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There are two more Tests to go against New Zealand in the ongoing three-Test series, but like against England — which won the first Test in Hyderabad before losing in Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamshala — the Rohit Sharma led home team will go to Pune 0-1 with a hope of causing a turnaround from the second Test. India has not lost a Test to New Zealand in 36 years and so the eight wicket defeat will hurt its players. New Zealand’s fast bowlers exposed the Indian batters’ vulnerability against speed and bounce on a pitch that was not really a deck for the fast bowlers. England chose rookie spinners left arm Tom Hartley and off-spinner Shoaib Bashir because of their height and skill and in Bengaluru — where India held a 3-0 record against New Zealand’s tall fast bowlers Tim Southee, Matt Henry and William O’ Rourke — brought down India to 46 in the first inning and took the last seven wickets in the second for a mere 54 runs. India has now lost one Test each to Australia, England and New Zealand at home in the last three years, it will be hard pressed to make the ICC World Test Championship final if it does not win the big points in Pune and Mumbai. Sharma made one mistake upon winning the toss and that was to bat. It has already cost India the first Test and if it does not show innovative ways to take wickets and some spunk while batting in the first inning, it may even face the prospect of going down in the series which will not be good augury travelling to Australia.
Not all is quiet in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) front, post its election defeat to BJP. Many within BJD put the blame on Naveen Patnaik for his blind faith reposed on his personal assistant VK Pandian, IAS officer from Tamil Nadu cadre. The man who was seen in every photo frame of Naveen Patnaik for over a decade now has gone off the grid post the election debacle. BJD insiders say though Pandian seems largely out of sight but he is not out of the picture. He continues to be Naveen babu’s eyes and ears and stealthily visits Naveen Nivas regularly. On his part, the former Odisha chief minister publicly acknowledged that “Pandian had served the state and party with utmost dedication, efficiency and integrity”. Sources say Pandian is like the late RK Dhawan, Indira Gandhi’s personal secretary, who knows too much and that perhaps explains why Patnaik continues to support him. Not surprisingly, his influence continued and led to more disgruntlement, dissensions and desertion within BJD. BJD’s former five time MP Prasanna Kumar Patasani who joined BJP says BJD has become a divided house because Pandian continues to guide BJD as he has Naveen babu’s protection. Patasani alleges that Pandian advised him not to raise the issue of conferring Bharat Ratna to Naveen’s father late Biju Patnaik in the Parliament earlier. Amidst all this finger pointing exercise many from BJD are crossing over to BJP.
For the first time in recent years, Tollywood has taken the Puja box office by storm in Bengal, outshining twin Bollywood releases. Three Bengali films — Srijit Mukherjee’s Tekka, starring and produced by superstar Dev, Shiboprasad Mukherjee-Nandita Roy’s Bahurupi, and Shastri, featuring veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty and Deboshree Roy—hit theatres on October 8 as a Durga Puja bonanza, and audiences flocked to cinemas, setting a new trend in festive box office dominance. Despite earlier scepticism, due to controversies and online trolls targeting Tollywood actors following the RG Kar incident, the three films delivered big time helping the industry recover from a difficult first half. It has been a tradition of releasing Bengali films during Durga Puja but RG Kar protests forced directors and producers to cancel trailer launches and promotions back in August. This led to disappointing collections for films like Raj Chakraborty’s Babli and Srijit’s Mrinal Sen’s biopic Padatik. The only notable box office success during that period was Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta’s 50th film, Ajogyo which crossed Rs 1 crore at national multiplexes. Bahurupi earned over Rs 3 crore in six days. In four days, Tekka achieved over 450 housefull shows making it the highest-grossing Puja release to date of Rs 2.75 crore. Trade analysts expect Tekka to surpass last year’s Puja hit, Dawshom Awbotaar which earned Rs3 crore in 10 days. Meanwhile, Shastri earned over Rs 1 crore. Bollywood’s two major releases Alia Bhatt’s Jigra and Rajkummar Rao’s Vicky Vidya Ka Woo Wala Video earned Rs 2.5 crore each, significantly less than their Bengali counterparts.
If there is one formula for the success of its third term in Haryana that the BJP would most likely use in Maharashtra assembly polls, it would be having a very limited campaign of its star campaigner PM Modi. Unlike the previous strategy of carpet bombing the poll-bound states and Lok Sabha constituencies with Modi’s rallies in the run upto 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the party has begun to restrict the number of Modi’s rallies from Haryana elections. Party sources indicate that PM Modi would not be addressing more than half a dozen rallies and at best such rallies would be spread across different regions in the state. BJP sources pointed out that the CM face for Mahayuti was more or less settled at the Chandigarh NDA CMs meeting when PM Modi asked Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to move the resolution lauding the return of the BJP in Haryana for a third term. Shinde was picked for the honour even as Devendra Fadnavis who represents the BJP in Maharashtra was present. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar also attended the Chandigarh meeting. The NDA CMs conclave started immediately after the swearing-in ceremony of Nayab Singh Saini on October 17 in Chandigarh. There were 13 Chief Ministers and 16 deputy CMs belonging to the BJP and other NDA allies in attendance. Besides CMs of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, states like Bihar, Sikkim, Nagaland and Meghalaya had also put in their attendance.
This year’s biggest grosser Stree 2 has found its place in the numbers book as pure entertainment riding a spooky plot. This film’s highlight is Tamannaah Bhatia enticing fans with her Aaj ki Raat item number, bringing in repeat audiences just to see her dance. Her earlier film Jailor item number Noovu kaavalaa is still rocking the audience. Tamannaah has her place as a saleable star who raises no controversies, does her work and moves on. But she may not have realised the deep trouble she was getting into by signing on as Brand ambassador for the Mahadev HPZ Token App, which has now become a legal nightmare for its owner Saurabh Chandrakar. His App and role in the alleged illegal broadcast of the IPL competition has turned into a Rs 5000 crore lawsuit, with Viacom claiming Rs 100 crore loss. Tamannaah is alleged to be part of the promos and events and now the ED is determined to question all those connected with the scam. Travelling to Guwahati with her parents, the ravishing film star was subjected to 5 hours of questioning. It is not known how this captivating lady withstood the ED grilling (or how the ED faced her voltage). But her visit to the famous Mahashakti’s Tantric power temple of Kamakhya, dressed in a white kurta accompanied by her parents, made more news.
National media attention over the Haryana/J&K state assembly elections blindsided the rest of India from political goings on in neighbourhood Punjab. Fully fit CM Bhagwant Mann quietly reshuffled his cabinet of ministers stamping his authority in Punjab notwithstanding changing intra-party dynamics. Chetan Singh Jauramajra with nine portfolios to include Defense Services Welfare, Freedom Fighters, Horticulture, mining and geology, water resources, conservation of soil and water got the pink slip. AAP’s Jalandhar MLA Mohinder Singh Bhagat (who had left AAP for BJP pastures) secured ministership and first three of these portfolios. Another newly inducted Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal got the remaining departments and a place in Punjab’s council of ministers. Another big loser in the political stakes was Anmol Gagan Maan who held Hospitality, Investment Promotion, Labour, Tourism & Cultural Affairs till CM Mann replaced him with another biggie, Tarunpreet Singh Sond allocating to him Gagan Maan’s portfolios and department of industries and commerce as well. In addition to these Sond also takes charge of rural development and panchayat departments that another downsized minister Lalit Singh Bhullar held till September 23. Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Balkar Singh lost his portfolios but not cabinet rank and will administer the Jails department of Punjab. Ravjot Singh became minister and took over his erstwhile portfolios. Hardeep Singh Mundian is another big new ministerial find for CM Mann and takes charge of housing and urban development (CM held portfolios) along with revenue, rehabilitation and Disaster Management (held by Brahm Shankar Jimpa, who also got the axe. Harjot Singh Bains also found induction as the new Information and Public Relations minister in last month’s reshuffle. Was CM Mann pre-empting a coup? Only time will tell.
Are we driven to autopilot mode? Encircled by artificial intelligence and social networks, it appears that we are pushed into autopilot mode. What is the way out? Mumbai-based Dwarakanath Soundararajan, who promoted Neurosymfony Technologies Ltd, has hit upon a unique solution. A software engineer with deep expertise in web application development and Machine Learning, he has launched a web app that offers much-needed pause — a space for intentional reflection and cultivating a healthy information diet. He has launched www.sphatika.cloud, a structured spiritual journal and deep-thinking web app. It is designed to help one track his/her life’s goals based on yogic principles, specifically the pancha kosha theory, focusing primarily on the Vijnanamaya kosha — The Wisdom Sheath. The app also encourages cultivation of other koshas through spiritual practices. Designed for individuals seeking personal growth and self-awareness, the app serves both as a tool for structured reflection and a guide for pursuing life’s dreams. Its unique blend of spiritual principles and goal-oriented journaling makes it an ideal companion for those who value introspection while striving to achieve tangible results in their lives. Graduated with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Texas at San Antonio, Soundararajan is now focused on creating a social network for spiritual health management.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has taken a lead over other major parties by declaring its first list of a hundred candidates for the coming Maharashtra assembly election. The party is expected to contest around 160 seats in the 288-member house. Even as the partners in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi have been haggling for their individual share of the seats, the BJP’s decision to come out with the first list is considered strategic. Already preparing for the election immediately after the Lok Sabha election was over, the party machinery is geared up to take on its adversaries. Significantly, the first list has few surprises as almost all the sitting MLAs have been asked to contest. The list is topped by deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. A somewhat surprising nominee is state BJP president Chandrakant Bawankule, who has been accommodated in the legislative council after he was refused the assembly opportunity in 2019. He is considered a loyal follower of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. A few days ago, there were murmurs that Gadkari’s loyalists were being side lined. Following some such news reports, a meeting between Gadkari and Fadnavis took place. Bawankule’s selection to fight for the assembly is considered as an adjustment. While the BJP candidates have gone into an overdrive, the hopefuls in other parties are still groping in the dark about their future. Their fate will be declared latest by Monday (Oct 21) evening, it is felt.
It is reportedly the fifth busiest airport by passenger traffic and aircraft movements in India. It is also the third busiest airport by international traffic. In 2023–24, it handled over 21 million passengers. Well, the Chennai International Airport is turning out to be hectic by the day. Handling such heavy traffic and facilitating customs processes prove a big challenge for the authorities. Well, the government is quite aware of this. The Ministry of Finance has decided to appoint approved valuers for assessing gold, silver, jewellery and precious stones at Chennai International Airport. It has already come out with a notification inviting nominations for a panel of valuers responsible for assaying and valuing precious items for both accompanied and unaccompanied passengers, as well as for issuing export certificates. The appointed valuers will also handle the valuation of seized or confiscated goods. One of the requirements for appointment is that they should be available at any time. Qualified assayers, valuers or jewellers affiliated with recognized associations are eligible for submitting applications. “The assayer/valuer is required to present himself /herself before any adjudicating authority / appellate authority/ courts to give the evidence/ produce the relevant records, as and when required,” it said. A valuable initiative, it appears!
In an interesting initiative, PM Modi has established a monitoring group chaired by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to focus on reviewing the implementation of various schemes announced by him, its budgetary provisions, subordinate legislation, and other critical infrastructure projects. The inaugural meeting of this newly formed group took place on October 18 at the PMO. The meeting saw participation from all secretaries to the GoI, including the Chairman of the Railway Board, who attended in a hybrid format. This group is set to convene monthly at the PMO in South Block. The group has been tasked to examine the announcements made by Modi and also assess projects for which the foundation stone has been laid by him. Besides, Chouhan will also communicate expectations of the PMO to relevant secretaries, especially if any project appears to be lagging or requires inter-ministerial support. Modi was reportedly worried about delays in the implementation of government schemes, highlighting these issues in closed-door meetings with secretaries and senior PMO officials. His proactive approach to governance suggests a commitment to ensuring that all government initiatives are executed in a timely and effective manner. The establishment of this monitoring group is widely interpreted as a response to these concerns. Involving Chouhan with more governance responsibilities also reveals that Modi has more plans for the BJP veteran from Madhya Pradesh than what the RSS envisions for him. The Sangh has been pitching for Chouhan who had a near record run of three plus terms as Madhya Pradesh CM as next BJP chief. With his involvement in both day-to-day administration and global affairs, Modi will surely have his say on who will head the BJP next.
Not all is quiet in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) front, post its election defeat to BJP. Many within BJD put the blame on Naveen Patnaik for his blind faith reposed on his personal assistant VK Pandian, IAS officer from Tamil Nadu cadre. The man who was seen in every photo frame of Naveen Patnaik for over a decade now has gone off the grid post the election debacle. BJD insiders say though Pandian seems largely out of sight but he is not out of the picture. He continues to be Naveen babu’s eyes and ears and stealthily visits Naveen Nivas regularly. On his part, the former Odisha chief minister publicly acknowledged that “Pandian had served the state and party with utmost dedication, efficiency and integrity”. Sources say Pandian is like the late RK Dhawan, Indira Gandhi’s personal secretary, who knows too much and that perhaps explains why Patnaik continues to support him. Not surprisingly, his influence continued and led to more disgruntlement, dissensions and desertion within BJD. BJD’s former five time MP Prasanna Kumar Patasani who joined BJP says BJD has become a divided house because Pandian continues to guide BJD as he has Naveen babu’s protection. Patasani alleges that Pandian advised him not to raise the issue of conferring Bharat Ratna to Naveen’s father late Biju Patnaik in the Parliament earlier. Amidst all this finger pointing exercise many from BJD are crossing over to BJP.
For the first time in recent years, Tollywood has taken the Puja box office by storm in Bengal, outshining twin Bollywood releases. Three Bengali films — Srijit Mukherjee’s Tekka, starring and produced by superstar Dev, Shiboprasad Mukherjee-Nandita Roy’s Bahurupi, and Shastri, featuring veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty and Deboshree Roy—hit theatres on October 8 as a Durga Puja bonanza, and audiences flocked to cinemas, setting a new trend in festive box office dominance. Despite earlier scepticism, due to controversies and online trolls targeting Tollywood actors following the RG Kar incident, the three films delivered big time helping the industry recover from a difficult first half. It has been a tradition of releasing Bengali films during Durga Puja but RG Kar protests forced directors and producers to cancel trailer launches and promotions back in August. This led to disappointing collections for films like Raj Chakraborty’s Babli and Srijit’s Mrinal Sen’s biopic Padatik. The only notable box office success during that period was Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta’s 50th film, Ajogyo which crossed Rs 1 crore at national multiplexes. Bahurupi earned over Rs 3 crore in six days. In four days, Tekka achieved over 450 housefull shows making it the highest-grossing Puja release to date of Rs 2.75 crore. Trade analysts expect Tekka to surpass last year’s Puja hit, Dawshom Awbotaar which earned Rs3 crore in 10 days. Meanwhile, Shastri earned over Rs 1 crore. Bollywood’s two major releases Alia Bhatt’s Jigra and Rajkummar Rao’s Vicky Vidya Ka Woo Wala Video earned Rs 2.5 crore each, significantly less than their Bengali counterparts.
If there is one formula for the success of its third term in Haryana that the BJP would most likely use in Maharashtra assembly polls, it would be having a very limited campaign of its star campaigner PM Modi. Unlike the previous strategy of carpet bombing the poll-bound states and Lok Sabha constituencies with Modi’s rallies in the run upto 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the party has begun to restrict the number of Modi’s rallies from Haryana elections. Party sources indicate that PM Modi would not be addressing more than half a dozen rallies and at best such rallies would be spread across different regions in the state. BJP sources pointed out that the CM face for Mahayuti was more or less settled at the Chandigarh NDA CMs meeting when PM Modi asked Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to move the resolution lauding the return of the BJP in Haryana for a third term. Shinde was picked for the honour even as Devendra Fadnavis who represents the BJP in Maharashtra was present. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar also attended the Chandigarh meeting. The NDA CMs conclave started immediately after the swearing-in ceremony of Nayab Singh Saini on October 17 in Chandigarh. There were 13 Chief Ministers and 16 deputy CMs belonging to the BJP and other NDA allies in attendance. Besides CMs of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, states like Bihar, Sikkim, Nagaland and Meghalaya had also put in their attendance.
National media attention over the Haryana/J&K state assembly elections blindsided the rest of India from political goings on in neighbourhood Punjab. Fully fit CM Bhagwant Mann quietly reshuffled his cabinet of ministers stamping his authority in Punjab notwithstanding changing intra-party dynamics. Chetan Singh Jauramajra with nine portfolios to include Defense Services Welfare, Freedom Fighters, Horticulture, mining and geology, water resources, conservation of soil and water got the pink slip. AAP’s Jalandhar MLA Mohinder Singh Bhagat (who had left AAP for BJP pastures) secured ministership and first three of these portfolios. Another newly inducted Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal got the remaining departments and a place in Punjab’s council of ministers. Another big loser in the political stakes was Anmol Gagan Maan who held Hospitality, Investment Promotion, Labour, Tourism & Cultural Affairs till CM Mann replaced him with another biggie, Tarunpreet Singh Sond allocating to him Gagan Maan’s portfolios and department of industries and commerce as well. In addition to these Sond also takes charge of rural development and panchayat departments that another downsized minister Lalit Singh Bhullar held till September 23. Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Balkar Singh lost his portfolios but not cabinet rank and will administer the Jails department of Punjab. Ravjot Singh became minister and took over his erstwhile portfolios. Hardeep Singh Mundian is another big new ministerial find for CM Mann and takes charge of housing and urban development (CM held portfolios) along with revenue, rehabilitation and Disaster Management (held by Brahm Shankar Jimpa, who also got the axe. Harjot Singh Bains also found induction as the new Information and Public Relations minister in last month’s reshuffle. Was CM Mann pre-empting a coup? Only time will tell.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has taken a lead over other major parties by declaring its first list of a hundred candidates for the coming Maharashtra assembly election. The party is expected to contest around 160 seats in the 288-member house. Even as the partners in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi have been haggling for their individual share of the seats, the BJP’s decision to come out with the first list is considered strategic. Already preparing for the election immediately after the Lok Sabha election was over, the party machinery is geared up to take on its adversaries. Significantly, the first list has few surprises as almost all the sitting MLAs have been asked to contest. The list is topped by deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. A somewhat surprising nominee is state BJP president Chandrakant Bawankule, who has been accommodated in the legislative council after he was refused the assembly opportunity in 2019. He is considered a loyal follower of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. A few days ago, there were murmurs that Gadkari’s loyalists were being side lined. Following some such news reports, a meeting between Gadkari and Fadnavis took place. Bawankule’s selection to fight for the assembly is considered as an adjustment. While the BJP candidates have gone into an overdrive, the hopefuls in other parties are still groping in the dark about their future. Their fate will be declared latest by Monday (Oct 21) evening, it is felt.
It is reportedly the fifth busiest airport by passenger traffic and aircraft movements in India. It is also the third busiest airport by international traffic. In 2023–24, it handled over 21 million passengers. Well, the Chennai International Airport is turning out to be hectic by the day. Handling such heavy traffic and facilitating customs processes prove a big challenge for the authorities. Well, the government is quite aware of this. The Ministry of Finance has decided to appoint approved valuers for assessing gold, silver, jewellery and precious stones at Chennai International Airport. It has already come out with a notification inviting nominations for a panel of valuers responsible for assaying and valuing precious items for both accompanied and unaccompanied passengers, as well as for issuing export certificates. The appointed valuers will also handle the valuation of seized or confiscated goods. One of the requirements for appointment is that they should be available at any time. Qualified assayers, valuers or jewellers affiliated with recognized associations are eligible for submitting applications. “The assayer/valuer is required to present himself /herself before any adjudicating authority / appellate authority/ courts to give the evidence/ produce the relevant records, as and when required,” it said. A valuable initiative, it appears!
In an interesting initiative, PM Modi has established a monitoring group chaired by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to focus on reviewing the implementation of various schemes announced by him, its budgetary provisions, subordinate legislation, and other critical infrastructure projects. The inaugural meeting of this newly formed group took place on October 18 at the PMO. The meeting saw participation from all secretaries to the GoI, including the Chairman of the Railway Board, who attended in a hybrid format. This group is set to convene monthly at the PMO in South Block. The group has been tasked to examine the announcements made by Modi and also assess projects for which the foundation stone has been laid by him. Besides, Chouhan will also communicate expectations of the PMO to relevant secretaries, especially if any project appears to be lagging or requires inter-ministerial support. Modi was reportedly worried about delays in the implementation of government schemes, highlighting these issues in closed-door meetings with secretaries and senior PMO officials. His proactive approach to governance suggests a commitment to ensuring that all government initiatives are executed in a timely and effective manner. The establishment of this monitoring group is widely interpreted as a response to these concerns. Involving Chouhan with more governance responsibilities also reveals that Modi has more plans for the BJP veteran from Madhya Pradesh than what the RSS envisions for him. The Sangh has been pitching for Chouhan who had a near record run of three plus terms as Madhya Pradesh CM as next BJP chief. With his involvement in both day-to-day administration and global affairs, Modi will surely have his say on who will head the BJP next.
The Chief Justice of India has inspired and installed a brand new Lady Justice in the SC library, in an effort to bin many a vestige of British colonialism. The just sculpted Lady Justice is as Indian as she can get…she wears a bindi, bangles and strongly resembles Goddess Saraswati. The makeover immediately flashes memories of how justice was strongly and tellingly portrayed in our films with titles like Andha Kanoon, Insaaf ka Tarazu in Hindi, Sattam Oru Iruttu Arai (law is a dark room) in Tamil. The stark inequalities and systemic interpretation of class, gender and caste that torment society were portrayed as the “interpretation” of the law by the Lady Justice, blindfolded, holding a weighing scale in her right hand and a sword in her left. These symbols were meant to convey an impartial system that did not discriminate, and one that meted out punishment, swiftly. The new symbol is significant in keeping with the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replacing the old, the saree clad Lady Justice has no blindfold and the Indian Constitution replaces the sword as a revered Tome in her left hand. She strongly resembles Devi Saraswati from the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma or from the Pooja idols of Kolkata’s Kumartuli. But mere intent to clean up colonial cobwebs is not enough. With 51 million cases clogging the judicial system, 80,000 in the SC alone, delaying justice delivery in a shocking way, how is the system gearing up for fast redressals and closures?
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has become a stumbling block in the seat sharing talks with the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray. The simmering differences over allotment of seats in Vidarbha and in Mumbai to some extent are said to be the reason for the disagreement. “It seems Maharashtra Congress leaders are unable to take decisions in several matters. Hence we will talk with Ramesh Chennithala and Rahul Gandhi,” Sena MP Sanjay Raut said. However, the news has leaked out that the Sena will not join any talks where Patole is present. The Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar is yet to react to the tricky development. Thus, the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi will have to negotiate a slippery patch very cautiously to land safely in the electoral arena. Over the past few days, a series of meetings have been held by MVA to finalise the seat sharing formula for the election to be held on 20 November. The regained confidence after the Lok Sabha election’s win needs to be retained since inordinate delays in such sensitive matters can vitiate the mood of the rank and file, the Sena feels. MVA leaders till now have reached an accord on about 200 seats of the total 288. The main impediment is the seat sharing in Vidarbha, where the Congress party has an upper hand. The Sena’s claim that it sacrificed seats like Amravati and Ramtek for the Lok Sabha election in favour of the Congress is not seen to be cutting much ice. This has angered Uddhav, who is not ready to wait any longer.
Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan is being considered by the BJP for contesting the Nanded Lok Sabha byelection. A Rajya Sabha member at present, Chavan and his father Shankarrao have been elected from Nanded repeatedly for the past six decades on Congress tickets. A father-son CM duo, the Chavan family has a close attachment with Nanded, an underdeveloped pocket of the backward Marathwada region. Both have represented Nanded in parliament and the assembly. Ashok’s wife Ameeta, was a Nanded MLA. At present, their daughter Shrijaya is in the news as the next Nanded candidate of the BJP for the assembly. While Ashok Chavan seemed ensconced comfortably in the Rajya Sabha, the unexpected death of sitting Nanded MP Vasant Chavan of the Congress has changed the political equations. Since the seat was wrested by the Congress from the BJP earlier this year, Ashok is considered the best bet to win it back. The Congress has announced the candidature of Ravindra Chavan, the son of the deceased MP. Nanded Lok Sabha constituency has a substantial Muslim population, it being an important region of the Nizam’s Hyderabad princely state. In view of this, former Aurangabad (Sambhaji Nagar) MP Imtiyaz Jaleel of AIMIM has declared his resolve to enter the fray. In case this happens, the arithmetic of the election will undergo a sea change. Whatever happens, Ashok Chavan will continue to be a member of parliament.
Black cat commandos will no longer guard VVIPs? PM Modi has decided to completely overhaul the VIP security setup in the coming months, leading to the transfer of security duties for over a dozen high-risk individuals from the National Security Guard (NSG) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to other paramilitary forces. This exercise will cover political figures, ex-ministers, retired bureaucrats, and others. The strategy to withdraw black cats from VIP security duties has been under consideration since 2012. This is due to NSG commanders anticipating a scenario where simultaneous terrorist attacks could occur at various locations across the country, necessitating the rapid deployment of commandos in multiple directions. The plan to relieve NSG from VIP security tasks has been in the making since 2012 when NSG commanders foresaw an event where simultaneous terror attacks could be witnessed at one time on multiple centres in the country, and the commandos would have to be rushed in different directions. In January 2020, after the removal of the SPG cover for the Gandhi family, a committee of the MHA decided to withdraw NSG from VIP security tasks. The initiative was taken after the CRPF, which was assigned to Parliament security duty, was withdrawn after the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) took over the responsibility of providing overall security in Parliament. Once the CRPF takes over the VIP security, the NSG will be assigned solely with its commitment to combat terror activities. Home Minister Amit Shah has asked the officials to work on the idea of making NSG free from VIP duty. The SPG, formed in 1985, after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, exclusively guards the PM and his immediate family.
PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah launched their national political plan while proactively handling Haryana’s assembly poll affair to elect 90 MLAs. Focussed on the anti-incumbency factor and unsure BJP’s sitting CM Manoharlal Khattar resigned in March 2024, donated worldly possessions worth Rs 1 crore to PM Relief Fund and was replaced by party’s Haryana OBC face Nayab Singh Saini. ‘Jat’ political predominance was sidestepped with emphasis on Dalit, backward communities instead, never before seen in Haryana. Saini’s eight-month tenure as CM backed several pro backward community measures culminating with his decision to encompass all crops grown in Haryana under the state sponsored MSP regime. The BJP distracted from its held election SOP and announced Saini as its CM face. Senior BJP leader Anand Vij, holding high respectability for probity in public service announced mid-poll campaign he would take leadership as Haryana CM, post elections causing Saini’s swearing in ceremony as CM postponed from October 13, 2024 to October 15 and then finally, held on October 17. BJP’s southern Haryana royalty factor: Rao Birendra Singh also needed assuaging, then said he follows party line after meeting Shah. Amit Shah, appointed by PM Modi, then busy with international challenges, ensured smooth government formation. An insider says, “Saini’s importance envisaged by PM Modi (Shah) factored the impact his community holds in Haryana and also Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan. Shah smoothened ruffled feathers, accommodating Vij’s political growth just like another day in office. The opposition said rebel infighting within BJP delayed swearing-in but only Congress suffered, then lost elections due to infighting.”
Shocking details about the Sadhguru’s Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore have come to light through the counter filed by the Tamil Police in the Supreme Court against the stay issued for the conduct of the search operations in the center’s premises. After the Supreme Court stayed Tamil Nadu police raids, which were started following a Madras high court order, the State police was asked to file the counter. It revealed that many people who had gone to Isha Yoga Center have gone missing and the police had not been able to trace them. It also said that a cremation ground was functioning inside the Isha premises at the foothills of Velliangiri Hills in suburban Coimbatore and that the hospital there was giving expired medicines to patients who visited it with health problems. The case of the parents of two women said to be confined against their will inside the ashram was always weak considering they are adults and have said they are there of their own volition. The habeas corpus meant little after the women had explained their decision. There are, however, other reasons like missing persons, disdain for rules and regulations in terms of land under the centre’s control now through which much encroachment may have taken place that need to be probed. But who will bell the cat against a godman of considerable influence.
Surprising India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Pakistan and yet, it was purpose driven, centric to the ‘Akhand Bharat’ philosophy. Without official government assertion on this so far, the MEA Chief exploited his first speech from Pakistan highlighting advancements India registered over the last decade while Pakistan resorted to begging bowl diplomacy seeking foreign funds. India’s MEA S Jaishankar emphasized the stark difference between Bharat and Pakistan, deployed honest yet offensive diplomacy citing India’s undisputed status as defence hub of South East Asia. Contrasted with radical Islamic, state sponsored terrorist pre-dispositioned of the Pakistani military establishment, Jaishankar’s message resonated with Pakistani citizens. Jaishankar simply elucidated that China was not Pakistan’s ally but had taken over leadership position akin to an exploitative employer. The MEA boss’ emphasis on PM Modi’s 2014 ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy reference informed Pakistanis about strong bonds established between India and Afghanistan, an Islamic state, that today calls India its true friend irrespective of the $ 3 billion Indian infrastructure building there. Says a BJP leader, “The Maldivian government has come to its knees, Sri Lanka’s newly elected leftist President seeks closer ties and now, the desperate Canadian PM Justin Trudeau was soundly exposed over his false deep state narrative rant against India sans proof. Trudeau will likely face full force of negative voter sentiments by the majority of Sikh, Punjabi, Gujarati PIO citizens during his bid to hold power in Canada since Modi plays social influencer like never before witnessed global paradigm.
Now that BJP has won the Haryana election, all eyes are on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Speculations are rife that Odisha-born Pradhan may succeed JP Nadda and take over as BJP president. This succession speculation comes at the back of Nadda who is already overburdened with two portfolios one as BJP’s caretaker President and also being Union Minister Health & Family Welfare. Besides, the BJP manifesto also clearly specifies “one man one post policy” which needs to be adhered to. Why Pradhan given that there are other veterans within the party. And for now Amit Shah is shouldering a major burden of the party. Pradhan’s name surfaced for his exemplary performance of ensuring BJP win in Haryana when it was a foregone conclusion –Exit Polls, Ground Reports — that it would be a landslide victory for Congress. But, Pradhan’s social engineering saw BJP snatching the victory from the jaws of defeat. Winning for the third time is indeed considered a rarity these days. Besides, Pradhan’s contribution to UP, Uttarakhand, Nandigram in West Bengal, Karnataka, Jharkhand,Chhattisgarh and the recent Odisha assembly election success are well known. Pradhan has a winning combination; he is considered trustworthy, has a proven track record, known to be a good negotiator and has the backing of Amit Shah. Certainly he seems like a front runner for now. But as always the casting vote lies with PM Modi.
The upcoming by-election in six constituencies of West Bengal on November 13 is set to be a pivotal moment for the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which faces growing unrest among civil society over the RG Kar hospital incident. According to TMC insiders, the party leadership is eager to assess whether it still has the same level of public support that led to its overwhelming victory in the general elections just four months ago. These elections coincide with widespread protests in the state, particularly the ongoing hunger strike by junior doctors in Kolkata, now in its 13th day. TMC is not only focused on retaining the five seats in its strongholds—but is also eyeing Madarihat, a stronghold of BJP, as well. Party insiders say that winning the bypoll could help mitigate the anti-government sentiment and diminish the political impact of the protests, which many in the TMC argue are primarily an urban movement. Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh indicated that the party sees this election as an opportunity to reassess its grassroots hold and signal that rural and semi-urban constituencies do not resonate with the anti-government sentiments that have surfaced in the cities. BJP spokesperson Rajarshi Lahiri is confident that RG Kar hospital will benefit his party gain ground in five of six constituencies but is less confident about Haroa, citing its Muslim-majority population vis a vis TMC. CPI(M) and Congress feel the protests’ impact are mostly Kolkata-centric.
After much tossing around, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has decided to go to polls without any face to present the picture of an united front. Post-Haryana debacle, the Congress clipped wings of its multiple strong leaders and has sent a message to its cadres to work together and not heed to the various factions at play. State Congress president Nana Patole did try to showcase himself for the top slot, but was cut to size by Delhi. Though Uddhav Thackeray has been consistently trying to project himself to be the CM face, his coalition partners are convinced that he no longer commands the strength of numbers. His bete noire, chief minister Eknath Shinde may be leading the Mahayuti alliance in the polls but there is no guarantee he will become the CM. He was apparently reminded by Amit Shah that he remains the CM only because of the BJP’s sacrifice of not claiming the seat. The BJP cadres are already upset at the BJP leadership for letting Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit Shinde’s constituency Thane, over the BJP’s own strongholds. The BJP has been struggling with constraints to retain the Maratha vote bank and fear that projecting a Brahmin leader like Devendra Fadnavis could backfire against them. Fadnavis no longer commands clout in his own party like he once did. Ajit Pawar, who was once tipped to be CM when he split from his uncle Sharad Pawar to join the ruling Mahayuti, cuts a sorry figure today and is no longer in the reckoning for the top seat.
Upon the official announcement of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the Congress’s candidate from Wayanad, Kerala for Lok Sabha by-election, Congress workers have started putting up her posters in the constituency. The posters featured the greeting “Wayanadinte Priyankari” (Wayanad beloved). The question is with the Lok Sabha bypoll for Wayanad on November 13, how much time will siblings Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi give for polls in Jharkhand and Maharashtra on November 13 and 20? Since it will be Priyanka’s first electoral foray, it is quite likely that Rahul is likely to do much of the heavy lifting for her. The seat fell vacant as Rahul who had contested from both Rae Bareli and Wayanad, decided to represent the UP seat and wanted Priyanka to contest from Wayanad in a by-election. However, the ruling Left Front has made it clear that it would not be a cake walk for Priyanka. Kerala Minister MB Rajesh sought to remind how Rahul Gandhi has deserted Wayanad. “In August, when the state was reeling under floods, we had expected Rahul to deliver special help from the Centre. Wayanad is a constituency that gave RaGa refuge when he lost Amethi, but in the very next opportunity, Rahul Gandhi abandoned Wayanad, and now people of Wayanad will give him a befitting reply.”
Normally, questions about EVMs (electronic voting machines) and the Election Commission are raised after elections. However, the question of EVM was raised again soon after the EC declared the poll schedules for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections. Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leader Sanjay Raut said opposition parties do not trust the working of EVMs, and what happened in Haryana can be repeated in Maharashtra too. Congress leader Rashid Alvi alleged that EVMs could be manipulated just like Hezbollah pagers, which Israel hacked to carry out blasts in Lebanon. Rubbishing doubts, CEC Rajiv Kumar said, “Our EVMs are more robust than Hezbollah’s pagers, and they are 100% foolproof. EVMs cannot be hacked. Pagers are connected devices, but EVMs are not. “Those who are again questioning EVMs will have to answer many questions. Were EVMs working perfectly during the Lok Sabha polls but were hacked during the Haryana polls? Did EVMs work perfectly in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh but were tampered with in MP and Chhattisgarh? Who will believe such allegations? An electronic voting machine is just like a calculator, and it has no connection to the Internet via Bluetooth or any remote device. The battery usage of an EVM is written on the form when the EVM is packed and sealed. Candidates or their agents countersign it. Secondly, in a big country like India, where thousands of EVMs are used, and lakhs of government employees are involved in the electoral process, how can EVMs be hacked? And if some people tamper with the EVMs, how can the matter remain a secret? Victories and defeats occur during elections, but blaming the defeat on the EC or raising questions about EVM tampering is childish.
The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal has been pounding Tamil Nadu with massive rainfall and flooding. Schools, Colleges and all public institutions are to remain closed with dire warnings of every hue…red, orange alerts to stay indoors and stay safe. But the government in its wisdom is keeping the state-run TASMAC outlets open for thirsty denizens. PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramdoss has lashed out at the TN government over this move. “Is it life-saving medicine or an essential that the public can’t live without? Is it an intrinsic part of the Dravida model to keep liquor sales open”? asked Anbumani in X. Significantly, Deputy CM, Udhayanidhi Stalin addressed the media even as the MET office warned about the heavy rain conditions to hit and assured that the DMK government was fully prepared to take on the threat of flooding. Having suffered severe losses in the past two cyclone hits with cars inundated, the public quickly resorted to parking cars on the flyover bridges….The Velachery flyover overnight turned into a parking lot. It’s another outrage that the police warned about big fines for such “parking”, adding insult to injury. YouTube podcasts on the rain caused flooding in Poes Garden, the hallowed precinct of power, politics and prestige turned smirk worthy. Ramadoss and his take on keeping TASMAC sales open as part of Dravida governance is seen as justified. Strange are the ways of “ideology” when it is business as usual.
Even as the Election Commission finalised polling date for Maharashtra as November 20, the Congress took a lesson from the BJP playbook and appointed senior leaders from other states to manage the polls in Maharashtra as observers. The high-profile team includes former CMs like Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel and Charanjit Channi. Karnataka deputy CM G Parameshwara, former deputy CMs TR Singhdeo and Sachin Pilot. The team also includes two Telangana ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and D Anasuya Seethakka. Deployment of a super team comes right after Congress’ debacle in Haryana elections where BJP won for the third time, securing 48 seats despite exit polls predicting a definite win for the Congress, which was able to secure only 37 seats. One of the reasons that was attributed to the party’s loss is leaving it all to former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Karnataka deputy CM G Parameshwara have been assigned Mumbai and Konkan region while Vidarbha region will be handled by former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and Madhya Pradesh MLA and former minister Umang Singhar. Former Rajasthan deputy CM Sachin Pilot and senior Telangana minister Uttam Kumar Reddy have been deputed to Marathwada region while former Chhattisgarh deputy CM TS Singhdeo and senior Karnataka minister MB Patil have been assigned Western Maharashtra. Senior Rajya Sabha MP Syed Nasser Hussain and senior Telangana minister D Anasuya Seethakka have been asked to look after North Maharashtra. For Jharkhand, the party has appointed a 3-member team headed by Tariq Anwar and Adhir Ranjan Choudhary. Meanwhile, the party has declared Priyanka Gandhi as Wayanad Lok Sabha candidate.
The Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra held over five cabinet meetings in the span of the first fortnight of October and took over 200 decisions. This was the sprint before the code of conduct got enforced on October 15, 2024. In fact, even the death of Ratan Tata, that had the state observe a day of mourning, did not dissuade Shinde from not holding a cabinet. There was rapid fire decision-making with two cabinet meetings witnessing almost 71 decisions and even 80 decisions each. The chief minister has been over-generous and liberal in doling out freebies, sops and financial allocations in a bid to earn brownie points in the forthcoming elections forcing the opposition to claim that the state treasury was being emptied to woo voters by Shinde. Maharashtra already has debts of over Rs 7 lakh crore and the Ladki Bahin Yojana is expected to bleed it further. Concerns are already being raised about the feasibility of Shinde’s schemes be it the launching of multiple corporations considering that CAG report had claimed that most corporations were not functioning well. In fact, Shinde’s generosity in financial disbursements goes beyond the confines of the state. Sanjay Raut has claimed that the BJP has got Shinde to fund elections in other states like that of Haryana and that each of the probable candidates were being doled out Rs 20 crore by Shinde. The average Mumbaikar is happy that the toll fee at the five entry points has stopped for now. Whether this will convert into votes for Shinde remains to be seen.
The BJP has finalized its polls strategy for the Maharashtra state assemblies for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and UP CM Yogi Adityanath will be the star campaigners. The troika will address 18, 26 and 26 public rallies respectively across Maharashtra in a blitzkrieg of public rallies. This carpet-bombing political strategy seeks to exploit the party’s recent success in the Haryana assembly elections where the BJP returned to power for a record third time and improved performance in the Jammu region of J&K where this troika delivered the goods so-to-speak in good measure. International political developments particularly, in neighbouring Bangladesh played a crucial role in consolidating the Indian voter base of the BJP. Additionally, the RSS had organized 16,000 public meetings in Haryana over the last four months encompassing 6,000 villages in the state through a targeted door-to-door campaign by deploying its Karyakartas in the run up to the state assembly elections with a message of Hindu unity that worked like a charm for the BJP. The RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat publicly announced that his cadre of Pracharaks has laser focussed its attention to the forthcoming state assembly elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand just like it did for Haryana and the general elections of India prior to that through a micro-outreach program. “Our culture, country and (Hindu) religion must not only survive but thrive,” Bhagwat has stated in obvious reference to consistent international (deep state) efforts to undermine India’s growing economy and its cultural identity that has been re-established over the last decade.
Could Baba Siddique who was shot dead while he was bursting crackers outside his MLA son Zeeshan’s office on Vijaya Dashami lived if he had moved out of Maharashtra politics just as he had wished? The former Congress leader, who hailed from Bihar, was apparently wanting to return to his roots and had even met with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, seeking a Rajya Sabha berth before making the switch to the NCP led by Ajit Pawar. It seemed he had enough of Mumbai politics and deals. Responding to Siddique’s tragic news, Tejashwi Yadav merely acknowledged how he had interacted with Siddique and his family during his recent visit to Mumbai. Siddique hailed from Gopalganj district. For some reason, Siddique was uncomfortable with the Congress and Shiv Sena(UBT) alliance, and had decided to opt out of the party in March this year. A three-time MLA from Bandra West assembly constituency, Siddique had served as a minister in the Congress-undivided NCP government in the early 2000.While his exit would be a big loss to Ajit Pawar ahead of the assembly polls, Sharad Pawar too hailed him as a leader who fought for the “minority community and championed secularism”. A close associate of actor-turned-politician Sunil Dutt, who helped him secure his first Congress ticket in 1999. Siddique is credited for bringing to end frosty ties between actors Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan in 2013
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Dussehra address in Nagpur is seen as an endorsement of the BJP’s policy of Hindu consolidation. It is like a green signal for the party to proceed with its agenda, the insiders feel. Bhagwat’s remarks will be helpful in boosting the BJP’s prospects in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly election since there is no ambiguity in his message. The tone of the address, delivered at the beginning of the centenary year of the RSS, will be interpreted severally but the RSS will continue its work undaunted, its veteran members say. The BJP had suffered in the Lok Sabha election since the RSS had not immersed itself fully in the contest. The BJP took due note of its displeasure and took corrective steps. The result was that it bagged Haryana, though with a nominal margin. The same formula will now be emulated in Maharashtra where the BJP lost 16 Lok Sabha seats due to minority collective vote in favour of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi candidates. Learning a lesson from the debacle, the ruling Mahayuti partners have been implementing their strategy in an organized manner. Still, there was uneasiness in the saffron camp given the clout of NCP founder Sharad Pawar. The announcement of the election dates and the candidates of respective parties is expected to occur at any moment now. Hence, Bhagwat’s clear call has come as a welcome breather for the Mahayuti.
Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique’s tragic death in a shooting attack has once again churned the state politics on the eve of the coming assembly election. A former Congress leader, Siddique had only recently joined the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Incidentally, but for a handful pockets, the party has no political space in Mumbai. Hence Siddique’s loss will be felt by it intensely. His son Zeeshan is a Congress MLA from Nirmal Nagar in Bandra. Siddique’s death just outside his son’s office and despite having ‘Y’ grade security has put the three-party Mahayuti alliance in the dock. The focus, however, is on deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis as he handles the home portfolio. His critics have once again trained their guns against Fadnavis, perceived as the main challenger for the opposition-led Maha Vikas Aghadi. The demand for his resignation had started no sooner than Siddique was being moved to hospital. Congress scion Rahul Gandhi is among the prominent politicians to castigate the state government for the tragedy. Even some NCP (Ajit) functionaries, too, have joined the chorus. The police are investigating various possible connections behind the killing in the congested busy locality. A popular figure among politicians and Bollywood, the image of the Mumbai police has suffered but the fallout will have to be faced by the political leadership. The embattled Mahayuti will need a herculean effort to emerge from the situation.
Maharashtra politics is on the boil over alliance angst breaking out openly for more seats for forthcoming state assembly polls with Sharad Pawar and UBT Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray ganging up against the recently Haryana humbled Congress party, even as NCP’s Ajit Pawar seeks 60 seats for his clock symbol. State cabinet meeting on October 10 witnessed deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar walking out within 10 minutes following with slew of decisions pertaining to his finance department discussed and cleared over next couple of hours. The BJP seeks to satiate Pawar between 40 and 50 assemblies with Shiv Sena CM Eknath Shinde eyeing 80 seats after his 40% strike rate in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll. Sharad Pawar is hand holding with Uddhav Thackeray and key Congressmen to renew his bid for one last political stint at helm of political affairs in Maharashtra. Thackeray also upped the ante citing Congress’ inability to win Haryana assemblies after shrugging off alliance Dharma to its own detriment. Following the 2019 state assemblies Pawar literally leveraged the majority of 44 Maharashtra Congress MLAs forcing Congress high command into MVA alliance, and power. Congress strategist, late Ahmed Patel, was forced to take backdoor exit from the party’s Dadar office after facing belligerent party MLAs who disagreed upon eschewing power in Maharashtra. Will the Congress retain its leader status in Maharashtra, hold sway over 125 seats for forthcoming assemblies? Come Dussehra, we should know?
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar was hitting the headlines all these days since several hopefuls from other parties were ‘homecoming’ into his Nationalist Congress Party to obtain candidature with his blessings. The spree appeared to be swelling further but has hit a sudden roadblock, that too in Baramati. A recent decision of the Pawar father-daughter duo has posed a daunting challenge for the octogenarian in his home turf. Many of his traditional followers have warned him of an upheaval if BJP-deserter Harshvarrdhan Patil is given candidacy from Indapur, adjacent to Baramati. Patil family has been nursing a grievance against Pawar for many decades. He had left the Congress in 2019 to join the BJP. But no plum position came his way. For the coming assembly election, too, there was no clear cut assurance from the BJP for a ticket. Therefore, Harshvarrdhan Patil’s plea to Pawar and the positive reciprocation he received have angered the loyal NCP workers. In a public rally, they have told Pawar to be prepared to face “India’s biggest revolt” if Patil is chosen to contest on their behalf from Indapur. The venue for the rally was the same wherein Patil was admitted into the NCP a few days ago. However, the turnout was much larger and had a substantial number of women present, sending warning signals for the Pawar camp. How the NCP founder quells the situation will decide the fates of many more party hoppers.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) cadres are gearing up for the coming Maharashtra assembly election, which will prove a game changer, whatever the outcome. If the results favour the three-party ruling Mahayuti, the NDA will face various coming state assembly fights next year with renewed confidence. On the other hand, a repeat of the Lok Sabha results will add to the UPA ammunition. Hence, the saffron planning is to ensure that the opposition-led Maha Vikas Aghadi does not benefit for any reason, especially due to the narrative regarding the change in the constitution. As part of this strategy plan, a meeting is reported to have been held in Nagpur between the BJP and the RSS to review the scenario. A highlight of the deliberations was that the core message of Hindutva must be the focal point of campaigning. Similarly, while distributing tickets, care must be taken not to rub the party’s loyal workforce the wrong way. In other words, the BJP must ensure that its long-time workers are not sidelined in the process. This election will be crucial for the BJP as a win in the second largest state, Maharashtra, will boost its morale. As the Mahayuti formation has somehow complicated the exercise of seat sharing, the BJP is intent on improving upon its strike rate, which was quite low in the Lok Sabha election. According to the party’s calculations, over a dozen parliamentary seats were lost with rather slim margins and can be won over now with more aggressive campaigning.
The safety net atop the quadrangle at Maharashtra’s secretariat Mantralaya is emerging as the protesters’ new hot spot. Jumping into the safety net has become a surefire way to highlight issues with the Eknath Shinde-led government. Raj Thackeray, known for his sharp jibes, termed it as a circus when state deputy speaker and tribal leader Narhari Zirwal jumped on to the nets along with three other legislators on October 4, to protest against the Dhangar (shepherd community) from being considered for reservations under ST quota. This sparked threats of more protest jumps by OBC leader Prakash Shengde if demands were not met. Shendge’s supporters followed suit by jumping on the safety net for their demands for reservations four days later on October 8. The Mantralaya has been witnessing protests of varying kinds forcing security staff at Mantralaya to keep banning new things. Earlier when a protestor tried to immolate himself, water bottles got banned for visitors. Another protest of throwing pamphlets on the protective net, sparked bans on bringing in any kind of pamphlets particularly bearing pictures of political leaders. The safety net itself came into being following threats of protesters to jump from the secretariat building to press for their demands. These protests show the urgent desperation to catch the government’s attention with state elections set to be announced soon. Shinde is known for being accessible and entertaining visitors till early hours of the dawn at times. Shinde has been fast tracking cabinet clearances with a vengeance — taking more than 100 decisions in just three cabinet meetings in the span of just a week.
Both the newly-elected National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah and the Centre certainly started off on the right note. While PM Modi complimented the NC leader for his party’s commendable performance in winning 42 seats across J&K, Omar promptly thanked PM Modi, quickly adding that “we look forward to a constructive relationship in the true spirit of federalism so that the people of J&K may benefit from continued development and good governance.” Even in media interactions, Omar was careful to suggest that his party would not push for Article 370 — an item on its manifesto — as of now as he did not wish to be irritating the Centre. “We are not foolish to think we will get Article 370 back. We already have hostile neighbours on both sides. We want strong relations with the Central government”. He acknowledged PM Modi was an honourable man who had promised to restore statehood to J&K once the polls were over. Now that they are, he was only hoping it would be done soon. However reports that J& K LG Manoj Sinha could nominate five members from the BJP to the assembly worried Omar. He said such a move could contribute to friction between the elected government and the Centre and the new government would be compelled to approach the Supreme Court challenging it. Another big challenge for the new government is how to give representation to the Hindu-dominated mainland Jammu, where the NC-Congress combine have won no seat. The 8 seats the two parties – NC 7, Cong 1 — won in the Jammu province all fall in its hilly areas. Yes, the BJP swept the entire predominantly Hindu-inhabited areas across the Jammu province picking up 29 assembly seats.
Return of the BJP to power in Haryana, after a below par performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is great news for the Modi government. Firstly, it sets the tone for the next round of assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. It also strengthens the Modi government and its coalition agenda. The Haryana results certainly came as a shock to the Congress which was hoping to ride on the 10-year anti-incumbency of the BJP government. But then both PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah are people who never underestimate their rivals. They had recalled CM Manohar Khattar to Delhi and put a new CM Nayab Singh Saini on the eve of the polls. More than the OBC CM face, what seemed to have worked for the party was the ground work on caste groups. While the Congress relied on mainly mobilising Jat votes via its former CM Bhupinder Hooda, non-Jats rallied behind the BJP fearing a Jat backlash if Hoodas were to return to power. Sidelining of senior Congress leader Kumari Selja by the Hoodas also gave a handle to the BJP to mobilise Dalit votes. Congress had to readmit Ashok Tanwar at eleventh hour to retrieve Dalit seats as Selja sulked.Two campaign pitches seem to have played a role in the state. One is a speech by UP CM Yogi Adityanath who made a strong pitch for Hindu unity, referring to the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh he reminded, “Batenge to Katenge, Ek Rahenge to Nek Rahenge.” This was endorsed by PM Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. As for the Congress loss, party sources say Rahul Gandhi’s reference to Sikhs and their religious freedom in India while he was in the U.S.had put off Sikh voters.
Not surprised that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has been charged with stealing important items including sofa, potted plants, air conditioners and taps, while vacating the Deputy CM’s official residence in Patna. The allegations were made by Satrudhan Kumar, personal secretary to Bihar’s present deputy CM and BJP leader, Samrat Choudhary. Tejashwi vacated the official residence on October 6. This trait of damaging public property seems to be a growing trend among leaders who lose office. It wasn’t just the BJP but even the JD(U) found that Tejashwi had taken a long time to vacate the official bungalow after ceasing to be deputy CM –JD(U)-RJD government had ended way back in January 2024 soon after CM Nitish Kumar had switched over to the NDA. Tejashwi’s act is a throwback to what happened in UP, when SP leader Akhilesh Yadav was asked to vacate his house in Lucknow after losing the assembly polls in 2017. It was a Supreme Court order that finally managed to secure his eviction a year later. Even as he moved out, Akhilesh had completely vandalised the bungalow. He claimed he had got the installations done in such a way that if he had to leave, he could take them with him. It was his taking away of the taps that had earned him the moniker “tonthi chor.” Way back in 2006, post Pramod Mahajan’s tragic exit and the death of his assistant Vivek Moitra, there were Congress leaders who eyed his 7, Safdarjung Road Bungalow. It was coveted for the fabled interior Mahajan had installed — imported tiles and fancy Jacuzzi. Unfortunately, much to their dismay the house was found to be shorn off all the magic interior during handover.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his recent visit to Maharashtra, cemented seat sharing talks within the Mahayuti and announced BJP’s CM face. During introductory remarks at a closed-door intra-party BJP meeting Shah recognized Devendra Fadnavis as “Humare Party Ke (Maharashtra) Sarvosarvah” while introducing other state level party leaders by respective designations. Shah’s predominance over 50% of organizational work, the domain of National BJP president JP Nadda, sets to rest speculation over Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s candidature as next BJP president. Chauhan’s exemplary work in agriculture and current emphasis on Maharashtra saw the former Madhya Pradesh CM, son-in-law of Gondia in Maharashtra cosying up to deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Shah finalized seat sharing numbers for assemblies; BJP will contest between 150-160 seats, Shiv Sena 70-80 and NCP 40-50. Second round discussions will focus on sitting MLAs within the alliance after which, second placed Lok Sabha losers from NDA will also be factored in. Shah also injected confidence in the party cadre asking, “Why are you depressed? We returned to power for a record three times not-just-withstanding INDIA Bloc but also forces from abroad who proactively used AI and funding to defeat PM Modi.” The BJP’s political strategist emphasised the need to grow the NDA vote share by a couple of percentage points in the forthcoming assembly elections bearing in mind the marginal percentage point reduction during Maha Lok Sabha polls in 48 constituencies. Shah’s gameplan also seeks MVA alliance’s vote share effectively curbed may see disgruntled MVA aspirants independently playing spoilsport come elections. Now if only, Nitin Gadkari would also toe the party line?
The exit poll predictions about Haryana and Jammu-Kashmir assembly elections have sent cautionary signals to both camps in Maharashtra. While the ruling Mahayuti feels it needs to reinvigorate its cadres, the opposition-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is worried that its workers can become complacent and take the victory in the coming election for granted. Sensing the possibility of doom spreading over the BJP workforce in case the party loses on 8 October, as forecast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi injected a new spirit in the organisation during his Saturday (Oct 6) visit to Maharashtra. He blasted the Congress party like never before while highlighting the developmental work his government has initiated in the state. The party’s election strategy will be redrawn after Haryana and Jammu-Kashmir results on October 8. To capitalise on its spectacular performance in the Lok Sabha election, the MVA is determined to improve upon its parliamentary score. The Congress, the main partner, is confident of a fabulous win. Expression to this feeling by various party leaders has been worrying the other two partners – the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar. Moreover, the complacency already visible among the workers will have to be ended soon by the leadership. The electioneering will start from 14 October, a day after Dussehra, as soon as candidates are announced by different parties.
Ever since he lost power in the Odisha assembly elections in 2024, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik, age notwithstanding, has moved in aggressive mode to put BJP on the back foot. The general feeling was that BJD has lost steam and may implode over a period. BJP MLA Sanatan Bijuli openly says that “there will be no need to break BJD, it will disintegrate automatically.” Echoing Bijuli’s statement, Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal says there are many BJD leaders waiting to join BJP. Our completion of 100 days is only a trailer. The movie is ahead. To boost confidence in his party and cadres, the former chief minister Patnaik has been extensively touring the state to strengthen the party. In the last two months he has already toured 30 districts to work out future road maps district-wise. For Patnaik, attacking BJP is the best form of defence. At the BJD’s annual Jansampark Padyatra which commenced from October 2 onward at Bhubaneswar, Naveen Patnaik taunted BJP not fulfilling its election promises. He listed several of them one by one. He asked BJP why households have not received Rs 300 units free electricity, asked the status of Rs 3,000 allowances towards SSS scheme, where is the Rs 50,000 cash voucher for every woman under the Subhadra Yojana scheme. Naveen summarised these lapses as a wakeup call for people of Odisha. Seasoned politicians say Naveen’s aggressive combat strategy towards BJP is to neutralise the negative effect of his Rajya Sabha MPs joining BJP.
Immediately after his ascension to the TN throne as Deputy CM, Udhayanidhi Stalin did the mandatory optic-filled rounds of feet touching of elders in the party, seeking their blessings. He did not ignore Rajathi Ammal, his second grandmother and his aunt Kanimozhi. The usual platitudes and well-wishing congratulations were extended. But wagging tongues continued to rustle up a huge stir of debate, debunking the obvious…that all is well in Stalin’s family and Kalaignar’s extended family, that Udhayanidhi was an inch away from the top seat of TN, and that Stalin had a firm grip over Party, Government and challengers. Stalin himself had gone through this gambit when his father had to sideline an impetuous, mercurial second son MK Alagiri and choose younger son Stalin. The buzz became very real when Kanimozhi posted on her Insta juxtaposed with a photo of her late Dad, “Appa I miss you, though you are always with me “. Just the kind of wet earth needed to sprout a thousand conjectures. Senior Journalist Tamizha Tamizha Pandian in his no punches spared interview said, “After Karunanidhi, Stalin, Kanimozhi and then Udhayanidhi are in the succession line. But Stalin chose to elevate his son, missing the next in line Kanimozhi”. Note, the deputy CM tag was conferred, but no change in portfolio –he still is Sports Minister. Kanimozhi won’t rock the palace intrigues boat, now says Pandian and adds that it may perhaps happen when Udhayanidhi steps into his father’s shoes. At that point, Kani may stake her claim… the party could split with the old guard supporting her.
By pushing for a demand to raise the state quota for reservation limit to 75 %, Sharad Pawar has put the BJP in a quandary. Acceding to this demand could prove counterproductive for the BJP against its own OBC support base. The quota for reservation has upset the BJP core constituency of the other backward classes (OBC), which is upset at the Marathas wanting a share from their reservation pie and are vehemently opposing it. The BJP, which bore the brunt of the reservation agitation in the 2024 Lok Sabha results (won 9 out of the 28 seats in Maharashtra) had granted reservations for the Maratha community, hoping to woo the significant Maratha vote bank. Getting the Maratha Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, on their side, was also part of this strategy. Yet, now far from getting the Maratha support, it finds itself struggling to wriggle out of its repercussions. The Marathas continue to be upset with the BJP, particularly with its leader Devendra Fadnavis for not ensuring a legal-proof reservation insisting that only being added in the OBC bandwagon, could help withstand legal scrutiny. The Marathas anger for being lathi-charged and rioting cases against them not being withdrawn, also continues. Manoj Jarange Patil continues to spit fire on BJP and threatens to scuttle their chances in this election. Pawar, who himself has led Maharashtra four times as a CM, was clearly well aware of the pitfalls of yielding to reservations demands of Marathas, and managed to sidestep it during his regime. The wily Pawar seems to be having the last laugh for now.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar has once again shown his indomitable durability by immersing fully in the preparation for the coming Maharashtra assembly election. Busy from dawn till late in the night, Pawar has been receiving delegations and hopefuls throughout the day, besides holding strategy sessions. As usual, his team ensures that all such goings on are widely covered by the media, electronic and the print. Over the past two days, Pawar has been concentrating on the Marathwada region, once loyal to him. Presently, his NCP faction has been left with just a couple of MLAs from the backward region while half a dozen had walked out with his nephew, Ajit Pawar. Some of them have already called on the NCP founder in a bid to stage a homecoming. Similar is the scenario in Pune district, till recently under the influence of Ajit Pawar. The recent Lok Sabha rout of the NCP(Ajit) has changed the power equation for both, the uncle and the nephew. Over the past few days, many of Ajit’s followers have openly said they are seeking Sharad Pawar’s blessings for a comeback. The BJP, too, is roasted by Pawar’s magnetism. Several of its workers at different levels are desirous of switching over for a possible win. Political observers, however, are perplexed that the Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde has remained impervious to Pawar’s charm in this season of great political churning.
Former Maharashtra minister Harshvarrdhan Patil has decided to join the NCP under Sharad Pawar, his traditional family foe. Patil had joined the BJP in 2019 and had said, “Now I can sleep peacefully, no worry about the ED or the Income Tax department.” His candid admission had provided much cannon fodder to the opposition in general and to Sharad Pawar in particular. Patil’s family elder Shankarrao and the Pawar clan had never seen eye to eye because the Patil patriarch always complained that their empire in Indapur was deprived of development as funding was diverted to Baramati next door. In the last assembly election, Ajit Pawar had held a public rally in Indapur to declare that Harshvarrdhan Patil will be trounced. Ajit’s close follower Dattatray Bharne was elected there. Since then, an exasperated Patil had mounted scathing attacks against Sharad and Ajit Pawar. According to the present Mahayuti formation, the Indapur seat will go to the NCP(Ajit) and Harshvarrdhan will stand little chance of getting a BJP ticket. Maharashtra’s Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had been trying to persuade Patil to stay on but to no avail. Unwilling to wait any longer, Harshvarrdhan Patil has decided to enter Sharad Pawar’s party. Quizzed by the media about his past comment and asked if he will be able to get a sound sleep now, Harshvarrdhan quipped, “No comment.”
The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra has taken a record 71 decisions within a week, most of them with an eye on the coming assembly elections. The three-party government is already under fire due to opposition’s criticism that huge funds are being squandered on various sections of the population to gain their votes. The “Laadki Bahin” scheme, for instance, is mostly targeted by the critics since it has evoked unprecedented support from women, each eligible beneficiary getting Rs 1500 per month. Similar benefit schemes have been announced for the youth and farmers, among others. Although the opposition is screaming about the possible economic burden due to them, it has promised to enhance the provisions if it comes to power. According to another decision, an economic development corporation for the Jain community will be set up in the state. This will be the first such body for Jains in the country. As the community is viewed as affluent, by and large, many eyebrows are raised owing to the decision. Earlier, an economic development corporation for the Brahmin community was announced. Similarly, financial provision will be made for the cultural or academic institutions of the Buddhists. Each such body will be paid Rs 10 lakh by the government. A major decision has provided for abolishing the non-agricultural tax throughout the state. Several institutions are to be renamed, considering the social sensitivities of the individual areas they are operating in. No stones will be left unturned to win the election, the Mahayuti has indicated.
The sudden demise of CPI(M) National General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has left the Left party grappling to find a suitable replacement. In a recent politburo meeting Prakash Karat was appointed as the ‘coordinator’ instead of naming him as ‘Acting’ General Secretary, indicating the party’s hesitance to rush into appointing a successor. Sources say, the CPI(M) is considering West Bengal State Secretary Mohammad Salim as Yechury’s replacement. Salim is reportedly being given time to consider the role ahead of the party congress in April 2025. Salim, who took over as the state secretary in 2022, has been instrumental in revitalizing the party in Bengal despite its diminishing grassroots presence. He played a key role in forming an alliance with the Congress in Bengal. Yechury’s demise has created a leadership vacuum, but Salim’s experience makes him a strong contender for the national post. A two-time Rajya Sabha MP, two-time Lok Sabha MP, and former state minister, Salim’s parliamentary experience is invaluable. Additionally, his fluency in Bengali, English, Hindi, and Urdu positions him well for the national role. With CPI(M) adopting a new age policy of 75 years, Salim, now 67, could potentially serve three consecutive terms, making him an ideal candidate to steer the party through its current crisis. If Salim ultimately accepts the offer, Bengal is likely to choose Sridip Bhattacharya, who is also the choice of present patriarch of Bengal CPI(M), Biman Bose to head the Bengal unit.
Amid the political chaos stemming from the RG Kar rape-murder incident, the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is now facing a fresh crisis from within her own party. It is learnt that TMC party leaders are shocked that Abhishek Banerjee, National General Secretary and second-in-command, has lodged a police complaint against the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Firhad Hakim, the Mayor of Kolkata and a senior cabinet minister, alleging misappropriation of funds. Party insiders believe the timing is significant, coming shortly after the TMC’s lacklustre performance in several Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) wards during the Lok Sabha elections. Some sections within the party view the move as Abhishek’s way of pushing for the “one person, one position” policy which he has long advocated. Others see it as an effort to cleanse the party of corruption and enhance its image in the wake of mounting public criticism. According to sources, the complaint from Abhishek’s office alleged that the OSD has been extorting money by misusing Abhishek’s name. The allegation has led to an unprecedented escalation of tensions between Abhishek and Hakim, where both have reportedly voiced their displeasure to the party leadership. Hakim, widely regarded as one of Didi’s closest confidants, has expressed his willingness to resign from Mayor’s post but Didi has rejected it. Reportedly she conveyed her displeasure to senior party leaders as to how the situation spiralled out of control. Hakim’s dual role as the Mayor of Kolkata and Minister for Municipal Affairs and Urban Development has long made him one of the most influential figures in the state’s political landscape.
Looks like Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s efforts to build himself up via media interviews have landed him in a political soup. Eager to build himself up in the national media, the Kerala leader got a PR agency to arrange for media interactions. Unlike the state run PR department, enthusiastic private PR, not only arranged for media interview but also seem to have got a reputed South publication to attribute a few lines to the CM about how “seizure of 150 kg of gold and Rs 123 crore of hawala money by the state police” in the last five years were made from Malappuram. Reference to Malappuram, with its overwhelming minority population, was enough to lead to sparring between the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). UDF alleged that Vijayan was insulting the residents of Malappuram by referring to seizures. The CM’s Office denied making any reference to Malappuram. While CM may be technically correct, the newspaper denial gave away how PR agents were present during the interview. Vijayan now denies using even a PR. His political detractors are quick to point out that the CM was targeting PV Anvar, a MLA, who was recently expelled from the CPM Legislative Party after he unleashed sharp allegations against Vijayan and his Political Secretary P Sasi. CPI(M)considers the Opposition’s attacks as a fabricated move to diminish its growing popularity among minorities in the wake of the LDF government’s “uncompromising stand” on a number of pro-Muslim issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act and Wakf Amendment Bill 2024. Meanwhile, PA Mohammed Riyas, Kerala minister, and son-in-law of Pinarayi said that Jamaat-e-Islaami and SDPI are the ‘sleeping partners’ of UDF.
Andhra Pradesh deputy CM Pawan Kalyan reached Tirumala on foot as part of his 11-day penance over the alleged adulteration of laddus served at the Tirupati temple with animal fat. The actor-turned-politician undertook a three-hour foot march to reach the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala to position himself as a protector of the Sanatana Dharma. Reacting to the Supreme Court’s observation on the prasadam contamination issue, Kalyan clarified that the Apex Court had never said that prasadam “was not adulterated”. “I think the SC judges didn’t say that it was unadulterated, they said there was confusion regarding the date on which it was cleared.” Earlier speaking in Tamil to a private channel, the Andhra leader made it clear that the prasadam issue was not being blown out of proportion just to settle scores with YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy because he was Christian. “My wife is also an orthodox Christian. I am undertaking this penance only to protect our Sanatan Dharma. I cannot tell you how Hindus across the world are hurt with the way TTD had reduced Tirumala to a money spinning vehicle during the tenure of Jagan Reddy. Until 1953, did you know darshan used to be free? Now for the special darshan, they began charging everyone Rs 10,000 but handed the devotees only a receipt of Rs 500. We have to undertake a lot of reforms and audits of how donations made to the temple are used. All kinds of violations happened in the last 5 years. It is not just about the prasadam issue.”
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of the three main opposition parties in Maharashtra is in search of a formidable candidate who can take on chief minister Eknath Shinde in his home constituency of Kopari-Pachpakhadi in Thane city. Shinde has been representing this assembly seat since it was created in 2009. This being a traditional Shiv Sena stronghold, a keen fight will be seen for the first time in many years here. Under the unified Sena, Thane had been a virtual monopoly of the party. However, Shinde broke away from the parent party in 2022, taking along many legislators and corporators. This will be the first trial of strength between the two Sena’s with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena standing by Shinde, making his position stronger. At the same time, the Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has proved again and again over the past two years that its popularity is not reduced much in the Mumbai-Thane belt, which controls nearly 75 seats in the 288-member assembly. Uddhav and his followers have vowed to make Shinde bite the dust, calling him a traitor. In retaliation, Shinde and his mentor late Anand Dighe are now projected as protectors of Hindutva. The ‘Laadki Bahin’ scheme launched by Shinde is proving extremely popular and is expected to reap bonus for himself and the Mahayuti alliance. Realising the possibility, the MVA has decided to mount a challenge for Shinde on his home turf.
Amidst Jharkhand poll buzz, speculation is now rife that Odisha governor Raghubar Das is now gearing up to contest the Jharkhand Assembly election. This speculation is gaining ground as Assam chief minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma who is election in-charge for Jharkhand, met Odisha Governor at Raj Bhavan along with Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Separately even former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu met Governor Das. This meeting of senior BJP leaders with Governor Das is what is giving credence to the rumours that Das is naturally keen to return to active politics. Though the Assam CM said his meeting with Governor Das has nothing to do with the Jharkhand election, it now seems imminent that Das will give up his governorship and return to politics. Governor Das who is considered a power centre in Jharkhand took up the Odisha Governor post as a stop gap arrangement. He represents Jamshedpur East constituency from where he won five consecutive times till 73-year old BJP rebel MLA Saryu Roy defeated him by a margin of 15,000 votes as an independent in 2019. Effectively, it means Odisha will get a new governor.
The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has been placed in a firmer position to demand most assembly seats in Mumbai following its youth wing’s spectacular victory in the Mumbai University senate election held a couple of days ago. The outcome has enhanced Aaditya’s clout and his party’s prospects for Mumbai. Over the years, the Sena has been a dominant political player in Mumbai, relegating the BJP to a secondary position when both were together. Since the Sena split in 2022, it was felt that the party will be weakened considerably. However, Uddhav has established that its popularity is hardly affected. The Sena won the legislative council election from the Mumbai Graduates’ constituency with a solid margin earlier this year. The win in the senate election has endorsed the fact that the Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Sena faction has failed to make its mark in Mumbai in spite of the fact that several MLAs and corporators had followed Shinde out of the party. The three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi swept the Lok Sabha election in Mumbai and Maharashtra, sending alarm signals for the saffron Mahayuti alliance. The senate election was a fight between the Sena (UBT) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, under the Sangh Parivar. Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirmal Sena’s youth wing and other student organisations had kept away from the prestigious election.
The BJP, it seems, is not willing to take any chance in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls after its dismal performance in Lok Sabha polls. For one, Union home minister Amit Shah has entirely taken things in his own hand and is personally overseeing the ticket distribution process in Maharashtra. The BJP has also quietly given up its obsession with party surveys, which were being cited as criteria for allocating and denying tickets to party members, and were roundly blamed for leading to wrong candidate selections. Shah is also overriding strong party sentiments to drop off NCP’s Ajit Pawar despite the junior Pawar scion increasingly being viewed as a liability. Nor has Shah bothered to clip the wings of chief minister Eknath Shinde. Shah is also ignoring the clamour to let Nitin Gadkari play a stronger role in the assembly elections, a sentiment also shared by the RSS cadres. Gadkari was conspicuous by his absence in the rallies and has failed to share stage in rallies held by both the top leaders of his party – PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Gadkari was stated to be campaigning in the Jammu and Kashmir election, the day Amit Shah was campaigning and overseeing election processes in his home pitch of Vidarbha. Gadkari was back in action in Nagpur whining in a public meeting, about how the state’s flagship scheme to provide monthly stipend to women, Ladki Bahin Yojana, was bleeding the state exchequer, when Shah had moved to Mumbai to oversee election operation there. Gadkari’s public disclosure that he was offered the prime minister’s post by the opposition, hasn’t helped things.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin finally managed to elevate his son Udhayanidhi as deputy CM. This much anticipated elevation which was planned twice before was executed without any hitch over the weekend. Father Stalin had worked on it by smoothening out ties with the Centre and PM Modi. Ever since the Centre brought out a commemorative coin to mark 100 years of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi in July, it has been easy for the regional party to reach out to Delhi. Besides, there wasn’t much resistance to the idea of giving a leg up to Udhayanidhi after the Lok Sabha results from party seniors within. In fact most of the seniors could be seen congratulating Udhayanidhi, a first term MLA. He contested the 2021 assembly elections for the first time from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency and was made a state Minister. Congress sources said an early elevation of Udhayanidhi was an indication that Stalin was not in the best of health. That is perhaps why everyone in the DMK had fallen in line. It was evident in the DMK social media timeline as it was crammed with greetings from Tamil film star netas like Kamal Haasan as well as superstars like Rajnikant, Dhanush and producers from Bollywood like Boney Kappor. Only TN BJP chief K Annamalai managed to take potshots. Underscoring the nepotism behind son’s rise in a post, Annamalai said “the sun shines for the privileged few and eclipses for the rest of the state for the last 40 months. People have now understood what the term “Vidiyal” (awakening) actually meant: Vidiyal for self, family, and the chieftains.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi may never tire of showcasing his politics as “mohabbat ki dukaan” but from the way Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge responded after recovering from a dizzy spell at a public meeting in Kashmir it just seemed there is hardly anyone in the Congress subscribing to soft view of politics. A somewhat tired Kharge was firm as he vowed not to rest till PM Modi is “removed from power.” This even after PM Modi had phoned him to enquire about his health. Kharge’s spiteful remark sparked a strong response from the BJP. Calling it a “disgraceful” and a “bitter display of spite”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted: “Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Ji has outperformed himself, his leaders and his party in being absolutely distasteful and disgraceful in his speech. In a bitter display of spite, he unnecessarily dragged PM Modi into his personal health matters by saying that he would die only after removing PM Modi from power. It just shows how much hate and fear these Congress people have of PM Modi that they are thinking of him constantly. As for the health of Kharge Ji, Modi Ji prays, I pray and we all pray that he lives a long, healthy life. May he continue to live for many years and may he live to see the creation of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.” Sharing Shah’s tweet, FM Nirmala Sitharaman said how the Congress leadership “never loses any opportunity to display their hate towards Modi” Kharge ji’s speech is one such instance. The Congress has pinned much hope of making a comeback to power at the Centre if it wins in the polls of state assemblies beginning with Haryana.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack
It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
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If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.