India has sent former Union minister and BJP leader Dinesh Trivedi as its High Commissioner to Bangladesh, marking for the first time in the NDA government’s 12-year tenure that a political leader has been appointed as an envoy. Trivedi has also been given the rank of a Union cabinet minister. Under PM Modi, this is the first time a cabinet rank has been given to a political appointee, though there have been cabinet-rank ambassadors in Congress governments. Dinesh Trivedi is a political appointee, which means someone who is not a career diplomat (an Indian Foreign Service officer) being chosen for the envoy position. There have been a number of political appointee envoys but not all are bestowed cabinet status. The present ambassador to the USA, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, was till recently foreign secretary, but was sent as ambassador to the USA post retirement. He is also considered as a political appointee. There is former Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, who was appointed High Commissioner of India to Seychelles in 2019. Soon after Independence, then PM Jawaharlal Nehru appointed his sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit as an ambassador with cabinet rank. In subsequent years, TN Kaul was given cabinet rank when he went as ambassador to Moscow. Likewise, Dr Karan Singh was given cabinet rank when he went as ambassador to the USA, and so too DP Dhar when he went a second time as ambassador to Moscow. Giving cabinet rank indicates a direct line to the PM; the envoy will not have to go through the hierarchy of the Foreign Secretary or the Foreign Minister. Second, the indication is also to the host country where the ambassador is accredited. In this case, the signal is clearly to Dhaka that this person is held in very high political esteem by PM Modi. All this is bound to help Trivedi to have direct access with Bangladesh top brass.

Nearly a month after the “chanda chori scam” broke involving top leaders of the Sangh, the top RSS leadership for the first time opened up on the scam involving the Ayodhya Ram temple. Looks like the Sangh first wanted to understand the extent of the theft and the persons involved. But, once the RSS realised that the loot was extensive and PM Modi and UP CM Yogi wanted a crackdown to catch all thieves, big or small, a statement was issued by RSS general secretary Dattareya Hosbale. From the statement it is clear, the Sangh was not going to protect anyone —howsoever close to the Ram Temple cause. For the first time Sangh shared a sense of hurt that has been bothering Hindus at large. In fact, there was even a sense of unease in the Sangh that Yogi’s SIT may end up ferreting out more details of the loot. For some reason, the Sangh and VHP treated the temple more as personal fiefdom and have landed in a mess. The RSS statement also assumes significance because of the Sangh’s long and central association with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The Sangh and its affiliates played a pivotal role in mobilising the nationwide campaign that culminated in the construction of the temple after decades of political, legal and social mobilisation. Even after the temple’s inauguration, the Ram Temple Trust had leaders associated with the Sangh. The statement marks the RSS’s first formal intervention in the controversy. The row has already claimed its biggest casualty with Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s general secretary Champat Rai stepping down from his post amid mounting pressure. Investigators have also arrested his former driver as part of the probe into the alleged theft.

Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s declaration to revert to Hindutva has come at a time when his party is constantly assaulted by his arch enemy and one-time disciple, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. While half a dozen Lok Sabha members of the Sena defected to the NDA camp, Uddhav and son Aaditya remained content on just criticising the rival Sena, led by Shinde. With great fanfare, announcements were made that the ‘betrayers’ will be taught a lesson. However, barring a couple of protests, nothing much happened. Since 2022, ever since the unified Sena suffered a vertical split, Uddhav has been seen taking differing stands on certain issues. To the discomfiture of the Congress party, he proclaims his loyalty to Veer Savarkar, the Hindutva icon. Similarly, Uddhav Sena’s insistence on the issue of Marathi Manoos and Marathi language has not wavered. This is not to the liking of the other two partners of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which had installed Uddhav as chief minister. Seeming to be befuddled by the current exodus from his side, Uddhav has now announced that a “Ram Raksha” agitation will be launched at Dadar in Mumbai on Sunday by him. Ram Raksha is among the most sacred Marathi scriptures, paying tributes to Lord Ram. It is chanted in chorus, generally. Uddhav’s fresh move has created some suspense since it is seen as a signal by some to the BJP under Hindutva veneer. However, the rival Sena’s leaders have ridiculed Uddhav for forgetting his embrace of the Congress party since 2022 and taken the coming event lightly.

The debate surrounding the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has once again moved to the forefront of public discourse with the Maharashtra government initiating steps towards drafting and implementing a common civil law framework for all citizens. The recent decision of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to appoint a committee headed by a retired High Court judge to prepare a draft UCC marks a significant development in Maharashtra’s legal and social landscape. The move reflects a growing recognition that personal laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption and succession should be guided by the constitutional principles of equality and justice rather than differing religious traditions. For decades, Goa has operated under a common civil code inherited from the Portuguese legal system. More recently, Uttarakhand became the first state in independent India to enact and implement a modern UCC. Some other states, too, are contemplating implementation of UCC. The momentum is growing across India. In March 2026, the Gujarat Assembly passed a Uniform Civil Code Bill, becoming the second state to legislate in this direction. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh has announced its intention to introduce similar legislation.  Against this backdrop, Maharashtra’s initiative is considered timely and necessary. Maharashtra is India’s second-most populous state and one of its most socially diverse regions. It has long been a leader in social reform movements. One of the strongest arguments for implementing a UCC in Maharashtra is the need to ensure equal rights for women. Little resistance is expected to take place to the initiative.  

He was to visit Odisha and energise the local BJP team ahead of three-tier Panchayat polls and also inaugurate BPCL’s the Rs 1775-crore 2 G ethanol plant in Western Odisha. Now, it is learnt that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has abruptly cancelled his three-day Odisha tour fuelling speculations in political circles. Tongues are wagging saying that the abrupt postponement of Amit Shah’s Odisha tour is not connected to “official” bad weather version; it may well be related to the imminent cabinet reshuffle issue. It is no secret that Amit Shah has been pushing for a brand new BJP organisation team in Odisha under party president Nitin Nabil with a possibility of Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan getting transferred to Nitin Nabin’s camp. On social media, rumours are flying thick and fast for the last few days that ministers like Dharmendra Pradhan, Hardeep Singh Puri, Nirmala Sitharaman who may get new assignments. Rumours that the former RBI governor Shaktikanta Das, currently part of PMO, may get ministerial berth is also doing the rounds. Modi, it seems, is keen to appoint people with domain expert in key ministries.

It’s over a month since the electoral tsunami struck Tamil Nadu uprooting strongly entrenched Dravida models. The TVK under superstar Vijay stormed to power but needed support from small parties. The CPI, CPM, VCK and IUML gave the lifeline. But now every day seems to be a challenge to stay in power. Especially after the undignified show of taunting put up by the CM Joseph Vijay and an equally distasteful repartee by LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin (a wife is roaming the Chengalpattu Court in search of her husband). House decorum is often violated by such events when those with tenuous links dare to criticise. The Congress waited a full three days to react…presumably, the High Command had to okay it.  Former TN Congress leader K Selvaperunthagai condemned it saying “This is not a film set. Assembly is a historical institution”. Knowing the Congress penchant and predilection to latch on to power, Selvaperundagai’s quick and ignoble exit is not surprising. Of all the support givers, VCK’s Thirumavalavan is probably a step higher in the hierarchy. But when he too criticised CM’s choice of Karnataka Venkatnarayana (producer of Jana Nayagan) as TN’s representative to Delhi, the elasticity snapped. Vijay’s Man Friday Aadav Arjun quickly dialled Thiruma’s secretary and conveyed “It’s okay for all those wanting to quit the alliance…to go. We are capable of managing the government”. You can conjure up the shocked reaction of these small players who are clinging on for dear life … berths that have fallen like rare diamonds into their laps. Has Vijay found his grip over power? Or as many surmised, has Capo Di proved yet again that he is the real power?

It’s over a month since the electoral tsunami struck Tamil Nadu uprooting strongly entrenched Dravida models. The TVK under superstar Vijay stormed to power but needed support from small parties. The CPI, CPM, VCK and IUML gave the lifeline. But now every day seems to be a challenge to stay on in power. Especially after the undignified show of taunting put up by the CM Joseph Vijay and an equally distasteful repartee by LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin (a wife is roaming the Chengalpattu Court in search of her husband). House decorum is often violated by such events when those with tenuous links dare to criticise. The Congress waited a full three days to react…presumably, the High Command had to okay it.  Former TN Congress leader Selvaperundagai condemned it saying “This is not a film set. Assembly is a historical institution”. Knowing the Congress penchant and predilection to latch on to power, Selvaperundagai’s quick and ignoble exit is not surprising. Of all the support givers, VCK’s Thirumavalavan is probably a step higher in the hierarchy. But when he too criticised CM’s choice of Karnataka Venkatnarayana (producer of Jana Nayagan) as TN’s representative to Delhi, the elastic snapped. Vijay’s Man Friday Aadav Arjun quickly dialled Thiruma’s secretary and conveyed “It’s okay for all those wanting to quit the alliance…to go. We are capable of managing the government”. You can conjure up the shocked reaction of these small players who are clinging on for dear life … berths that have fallen like rare diamonds into their laps. Has Vijay found his grip over power? Or as many surmised, has the Capo Di proved yet again that he is the real power?

The much-anticipated Union Cabinet reshuffle may simply get put off. Initially, there was excitement when George Kurian quit as Union Minister for Minority Affairs. It was presumed that he had set the ball rolling. With Modi government keen to push some important laws in the upcoming Monsoon Session of  the Parliament and increasing  its numbers in the House, there was a sense that a number of new ministers would soon join the government. For some reason, neither PM Modi nor Home Minister Amit Shah are in a mood to rush through this exercise and repent later.  With a series of international engagements for PM Modi beginning with a Seychelles visit at the end of June and a packed diplomatic schedule in early July, it now seems Modi is unlikely to reshuffle his team. Modi is expected to undertake visits to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand between July 6 and 11. In addition, Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit New Delhi from July 1 to 3. In view of these international engagements, BJP leaders say the likelihood of a Cabinet reshuffle before July 11 appears remote, although they remain confident that the exercise will be completed ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament that is expected to begin third week of July. BJP sources also discount the possibility of any major change in the Finance Ministry like easing out FM Nirmala Sitharaman or getting former RBI Governor Dr Shaktikanta Das to head the ministry. Sources say significant portfolio reshuffles in the Union government are most likely when elections are held for the office of President of India in 2027.

Finally, Biju Janata Dal has inducted ex-IAS bureaucrat Sujata Rout Karthikeyan in the presence of BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik. She is the wife of V K Pandian, the most powerful bureaucrat in Odisha once upon a time. Meanwhile, Naveen Patnaik has put to rest rumours by announcing that he will continue to lead the party till the next election. Sujata’s claim to fame is her association with BJD’s flagship programme Mission Shakti aimed at women’s empowerment wherein, she created 70 lakh Self Help Group building an impressive vote bank for the BJD. Soon after her induction she chucked a googly saying “The future of politics lies in “We” and not “I” highlighting the importance of team work and shared responsibilities. A highly placed BJD sources said, “BJD needs to diversify its leadership with induction of more people with diverse background and experience as it did with Sujata Rout.” Who will take over the party eventually is the rumour that has been doing rounds for the last two-three years and there was an indication Sujata R Karthikeyan was being groomed for top leadership position? This is because Patnaik trusts the Pandians totally. Now, the big message that is coming out of BJD Headquarters is that Naveen Babu is not passing the baton at least for now. That should be like sweet music to the ears of the senior BJD leaders.

Disturbed by reports of squirrelling away of Ram Temple funds, PM Modi made it clear to both the RSS and VHP that everyone linked to the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft case must face a probe. Apparently, the PMO got details that shocked both Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath alike. It showed a wider network of influence, with several accused staff members being close associates of former temple Trust office-bearers such as Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, both of whom resigned after the FIR was filed. Rai incidentally is also a senior office-bearer of the VHP. Most of the eight staff members named in the FIR were close associates of both Champat Rai and Anil Mishra. Two of them have been arrested by the police and produced before a local court. Yogi’s Special Investigation Team could only find CCTV footage of temple donation counting for only 45 days. Video footage recovered so far showed the accused pocketing currency notes at least 70 times inside the counting room. Several of the accused have confessed to stealing donation money, while others have returned the stolen cash. The key person among the eight named in the FIR is Ramshanker alias Tinnu Yadav, Champat Rai’s driver. Tinnu had the keys to all the boxes containing donation money. He played a key role in hiring people for the temple and also allocating counting duty. Tinnu owns properties worth more than Rs 50 crore in Ayodhya and Lucknow. He owns a plush residence and several costly sedans. What has upset top Sangh leaders is that Champat Rai showed gross negligence in running the temple’s affairs. He even tried to obfuscate PM Modi’s efforts to get ahead with the probe. His role needs to be thoroughly probed they say. Anil Mishra, the trust member who resigned, owns a big residence in Ayodhya, and his personal property has increased several times in the past five years.

After the BJP’s shocking performance in UP in the Lok Sabha polls of 2024, the central BJP and its UP unit leaders, including UP CM Yogi Adityanath are working to ensure the assembly polls next year are better coordinated and ego hassles are avoided. The latest organisational overhaul in the Uttar Pradesh BJP is a good example of a new approach of caste balancing. It is designed to counter the Samajwadi Party’s PDA (Backwards, Dalit and Minority) strategy. A lot of representation has been given for backward classes, Dalits, EBCs and women. Top leaders agree that the BJP must consolidate a broader social alliance before the 2027 electoral battle in UP. The new team reflects the party’s effort to combine caste arithmetic, regional balance and organisational experience. The newly constituted state team bears the imprint of the new national BJP chief, Nitin Nabin, and the UP organisational in-charge, Dharampal. Kameshwar Singh, who is considered close to CM Yogi has been appointed as a state vice-president. Several leaders perceived to be close to key BJP functionary Sunil Bansal, including Triyambak Tripathi and Vijay Bahadur Pathak, did not find a place in the new setup, though Archana Mishra has been included.  Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s close aide, Ankur Sharma, has been appointed as state secretary. Union minister Pankaj Chaudhary was appointed as a state chief in December 2025.  Among the 19 vice-presidents, the BJP has appointed four Rajput leaders: Suresh Rana, Ramesh Singh, Neeraj Singh, and Kameshwar Singh; three Brahmin leaders: Archana Mishra, Braj Bahadur and Shankar Girihave have been included; Kritika Agrawal and Alok Gupta represent the Vaishya community. As for non-Jatav Dalit communities, they have appointed Devesh Kori and Priyanka Rawat as vice presidents. A significant part of vice-presidential positions has gone to OBC leaders representing different caste groups. To maintain caste balance, the party has named eight general secretaries.

After the removal of Trinamool Congress founder Mamata Banerjee as party chairperson, the rebel TMC faction on June 22 approached the Election Commission seeking recognition as the “real” TMC and stake claim to the party name and its election (twin flowers with grass) symbol. The dissident MLAs not only ousted Mamata Banerjee but also Abhishek Banerjee from the post of national general secretary. Former minister Arup Roy was unanimously elected chairperson, while the rebellion is being led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, who claims the support of 65 of the TMC’s 80 MLAs. In a counter move, Mamata submitted to the EC a list of what she described as the legitimate national working committee, that includes herself as chairperson, Abhishek as national general secretary, Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen as joint secretaries, Subhashish Chakraborty as treasurer and Sovondeb Chatterjee as Assembly leader. The crisis comes amid mounting challenges for Mamata, including a breakaway group of Lok Sabha MPs aligning with the NDA and the resignation of three Rajya Sabha MPs. While the rebels want her retained only in an advisory role, her camp has shrunk to loyalists such as Kalyan Banerjee, Madan Mitra, Mahua Moitra, Sougata Roy, Nadimul Haq and Kunal Ghosh. The TMC leadership has expelled several dissidents, including Javed Khan, Firhad Hakim, Rathin Ghosh, Biplab Mitra, Sabina Yeasmin, Aroop Biswas and Snehashis Chakraborty. Adding to the turmoil, TMC bank accounts holding around Rs 440 crore have been frozen following complaints by the rebel faction seeking an audit. With parallels being drawn to the Shiv Sena and NCP splits in Maharashtra, the battle is expected to involve the EC, Assembly Speaker and Supreme Court, potentially triggering a prolonged legal and political confrontation.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) which faces its biggest existential crisis has given revival hopes to both the Left and Congress in West Bengal. With several senior leaders and workers either leaving the TMC or becoming politically inactive due to internal conflicts have created opportunities for both the Opposition parties to regain relevance. In the rural areas, TMC leaders and workers are reportedly joining the CPI(M) or Congress, strengthening grassroots networks and public outreach programmes. With a view to rejig its political strategy, the CPI(M) will be holding a two-day session of the party’s State Committee on August 30 and 31 to review the changing political situation, particularly developments within the TMC, organisational strengthening, future political plans and anti-BJP movements. CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby and several Politburo members are expected to attend. Incidentally, despite leading major protests across the state over the past five years, the party’s vote share has remained around 5%, with major voters shifting towards either the BJP or the TMC. However, winning an Assembly seat and finishing as runner-up in Falta, CPI(M) leaders see encouragement within the party. Leaders are also optimistic that a section of minority voters may gradually return. For organisational strengthening, the CPI(M) has inducted farmer leader Meghnath Bhuniya, youth leader Dhrubajyoti Chakraborty and Democratic Women’s Association state secretary Monalisa Sinha into its State Committee, while Domkal MLA Mustafizur Rahman Rana has been made an invited member after helping the party secure representation in the Assembly. Meanwhile, Pradesh Congress has simultaneously launched an expansion drive and is planning large-scale induction programmes. According to State president Subhankar Sarkar, anyone accepting the party’s ideology would be welcomed, except those facing corruption allegations. The party also plans to bring Rahul Gandhi to Kolkata to accelerate revival efforts.

Tamil Nadu Assembly has overnight changed into a bitter battleground by the verbal power sparring of the two political aspirants …the Victor and the Vanquished. After the ceremonial Governor’s address, the formality of Thanks for this inaugural has quickly deteriorated into an unpleasant and distasteful war of insults. Chief minister Joseph Vijay has emerged the victor, but is not about to settle down to critical issues. Are his melodramatic actions (the chopping hand imitation of Stalin Sr) and thinly disguised anecdotes about where the father is, a constant throwback to his hero status. LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin for his part is no less eloquent in dredging up personal issues that have no bearing on the crucial problems of TN….” There is a wife searching for her husband in the Chengalpattu court”, snidely referring to the divorce proceedings of Vijay and wife Sangeetha. Political history is peppered with glaring instances of arch enemies (born out of ambition or betrayal) locked in bitter conflict. Coincidentally, we are reminded of the mortal enmity of Russia’s Joseph Stalin and Leo Trotsky…Stalin known for his slick manoeuvres to cut Trotsky’s talent for fanning revolution, to get a grip on power. But what happens to the issues of TN’s overpowering direct debt of Rs 10 lakh crore, the serious power deficit, farmers demands, law and order problems? A newly elected government cannot wish away serious problems as legacies left by the previous government.

  The Mohan Charan Majhi-led government in Odisha is facing intense public and political backlash over the newly printed Odisha SCERT textbooks for Classes 1 to 8, revised under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and found to contain 1,678 glaring errors, including factual, geographical, and typographical mistakes. The state has spent over Rs 50 crore to print these new text books which now will have to be replaced with the right one. The unpardonable blunder has affected over 40 lakh school students. For instance, Isaac Newton has been identified as a “greatest pilot”, Temple in Hampi described as Konarak Sun Temple, Karnataka’s Legislative Assembly shown as Odisha Assembly and Odisha’s Niyamgiri hills are shown located in Jharkhand. Apart from these blunders, there are spelling mistakes galore with names of eminent personalities incorrectly spelt. The public at large say BJP came to power in Odisha on the plank of protecting Odia identity, but instead now schoolchildren are fed wrong information. Opposition parties like the BJD termed this issue as a national embarrassment. Most political analysts say Odisha’s first-time Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj with a BTech degree and corporate experience seemed the right man but Majhi government overloaded him with other responsibilities. Majhi government has now set up a three-member high level committee to investigate how these grave mistakes escaped everybody’s eyes, who is responsible for it and what’s the remedy. The committee has been asked to submit its report within the next seven days.

The rebellion by 20 of the Trinamool Congress’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs against party chief Mamata Banerjee was the result of months of planning rather than a sudden revolt marking the biggest crisis in the TMC’s history, according to well placed sources. While Didi and her close aides had been monitoring dissident MPs, they reportedly underestimated the scale of support for the rebellion and did not anticipate that nearly two-thirds of the party’s Lok Sabha members would break ranks, mirroring the earlier revolt by MLAs who formed a separate bloc in the Assembly.  The crisis escalated after TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy resigned and a group of Lok Sabha MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar informed Speaker Om Birla that they sought recognition as a separate bloc for 20 MPs and intended to join the BJP-led NDA. The dissidents have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, a West Bengal-based party registered in 2023. Among the most significant setbacks for the TMC are the exits of Kakoli, veterans Sudip Banerjee and Mala Roy, and Saayoni Ghosh, considered a close associate of Abhishek Banerjee. The split traces its roots to the aftermath of the Assembly election defeat. Tensions sharpened when Mamata and Abhishek removed Kakoli as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha and reinstated Kalyan Banerjee. Sources said the move marked the beginning of her estrangement from the party she had served for four decades. After publicly expressing disappointment on social media, Kakoli was approached by BJP leaders and later received Y-category security. By late May, she resigned from all party posts. Significantly, MPs majorly refused to accept Abhishek’s leadership. Further some such as Satabdi Roy, Sarmila Sarkar, Arup Chakraborty claimed that the leadership is right now directionless.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde walked out of the unified Shiv Sena on 21 June 2022. Since then the Sena’s UBT faction has never recovered from the shock, albeit it was in seventh heaven for a short while after making a handsome show in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Ever since, it has lost every election held in the state, be it for the Rajya Sabha, the legislative council or for a non-descript local body. Even as Uddhav Thackeray’s six Lok Sabha members are presently preparing documentation to formally join Shinde, the deputy CM’s planners are reportedly working on another ‘Operation.’ It is said that they are eyeing veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction’s Lok Sabha group. If they are successful, the NDA’s tally will be enhanced by another half a dozen. Moreover, the Shinde team appears not content with poaching just the parliament and the state legislature wings of rival parties. It has trained its focus on the Mumbai municipal corporation, which is already in the saffron pocket. If they succeed, the Opposition in the civic body will become even more feeble. Those reporters who were active in covering the first ever split in the Sena in 1991 and the tricks played by the Congress party to hide the dissenter Chhagan Bhujbal from the ire of violent Sainiks chuckle when they compare today’s UBT Sena’s mere verbal outbursts. The clout wielded by Balasaheb Thackeray is now the subject of just a historical tale, they feel.

From the moment it became obvious that six Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) had made up their mind to desert the party, search was on for a whipping boy. Finally, it has zeroed on Aaditya Thackeray, son of party chief Uddhav. After the 2019 coup, Uddhav became the chief minister and Aaditya was inducted in his team as a cabinet minister, no matter it was his maiden term and had no experience of administration or governance. Since then, Aaditya has become the butt of many barbs. The latest has come from his arch critic, Nitesh Rane. He has compared Aaditya with Mamata Banerjee’s much maligned nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. After the TMC lost West Bengal, many of its top leaders were facing showers of eggs and other missiles. To guard himself, Abhishek had to wear a head helmet, some images showed. Nitesh has predicted that a day will come when Aaditya will have to put on a helmet before venturing out of Matoshri, the Thackeray family mansion. He will be sending a helmet to Aditya soon, he has announced. Nitesh has alleged that Uddhav and Aaditya had been working on a plan to merge their party with the Congress, which had agreed to appoint Aaditya a general secretary of the party. “The six MPs of Sena (UBT) decided to align with the Shinde Sena after learning of this planning,” Nitesh says.

Despite intense speculation that PM Modi may cut short Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s two years governance, the big news is CM Majhi will continue for the full term. It is learnt that PM Modi is in favour of his continuation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu are expected to visit the state on June 20 to jointly attend a mega state level rally at Mayurbhanj district to celebrate the second anniversary of Odisha government. Yes, CM Majhi’s two years governance was not without blemish — slow implementation of policies, gaps in delivery coordination issues, deteriorating law and order situation, multiple portfolios held by his ministers who were unable to deliver results. Hence, the social media was buzzing that Odisha may see leadership change. However, CM Majhi has proved everybody wrong and disappointed some of the leaders who were eyeing his chair. CM Majhi has already shifted to his refurbished official residence bringing his family with him. PM Modi wants to strengthen CM Majhi’s position through suitable team adjustment. This means, say political observers “expect few ministerial heads to roll for not delivering.” To be fair to CM Majhi, his leadership was not an absolute failure; he opened up Puri Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar and its four gates premises, introduced the Subhadra Yojana programme and enhanced input assistance to farmers. His biggest concrete achievement has been the elimination of Naxalism in Odisha.

Ever since its defeat in the Tamil Nadu elections, the DMK’s relationship with Congress has turned frosty. As a result, it did not join the INDIA Bloc meeting held on June 8 in the Constitution Club, New Delhi. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has accepted the DMK’s request to have its MPs seated separately from Congress MPs in Parliament following the alliance split. “Three of our allies (Congress, IUML, VCK) are now part of the TVK government led by chief minister Joseph Vijay. It means that they are no longer in the INDIA Bloc. AAP has already left and we are not in that alliance now,” says DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan. He recalls that the Congress was in such a hurry to join the TVK government that they did not even have “the courtesy” to inform us. “At least, the Left Parties informed us…” What has hit the DMK hard is the Congress wishing to contest forthcoming local bodies’ elections along with the TVK. It is learnt that DMK is exploring to form a non-Congress front. What has bothered the DMK is Rahul Gandhi’s issuing a statement asking the southern regional parties to partner with the Congress for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. It seems Sonia Gandhi’s is keen to have DMK in INDIA bloc for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.  Sonia is convinced that Rahul Gandhi will need DMK’s support to become PM in 2029. Does it mean that the Gandhis aren’t convinced that Vijay’s TVK is enough to see the Congress through the Lok Sabha polls in TN? During his address at the INDIA Bloc meeting on June 8, Rahul Gandhi vouched that the DMK would be part of the Bloc. Will be nice to know what CM Vijay thinks about Congress keeping its option open with DMK.

Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay has a deep devotional side to his colourful persona. Immediately after the NITI Aayog conclave in Delhi, he wended his way to Karnataka’s Kudajatri Hills of the Western Ghats…a serene, incredibly beautiful stretch of the South, dotted with numerous pilgrimage sites. After getting a warm welcome at the Mangaluru airport, Vijay drove straight to the revered 1200 years old Mookambika Temple at the foothills where the Sauparnika river flows past the Goddesses peetam…there are numerous hoary, ancient and venerable tales of this Shakti Peetam…the most alluded is the one of Adi Shankara. It is believed that after intense meditation Goddess Parvati appeared and asked the sage to lead the way but never look back, Shankara couldn’t control his impulse to turn back and make sure She was still there. The Goddess stopped there. Adi Shankara is said to have built the Mookambika temple on that spot. Vijay performed the Shatru Samhara Pooja for vanquishing enemies and attaining ambitions. To this day devotees to this temple remember MGR and his gift of a golden sword to Mookambikai Amman. Vijay gifted a silver sword, after praying here. He has to overcome a formidable phalanx of Shatrus. The 130 km return trip to the Mangaluru airport was memorable for onlookers and fans as Vijay himself drove to the airport. He is surrounded by challenges to his historic win and right to the CM’s chair. Yet, he doesn’t yearn to look back at his unchallenged Superstar spot and lose his hard won victory.

The President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to visit Odisha on June 20,2026 to attend the second anniversary celebrations of BJP government in Odisha. At this critical juncture, Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi is in a dilemma as how to control illegal sand mining mafia who are in cahoots with the politicians across all parties. Reportedly, with the local enforcement agency being weak, no action is being taken at the ground level. So far, the Majhi government has failed to plug the illegal brazen extraction of river sand even after running the state for the last two years. Sand theft is nothing new…it also happened during Naveen Patnaik’s tenure. Why it is making news is because illegal sand mining thefts have spiralled exponentially under the BJP which promised a clean governance. The allegations are that it is thriving under the patronage of a state BJP minister. Apart from sand mafia issue affecting Odisha, another important task also remains unfulfilled as yet for Majhi government- – this pertains to Justice MB Shah Commission computation compensation for illegally extracted minerals in Odisha. Earlier the total initial demand was around Rs 19,174 crore from 131 lease holders. As of 2025 significant amounts remain uncovered with figures cited between Rs 2,700 crore and Rs 3,966 crore still pending to be recovered.

A day after rebel Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar’s claim that 20 party MPs notified Speaker Om Birla of intentions to join the BJP-led NDA, the Trinamool Congress rejected the move questioning whether such communication was ever submitted. Trinamool chief whip Kalyan Banerjee stated the party is unconcerned if leaders opposed to party supremo Mamata Banerjee leave. He argued those publicly criticising leadership should resign from Parliament rather than retain seats won on a Trinamool ticket. Along with party colleague and MP Kirti Azad, Banerjee questioned why the alleged letter remained unreleased after 24 hours. Noting a lack of evidence, it reached the Speaker, he challenged dissidents to produce the signed document. Citing the Tenth Schedule’s anti-defection law, Banerjee explained a breakaway faction requires two-thirds of Trinamool’s parliamentary strength to separate via merger, arguing any split ultimately means merging with the BJP. He suggested dissenters follow former Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, who resigned after criticising the party. Banerjee alleged rebels refused to resign to retain MP powers, security, and privileges, claiming those meeting BJP’s Bhupender Yadav and Suvendu Adhikari effectively aligned with the BJP. He added that they have replaced Didi with Narendra Modi as their leader. Banerjee further claimed that Yusuf Pathan had informed him of a call from Amit Shah and a planned meeting in Delhi, alleging that Shah was behind efforts to split the party. Azad termed the dissidents’ actions a betrayal, urging those wanting to join the BJP to state it openly. He noted Mamata Banerjee repeatedly supported Ghosh Dastidar politically despite electoral defeats, adding her removal as chief whip stemmed from poor parliamentary attendance. These developments follow an internal crisis led by Ritabrata Banerjee whose faction claims to be the authentic Trinamool in the Assembly.

The NDA government completed its second year on June 9 in its third term. Now it is time for much anticipated Union cabinet reshuffle. A 72-member ministerial team led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising five ministers of state (independent charge), 30 Cabinet ministers, and 36 ministers of state took oath two years ago in June. Given the pronounced austerity pitch by the Prime Minister, it is widely expected that the new look cabinet might be thinner with several ministries aligned for impact and influence. There is parallel talk of unbundling some portfolios in view of their size and unrelated character. This means Railways might be an independent ministry and will likely be manned by a JD(U) leader. Nitish Kumar, who has moved to Delhi, shedding his home state where he served as chief minister for more than two decades, is either himself going to lead or will have a senior trusted aide drive the key transport ministry. Another round of conversations around the new look Cabinet is the pivot from government role to senior party role. This might result in a senior Cabinet minister being given charge of leading the party’s ambition in the south, an area that has so far remained out of the reach of the party on the escalator. But if past is any precedent, NDA under Prime Minister Modi will have a few aces up its sleeve that are beyond the realm of the whispers in the corridors of power.

One month after ending Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year rule, West Bengal’s first BJP government under chief minister Suvendu Adhikari has introduced major administrative, political and social changes since taking office on May 9. Prioritising border security, the state government transferred nearly 32 acres of land to the BSF for Bangladesh border fencing. It also approved handing over seven national highways in the Siliguri Corridor (“Chicken’s Neck”) to central agencies. In healthcare, the TMC’s Swasthya Sathi scheme has been replaced by Ayushman Bharat. The Annapurna Bhandar scheme, launched on June 4, provides Rs 3,000 monthly to 28-lakh plus women beneficiaries. Free travel for women on state-run buses began on June 1. The upper age limit for government jobs has been raised by five years. The government has reopened cases linked to post-poll violence after the 2021 Assembly and 2023 Panchayat elections. Education reforms include making Vande Mataram compulsory in government schools and reviewing all madrasas’ infrastructure, administration and legal status, with district magistrates directed to report by July 5. OBC reservation has been reduced from 17% to 7%, Muslim communities removed from the OBC list, and a new list of 66 OBC categories published following a Calcutta High Court order. Bulldozer drives in Kolkata and other districts, especially near railway stations, have sparked protests with the CPI(M), Congress and labour groups approaching the courts. Under the “Detect, Delete, Deport” policy, the government claims 4,800 people have been sent back to Bangladesh. Restrictions on prayers on public roads, mandatory approval for cow, bull and buffalo slaughter, and the withdrawal of honorariums and welfare grants for imams, muezzins and temple priests have also triggered concerns. A lot has been compressed in 30 days.

In what is being described as the most severe setback of her nearly five-decade-long political career, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee is facing an unprecedented rebellion within her party, with a group of 20 MPs reportedly breaking ranks and extending support to the BJP-led NDA. The dramatic event unfolded on Monday (June 8) when a faction led by senior TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressing support for the NDA government. The move came at a particularly embarrassing moment for the TMC chief as she was in the Capital attending a meeting of the opposition INDIA Bloc. According to sources, the rebel MPs subsequently attended a meeting at the residence of Union Minister and BJP’s West Bengal observer Bhupendra Yadav, where West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was also present. The meeting has intensified speculation that the dissident lawmakers are preparing to formalise a separate parliamentary formation aligned with the NDA. After facing dissent among MLAs, the party is now confronting the prospect of a major split in its parliamentary ranks, with discussions intensifying around the formation of a “new Trinamool” group in Parliament. The crisis deepened further after Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy resigned from both Parliament and the party. He personally submitted his resignation to the Vice-President in New Delhi before issuing a strongly worded statement critical of the TMC leadership. Facing her gravest internal challenge in years, Mamata Banerjee has reportedly begun a frantic damage-control exercise. Party sources said she personally contacted several MPs over the past 24 hours in an effort to prevent further defections and reassure wavering leaders. The coming days could determine not only the future of the TMC Parliamentary presence but also the political legacy of Didi.

Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi will be completing two years in the office on June 12, 2026. His tenure so far has evoked mixed reactions. Constantly there were rumours that he may be replaced by a Union minister. He has survived two years. Yes, one cannot take away the fact that Odisha under Majhi’s leadership attracted investment of Rs 16.73 lakh crore during the Utkarsh Odisha Enclave held in January 2025, rolled out welfare schemes like Subhadra Yojana and restarted direct public grievance hearings. Yet, many are not optimistic that he will complete the full terms. There are several vexing issues like the deteriorating law and order, inadequate police force numbers, rising criminal activities and administrative inertia. BJP’s biggest challenge is the grassroot connect. Although it benefited from anti-incumbency against the Biju Janata Dal in 2024 it has yet to build a strong rural organisational structure to challenge BJD-Congress might. In fact, the previous Panchayati Raj elections highlighted this weakness clearly, with BJP winning only 42 Zilla Parishad seats against the BJD’s 766. With Panchayat elections approaching, BJP must expand its cadre-base and convince voters through governance improvement rather than relying solely on anti-BJD-Congress sentiment.

Reams have been written about the Tamil Nadu government selling liquor to its thirsty “Tamizh Kudimagan” (a comic double entendre popular in Tamil films). Equal number of reams have condemned and censured the State peddling liquor. Yet the sale of liquor is high and spirited in TN …in fact it is the revenue keg. The sale of liquor a day before dry days peaks. But the newly elected Tamil Nadu chief minister Joseph Vijay is now faced with electoral promises. The saying in Hindi, ‘Saamp bhi marein aur lathi bhi na toote’ (the snake should die and the stick should not break) is very appropriate here. Vijay’s first cabinet meeting had TASMAC on top of the agenda. Surprisingly Minnambalam, a Tamil digital news website had surmised earlier that the plan was to close TASMAC outlets and open bars, keeping TASMAC as the nodal procurement agency. Even as confabulations are on, the Minister for Prohibition& Excise K Vignesh talked about the viability of closure of over 720 outlets and launch of a new glitzy avatar of watering holes and bars. “The corruption and swindling by a big syndicate of Rs 3600 crore per year has been stopped. For years 88 lakh cases of liquor have been sourced from distilleries with a commission of Rs 90 per case”, says Vignesh.  In the same breath he claims that there is no intention to privatise! If RK Laxman were to do a cartoon of the TASMAC ecosystem, we might laugh at the caricature of a thirsty guy pushing his way to the barred window to get his spiritual elixir, walk away cuddling the bottle with a side of pickle on a leaf. No wonder a former CM when cautioned by his advisors about lavish cash doles for women said “don’t stress. The thirsty husband will splurge that on TASMAC”. The politics of give and take.

The humiliating defeat of Trinamool Congress in the Assembly polls is seeing the party head for a split. It has also given rise to the role and future position of 29 MPs in the Lok Sabha. Senior TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar triggered speculations when she wrote on X that “Do you think a four-time MP from a political family, who has stood beside Mamata Banerjee and fought against authoritarian systems for four decades, would think only of personal interests? This is actually a verdict against the failure of policy and governance.” Dastidar did not mention any individual or issue directly but her message was loud and clear. Dastidar, an influential figure within the Trinamool, has been a close associate of Mamata Banerjee. Until recently, she served as the party’s Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha. However, she was replaced in that role by Kalyan Banerjee, a development that many political analysts believe marked the beginning of growing distance between her and the party leadership. Subsequently, Dastidar publicly criticised political consultancy firm I-PAC, alleging that its activities had harmed the party. She later resigned from various organizational posts within the TMC. Political speculation intensified further when the Union government enhanced her security cover shortly after her resignations. According to sources, around 20 Trinamool MPs may hold a crucial meeting in the coming days. Reports suggest that a letter could subsequently be submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking changes in the parliamentary party leadership. Speculation is rife that Dastidar’s name could be proposed as an alternative to current parliamentary leader Abhishek Banerjee.

The election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council is becoming more and more intriguing with one sensational disclosure after another by rival political parties. As expected, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut lobbed the first salvo. He alleged that Rs 150 crore had been spent by the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit). It was his angry reaction to the humiliating show put out by the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), of which his leader Uddhav Thackeray is a major policy maker. Raut was immediately ridiculed since Uddhav’s confidant Bal Mane had withdrawn his nomination without giving a faintest hint to his leader. Moreover, Mane has returned to the BJP, which he had left some years ago. In all, the Congress and Sena (UBT) have been finding it most embarrassing as the Mahayuti is set to win almost each of the 17 seats for which election is being held. Developments in some legislative council constituencies have made the opposition leadership speechless since those withdrawing nominations did not even bother to formally convey their decisions. In most cases, the leaders learnt from TV channels of their candidates running away from the contest. Interestingly, Raut has been challenged by the BJP to announce why he failed to field a candidate of his party from Nasik, the district of which the MP is party’s organizational in charge. Has Raut accepted money for not contesting, the BJP has asked. More skeletons are expected to tumble out of the cupboard over the next few days.

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar gave his consent and NCP (Ajit) candidate for the legislative council, Vikram Kakade’s election for the upper house became a mere formality. The reason stated to be instrumental was a telephone call Vikram’s father Sanjay, former BJP MP, had made to Pawar, urging him to clear the path for his son. Although from the rival faction, Pawar graciously gave a nod. Sanjay, it is learnt, had obliged Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party nearly 15 years ago in a local election. As Pawar is blessed with an elephant’s memory, he paid back the obligation by ensuring Vikram’s election unopposed. But there is one more connection with the Pawar family and this election. Vikram had ‘advanced’ Rs.10 crore to Parth Pawar, son of deceased deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar, who is occupying the deputy CM’s post now. Vikram has clarified that the payment was against the purchase of a plot of land, which was in the name of Ajit Pawar. In faraway Vidarbha, the BJP’s candidate Arun Lakhani was elected unopposed to the upper house since Maha Vikas Aghadi failed to challenge him. A successful businessman and an ardent RSS worker, Lakhani’s son is slated to marry NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule’s daughter. The would-be couple and their parents recently called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to formally invite him for the wedding, the date for which is yet to be announced. While political party workers keep fighting on roads, no such bitter sentiment is seen in the upper echelons.

So far, Vedanta’s operations in Odisha remain completely unaffected by recent ongoing investigations, scrutiny with regard to FEMA probe, ED raid, search operations on the group’s founder Anil Agarwal after his conflict with Adani over the Jaypee deal. The Odisha state government in dealing with Anil Agarwal has kept its slate clear with regard to Vedanta’s local violations. Vedanta, it may be recalled, was penalized Rs 233.11 crore and Rs 71.16 crore for illegal water extraction and unauthorised hazardous fly ash dumping in Odisha state. Political observers say, “At the moment, Odisha government’s singular focus is ensuring Vedanta’s timely project completion of the project amidst continuous tribal complaints for encroaching on forest reserves. It may be recalled that Vedanta Group did throw a hat in the ring to acquire the debt-ridden Jaiprakash Associates. But the lenders ultimately favoured a lower bid from Adani Enterprises. Anil Agarwal tweeted about this development. This is why political analysts interpret the recent FEMA and ED probe as a veiled warning to Anil Agarwal not to cross swords with Adani Group. Vedanta Group is a global natural resources and technology conglomerate. Over the last four decades, founder-chairman Anil Agarwal transformed a small, failing scrap-metal business into one of the world’s leading diversified mining, metals, and hydrocarbons corporations.

Maharashtra’s ongoing scrutiny of beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (CM’s My Favorite Sister Scheme) reportedly identified nearly 80 lakh ineligible women who enjoyed monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 since the scheme’s launch in 2024. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ruled out recovering payouts already made to them. The government’s lenient approach towards women beneficiaries, however, will not extend to the 14,000 men who allegedly secured benefits under the women-centric welfare scheme through fraudulent declarations. Officials involved in the verification exercise indicated that these beneficiaries would face recovery proceedings and could also be exposed to criminal action. At Rs 1,500 per month, the payments made to the male beneficiaries are estimated at Rs 50 crore. Preliminary findings suggest that several applications contained discrepancies in Aadhaar-linked records, while some beneficiaries were identified as ‘male’ during KYC verification despite having submitted details portraying themselves as eligible women. The scrutiny process also reportedly uncovered over   five lakh women government employees who availed the benefit despite their annual incomes exceeding the scheme’s eligibility threshold of Rs 2.5 lakh. A senior official associated with the verification drive recalled that in an earlier instance, an individual was jailed for submitting multiple applications and claiming financial assistance under government schemes despite being ineligible. Similar recommendations for recovery and punitive action are expected in cases involving deliberate misrepresentation by men. Political observers believe the decision not to recover funds from the 80 lakh ineligible women reflects both economic and electoral considerations. With rural Maharashtra continuing to experience financial stress, the government appears reluctant to reclaim benefits already disbursed, including non-deserving women, a move that...

The Congress has nominated party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party spokesperson Pawan Khera who was known for taking on Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from Karnataka. The party opted to give the sole Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh to Meenakshi Natrajan. A committed no-nonsense Congress leader, she had impressed Rahul Gandhi with her simple lifestyle. Party sources said most of the Rajya Sabha picks were personally cleared by Rahul Gandhi. Former CM Digvijay Singh who retired as MP refused to seek another term and made it possible for Meenakshi Natrajan. The Congress has just three sitting MPs who are retiring and if the elections goes as per party strength, the party is likely to get seven lawmakers, provided the JMM offers the second seat which the I.N.D.I.A Bloc can win to Congress in Jharkhand. Besides, Pawan Khera, another person who handles media for the Congress, Pranav Jha is also being nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand. The party also nominated Mansoor Ali Khan, son of former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Rahman Khan from Karnataka. Meanwhile in the BJP, there was a bloodbath of sorts as incumbent Union ministers George Kurian and Ravneet Singh Bittu did not find their names in the list from Madhya Pradesh. While Bittu may still be contesting the forthcoming Punjab assembly elections, tears are not being shed for Kurian as he had lost in Kerala assembly elections. An old BJP hand, he was apparently seen as not endearing himself or the party to the community. Kurian was not liked very much by the community even though he handled minority affairs.

Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai may have the satisfaction of dominating national media discussions for a day about his possible exit from the BJP. However, after camping in Delhi for three days and even spending his birthday (June 4) by holding out a resignation threat, one hears he has still not put in his resignation. His media antics were not well-received in the PMO. In fact, as news channels obsessed about his meetings with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief Nitin Nabin, eyebrows were raised at the highest level at the kind of level a malcontent from South was allowed to manage media coverage in Delhi. It is precisely for this reason that the former IPS officer failed to secure even a birthday wish from PM Modi or Shah. When Annamalai explained his need to float new forum to mobilise youth in Tamil Nadu, Shah told him that there was no need for it. He was told that the party would always stand with him. It is being felt Annamalai’s talk of a separate morcha to take on the TVK under Vijay could all be an idea that is being pushed probably by the DMK. The DMK needs a credible, clean face to mobilise youth against CM Vijay. It is here that Annamalai fits the bill. Annamalai had extended his stay hoping to meet with PM Modi who was tied up with the visit of Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. It is learnt the BJP did not bargain with Annamalai. A section of the RSS suggested that talks be held with him which is why Amit Shah and Nitin Nabin met with him. Meanwhile, BJP TN president Nainar Nagendran had fixed up a meeting with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Nainar’s visit to Delhi was portrayed as if he was being summoned by party bosses at Annamalai’s behest.

Contrary to speculation, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the new political party led by actor Vijay that has just come to power in Tamil Nadu, apparently is not bothered about getting a foothold in Delhi. That is why the party did not hesitate in allotting Rajya Sabha seat from TN to its coalition partner, the Congress party, ahead of the biennial elections scheduled for June 18. In a statement, the TVK announced that the seat – vacated by AIADMK leader C V Shanmugam that is set to be filled through the Rajya Sabha election has been allocated to the Congress as part of the seat-sharing arrangement. AICC Tamil Nadu In-charge Girish Chodankar had met CM Joseph Vijay earlier in the day. “I met the chief minister, and requested him that this seat should be allocated to us by them and then it will also help us in the Rajya Sabha,” he said. Chodankar feels the Congress has every reason to feel thrilled with TVK’s gesture as it will now have three Rajya Sabha MPs from the state.  At present the Congress has former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Christopher Tilak (AICC secretary) who was elected to the Rajya Sabha in March 2026 with the support of the DMK. Praveen Chakravarty, a close Rahul Gandhi aide, who TN CM Vijay publicly addressed as a friend for batting for TVK-Cong alliance, will be the other PC, who is most likely to get elected from the state. “Apparently, the basis for the Congress joining the TVK Govt was the scope for improving its presence in Parliament,” says a Congress source.

Political turbulence within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has intensified in the aftermath of the West Bengal Assembly election results, with the party expelling two legislators amid a controversy over alleged forged signatures and growing speculation of internal dissent. MLAs Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay and Sandipan Saha were expelled after reports emerged that they had lodged a police complaint over an alleged signature forgery incident. Their expulsion has reduced the TMC’s strength in the West Bengal Assembly from 80 to 78 MLAs. Since the election results, several senior leaders have publicly expressed differences. Some of the party leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee had to face the ire of public anger; they were booed, heckled and names called. Now, speculations are rife about a possible split of the party. It is learnt that a significant number of legislators could leave the party and form a new outfit led by expelled MLAs, including Bandyopadhyay and Saha. Speculation intensified after a meeting convened by Didi reportedly had attendance from only 20 of the party’s 80 MLAs, leading to its cancellation. Observers believe any large-scale defection could alter the balance of power in the Assembly and challenge the TMC’s position as the principal opposition party. Comparisons are being drawn with Maharashtra, where the split in the Nationalist Congress Party saw the founder Sharad Pawar losing control. Likewise, a rebellion within Shiv Sena resulted in Uddhav Thackeray losing control of the party organisation and election symbols. Expelled TMC leader Bandyopadhyay says he is prepared to provide authorities with information regarding alleged corruption within the party and government. Addressing supporters through a Facebook Live session, Mamata accused the BJP of attempting to engineer defections.

It seems the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), a think tank under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), government of India is in mission mode to modernise India’s corporate compliance frameworks. Last weekend, IICA Director General & CEO Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh and his core team visited Bhubaneswar, Odisha. His trip to Odisha was meant for securing a structured stake-holders feedback, getting suggestions to finalise the next chapter of India’s corporate compliance architecture. Reportedly, his objective for the Odisha trip was a focused one — to modernise corporate compliance frameworks in India through consultations, being aligned with national priorities and imbibing global best practices factoring national priorities. What seems clear is IICA now wants to migrate from form-based compliances to fully digital automated data-centric secured filing systems. The job role for Singh backed by eminent industry leaders, advisors from Tata, IOCL, NTPC, Reliance is cut out. He needs to bring in ease of doing business, simplifying procedures, digitise compliances under the Companies Act. Rumour is IICA is likely to submit its comprehensive recommendatory action plan to the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman by end June.

Will former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai quit the party and go on a yatra of the state to establish his leadership? A tough choice when the next assembly election in the state is five years away.  Annamalai is meeting with BJP President Nitin Nabin and other senior leaders of the party in New Delhi on June 2 ahead of his birthday (June 4) during which he is likely to submit his resignation.  Initially, it was believed that the former IPS officer was merely flexing muscle and putting pressure on Central leadership to accommodate him in upcoming Rajya Sabha vacancies. With such pressure tactics unlikely to yield results, it is more likely that Annamalai may have to have live up to his promise of mobilising Tamil Nadu youth. Rise of Joseph Vijay may have inspired him to chart his own course; he is much younger than CM Vijay. With both the Dravidian parties battered by TVK – Annamalai will probably be able to rebuild afresh from their debris. Of course, it will be a tough task. Annamalai has kept a low-profile since stepping down as the TN BJP chief to facilitate the party’s alliance with the AIADMK. He has had several run-ins with Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) of AIADMK, and they don’t share a good rapport. AIADMK may have denied Singanallur as EPS did not want Annamalai to contest and emerge as challenger to him in the region. Interestingly both belong to the powerful Gounder community. Annamalai expressed his displeasure over the constituencies allotted to the party. He is believed to have questioned why the BJP agreed to contest in three seats in Pudukkottai district, where it lacks a strong base and asked why strong efforts were not taken to get seats in western Tamil Nadu, where it has a base. Reportedly, BJP leadership is upset with the way Annamalai managed party finances during the Lok Sabha polls. Looks like he runs a trust deficit among Delhi bosses.  

BJP has given a Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) ticket for the Chandrapur-Wardha-Gadchiroli seat to a prominent industrialist Arun Lakhani, co-treasurer of Maharashtra BJP for the June 18 elections. His son Sarang Lakhani is engaged to marry Revati, daughter of Supriya Sule on June 20. The Lakhani family has been connected to the RSS. The marriage itself was arranged by political bigwigs in the state.”Supriya Tai sent me a congratulatory message. The reference to the Pawar family is natural because it is a large political family and we are related. I do not see anything unusual in that,” says Arun Lakhani. Revati Sule studied economics at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai and did master’s degree in public administration from the London School of Economics. Sarang Lakhani is currently the executive director at Vishvaraj Group, Nagpur-based group controlled by his father. A badminton player, he has studied management at Columbia Business School in the United States. The buzz around the Sarang-Revati wedding grew after senior NCP leader Sharad Pawar was admitted to a private hospital in Pune following a chest infection early this year. Sarang’s family-owned business group, the Vishvaraj Group, is a company engaged in water sustainability projects, wastewater management and road infrastructure development. He has been involved in the family business for over eight years now. Before joining the family business, he worked as a business development consultant with Modern Hydrogen.

Acting on orders of Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah resigned very reluctantly to pave the way for D K Shivakumar (DKS). But he hoped he could pressurise Rahul Gandhi to accept his suggestions for an important role as a coordinator for the party-government arrangement, like he was during the short-lived coalition between Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) when H D Kumaraswamy was CM from 2018-2019. Siddaramaiah sought to revive the same model which would allow him to remain as an alternative power centre in the state. However, Rahul Gandhi put his foot down. Having Siddaramaiah as a coordinator would mean DKS would not be able to function as CM with a free hand. A day after he resigned as CM, Siddaramaiah met Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi, accompanied by his son Yathindra. Siddaramaiah is also said to have pushed for giving his son the deputy CM post with a key portfolio. Yathindra is an MLC after having lost the 2023 assembly polls. It is this anxiety to find an elevated political role for his medico son —a relatively lateral entrant into politics—that could chip away Siddaramaiah’s clout with Congress leadership. He is also seeking Cabinet berths for his loyalists in the new ministry. Majority of Congress MLAs are reportedly still backing him while DKS is dependent on Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi for his authority. Sources say besides Yathindra, DKS government could have Priyank Kharge as second deputy CM representing the Dalits. There may well be a deputy CM from Lingayat community too (M B Patil). Patil and G.Parameshwara were in Delhi for a second round of meeting with Rahul. AICC has not been able to finalise Satish Jharkhioli as PCC chief as he also wanted to be part of the government.

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy has made a new political move to show that he is the undisputed leader of all Telugu people. His act of unveiling a 23-foot statue of NT Rama Rao (NTR) at Maitrivanam junction in Ameerpet, Hyderabad, on May 28 has raised eyebrows. NTR was no doubt a tall leader of undivided Andhra Pradesh. But he was more of an Andhra than a Telangana leader. But Revanth wants to improve his popularity not only in Telangana but also in the present Andhra Pradesh by installing a statue of NTR, whose TDP legacy is deeply linked to opposition to the bifurcation of AP. Critics of Revanth say promoting the TDP icon may alienate Congress’s core Telangana base, erode the party’s hard-won identity, and ultimately leave Congress in electoral irrelevance by 2028-29. NTR’s contributions as a cine icon and populist reformer — rice at Rs 2/kg, women’s initiatives, and the anti-Congress wave in 1983 — were achieved in united Andhra. Yet, in Telangana’s collective memory, his TDP often symbolised resistance to the demand for separate statehood. The Telangana movement gained momentum from the 1960s onward and peaked in the post-2000s period. At that time, Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu was in favour of Telugu unity and opposed the creation of a separate Telangana state. Gradually, the TDP lost support in Telangana and remained confined to AP. A former TDP MLA elected from Kodangal in 2009 and 2014, Revanth rose under Chandrababu Naidu’s mentorship, serving as floor leader before his 2017 switch to Congress. Some Congress critics see the NTR statue — promised during the Jubilee Hills bypoll (which was won by Naveen Yadav)— as an overture to Chandrababu, who was once his leader. While unveiling the statue of NTR, Revanth publicly urged NTR fans and TDP remnants to “bury BRS,” of K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).

Former Odisha Chief Secretary and Chairperson Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) Pradip Kumar Jena has resigned on May 25,2026 citing “personal grounds” amidst heat wave and recurrent power cuts. His resignation was accepted by the Odisha government with immediate effect. However, tongues are wagging about his abrupt departure. Jena cited personal reasons for putting in his paper, however his sudden resignation coincides with widespread dissatisfaction in the state because of power crises outages, grid overloads, transformer failures in peak summer in Odisha. The main issue which led to Jena’s resignation is he not only deducted Rs 400 crore from Tata Power Company (TPC) towards contract linesman salary which ensured uninterrupted power supply to Odiayas amidst sweltering heat, he also threatened TPC that same deduction will take place next year as well. This led to Odisha LineMan Association numbering 12,000 opting for mass agitation to protect their job on the street which paralysed power supply state wide. Odisha’s deputy CM Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo who holds the energy portfolio has already warned Discoms of legal action if unscheduled power cuts are there. Rumour is CM Mohan Charan Majhi has already held high-level meetings with the Energy Department and Tata Power management to address outages, improving infrastructure, and also discussed major investments in the state’s power sector.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction created by late Ajit Pawar is witnessing certain traumatic developments over the past fortnight with top leaders Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel at the centre of the controversy. Now led by Pawar’s widow Sunetra, the suspense over the future of Tatkare and Patel is repeatedly in question. According to the documents submitted to the Election Commission earlier, Patel is no longer the working president of the party. Sunetra, Maharashtra deputy CM, has tried to defuse the tension by declaring that all will be well soon and every misunderstanding will be removed. Nonetheless, at a meeting of senior party leaders held on May 26 at her official residence, Devgiri, fireworks were galore, some party workers have claimed. According to them, Tatkare was most outspoken and demanded to know why he and Patel were isolated when the party was passing through a crisis following Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash. Tatkare maintained that he and Patel were instrumental in installing Sunetra as party chief. Despite this, the duo had to face unfair criticism from within the party, he lamented. Though he was in Mumbai, Patel was not present for the May 26 meet, in which OBC icon Chhagan Bhujbal tried to calm the atmosphere by appealing to all to forget the bygones. But Tatkare was not placated. There is a feeling of uneasiness in the party since election for the 17 seats of the state legislative council is around the corner but that matter is almost sidelined due to the internecine clashes. The tension in the NCP (Ajit) is palpable and concerns are raised about its future.

A massive racket to issue birth certificates has come to light following a complaint filed by former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya. The racket reportedly involves over 87,000 bogus records issued between 2024 and 2026. As it may have national security repercussions, investigations have been launched by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). So far, these have revealed that the officials concerned allegedly bypassed the mandatory Central government portal to manipulate a defunct internal system. The fraudulent birth certificates were flagged as being generated through an unauthorized SAP system rather than the official Civil Registration System (CRS). The racket was mostly operative in the M East ward (Govandi and Deonar) and Malad (Malvani) areas, previously under scrutiny for sheltering illegal immigrants. A SIT led by the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) was established on 5 May 2026, to investigate the perpetration. At least three Medical Officers of Health (MOH) have been suspended by the BMC and FIRs have been registered against some former officials for approving certificates without verification. Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde directed the BMC to cancel all such illegal certificates and initiate criminal cases against those officials involved. The scammers exploited technical gaps by continuing to use an old SAP system that lacked the security protocols of the newer CRS portal, allowing unauthorized “corrections.” Somaiya has announced that a special meeting will be held soon with the state government’s health authorities regarding this issue.”Bangladeshi immigrants are obtaining these birth certificates online by using forged documents, he has charged.

For once it was senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi who emerged as the mover and shaker in Karnataka politics as she came to taking the right call. She took the initiative of calling off Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s bogey that majority of the 137 Congress MLAs were backing him. She made it clear that there would have to be a regime change in Karnataka, no matter what. This tough message could not be conveyed to Siddaramaiah via her son Rahul Gandhi or AICC Gen Secretary K C Venugopal. She was clear that the promise to install deputy CM D K Shivakumar as Karnataka CM in this assembly had to be kept. She also made it clear that troubles that DKS had endured for the sake of the party — he was arrested in a money-laundering case in 2019 by the ED and was lodged in Tihar Jail. That was enough to prove his loyalty and commitment to the party. He has also been looking after son-in-law Robert Vadra’s realtor interest in Bengaluru. For these reasons and more DKS had to be rewarded. Party sources said Sonia was also firm that if any change in the CM were “to affect the Congress prospect in 2028 Karnataka assembly elections”,  the party leadership should not be unduly worried.  This message somewhat disturbed party stalwarts. But then it was this big push from Sonia that got the Congress to make the big move on Siddaramaiah. Of course, it is not clear if Siddaramaiah will accept a role in Delhi as Rajya Sabha LoP. He had out right refused a deputy CM role for his son Yathindra in the next govt. It is not clear what will be Mallikarjun Kharge’s role? Will he just remain Congress President and a Rajya Sabha MP?

There is a lot of speculation about who will Tamil Nadu chief minister Joseph Vijay send as his first member to the Rajya Sabha as the Election Commission has announced the by-elections for the lone Tamil Nadu seat vacated by former AIADMK minister C V Shanmugam after he won the Assembly elections. TVK is expected to win the seat comfortably.  Speculation is that Vijay is most likely to make a pick between his two political advisors – Vishnu Reddy and John Arogyasamy. Vijay desperately needs a person in Delhi to interact with the Centre. His choice will be firmed up when he visits the national capital for the first time on May 28 to call on PM Modi and other Union Ministers. Last date for filing nominations is June 8. TVK which currently has 107 MLAs is the single largest party, with support of 22 rebel AIADMK MLAs. Four AIADMK MLAs have resigned are hoping to seek re-election on a TVK symbol; this could increase TVK’s numbers in the assembly. The Congress is not happy with the TVK’s this approach of augmenting its numbers. At the same time, the Congress is keen to augment its own presence in the Rajya Sabha and hopes Vijay will allot the Rajya Sabha seat to it. If TVK allots the seat to the Congress, the party’s next chance to enter Rajya Sabha independently will only come in 2028 when six members from the state retire. Rahul Gandhi’s aide Praveen Chakravarty has been hoping to make an early entry into RS even it is only for two years. Of course, these issues Vijay will perhaps thrash out when he calls on Sonia and Rahul Gandhi at 10 Janpath on May 29.

Incumbent 1998 batch IPS officer Odisha DGP YB Khurania is set to retire on August 31. Who will succeed him? Going by the Supreme Court’s directive, the Odisha government has already sent sent 21 short-listed names to the UPSC to fill up the administrative vacuum. The rumours doing the rounds is that Sudhanshu Sarangi and RP Koche who also holds rank of DGP are the strong contenders. Besides, names of ADG Sanjeeb Panda head of anti-naxal operations and Yashwant Kumar Jethwa, Director Vigilance are also being discussed. Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi will take the final decision after discussing with his trusted official advisor Prakash Mishra a BJP leader and former retired CRPF DG. Khurania’s claim to fame now is that he has made Odisha officially free of active Left-Wing Extremism. Majhi government is saddled with a crisis of filling the 32,000 police vacancies. Out of this, 20,000 constables and Sub Inspectors will be direct recruitment from the market. The police manpower crises is so acute that it is learnt that the State government may opt to recruit 800 ASI/SI’s on contractual basis henceforth.

When Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah received a call from the Congress high command to visit New Delhi on May 26, it brought a lot of cheer in Congress top brass in the state. It was felt the high command was finally providing clarity on the leadership dispute between Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar (DKS). Siddaramiah’s visit to Delhi reignited a state Cabinet reshuffle and transition of power. He was informed about the meeting by AICC General Secretary (org) K C Venugopal. He dismissed as speculation his visit to Delhi as “an imminent leadership transition”. Though there was buzz that he was being called for a Cabinet reshuffle, party sources were still hoping that there would be some change; a new CM, possibly DKS aided and assisted by 3-4 deputy CMs. Of course, sources close to the Sidda camp felt the CM will resist it by pushing for Parameshwara, a Dalit as CM. Congress sources were hoping that DKS could pull off what veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa had managed in 2019 with three deputy CMs. “From CM’s son to Kharge’s son, our list of deputy CM hopefuls is quite large”, said a party source. It is possible, Siddaramaiah is being called for deliberations on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Given its legislative majority, Congress is comfortably positioned to win three of the four seats heading into the polls. Four Rajya Sabha vacancies have risen upon the completion of the terms of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda and BJP MPs Iranna Kadadi and K Narayana. While the Congress will certainly re-nominate Kharge seat, the BJP is likely to re-nominate the former PM. Meanwhile, there is much speculation that the Congress may bring in former MLA Dr Anjali Nimbalkar into the Rajya Sabha. A physician, she is much remembered for saving the life of an American passenger last year on Goa-Delhi flight.

Post election rout, defeats and shock outcomes quickly turn into licking the wounds’ wake, often a motivational catharsis to get back the lost power. In Tamil Nadu the DMK’s rout is particularly powerful, a body blow that could take years to mend. The DMK’s first family is adept at rising from the ropes to fight back viciously. On May 23, Udhayanidhi Stalin called a Youth Wing meeting under the guidance of his father M K Stalin, who is still recovering from his personal defeat at his pocket borough Kolathur. Udhayanidhi and his brood went hammer and tongs at the Congreve turncoats, calling them backstabbers and time servers with greed as the main propellant. Stalin recalled that “for years the DMK had carried the Congress burden on its back, but did not expect to be ditched like this with no gratitude. The greed for power without any hard work on the ground, riding on our back is a typical trait”. The father-son duo also highlighted that the three other parties that gave support, did so after taking the cue from the DMK. Udhayanidhi also spoke about his party cadres scrambling for booking tickets … air, train, bus to reach Chennai on vote counting day…but the so-called allies of the ruling party were busy booking resorts. A mere 17 lakh votes cost the DMK serious harm and body blow. The Congress, used to riding piggyback on the DMKs back for over a decade now did a lightning ditch and eased into power. Was this the ultimate Et Tu Brutus moment for Stalin?

Much stock taking, brutal analyses and self-searching has happened post election results in Tamil Nadu. Rightly so, as this electoral outcome has wrought severe personal loss to many DMK ministers, the party power considered invincible, wiped out. Most striking, the Dravidian Model of a 60-year stranglehold has been voted out to give way to new youthful energy and change. Even as the old cool veshti-clad guard hold hot tempered meets, Dr P Thiaga Rajan or PTR, the Madurai-based strong man, highly educated, work experience of US mega Corps, who never gave cash for votes was defeated by TVK’s Madhar Badhurudeen, a 10th pass. Now, PTR has authored a tell it all four pages document …his interpretation of the well-known Cultural Lag theory of American sociologist William Ogburn…society, polity and culture often lag behind fast paced technology change that society yearns to adopt and adapt. PTR warns that the extensive propaganda of DMK and others stuck to an outdated model of status quo are no longer relevant. The 2026 election was driven, inundated by Instagram reels targeted at Gen Z who literally overpowered voting elders to vote for the Tamil film superstar Vijay’s party. The bipolar era of the two Dravidian parties is over. If Vijay had garnered 15 % of the votes it was the fire alarm blaring for the two…if he weaned away25%, it would have been the last election for the existing powers …but 35% sounded the death-knell. “I was shocked by this percentage. Now we need to learn new skills. TN is fast moving into the $1 trillion economy, which not many countries can even boast about.” PTR announced a temporary break, walking away from the embers of the old reality. He has a busy schedule of overseas presentations.