The nearly month-long protest that had intensified at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi with Sonam Wangchuk announcing indefinite fast to secure justice for NEET students has drawn to a close. Reportedly, two Union Ministers, JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met fasting Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on July 21. The ministers conveyed to the activist that the doors of communication were “open”, signalling the government’s willingness to hold a dialogue with the protesting students. Wangchuk who had amplified  the  agitation of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) led by Abhijit Dipke, by his indefinite fast on June 28 announced that he would end his hunger strike if the government assured him that no punitive or retaliatory action will be taken against students and protesters who took part in the July 20 “Chalo Sansad” march  to the Parliament. Clearly, it was the entry of this Ladakhi leader that had amplified the protest and made political parties such as the AAP hitch its bandwagon to the agitation. With CJP leader Dipke being a former AAP volunteer, it was only natural that senior AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia were found mobilising support for CJP’s protest march.  AAP leaders wanted to use the Delhi protest outcome to influence Punjab Assembly elections early next year where the Congress is seen to have an upper hand. The Congress which had initially kept away acquired a competitive interest in highlighting NEET issues only after Rahul Gandhi picked up the gauntlet. As the Lok Sabha LoP himself put across succinctly at a presser on July 22, that he did not mind any attack on him. He said, “The very cops who dragged me away whispered in my ear…‘Get rid’ of this government.” Sources say the Delhi police was forced to lift him and other Congressmen as they had tied “zip tags” to their wrists meant to deter cops from picking them up.

The July 21 Martyrs’ Day event across Kolkata exposed the deepening cracks within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ever since the Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government assumed office in West Bengal. While former chief minister Mamata Banerjee managed to draw a large crowd, rival TMC factions failed to match the turnout. The Congress emerged as the surprise performer with a massive mobilisation. Mamata’s rally near the Birla Planetarium drew thousands of supporters, with crowds spilling onto adjoining roads through the afternoon. In contrast, the rebel TMC camp led by LoP Ritabrata Banerjee attracted a comparatively smaller gathering. In New Delhi, another breakaway faction comprising 20 Lok Sabha MPs led by Sudip Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, now merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), observed the day at Rajghat. The annual event commemorates the 13 Youth Congress workers killed in police firing during a march to the then Writers’ Building in 1993. For nearly two decades after the TMC came to power, the programme remained among Kolkata’s largest political mobilisations. This year, however, the observance was split across venues after prohibitory orders barred a gathering at Central Business district of Kolkata. The Calcutta High Court subsequently permitted the TMC to hold its programme near the Birla Planetarium, while the Ritabrata faction was allotted space near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Maidan and the Congress assembled at Shahid Minar. Addressing supporters, Mamata reaffirmed her commitment to the Opposition INDIA bloc while attacking the BJP and rebel leaders. The rebel camp sharpened its attack on Mamata’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. Former ministers Madan Mitra and Firhad Hakim claimed Abhishek’s political stature was built by lakhs of Trinamool workers and urged Mamata to “hold the hands of grassroots workers” instead of her nephew. The Congress rally at Shahid Minar also drew thousands from across the state. Former MP Adhir Ranjan...

Union Minister of State in the PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh along with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, went across PM Narendra Modi’s official residence at — 7, Lok Kalyan Marg — on July 21 afternoon to have a chat with Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi and Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge, to end their sit-in protest.  He was apparently instructed to reach out to senior Congress leaders by PM Modi. Inspite of being very vocal about a discussion on NEET-related issues in the Parliament, Dr Singh disclosed that “The Congress Party had not given any notice to date for a formal discussion on this serious matter as per rules.” The minister was sent by PM Modi ‘in view of the dignity of the senior delegation”. A request was apparently made to Rahul Gandhi to end his sit-in, as the site – in the high security zone – was not meant for protests. Rahul Gandhi put forward the demand that if the government agrees to discuss in Parliament all issues related to NEET, he would immediately end his sit-in. Within a few moments, after taking permission from the government’s top leadership, Rahul was assured that his demand has been accepted. When this information was conveyed to Rahul, he said that he would not agree to this alone but also sought assurance for the resignation of the Union HRD Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. Clearly, government’s move to reach out to the Congress on NEET irked the AAP which had lent a lot of support to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) dharna at Jantar Mantar. AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged that PM Modi had got Rahul Gandhi to sit in front of his house only to weaken the thrust of the youth movement of that got a boost with recent protests.

Will the wave of street protests unleashed in the central business district on a working day in Delhi by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) achieve its goal? The disruptors may not have managed a regime change in the country but it now seems they will have the satisfaction of having some of their goals being partially met. It is now likely that the student community could perhaps have a new HRD minister. In fact, emergence of Union Health Minister and former BJP president JP Nadda as points man is being seen as a sincere move by Modi government to open the dialogue with student community. Nadda met with CJP representatives a day ahead of the protest at his official residence. The buzz is that while Nadda could take charge of the HRD Ministry, the much-reviled Dharmendra Pradhan could be shifted to some significant portfolio or they could be possibly swapping departments. It is being said that the emergence of Nadda as a trouble shooter is not accidental. Nadda brings a combination of political stature, organisational experience and a reputation as a consensus-builder in the party. Within the BJP, Nadda has cultivated the image of a low-key organiser rather than an aggressive leader. A Himachal-born leader who has worked in Bihar, Nadda is often deployed when the party wants to lower the political temperature. Colleagues describe him as accessible, patient and willing to hear out opposing viewpoints before responding. His appeal to the CJP delegation reflected that approach. Instead of rejecting the demands outright, he assured them that the government leadership would deliberate on the issues raised by them. Significantly as Health Minister, he reached out to the injured in hospitals. Rahul Gandhi, LoP in Lok Sabha, and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi also met the injured at Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.  

BJP’s National vice president, the 62-year old Baijayant Jay Panda seems to have proved his mettle within the party. Reportedly, PM Modi is quite pleased with Jay Panda’s contributions and achievements for the party. This came to fore, when PM Modi recently visited Odisha’s Rairangpur along with President Droupadi Murmu. In the course of his speech, PM Modi was heaping praise on some of the BJP leaders present at the dais…and then suddenly he praised Jay Panda’s for his immense contribution even though he was not physically present at the said meeting. This immediately set the rumour mill buzzing that Panda may be rewarded with the ministerial berth at the Centre. Panda who hails from an illustrious business family, quit the Biju Janata Dal and joined the BJP in 2019. In a short time, he emerged as a key organizational strategist, successfully leading the state campaigns and won the Lok Sabha seat in 2024 from Kendrapara constituency. It may be recalled that he was entrusted with handling of critical party units and campaigns, serving as the election in-charge for states like Assam and Delhi. He played a pivotal role in the BJP’s core group for the amendment of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir and chaired the High-Level Expert Committee for the revamp of the NCC. He is regarded as an articulate and effective party strategist, operating quietly behind the scenes to help manage organizational affairs and deliver successful electoral outcomes.    

The Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) annual July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally, the party’s biggest political mobilisation for nearly three decades, has turned into a battle for legitimacy following its defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections and the subsequent split within the organisation. The day commemorates the killing of 13 Youth Congress activists in police firing on July 21, 1993, when Mamata Banerjee was a Youth Congress leader. Since the formation of the TMC in 1998, the anniversary has become synonymous with Didi’s political rise and the party’s organisational strength. This year, however, rival TMC factions, the Congress and the ruling BJP are all seeking to shape the political narrative around the anniversary. Mamata will address the official TMC rally from a new venue after the party failed to secure permission for its traditional venue. The rebel faction of TMC led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee is organising a parallel July 21 programme. The camp, which claims the support of 65 of the party’s 80 MLAs, views the event as its first major public demonstration of organisational strength and its claim to the party’s legacy.  However, sources of Ritabrata faction said several senior leaders and one time aides of Didi including Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Javed Khan, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Madan Mitra, continued to acknowledge Mamata’s electoral appeal even as they projected the programme as that of the Trinamool Congress rather than any faction. The Congress has also sought to reclaim the anniversary, with state president Subhankar Sarkar inviting Mamata to its July 21 programme while arguing that the 1993 movement belonged to the Congress.  The BJP, meanwhile, questioned the TMC’s organisational strength, suggesting Brigade Parade Ground as a more appropriate venue and portraying the controversy as evidence of the party’s declining political relevance.

Why did Union Home Minister Amit Shah suddenly replace Delhi police commissioner Satish Golcha? Senior IPS officer Anurag Kumar was asked to take charge as the new Commissioner of Delhi Police on July 17. A 1994-batch IPS officer, Kumar was serving as the Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) before being entrusted with the top post in Delhi Police. Golcha was removed before his scheduled retirement in 2027. Golcha had taken over as the city police chief in August 2025. Delhi comes directly under the Union Home Ministry because it is a UT. Does his removal have anything to do with the Cockroach Janata Party’s 20-day-old sit-in at Jantar Mantar? An MHA order stated that Golcha, a 1992-batch AGMUT cadre IPS officer, will report to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for his next posting after Anurag Kumar formally assumes charge. That means he was removed without a new posting. The new police chief Anurag Kumar is one of the senior officers with extensive experience in both policing and intelligence. Before his stint at the IB, he served as DCP in several districts of Delhi. At IB he held several important assignments related to internal security and intelligence operations. His appointment comes months after the Delhi Police underwent a major administrative reshuffle on March 3. In one of the biggest transfers in recent years, 70 officers, including 50 IPS officers and 20 DANIPS officers, were shifted to new postings with immediate effect after approval from the Lieutenant Governor. The exercise covered appointments and transfers across several senior ranks, including Special Commissioners, Joint Commissioners, Additional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs). The reshuffle impacted key wings, including district policing, crime, traffic, security, and other specialised units.

If an Army General is the Governor of a state, this is bound to happen. A guard of honour for the President, a Governor or a CM is a ceremonial — typically military or police personnel — arranged in a row to greet, escort, or pay respects to a distinguished guest, dignitary, or deceased person. But many police personnel are found not doing it properly. Recently, Bihar Governor Lieutenant General (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain had to teach the word of commands to a Bihar Police officer during an inspection of a guard of honour at Nalanda Open University. The Bihar Governor was seen correcting the police commander who he said, was rushing through the guard of honour procedure. “You are moving too fast…That should not be the case,” he could be heard saying in Hindi. Hasnain, a former General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps and the Bhopal-based 21 Corps, reached the university on July 15 for a function. He then went on to salute the commander twice as part of the ceremony, as the latter followed his instructions, shouted out the commands aloud, and sheathed his sword in the end to signal the end of the ceremony. Hasnain was further seen briefing the commander and the Superintendent of Police regarding the process. “Respect Guard, Wait…National Salute, Salami. Yes. Not Cut. Cut. Cut…No need to end so soon,” he apparently said.

Jadavpur University, long regarded as one of West Bengal’s strongest Left ideological bastions, is witnessing a significant political shift as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), BJP’s student wing, rapidly expands its presence following the party’s victory in the Assembly elections in May.  Within weeks of the change in government, RSS held its routine activities on the campus, marking a visible departure from the university’s long-standing liberal and Left-dominated political environment. ABVP leaders said the organisation is focusing on removing what it calls the corruption associated with the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) while promoting nationalism on campuses. It has launched a state-wide membership drive targeting 10 lakh students by December 2026, including two lakhs in Kolkata. ABVP, which had around 75,000 members in the state until last year, now has units in nearly 100 colleges and universities and plans to expand to over 500 campuses. It has also renewed its demand for immediate student union elections, suspended in most institutions for years. ABVP had remained inactive because campuses were dominated first by Left student organisations and later by the TMCP. They said the political transition had created greater space for alternative political views. The expansion marks a strategic shift from ABVP’s traditional strongholds in north Bengal and districts such as Purulia and Bankura towards Kolkata’s premier educational institutions. ABVP national general secretary Virendra Singh Solanki said the BJP’s victory had created an opportunity to transform the education sector and deepen student engagement. Academics said the BJP’s campus expansion reflects its effort to build organisational influence beyond electoral success.  The real measure of ABVP’s growing support will emerge only when long-pending student union elections are finally held.

A private school in Hyderabad with mostly Muslim students had to terminate a teacher after she allegedly assigned religious homework to a Class 2 Hindu student, triggering a controversy and protests by the parents of the Hindu student. “Success, The School,” in Saidabad, Telangana issued a termination letter to teacher Shaik Aisha Parveen, stating that she was permanently disqualified from teaching in any of its schools. “The teacher acted in violation of the school’s policy and has been terminated. The parents are satisfied and no police complaint has been filed,” said a senior Hyderabad cop. The school apparently is a secular school run by Muslims. It is open to children of all faiths. For some bizarre reason Shaik Aiisha Parveen had asked the non-Muslim students to also work on Kalma and Surah Fatiha. The Kalma is the Islamic declaration of faith, while Surah Fatiha is the opening of the Holy Quran. Cops acknowledged that the teacher had violated school policy which was why she lost her job. Initially the school had said that the homework was only for Muslim students who opted for a subject about Islamic teachings. According to the cops the Muslim students outnumbered the Hindus. BJP Telangana President N Ramchandra Rao however felt since Success School came under Telangana’s Department of Education, the department must survey schools across the state for such insidious attempts to convert Hindus. Rao feels that the issue that has cropped up in-Success School — wherein two Hindu students were asked to write the Kalma may not be an isolated instance. The government should take action against the management. The management says that they have terminated the teacher. But terminating the teacher is not sufficient. We feel it is not an isolated case. It is a larger plan by some schools and some management to convert people…” feels Rao.

Ahead of Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning on July 20, the Women’s Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill received unusual support from NDA ally, the Shiv Sena and its leader, Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Making a case for its passage, Shinde said that the population of many Lok Sabha constituencies has now reached between 2 million and 2.5 million, making it increasingly difficult to effectively undertake development works across such vast constituencies. He said ” that the delimitation of constituencies is therefore essential to ensure justice and equitable representation for the people.” He made a case for the Delimitation Bill while interacting with media persons at his son Dr Shrikant Shinde residence in Delhi. A number of party MPs were also present. It is significant that the Shiv Sena leader who has been tapping extra numbers and bolstering NDA strength in the Parliament came out publicly in support of the Delimitation Bill, after interacting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shinde also made it clear that although there had been discussions for years about providing 50% reservation for women in Parliament, it was PM Narendra Modi who demonstrated the political will to introduce the legislation. He alleged that the Women’s Reservation Bill had failed to pass in the previous parliamentary session– April 2026– because of the opposition parties. According to him, the opposition paid a political price for this in the West Bengal elections. Interestingly, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule had also voiced her support for the Delimitation Bill provided it assured a gender quota. As for meeting with Shah, Shinde said they held positive discussions on a wide range of development-related issues, including irrigation projects in the constituencies of Shiv Sena MPs.

With Punjab set to go to polls in early 2027, PM Narendra Modi’s visit to state capital and Union Territory Chandigarh on July 17 to inaugurate healthcare projects, a renovated railway station in Jalandhar, and flag off a train from Chheharta (Amritsar) to Varanasi seems to have rankled the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government. Predictably, the AAP leaders are miffed that Modi is stoking poll fever a bit too early. As a counter strategy, the AAP government has begun to endorse the bizarre U.S. line in the gangster Lawrence Bishnoi case. It has gone so absurd as to accuse the Modi government of deliberately ignoring Punjab and “aid a gangster, lodged in Sabarmati Jail of Gujarat, to spread his drug business in the state.” Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh is upset that PM Modi will inaugurate health projects in Punjab. “The Centre is not even allowing our flagship health insurance scheme to be implemented in PGI, Chandigarh—a project set up for Punjab several decades ago. If this is not discrimination, what else is?” he said. 80% of drugs being smuggled from across the International Border are being dumped in the state. That is why new drugs like ICE and cocaine are increasingly coming into Punjab,” said Balbir Singh, on the sidelines of a press conference called to speak about the initiatives being taken by the AAP government to tackle the drug menace in Punjab. Bragging about AAP government’s capabilities to stem the rot, Singh  claimed that if only the “person sitting in the Sabarmati jail of a state which has a double-engine government is now accused by an international agency like the FBI of running a global drug racket “were to be  sent by the Centre  to a Punjab jail, “we will not only treat him but also reform him.”

As Cabinet Secretary and senior IAS officer T V Somanathan’s tenure is scheduled to end on August 29, he pens a note on having brief meetings. Upon the conclusion of his term, the 1987-batch Tamil Nadu cadre officer will superannuate from the IAS. However, before his departure, he had decided to list some dos and don’ts. In a recent communication to all chief secretaries and the directors general of administrative training institutes, Somanathan has circulated a ‘Guide on Conducting Effective Meetings’. As a first rule, he has asked the babus to “avoid long meetings” and finish them in 30 to 60 minutes. Somanathan believes that meetings consume an inordinate part of a civil servant’s working day. Many officers themselves have told him that meetings often begin late, become overstretched and directionless, and end without any “tangible takeaways”. Somanathan’s objective, however, extends far beyond shortening meetings. The guide is, in effect, an attempt to change the culture of governance itself. Along with Somanthan’s departure, nearly 300 senior IAS officers, including some of the most powerful figures in the bureaucracy, are set to retire this year. This may trigger a massive reshuffle across the Centre and states, reshaping the top echelons of governance and opening the door for a new generation of officers. Several chief secretaries of major states and senior secretaries in crucial Union ministries are also on the retirement list, making the turnover far-reaching in both scale and impact. Uttar Pradesh alone is expected to see around 30 senior officers retire, while Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and the AGMUT cadre are also slated to lose a significant number of experienced administrators. States such as Delhi, Odisha, Haryana and Meghalaya will see their serving chief secretaries superannuate, necessitating a new succession line.

Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has reasons to be worried. Despite a record-breaking state budget allocation of Rs 3.10 lakh crore, Odisha government has made a poor show so far. This is because Odisha’s inability to spend allocated funds.  Odisha state has spent only 8.8% of its fund so far, thereby exposing the state government’s weakness and slow-paced administration,” say government sources. Reasons for these lapses are many – such as bureaucratic delays, prolonged bidding and tendering processes, lack of trained personnel, need for multiple clearance level and slow speed of action to settle lingering issues. Reportedly, Odisha’s 16 key departments are lagging in spending target. The new rumour is 10 out of 44 departments are not in a position to utilise 60% of their allocated funds so far. Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg has however urged key stakeholders to accelerate government projects. All these shows the BJP-run state government in bad light. Majhi needs to set up a war room to keenly monitor all government projects.

After two years of keeping low profile, Odisha’s most powerful ex-bureaucrat and Biju Janata Dal leader V K Pandian is making waves beyond Indian shores. Reportedly, Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez who just experienced two devastating earthquake asked Pandian to fly to Venezula to seek his expertise on how to handle natural disasters. Venezuela President had two objectives to learn from Odisha’s playbook: One, how Pandian — one of the architects of Odisha’s disaster management — handled the cyclone and disaster response protocols had zero casualty and lessons for her country from Odisha.  Sources say, Pandian used this visit to raise his personal profile. Pandian’s supporters are looking at this development as a “proud moment of knowledge sharing for India on the global stage.” The net takeaway from Odisha is that people are comparing Naveen Patnaik’s governance style with that of the current chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi.    

BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde’s sudden stay in Maharashtra and his meetings with some influential Opposition leaders have heightened the already thick suspense in the state’s politics. Once again, veteran Sharad Pawar continues to be the focus of the intrigue while a couple of senior BJP leaders from Maharashtra are reported to be spending sleepless nights, not knowing what turn their fate is going to take. Tawde self-invited him to the residence of his former mentor Eknath Khadse, who is now with the NCP led by Pawar. Incidentally, Khadse’s daughter-in-law Raksha is Union minister of state while the other daughter-in-law is with Pawar’s party. Tawde’s ‘courtesy’ call on Khadse holds potential to shake north Maharashtra scenario. Tawde also called on Pawar’s trusted lieutenant Jayant Patil, who is tipped to be joining the NDA fold, albeit with Pawar’s tacit blessings. Patil’s name is being mentioned for the post of Maharashtra finance minister. It was earlier held by the late deputy CM Ajit Pawar. One of Pawar’s close associates is learnt to have been entrusted with the task of liaising with the party legislators and parliament members. The NCP’s onslaught against the BJP is somewhat softer over the past few days. Thus, if the pieces fall in place, Pawar’s 10 Lok Sabha members will be a great gift for the BJP. Moreover, it will be a demoralising blow for the Congress in particular and the INDIA Bloc in general.

It seems there is no respite for Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray from the continuous shocks administered by the ruling Mahayuti since whispers about another split taking place in his ramshackle party are only growing. Thackeray’s bete noire Eknath Shinde is said to be behind such moves since chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has declared in unequivocal terms that the doors of the BJP are closed for newcomers. True that it is a political announcement and can be used the way the leaders wish, Shinde has been going ahead unobstructed. The latest entrant into the game is former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who has publicly stated that half a dozen Lok Sabha members of Sharad Pawar’s party are feeling ‘uneasy’ in the present situation. This means that they can desert the NCP(SP) any time to join the NDA. All these developments are going to weaken the Opposition in Maharashtra even if such defections do not happen forthwith. The casualty will be the Shiv Sena of Uddhav since he was projected as the main Opposition leader and face of the INDIA Bloc after its fabulous victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Sadly for him, the graph of his party is only sliding. Not content with eyeing Uddhav’s legislative win, Shinde is said to be exploring the potential of poaching the Sena’s civic wing. As over 60 corporators under Uddhav were elected to the Mumbai municipal corporation, the hopes of his followers were rekindled. However, the contrary is happening. As a result, Uddhav is an embattled leader right now, with no immediate prospect seen to revive his prospects.    

Will Prashant Kishor succeed this time? The by-election for Bihar’s Bankipur Assembly seat is scheduled for July 30. The seat fell vacant after Nitin Nabin resigned as MLA following, first, his elevation as the BJP National President, and then his subsequent election to the Rajya Sabha. Ordinarily, this may have been treated as a routine vacancy in a safe seat. Jan Suraaj’s Prashant Kishor has announced that he will contest from here, marking his first entry into the electoral contests. The BJP had initially named Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) state vice-president Abhishek Kumar as its candidate. Unfortunately, just days ahead of filing of nominations, BJP had to change its candidate; Neeraj Kumar Sinha replaces Abhishek Kumar who bowed out of the race citing “family reasons”.  These developments pleased Prashant Kishor who said, “This demonstrates that no Assembly or Lok Sabha constituency is anyone’s stronghold or personal fiefdom. If the public rises, even the most prominent leaders can be made to sweat.” Regarding Bankipur, he conceded that until recently, BJP leaders boasted that their fortress was so strong that even if they fielded a dog or a cat, the public would vote for them…” Today, it appears that their own candidate has stepped away. “When the results are declared on the 3rd, a full reckoning will take place,” said Kishor. Bankipur is one of Patna’s most talked-about VIP urban areas. It is part of the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, represented by BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad. It is a seat dominated by the influential Kayastha electorate. With his entry, Kishor is seeking to make the bypoll a referendum on the NDA government in Bihar. A non-Kayastha, Kishor has opted for an intensive door-to-door campaign and neighbourhood meetings instead of large public rallies. He belongs to the Bhumihar community.

The Modi government may be relieved that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Canadian government has not named any political leader or a senior police official for the killing of some Khalistani separatist leaders. However, the U.S. Department of  Justice(DOJ)’s indictment of the laxity in Indian jails that allows criminals to get out and pose a threat to the outside world and extort money is not flattering . In fact, it raises the extent of complicity between our jail authorities and criminals lodged in their custody. The FBI launched a sweeping crackdown named ‘Operation Hard Ball’ against jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close aide Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar. Bishnoi is lodged in Sabarmati jail, Gujarat. It took the FBI a year-long investigation targeting criminal syndicates involved in murder, extortion, drug trafficking and other organised crime activities in the U.S., Canada and Europe. In all, 24 criminals have been arrested in the US, Canada and Europe. The U.S. (DOJ) said that searches were conducted at more than 50 locations. One of the three federal indictments focuses on Bishnoi whom U.S. prosecutors allege directed a global criminal enterprise from a prison in India. Bishnoi and Brar ordered the assassination of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023. U.S. prosecutors also named Bishnoi’s key associates Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara. They said that while Brar looked after North America operations, Godara oversaw operations in Europe. The FBI has declared a $50,000 bounty for the arrest of Goldy Brar. The FBI probe also found collusion between some Punjab police officers and the gangs. The FBI has made Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, SHO of Tanda police station in Hoshiarpur, an accused, and his extradition has been sought.

Has West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari decided to copy UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s style? The prime accused in Bengal’s Baruipur rape-murder case, Prabhas Mondal, was shot dead in a police encounter during crime scene reconstruction. Mondal, along with his friends, had raped and killed a 12-year-old girl and thrown her body in a pond.  Mondal’s mother refused to take his body, saying he had shamed the family. But, not surprisingly, political parties like the Samajwadi Party in UP, Trinamool Congress leaders criticised the police encounter, saying it seems to be the beginning of a new type of “goonda raj”. TMC MP Mohua Moitra alleged “this is jungle law” on social media. She wrote, “Bengalis, please welcome new Bengal – Uttar Pradesh 2.0”. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee took out a protest march in Kolkata, and people threw eggs amidst shouts of ‘chor, chor ‘.  By raising questions about this encounter, Trinamool Congress leaders have invited trouble. Bengal BJP leaders are now listing out cases of rape and murders during Didi’s rule, when rapists were shielded by police and in the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case, all evidence of the heinous act was washed away, a few hours after the act. CM Suvendu Adhikari has apparently given the police a free hand. Clearly, Adhikari is following Yogi Adityanath’s model. His supporters say, “No state can progress unless criminals fear police. No investor will go to a state where crime and extortion are rampant. In Bengal, there was ‘goonda raj’ during Mamata Banerjee’s rule; its roots were quite deep, killers and rapists were getting police protection. There is a clear change in the situation now. Naturally, Mamata will not like this.”

In a major political development in West Bengal, three former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MPs — Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik — formally joined BJP. All three had resigned from the Rajya Sabha and TMC in recent weeks, with Roy stepping down first after the party’s electoral defeat, followed by Dev and Baraik. Bhattacharya. West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya described their induction as a major organisational boost. He recalled the contribution of Roy’s father in Bengal politics, accusing successive governments of neglecting Bengal’s historical legacy. Roy’s induction had been anticipated after his recent meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bhattacharya and other senior BJP leaders. After joining the party, Roy alleged that both the Left Front and Trinamool governments had harmed West Bengal, claiming he was sidelined and harassed, including being summoned by Lalbazaar, iconic Kolkata police headquarters, for raising issues such as the RG Kar case and corruption. Dev said she joined the BJP after concluding that her national aspirations could not be realised in the Trinamool. Citing Assam’s development model, she said she wanted to contribute to the country’s progress under Modi and chose the Bengal BJP on the advice of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Rejecting criticism that the BJP was indiscriminately inducting Trinamool leaders, Bhattacharya said only those with a clean image would be welcomed, while leaders accused of corruption or scams had no place in the party. He also urged the media not to describe the new entrants as turncoats, saying they should now be regarded simply as BJP leaders. Speculation remains that the trio could be renominated to the Rajya Sabha under the BJP banner.

Temples are in the news post Ram Mandir donation theft. The latest news is from Odisha. Ahead of the grand nine-day planned mega festival of Lord Jagannath Ratha Yatra at Puri scheduled on July 16, 2026, Puri’s titular King Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb — Chairman of 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple Management Committee (SJTMC) has blown the bugle. He has raised serious questions against ISKCON’s international branches and its functioning. He is now seeking the Centre’s intervention to stop Lord Jagannath’s untimely rituals being conducted outside India. While ISKCON India chapter has agreed to abide by SJTMC directives, however, ISKCON centres in Canada, U.S., UK, Europe and parts of Africa continue to host Rath Yatras based on local convenience instead of following the lunar calendar practiced in Puri, thereby deviating from Odisha’s century old tradition. The Puri King says “The sanctity of dates cannot be altered for global convenience because it hurts the sentiments of millions of devotees”. This explains why Puri King has escalated this issue to PM Modi and President Droupadi Murmu and Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi seeking their urgent intervention.

The shocking embezzlement of donations offered by the devout to Ram Lalla has shocked the entire nation. It is logical to compare this with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), India’s richest pilgrimage site and the mind boggling logistics implemented …not just for footfalls, but collection of donations, daily counting and how the huge coffers are like a corporate …every rupee accounted, audited and spent. Every single day, 50,000 to 70,000 pilgrims wend their way to see Lord Balaji; on special days it surpasses 100,000. With its budget of RS 5,500 crore, TTD is constantly aiming to get the best from the donations. Even as the Ram Mandir theft was unfolding, TTD was taking security to a higher level, partnering with the Institute of Chartered Accounts, for robust accounts and audit. This temple’s daily counting of cash, gold and silver ornaments is itself a protocol not many places of worship follow. S Gurumurthy, Editor of Tamil magazine Thuglak, and RSS functionary has criticised the hypocrisy of the opposition in the New Indian Express in his signed two-part article. But is this just a condemnation of the Ram Mandir Trust and its lack of control? Hindus have long suffered the partisan HR and CE grip on Hindu places of worship. Time to clean up this Augean stables and free temples from the clutches of the greedy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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