumrah will be seen in action having recovered from a stress fracture of the lower back. He pulled out of the Indian team a few times last year because of his vulnerable back and hence another flare-up will be disastrous news for him and the Indian team. It’s in the Asia Cup and the three-match ODI series against Australia that he has to be put through the wringer to ascertain the condition of his spine. Bumrah would like to improve his results against Pakistan (4 wkts at 48.75), Australia (22 wkts at 37.36) and New Zealand (13 wkts at 36.85). The Asia Cup and World Cup will give him the first opportunity to play a big part because India will start these two competitions against Pakistan at Pallekele and Australia in Chennai. Bumrah will be seen in action in blue against Ireland and the cricket world will get the first glimpses of the recovery he has made.
Three successful Sarawat businessmen — Ullas K Kamath, former jt managing director of Jyothy Labs (Ujjala) now venture capitalist, Pradeep Pai, managing director, Hangyo Ice Cream and Siddharth Sinkar founder director Global Chamber of Saraswat Entrepreneurs — have joined hands with UK & Co, World Konkani Centre and Global Chamber of Saraswat Entrepreneurs to encourage business ideas from their community. The trio have organized a two-day business conclave at Wonderla Amusement Park & Resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru to meet one-on-one aspiring businessmen from the Saraswat community. The first-of-its-kind Conclave promises to provide instant funds to start-ups. Kamath promises that every bright start-up idea will get a minimum cheque of Rs 5 lakh and the deserving one will get seed capital. The star attraction of the conclave will be the presence of Nandan Nilekani and Mohandas Pai from the Saraswat community to guide, mentor, and fund startups and SMEs. The objective is to promote and encourage young entrepreneurs from the community who will be provoked to become entrepreneurs by choice rather than by default. Well, all attendees will be treated to Hangyo ice cream. The Saraswat Chamber held its first conclave last year in Goa.
There is no stopping this 66-year old Deol who has in a way created history at the box office for Bollywood. Sunny Deol is not stopping the promotion, and is city hopping post release of Gadar 2 which is only adding to the collection numbers. Gadar 2 has crossed the Rs 200-crore mark and is not stopping at that. Trade pundits are betting that it may surpass SRK’s Pathaan collections. Interestingly, the weekend in the metro cities also saw his father’s film Rocky aur Rani ki Prem Kahaani getting Housefull boards in the multiplexes. The legendary actor Dharmendra received maximum applause when he came on screen. The 87-year old actor has signed a couple of more films. Younger brother Bobby Deol, who could not carve a niche for himself on the big screen, is one of the most sought after OTT stars. Gadar 2 also saw the public appearance of Hema Malini daughters – Esha and Ahana — with the Deol brothers. The sisters and mother were not seen at the marriage of Sunny’s son Karan and an apologetic tweet by Dharmendra just confirmed it. Esha also is an OTT star. And the third generation of Deols are already here; Sunny’s eldest son Karan is two films old while younger one Rajveer is making his debut with Rajshri Productions.
Chennai has set an example by hosting the Hero Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) and enabling local fans to look at modern Indian hockey athletes in action. International hockey in India — and this includes two World Cups — was confined to Odisha, whose Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has walked the extra mile to embrace the sport by resolving to support hockey till 2033. But the sport demanded it to be advertised across the country. India’s men and women’s teams achieved a lot at the Tokyo Olympics, but the men’s and women’s team has to win the gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China to seal the berth for the Summer Olympics in Paris next year. Chennai, which has given a lot to Indian men’s hockey has taken the lead to promote the game in a big way and encourage other States to deploy money for a sport that India dominated playing on grass. The locals in the Southern city ought to have been thrilled at the home team winning the title after trailing 1-3 against Malaysia. India did not lose a single match in the six-team tournament but must have got a fair idea of how to go about winning the Asian Games gold. It’s time now for Maharashtra — which has excelled in the National Games and two Khelo India Youth Games — to host a big event to revive hockey in Mumbai, home to many Olympians.
What Mantara and Shakuni wrought by diligently working on Kaikeyi and Duryodhana’s psyche in our epics is now quoted in Tamil Nadu. BJP leader K Annamalai’s faithfuls busy working overtime constantly citing the omissions and commissions of Governor RN Ravi. Even as the NEET bill assent is hanging in the balance of Raj Bhavan, the Governor hosted a tea meet to congratulate those who had passed the exam. The father of a student stood up to ask, “Sir, when are you signing this Bill?” Prompt came the response “If I had the authority, never.” On a recent tour of Thiruvannamalai, Governor Ravi went round the ultra holy Giri Valam path (lakhs circumambulate this hill on Poornimas) and said, non-veg food being served here must stop. Even as the Governor meets and greets the press, Annamalai has been quietly smouldering …there is talk that he has spoken about such matters to the top. Stories are doing the rounds that Annamalai is convinced that his walkathon has been seriously neutralised and marginalised by the Governor’s Raj Bhavan Durbar Hall. To add insult to injury, Stalin says let the Governor stay on till the Elections…he is our chief campaign mascot! An alternate Flag hoisting by Stalin at the Fort St, George, boycotting the Governor’s traditional ceremony clearly indicates that it is all out war in TN between the Governor and chief minister.
Those who predicted another crash landing at the Box Office for superstar Rajini are now silently swallowing their dire forecast as Jailer has reportedly crossed the Rs 300 crore mark worldwide box office in the first five days of its release. Trade circles are predicting that it could overtake Kamal’s Vikram and Vijay’s Beast. Reportedly, Rajini has already worshipped at Badrinath temple — his Himalayan escape — a routine so familiar to him on the release of a new film. After the lukewarm response to his Darbar and Annathe, he must have vowed to make a serious course correction and reclaim his place as the superstar in the filmy firmament. What a course correction it turned out to be! SUN Pictures’ strategy of signing on brand each from Bollywood (Jackie Shroff), Mollywood (Mohanlal ) and Shiv Rajkumar from Karnataka ensured that the legion of fans from each region would watch Jailer for their chosen icon. Anirudh and his peppy music made magic out of Kaavallaa, a track that Tamannaah ensured would leave the audience gasping; an overdose of violence to elicit a cathartic release of anger and angst and a family-centered story where revenge overcomes all else. And not to forget the promo blitz and pre-release publicity barrage that super-hyped the star Rajini’s dialogue, “inimey pechu ille, veechu thaan” (no more talk, just hack). Love him or hate him, but you cannot ignore Thalaiva.
The Congress party in Maharashtra has started sending feelers that it could consider contesting the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency election with various possibilities as NCP chief Sharad Pawar — one of the architects of I.N.D.I.A — actions have left many questions unanswered. Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, considered close to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, has been indicating that a tacit understanding between Pawar and the BJP has been reached. The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, too, has urged Pawar to make his position clear amidst various intriguing developments. Although Pawar has reiterated that he will not go with the BJP and asked his followers not to follow ‘misleading’ media reports, there are few who take him at face value. To open a front against Pawar in case such an eventuality occurs, his detractors are making preparations to challenge his daughter Supriya Sule in Baramati LS constituency which has remained steadfastly loyal to the Pawar family. His nephew Ajit Pawar also had been elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati for a truncated term three decades ago. Supriya, who had adopted a low profile after the NCP split in early July, has become active again. Last week, she spiritedly attacked the Modi government while speaking on the non-confidence motion against the Modi government. Her presence to welcome controversial former minister Nawab Malik after his release on bail resulted in several raised eyebrows. She has sent signals that she will be more visible henceforth. Therefore, the Congress party’s move will be watched keenly.
NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis are scheduled to share dais on Sunday (Aug 13), once again giving rise to intense political speculation. Pawar’s latest proclamation that he will never align with the BJP is the reason for the guessing game as he is perceived to have acted differently than his public posture on many occasions. His fulsome praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1 when the PM received the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award and the warm gesture of Modi towards his ‘old friend’ attracted intense political attention. This was remembered when the NCP’s both factions – Pawar and nephew Ajit – did not issue any whip for last week’s voting in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) keep on expressing their anguish at Pawar’s decisions but have refrained from issuing any ultimatum in view of Pawar’s stewardship of the Opposition I.N.D.I.A front. Pawar and Fadnavis will be present at Sangola in Solapur district for unveiling the statue of former minister Ganpatrao Deshmukh, who represented the constituency for five decades with only one defeat. Deshmukh was a member of Pawar’s first cabinet in 1978. Meanwhile, rumour mills are once again buzzing over chief minister Eknath Shinde’s future. Hence the scheduled presence of Pawar along with Fadnavis is indeed raising eyebrows.
West Bengal PCC chief and Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury enjoys the best of equations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. That was evident. As soon as Chowdhury began speaking on a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, the PM walked into the House to listen to him according him full status of Leader of the Opposition. However all that changed the minute Adhir slipped into name calling the PM. This saw the treasury side pushing for his suspension for his bizarre utterances – equating the PM to fugitive fraudster Nirav Modi. Sources close to Chowdhury say he is now filled with remorse and regret as he looks at all the perks he now has to forego. He has been telling all his close party aides that he had no intention to disrespect or humiliate the PM. But was facing pressure from Congress leadership to prove his loyalty to the party. Incidentally, the Congress top brass has been thinking of easing him out of one of the two posts that he now holds – LoP in the Lok Sabha and Bengal PCC Chief. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has been gunning for Adhir’s exit from Bengal as he has been her severe critic. Against this backdrop, Modi-Shah action of suspending Adhir from Lok Sabha could prove to be a blessing in disguise. With Congress forced to battle for him in the Parliament, Gandhis may not be able to axe him from Bengal.
At the debate in the Parliament over no-confidence motion, the Leader of the Opposition Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury faced some uncomfortable moments when both the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah taunted him in their speeches. They called the West Bengal Pradesh Congress chief, a hapless leader “ignored by Congress high command” and also took a jibe saying he was not on the list of speakers as the Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee called Gandhis to keep him away from it. There was more when Modi-Shah claimed this Congress MP is under ‘CPM’s torture’. Interestingly, Modi referred to several Opposition leaders who spearheaded No Confidence Motion against ruling governments such as Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998, 2003 by Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi), himself (2018 by Mallikarjun Kharge). However, Adhir Ranjan did speak on the third day ahead of PM, but was suspended for comparing Modi with Mahabharata’s blind king Dhritrashtra, fugitive businessman Nirav Modi and for his repeated misconduct. In Rajya Sabha, Kharge raised the issue over Adhir’s suspension and in Kolkata demonstrations were held. Sonia Gandhi also called for an emergency meeting to discuss Adhir’ suspension. Meanwhile senior TMC leadership remained tight-lipped on the development, despite party insiders saying that there was nothing wrong in Adhir’s statement. It may be noted that Adhir’s extreme opposition to Mamata made Didi ask her party leaders not to speak on the issue. Adhir will remain suspended till the privileges committee takes a decision.
Details are now emerging as to how it was PM Narendra Modi who had decided on the line up of speakers from the BJP side to participate in the three day No-Confidence Motion against his government. From picking Godda MP Nishikant Dubey as opening speaker who regaled the House with a one-liner about how Sonia Gandhi’s perpetual interest lay in “settling her son and gifting her son-in-law” to strategically fielding Jyotiraditya Scindia on the final day. Scindia, who had switched over to the BJP from the Congress in March 2020, belongs to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. Apparently, when Scindia started to speak Rahul Gandhi chose to walk out. It is being said Rahul simply could not bear to hear Scindia speak from across the aisle. Another politically important speaker was Telangana leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar who exposed the alcoholism of the BRS top brass in Telugu. Modi also got Rajyavardhan Rathore, a Vasundhara Raje favourite from Rajasthan to speak. So even as the PM wasn’t inside the House, he was tracking every speech. He had also decided on the content of the attack on the Opposition. He had also spent a lot of time interacting with the media. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi in a media interaction protested about the expunging of his remarks by Lok Sabha Speaker. He repeated all that he said inside the House. While he demanded Army action in Manipur, he simply ducked when asked about IAF strafing Mizoram in 1966 — a point raised by PM Modi.
Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani seems to be the game changer for Bollywood which has been a series of flops in the first half of 2023. The film has crossed the Rs 100-crore mark at the box office and continues to rake in the moolahs. More good news. Akshay Kumar’s OMG 2 and Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2 are only looking at adding big business to the Bollywood’s box office. The trade pundits feel that good times are ahead for Hindi films and the month of August has franchisees that definitely promise a decent opening at the box office. The trade has also given thumbs up Dream Girl 2.If August has franchisees then SRK returns with Atlee’s Jawan in September which trade feels may have a bigger opening than his previous film Pathaan. And Salman Khan who has not had a great run in the recent past is strongly depending on Tiger 3 which has a strong recall value and will see Katrina and Salman Khan come together and mind you there is Pathaan in a special appearance which is going to be the highlight of the film. Ranbir Kapoor too returns with Animal, one of the most anticipated films of Sandeep Vanga Reddy followed by Vicky Kaushal’s Sam Bahadur. The month of December is expected to end on a high note with Merry Christmas that will see Katrina Kaif in a different role with Vijay Sethupathi.
Politics makes strange bedfellows. At the national level, the Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik is supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government but in his own state, his party BJD and BJP are locked in a bitter battle every day. With the news that Patnaik government may hold an Assembly election by December 2023 instead of 2024, the local BJP unit has gone on overdrive and raised the controversial Lord Jagannath’s ‘Ratna Bhandar’ issue. It is asking why no audit has been done since 1985? BJP’s senior BJP leader Sameer Mohanty has moved the Odisha High Court seeking information for updated inventory of Lord Jagannath’s ‘Ratna Bhandar’ and also make public the Judicial Commission report of 2018 which probed the disappearance of the 12th-century treasury key. It is learnt that Srimandir Managing Committee has submitted sketchy details of jewellery inside the vault but full audited details are missing. Interestingly, the Archaeological Survey Of India controlled by the Centre has seen a change of guard. And the new head is pushing the temple officials vis a vis the state government for various information. Patnaik government knows that with the Assembly elections scheduled this year, the Lord Jagannath issue could cause political damage. Perhaps this is the reason why it has sought time till July 2024 from both the ASI and High Court to furnish all information. Smart move as by this time both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be over.
Rohit Sharma has hit the nail on its head by revealing that the No 4 spot in the batting order of the Indian team for the ICC World Cup is yet to be firmed up. The crucial position that is a fulcrum in the team’s batting order was virtually going Shreyas Iyer’s way, but a vulnerable back that has rendered him out of action for a few months, since the third Test against Australia in Indore, has upset the apple cart and made him a doubtful starter for the World Cup. Iyer, a busy bee in the middle, has scored 805 runs at No 4 (average 47.35) and 534 at No 3 (average 59.33), and the faithful can understand Sharma and the national selection committee’s worry. Iyer’s ODI scoring rate average is 5.79 — ranging from 5.73 at No 3, 5.66 at No 4 and 6.30 at No 5. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been named captain for the short Twenty20 series in Ireland, but KL Rahul and Iyer are still in the process of fixing their respective body parts. Yuvraj Singh, as pointed out by Sharma made 3384 runs at No 4 with 6 x 100s and 17 x 50s. Suryakumar Yadav, a blockbuster batsman in Twenty20, has been found short in the longer white-ball format. The host nation is on the horns of a dilemma about the No4 position. Will India go for Yashasvi Jaiswal?
Tamil Nadu’s minor parties are finding themselves without friends willing to take them into alliances and give them a fair number of seats. As the 2024 Lok Sabha polls are looming, there has been hectic political activity in the State dominated by the two Dravidian majors. But the caste party PMK and the last of the cinema hero centric party, DMDK, are finding negotiations are getting tough. While the VCK, another caste party, will not allow VCK into the DMK-alliance fold, DMDK reflects the virtual shadow of a man that its leader Vijayakanth has become. In an assertion of its perceived strength in a two-horse race, the AIADMK, under Palaniswami, is asserting itself, and is willing to offer only 10 (+ Puducherry where BJP ally Rangasami heads the government) seats to the BJP and is asking its national ally to accommodate smaller parties within that number. And it will not countenance the AMMK of TTV Dhinakaran nor his aunt Sasikala being in the alliance. Betting on its equations with the Delhi duo who control the party, AIADMK is unwilling to listen to Annamalai’s idea of a grand coalition including PMK, DMDK and AMMK. The DMK coalition is on a smoother wicket except that ally Congress is expecting half the 40 seats available in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
If there was one thing Union Home Minister Amit Shah ensured with his stellar intervention in the no-confidence motion debate in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday it was to see that PM Modi has a smooth run on Thursday when he replies at the end of the 3-day debate. Shah spoke on Manipur towards the end of his 2 hour long intervention; he spent much of his time attacking the Opposition for trying to tie-up discussion on Manipur with a statement from PM Modi. Recalling how in the 90s when then north-eastern states had seen more entrenched and protracted violence between the Nagas and Kukis, Shah said neither then PM PV Narasimha Rao nor his Home Minister SB Chavan had made any statement. “It was left entirely to the then Minister of State Rajesh Pilot to speak on the issue.” Shah felt an entire narrative of neglect of the N-E was now being built against Modi as he had visited the “region over 50 times”. Even the no-trust move had been brought only to mislead the people. What hurt the Centre was the record of the last six years had been shattered. “We didn’t have to impose a curfew in Manipur until May 3. Insurgent violence was almost over. Then, neighbouring Myanmar saw a military leadership that had a Kuki Democratic Front party coming into power. Due to no fencing at the Myanmar border, the Kuki brothers started coming in. What we have with Myanmar is like the open border that we have with Nepal.”
After much flip-flop over initiating debate on the no-confidence motion against the Modi government which his party had initiated, Rahul Gandhi did speak in the Lok Sabha on the second day of the discussion. However, his speech did not match expectations. The Congress leader did not seem to be firing on all cylinders. After all, he was the one who had made the spot visit to Manipur; he should have surely had “enough material” to put the Centre on the mat. What he lacked in substance, he made up with some outright abusive slogans against PM Modi. He even declared PM Modi was a “traitor” and not a “nationalist” as he “murdered India” in Manipur. If Rahul’s aggressive sloganeering was aimed at catching headlines, it did not receive much attention. Whatever the reason it wasn’t his speech that made headlines but his one mindless gesture of a flying kiss. The controversy over the flying kiss had got all 21 women MPs and several BJP ministers worked up. But for their protest over Rahul’s unbecoming conduct in a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Wayanad MP’s first speech after his membership was restored would not have been noticed. Yes, Rahul’s speech would have been lost in the din. As Union Minister Smriti Irani, who spoke after Rahul, observed “Only a misogynist man can blow a flying kiss to parliament that seats women MPs”.
Rahul Dravid is facing flak for India’s dismal results across all formats. Rohit Sharma is the captain of the team and he too was at the butt of criticism for poor decisions in the WTC final against Australia. Not only on the count of results but also on their choice of playing XIs and tactics, the captain and coach are praised or pilloried. Both assumed long-term roles after India’s disappointing work in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in the winter of 2021. Dravid’s report card is: Tests played 17, won 9, lost 5, drawn 3 for a 54% success rate. In ODIs, the numbers are: played 36, won 23, lost 11, NR 2 for a 63.89% success rate and in the Twenty20s it is: played 50, won 35, lost 13, NR and Tied one each for a 70% success rate. Dravid was not the coach in a few odd white ball matches. India flopped in three major events — the Asia Cup in the UAE, Twenty20 World Cup in Australia and the ICC WTC final at The Oval. Usually, the buck stops with the captain, but Dravid is seen as a party to the collateral damage caused; in this case, he could not win the blue riband ICC events. Both Sharma and Dravid will look forward to a happier end in the home World Cup, come October-November.
Ahead of the third meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) in Mumbai later this month, CPI(M) State Committee had made it clear to the Central Committee that the party will not allow the formula in Bengal, refusing to join alongside Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee. Despite being one of the principal members of I.N.D.I.A, the State Committee stated that it will field candidates against the TMC in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, even at a time when both the parties view BJP as a ‘common enemy’. During the recent three-day central committee meeting, strong interventions from Bengal leaders against an alliance with the TMC citing atrocities unleashed by the ruling party workers against Marxist cadres. A central committee member from Bengal has also pointed out that the Bengal unit has put forth that party general secretary Sitaram Yechury’s recent stage sharing with Didi and exchanging pleasantries with her made bad optics and demoralised party cadres in Bengal. Party insiders claimed that Yechury acceded to the wishes of the Bengal leaders and said that Bengal unit will be free to field candidates against the TMC in all constituencies. Sources said, State Committee Secretary Mohammad Salim has categorically mentioned that the CPI(M) has made its stand clear and now it is the Congress that will decide on Bengal. However, the communist party is still open to continuing with its alliance with Congress.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.