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Naveen Patnaik Drops Media Baron From BJD’s Vice President Post, Creates Ripples In Odisha
The recent sacking of Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, editor of Odisha’s largest daily Sambad from Biju Janata Dal’s vice president position by supremo Naveen Patnaik has sent a clear signal to party leaders — behave appropriately or face consequences. What does this mean in clear terms? Do not challenge BJD supremo’s decision with regard to governance mechanism or question his decision to bestow powers to his trusted bureaucrat VK Pandian with regards to holding state wide meetings. IAS officer Pandian’s rise has been severely questioned not only from his party members but also BJP’s MP Aparajita Sarangi. Reportedly, BJD MLA and media baron Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was extremely critical of the money spent by Pandian on his state wide tour; he equated the spent with that Chandrayaan-3’s budget. Calling spade a spade in journalistic parlance makes sense but not so in the political world. Media baron Patnaik’s future seems uncertain. He however seems well prepared since he has made the complete circuit Congress to BJP and now BJD. Will BJP welcome him back is the billion rupee question everybody is asking.
NCP flag
Pawar Vs Pawar: Whose Time It Will Be Anyway
Although NCP founder Sharad Pawar has once again adopted a dual stand over the ‘split’ in his party, his nephew Ajit has reiterated that the majority of the party workers and MLAs are with his faction, which is the ‘real’ NCP. Pawar has maintained before the Election Commission (EC) that there is no split in his party and that some of his party colleagues have adopted ‘a different stand.’ Disregarding this argument, EC has decided to begin a hearing over the rival claims from 6 October.  Ajit, now Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, has claimed that 41 of the 52 NCP MLAs are behind him. On the other hand, Pawar told his supporters that henceforth, his faction will operate as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi for future elections. His submission before the EC and his assurance to his followers have regenerated confusion about his exact posture. The EC, meanwhile, has informed both that it had concluded that there were two rival groups after considering the matter. The split came to the fore on 30 June when Ajit sought the EC’s recognition of his faction as the real NCP on 3 July, he was sworn in as DCM in the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Since the matter requires a ‘substantive determination’ under the rules, the EC has directed both sides to be present for a personal hearing on October 6.
I.N.D.I
Is CPI(M) Hesitant To Join The I.N.D.I.A Coordination Committee?
A tough road lies ahead of CPI(M) Politburo at its two-day meeting between September 16 and 17, where it will decide upon its representation at the I.N.D.I.A Coordination Committee. Out of a 14-member committee as decided by the Bloc, the 14th one remained vacant when the first meeting of the committee was held at NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar’s house in New Delhi on September 13 since CPI(M) is yet to give its representation. However, it is known that party’s general secretary Sitaram Yechury met Pawar the day after the meeting and discussed the alliance. According to party insiders, the central committee of the CPI(M) held a meeting after the I.N.D.I.A Bloc’s Benguluru meeting, but no name was proposed for the coordination committee representation. Instead, there’s a divide of views where a section of senior leaders feel that the party should refrain from being a part of the committee, another section feels that it should take time to decide upon a name. However, central committee member Shamik Lahiri informed that the name will be finalised in the Politburo meeting itself. Interestingly, some of the leaders from the Bengal unit said that it is difficult for the Politburo to finalize the name by bypassing the Central Committee. In that case, a new debate may be created within the party, at a time when cadres are questioning the party’s decision to be a part of Trinamool Congress ally.
EPS amit shah_002
EPS Faces Kodanad Estate Robbery And Murder Case Heat, Meets Amit Shah
Former Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) is in a bit of a bother with the Kodanad Estate robbery and murder case coming too close to him for comfort. Taking a leaf out of the operations of the Union government through central investigating agencies to pile the pressure on political opponents, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, is also cranking up the machinery for replicating such tactics. The DVAC has moved against a couple of former AIADMK ministers even as the long delayed Kodanad case is picking up momentum amid myriad conspiracy theories and angles to move the lens towards former CM Palaniswami. Afraid of being framed in a case in which he had to take an interest as it involved the former CM J Jayalalithaa and her confidante Sasikala’s possessions and secrets, EPS went to New Delhi to convince Home Minister Amit Shah to get the CBI to take up the investigation so that he may not be called in for questioning by the State police who can be hostile to him. While a smokescreen was drawn to make it appear as if EPS had travelled to the capital to seal the alliance with BJP, the main purpose of the trip was to seek BJP top brass support in taking the heat off him from the Kodanad Estate case.
Rajeev_ Anil antony_ESreedharan
Loud Thinking: BJP Can Make Inroads Into Kerala If Sreedharan, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Anil Anthony Lead It
The talk among intelligentsia in Kerala is that BJP can come to power only if the party tweaks its leadership strategy. This new thinking comes close on the heels of Anil Anthony’s — son of veteran Congress leader AK Anthony — elevation as the national secretary and spokesperson of the BJP.  An analyst says Anthony should be assigned the role of introducing Artificial Intelligence (which he has studied and specialised from  a US university) in public services like weather departments, airlines’ air traffic control etc.  Additionally, Anthony along with Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and metro man E Sreedharan should be the core team to make this happen.  This formidable troika, a strong brand by themselves, can give a real run for CPM and Congress considering that Hindus roughly constitute 55%, Muslims 27% and Christians 18% of the total population. But, there is a catch; despite Hindus being a majority the eligible voters’ percentage are not sufficient to form a majority government. Hence BJP will need the support of Christian voters. So the induction of Anil Anthony is timely. He is the son of an honest and straightforward politician. His entry will surely swing significant vote share of Kerala Christians to BJP. The trinity Anthony, Rajeev and Sreedharan can create a significant impact for BJP in the next Assembly election.
Modi Mohammed
Saudi Crown Prince Visit Rings Alarm Bells In Konkan, Refinery Project To Revive
Even as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was addressing a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the conclusion of the G-20 Summit, alarm bells have started ringing in Maharashtra’s Konkan region. The reason was the concern over the logical outcome, which signalled the resumption of the plan to set up a mega oil refinery project on the ‘west coast of India’ which in other words could mean the verdant Konkan region. Though the first steps for developing the $ 50 bn refinery project there were taken in 2015, it has been stalled for mainly political considerations. The obstacle was the then Shiv Sena’s changing stance despite its presence in the government. Now that the major fraction of the Sena is sharing power with the BJP in the state, the double-engine push is expected to accelerate the project once more. Wise after the previous experience, the Centre has agreed to set up a joint task force to help in identifying and channelisng the $ 100 bn investments. Both countries have also decided to establish a monitoring committee for tracking the progress of the project. Due to this development, villagers at the Barsu sight in Ratnagiri district have started voicing their opposition to the project. However, no major political party has as yet come forward to support them. 
Abhishek Kant
Delhi Declaration: Sherpa Amitabh Overshadows MEA, EAM Jaishankar Makes Amends
India’s sherpa for G-20 Amitabh Kant seems to have got into trouble for trying to project the G-20 Delhi Declaration as a personal achievement, nearly overshadowing the role of the MEA and the external affairs minister S Jaishankar. Of course, he did attribute the role of four key MEA officials who worked with him on the draft declaration and had helped him negotiate with other countries, but eventually he ended up claiming MEA’s effort as all his own. At least from the way he was seen making his point in the media — how he was awake till 4 am to finalise the draft, it may seem he was the only man on the job. It first started off with a tweet that Kant put out on September 9, the day the G-20 Delhi Declaration was accepted crediting the IFS officers who worked with him. Kant was all over the media and in the social media space, much to the surprise of the MEA too. The Congress, which was disappointed by the success of G-20 Delhi Declaration, decided to focus on sherpa Kant rather than the political leadership of both PM Modi and Jaishankar. Singling out Kant for praise, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor noted “Looks like the IFS lost an ace diplomat when you opted for the IAS!” but generously acknowledged that it was “A proud moment for India at G20!” With things getting uneasy with the MEA, Kant clarified a day later to Tharoor how it was “not about IAS or IFS. It is about working as a Team for the country.” Now to bring MEA’s perspective about its role in G-20, Jaishankar is back again making his points.
poll finger
Likely Poll Scenario: 10 States To Go To Polls Along With Lok Sabha Elections In April-May 2024
A very likely poll scenario for 2024 is the holding of the Lok Sabha polls along with Assembly elections in 10 States. Private polling as well as analysis of opinions gathered by their own pollsters is that the BJP is beginning to fear defeat in all four major states in 2024 – MP, Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh. They do not want such results impacting the Lok Sabha polls, which is why this idea of a national poll is being pressed at this time and may come up in the special session of Parliament called for during Ganesh Chaturthi time. The LS poll plus 10 States at the same time is what the BJP is aiming for after having brought up the concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea. While the Assemblies in five States — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram – will see their terms run out on different days in January 2024, the States of Andhra, Odisha, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh will have to go to polls some time in 2024 after the LS polls. The idea now gaining ground is to pass legislation to push back the dates of the expiry of five states that go to polls in early 2024 to a common period in the summer of 2024 as in late April and early May and to push forward the closing date of the assemblies in the five other states so that 10 states can go to the polls together in April-May.
Shinde fadnavis pawar
Maharashtra Government To Outsource Staff Recruitment, Protests Likely
The Maharashtra government has decided to expand the scope of its scheme to recruit employees at various levels through private agencies to supply skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers. The decision has come in the midst of an agitation that has been going on for the Maratha caste’s demand for reservations. The government had awarded a similar tender to two agencies way back in 2014 for three years. The decision has the backdrop of the swelling expenditure on government establishment by outsourcing as much staff as possible so as to divert funding toward developmental purposes. Presently, the burden of staff salaries and pension payments is approaching alarming levels. Hence, now nine agencies have been authorised to supply a wide range of workers. They will include personnel like project coordinator, engineer, teacher, content writer, clerk, librarian, telephone operator, driver, carpenter, gardener, lift operator, sweeper and peon, to name a few. The government will have to face stiff opposition owing to this decision as no reservation will be provided for in the outsourcing. Moreover, some of the nine firms selected for the purpose are ‘outsiders,’ another reason for a potential protest. The government has stated that salary for each post has been determined and the agency concerned will be permitted 15% commission for each such recruitment. The decision will apply to all the establishments under the state government as well as to local self-governments and its corporations.
Jagan arrest
Chandrababu Naidu’s Arrest: A Game Changer In Andhra Pradesh Power Balance?
Much as the ruling party, Jagan Mohan’s YSR Congress wanted to make former Andhra Pradesh chief minister’s crack of dawn arrest look like a logical move to punish him for corruption in the Skill Development case, the TDP leaders and political analysts are convinced that this whole thing was planned and executed to coincide with AP chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sojourn in the US. Even as he was remanded to 14-day judicial custody, Andhra erupted into angry protests by TDP cadres who also called for bandh. Actress Roja the firebrand YSR Congress distributed sweets celebrating Babu’s arrest. Not that Naidu has the image of an unsullied political saint ….after his election loss, he has been fighting a running battle with YSR, trying to cadge favours from the BJP, and simultaneously trying his luck for Congress support — classic case of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. Is Jagan’s intent to make him an untouchable for the BJP? The I.N.D.I.A bloc has immediately condemned the arrest and professed their sympathy. Telugu star and JanaSena Party founder Pawan Kalyan showing his solidarity to Naidu protested by sleeping on the road as he was denied entry into Andhra. AP is on high alert as TDP cadres are baying for blood, it could turn violent. The moot point is will BJP align with Naidu’s party after such negative publicity?
Manoj Jarange
Maratha Reservation Demand Stir Roasts Its Caste Leaders
The agitation for effecting reservations for the powerful Marathi caste in Maharashtra has started roasting senior leaders belonging to the caste. The latest target was former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, who had to face angry protests at Dharmabad in his home district, Nanded. Over the past few days, the agitation has been spreading to different towns in the state. On the other hand, the state government is witnessing another powerful group, of the OBCs, which has warned it that the existing reservation quota of the OBCs must not be affected in any manner in a bid to accommodate the Maratha caste’s demand for reservations. Several rounds of talks have taken place between the government and the protests led by Manoj Jarange in a Jalna district village. The protestors have been livid since the very leaders who enjoyed power for the past several decades but could not grant the reservations are now trying to grab the headlines by expressing their support for the Maratha demand at this juncture. Meanwhile, former home minister Anil Deshmukh, a NCP leader, has expressed opposition to the suggestion that the Maratha demand for the reservations should be adjusted from the OBC reservations, prevalent for a long time. His stance is said to be reciprocatory of the BJP’s OBC Cell’s similar demand. The reservation for the Marathas, as and when granted in whatever form, is bound to be challenged in court, many organisations have declared.  
G20
G20 Summit: Culture Corridor At Bharat Mandapam
Coming just a day ahead of the G-20 summit, PM Narendra Modi tweeted about India’s leap in financial inclusion, powered by Digital Public Infrastructure! “A G20 document prepared by the World Bank shared a very interesting point on India’s growth. India has achieved financial inclusion targets in just 6 years which would otherwise have taken at least 47 long years. Compliments to our robust digital payment infrastructure and the spirit of our people. It is equally a testament to rapid progress and innovation.” Interestingly various exhibitions at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the G-20 summit to showcase India’s technological prowess and innovation will offer a multitude of unique experiences to showcase a unique international project — ‘Culture Corridor – G20 Digital Museum’. The Culture Corridor will celebrate the shared heritage of G20 members and 9 invitee countries. The Digital India Experience Zone will offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience the power of technology being implemented by India first-hand. The Zone will provide key insights into the crucial initiatives of Digital India such as Aadhaar, DigiLocker and UPI. The RBI will display cutting-edge financial technologies at the G20 Summit, showcasing their potential to revolutionise the financial landscape. UPI One World is UPI designed for inbound foreign travellers who do not have bank accounts in India. Foreign nationals can open a Prepaid Payment Instrument linked to UPI to experience hassle-free and secure payments during their stay in India. Delegates will be boarded on UPI One World. Their wallets will be pre-funded with Rs 2000 which they can utilise as they desire. 
bangla diwas
Bengal Gets “Bangla Divas”, But Tussle Continues Over Dates
West Bengal gets its identity day or “Bangla Divas” in a resolution passed by the West Bengal State Assembly. Mamata Banerjee government ratified the resolution to celebrate “Bangla Divas” on Poila Baisakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar. The Assembly also passed the resolution declaring Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s composition “Banglar Mati Banglar Jol,” as the state song. Amid protest from the Opposition BJP, the resolutions were passed by 167-62 votes. The BJP legislators voted against the treasury bench resolutions. Incidentally, the Central government earlier this year issued a notification to celebrate June 20 as Poshchim Banga divas. Subsequently, the day was celebrated at the Raj Bhavan by Governor CV Ananda Bose here which led to a strong opposition from Didi. However, according to the Chief Minister, celebrating June 20 as Paschim Banga Divas was a “distortion of history” since the day also marks the division of undivided Bengal. Meanwhile, Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP legislators protested against the resolution and marched to Raj Bhavan where they submitted a memorandum to the Governor. While Didi has made it categorical that it does not matter to her government whether the Governor ratifies the date or not since it is a resolution not a bill, Adhikari maintained that since President Draupadi Murmu wished people of Bengal on June 20, it makes the official date to celebrate Bengal’s resurgence.
Udhayanidhi_009
DMK’s Double Standard, Attacks Sanatana Dharma But Wants To Control Temples
A few steps from the late Kalaignar’s iconic Gopalapuram home in Chennai is the temple of Venugopala Swami. It is said that Karunanidhi had to see the main deity every single day as he exited his home. Krishna had this vantage point. This Janmashtami brought unprecedented crowds to this temple in the wake of his grandson Udhayanidhi referring to sanatana dharma as a disease that needs to be eradicated. Chennai witnessed a massive outpouring of Bhakti and devotion on Lord Krishna’s birthday. Apart from the emotional and religious anger and fury of a faith scorned, the response of senior journalists and opinion makers were worth being noted. YouTuber and media guru Rangaraj Pandey asks, You say sanatana dharma because you are wary of using the word Hindu, but at the same time you want to control the Hindu temples and its overfilled Hundis through the HR & CE (Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments) Department. You even have a minister who decides which DMK cadres take up positions in temple management. Brahmins never aspire for managerial posts in temples…they are priests. “You could not eradicate Saraayam (liquor in Tamil) but you want to eradicate Sanatana Dharma”.
Sitaram Yechury
CPI (M) Cadres Want No Truck With Didi’s Party In West Bengal
At a time when the I.N.D.I.A front is slowly progressing towards its goal of an united Opposition, Bengal CPI(M) unit finds it extremely difficult to contain the cadres and their questions about the party’s stand.  Recently, the Bengal unit undertook workshops across the districts to work towards anti-BJP campaigns in coming months. However, the district leadership faced a volley of questions mostly pertaining to party’s secretary Sitaram Yechury’s stage sharing with arch rival — Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee. Sources at CPI(M) said that the cadres have not only expressed their discontent over the association with TMC but raised several questions. A section of cadres have questioned whether the party will be allying with TMC in the 2024 Lok Sabha election on the basis of the formula that everyone should support the party in their pockets of influence. If not then what would be the campaign process? Some have even questioned if Congress High Command asks the Pradesh Congress to ally with the TMC, will Bengal CPI(M) continue to hold hands with Congress or go alone.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to defend the ant-TMC stand within CPI(M).  The most significant question of the cadres was whether the party would support the government formed by the I.N.D.I.A. which will have Didi as one of the key players.
Kanimozhi Rahul_udhyanidhi
Rahul Gandhi Dials Kanimozhi To Get Udhayanidhi To Tone Down, Father Lobbies For Son
Alarmed by the unrelenting stance of DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on his utterances about sanatana dharma, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reportedly called up his aunt and Thoothukkudi Lok Sabha MP K Kanimozhi to get her nephew to tone down. Rahul communicated with Kani before he left on his Europe tour this week. Initial efforts to get Udhayanidhi to pipe down were made via senior DMK leader TR Baalu by several Congress leaders. It was explained to him how junior Stalin’s utterances could wreck prospects of the Congress in the upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath made it clear to Rahul how Udhayanidhi’s open threat to vanquish believing Hindus like malaria/dengue had already upset a winning electoral game for the Congress in MP. It was only then that Rahul decided to dial Kanimozhi, so that she may persuade her brother and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. Unfortunately, Udhayanidhi seemed too reluctant to backtrack. I.N D.I.A .front allies like the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Shiv Sena UBT were upset with his utterances against Hindus. In a desperate attempt to win back support  of I.N.D.I.A for his son, Stalin pits him against PM Modi and hopelessly drags in Modi’s directions to his ministers that Udhayanidhi’s remarks against sanatana dharma should be  strongly countered. He said it was unfair for PM Modi to make “comments” without knowing what his son spoke. Fed up with DMK’s obstinacy, Congress has distanced itself from the Stalins.
fadnavis pawar
Charges Against Fadnavis At Pawar’s Instigation, Says BJP Leader
Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh’s grave allegations against present deputy chief minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis in connection with the lathi charge against a pro-Maratha reservation morcha at Jalna were made at the instigation of NCP president Sharad Pawar, said a close relative of Deshmukh. “If a pin drops in my house, Anil knows about it and if a phone rings in his house, I come to know about it,” BJP’s OBC Cell’s Ashish Deshmukh has said. Anil’s allegation that the Maratha demonstrators at Jalna were beaten up by the police under the orders of Fadnavis has led to a war of words. Castigating him, Ashish said Anil Deshmukh must apologise for this allegation. Recalling various serious incidents during Anil Deshmukh’s stormy tenure as home minister of the state, Ashish said the NCP under Pawar was now a moth-eaten crumbling structure. To save it, Pawar and Anil were politicising the Maratha reservation issue. When Anil Deshmukh was in power, he did not know anything about the explosives planted near Mukesh Ambani’s house nor was he aware of the permission granted to the Wadhawan brothers during their custody period. “How does Anil now know about the orders issued by Fadnavis if he was unaware of the extortion from dance bar owners in Mumbai by notorious police officer Sachin Vaze then ,” Ashish has questioned.   
Jeetega bharat
Only Lip Service To Women’s Representation In I.N.D.I.A And Congress Lists
Although every political party unerringly pays lip service to representation for women and social justice for the minorities, all of them behave differently whenever real politics is concerned. For instance, they have been demanding 33% share for women in parliament and state legislatures, but they do not grant the same proportion when forming their own committees. The latest example of political doublespeak are the coordination committee of the opposition I.N.D.I.A front and the newly recast central election committee of the Congress party. While the I.N.D.I.A committee’s lone woman member is Mehbooba Mufti, the Congress election committee has only two women members, Ambika Soni and Rajya Sabha member Amee Yajnik, besides Sonia Gandhi, of course. This has hardly come as a surprise since it has remained the policy of all political parties to give weightage to the ‘ability to win’ over all other qualities of a candidate. The other highlight of both the lists is the scant representation given to the minorities. The 14-member coordination committee has three Muslim leaders – Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Jawed Ali Khan (SP). The Congress list has three minority members among the 16 names announced. They are Salman Khurshid, Mohammed Jawed and KC George. Similarly, age is another factor that has not impacted the membership of the coordination committee. The case in point is its senior most member, Sharad Pawar, was born in 1940.
Ram nath kovind
Expect Huge Surprises In Special Lok Sabha Session
The special session of Parliament has not been convened just for the government to sing the praises of India’s scientists who put a lander and rover on the Moon and has sent a probe towards the Sun with spotless precision. Insiders say that a lot of Bills are to be presented which, with an eye on the elections, will have an impact on the electorate. The primary one may be the introduction of the simultaneous polls towards which leading lawyers have briefed the government on how legislation can be passed. It is learnt that reservation for women in legislative seats will be introduced through at least 10% of Lok Sabha seats earmarked for them in the coming polls. Also, a Bill to raise the reservation limits beyond 50% to accommodate Dalits, tribals, and other disadvantaged communities is said to be on the anvil. The formation of the Ram Nath Kovind panel on “One Nation, One Election,” is no mere kite flying exercise. Apparently, a lot of work has already been done to draft Bills and legal advice may have it that it could even be passed in a joint session where the government will have the clout in terms of the required majority. The BJP is prepared to pull out all stops in its bid to retain power in 2024.
Rahul Kharge
Cong A Divided House On Dharma & Udhayanidhi
As the BJP continued its onslaught on DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his “sanatana dharma must be eradicated” remark and dubbed it as an attack on all Hindus of the country, the Congress seemed hopelessly incoherent on how to respond to it. Not only did it shy away from denouncing statements of its powerful Tamil Nadu ally, but it also preferred to toe a middle line stating that “every political party has the freedom to (express) their views”. It was as if the Congress had no stake in the battle for Hindi heartland where sanatana dharma is synonymous with Hinduism; it was as if the Congress wasn’t bothered about winning the upcoming three state assembly polls. The tragedy for the Congress was that its top brass – AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary KC Venugopal — belonged to the South and decided to play safe. The party did depend on DMK for securing Lok Sabha seats. That is why someone like Karti Chidambaram openly backed the DMK idea. And it was left to Kamal Nath to ringfence the party in Madhya Pradesh from disastrous consequences of Udhayanidhi‘s utterances. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, son of AICC chief, too backed Udhayanidhi. Incidentally, the Kharges are neo Buddhists. The moot point is why did Udhayanidhi choose to sabre-rattle against sanatana dharma now? Was he trying to settle a score with Guv Ravi who has been talking about it everywhere in TN?
Udhayanidhi_006
Contradictions At Home: Udhayanidhi Stalin Attacks Sanatana Dharma, While His Mother Is Doing Temple Rounds
The DMK and its posturing as Tamil saviours, savants, charlatans and atheists has scaled new heights of political arrogance through the “cub“ in waiting for the TN gaddi –Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. Hindus all over the country are seething at his vitriolic attack on Sanatana Dharma, calling for eradicating it like scourges of malaria, dengue and covid. Probably, he does not have the guts to take on the other faiths — Islam and Christianity. May be he is confident that Hindus are soft targets for spewing venom. May be his Tamil upbringing did not include the iconic poet philosopher Thiruvalluvar whose couplet on indiscreet speech is quoted every day somewhere, “Yaagavaar aayinum nakakkaal, sogappar sol izhukkapattu” (be it anyone, the one who lets his tongue and talk run indiscreetly, will soon meet his deserved fate). Udhayanidhi claims that he is a true saviour of Tamil. That’s why he named his film distribution company Red Giant and this made actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth ask him why not Sigappu Bhootham (in Tamil)? Finally, Udhayanidhi in attacking the Sanatana Dharma pretends he is unaware of his mother Durga Stalin’s lifestyle; she is steeped in worship of Hindu gods, doing the Parikrama of numerous temples.
Mamata uddhav
What Irked Mamata Banerjee At I.N.D.I.A’s Mumbai Meet?
Looks like I.N.D.I.A front of Opposition leaders is being betrayed from those within. At a time when it seemed a good beginning had been made with the setting up of coordination committees and working groups, no one expected it would be filled with lightweights — barring Sharad Pawar. There was a suggestion from TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to involve CMs — at least in the election strategy group. For some reason it was scuttled by RJD leader Lalu Prasad who didn’t want Nitish Kumar on the panel. Didi who wanted to host the next I.N.D.I.A event in Kolkata found no takers as it was shot down by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury as he explained that Left could not be seen in a function hosted by the TMC. Rejection of Kolkata as venue was enough to irk Mamata. She found it odd that Communist leaders had no problem in rubbing shoulders with the TMC or the Congress in Delhi or Bengaluru but not in the home turf of Bengal or Kerala. Mamata also did not approve of the unilateral manner in which Rahul Gandhi raked up the Adani issue at the Opposition event without consulting other parties. The TMC chief had initially pointed to the Congress about the Left and Congress virulently campaigning against TMC for the September 5 Dhupguri assembly by-poll. In fact, Mamata had specially sent her nephew Abhishek to Delhi to complain to Rahul about the tone and tenor of the Left-Congress campaign.
Rahul Gandhi_India_002
Congress' Backseat Helps I.N.D.I.A Front Glue Together
The role of the Indian National Congress leadership in taking a backseat in the I.N.D.I.A coalition has emerged as one of the key factors that has kept the front together. Had the Congress taken up leadership positions, it would have put off some anti-Congress parties that are part of the coalition,” according to a political analyst. Also, being the dominant partner, the I.N.D.I.A coalition would have earned the tag of a Congress-led initiative, another deterrent factor. Analysts believe that this playing down strategy reflects political maturity on the part of the grand old party. “They are aware of the fact that there are a few parties within the I.N.D.I.A coalition that have won elections on an anti-Congress plank and these parties need to be reassured about their place,” felt Bhalchandra Kango, member of the national secretariat of the Communist Party of India.  If Nitish Kumar had got the parties together in the I.N.D.I.A coalition, we must work to keep all the parties together, Rahul Gandhi is believed to have stated in one of the internal meetings. With this, the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls now promises a straight fight between the 28-party India alliance and the 38-parties BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
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Language Barrier: Stalin Surprises Everybody, Addresses I.N.D.I.A Leaders In Tamil
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin chose to give his closing address of the 28-party I.N.D.I.A meet at Mumbai in Tamil. The only South Indian chief minister present on the dais, Stalin just started off in Tamil without any warning. His colleague, six-times Parliamentarian TR Baalu, who was with him on the dais, neither translated his address nor bothered to explain the context to either the delegates or the press. All the other speakers including Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, chose to address in Hindi except for Sitaram Yechury who spoke in English. A delegate, who was part of the I.N.D.I.A front internal meet, revealed that Stalin failed to fully participate in the internal meetings, due to the language barrier. “Stalin always kept his counterpart TR Baalu around him. Baalu presented the party view at the internal meetings while Stalin merely followed the proceedings in English,” a delegate informed. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has been a strong opponent of imposition of Hindi. Stalin started his short address with a greeting of ‘Vanakkam’ and went on to explain how the I.N.D.I.A front has not come together with the quest for power but with the resolve to protect the nation, its constitution, the society and cultural values. Soon after he wrapped up his speech, he left the dais along with Baalu.
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I.N.D.I.A Skips Contentious Issues, Sets Aside Decisions On PM Candidate
The 28-party I.N.D.I.A front has decided to side step the contentious issue of finalising the prime ministerial face to forge ahead in the alliance. The alliance has decided to stay face-less in its fight against prime minister Narendra Modi to diffuse tensions in I.N.D.I.A with multiple claimants throwing hats in the ring. With 11 chief ministers like Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal in the fray, the leadership of I.N.D.I.A is a delicate issue that could destabilize the alliance at any point of time. Though the Congress wanted to push Rahul Gandhi for leadership position, it wisely seems to have given up. Though a similar anti-BJP front had emerged in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it had failed to work due to lack of unity. Hence, it has been decided to instead let the PM candidate emerge post-election depending on how the parties fare in the Lok Sabha polls. Another contentious issue, that of seat sharing is also likely to be delegated to various state-level committees to diffuse tensions. With parties in West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi and Kerala being at loggerheads in Delhi, the emphasis will be on the ability to win seats to determine seat sharing allocations. Similarly, key responsibilities will be décentralised and delegated to coordination committee and sub-committees rather than a single convenor to avoid focus on a single party or leader.
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Sequel Fever: AGS Entertainment Gets Ready For ‘Thani Oruvan 2’ With Jayam Ravi
The sustained box office and artistic success of Southern films is not just about strong story lines, brilliant directors, tight budgets, organised shooting schedules and artists who give value for what they earn. Southies know how to get the best ROI, even in remarkable budget films. Much of the credit goes to producers like AGS Entertainment founded in 2006 by three brothers — S Aghoram, S Ganesh, and S Suresh — which has consistently bankrolled good, wholesome and mostly family oriented themes. AGS Entertainment just announced their Thani Oruvan 2 to mark 8 years of the original hit movie that ran in cinemas for 50 days, grossed Rs 150 crore worldwide, with no carpet-bombing gimmickry or cooked books. What is even more remarkable, the sibling team of director Mohan Raja and Jayam Ravi, team up yet again for a seventh film in Thani Oruvan 2. Jayam Ravi is already riding high as a bankable artist, as gracefully as he rode a caparisoned elephant in both Ponniyin Selvans. He is Ponniyin Selvan, Mani Rathnam’s muse. Starting with Jayam, M Kumaran S/O of Mahalakshmi, Unakka Enakka , Santosh Subramaniam, Thillalangadi, Thani Oruvan 1 all back-to-back hits, and paisa vasool for film buffs. Jayam Ravi will play an IPS officer Mithran once again. Spoiler alert …could the antagonist go after the hero? Nayantara is his love light.
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I.N.D.I.A Meet’s Menu Adds Spice To Political Sparring
The world famous Mumbai Vada Paav, Maharashtra’s iconic Puran Poli, popular savoury Baakar Vadee or plebeian staple Zunaka Bhakar were among the more prominent dishes served during the two-day I.N.D.I.A front meet underway at a 5-Star hotel in Mumbai. The entire menu, vegetarian though, has attracted attention since it became a matter of sparring between the state Congress, organisers of the meet, and the ruling BJP-led alliance. The social media army aligned with the BJP immediately published a rate list of the various items like a water bottle which was quoted as costing over Rs 200 and like NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s confidant Jayant Patil’s demand that a drought situation should be declared in Maharashtra in view of the absence of rains in large parts of the state became a tool for the trollers. They questioned the expenditure for the I.N.D.I.A meet at the luxury hotel in which each room rent runs in five figures and a cup of tea or coffee in hundreds. “If the Opposition is so much concerned about the privations suffered by farmers, it should explain the royal treatment meted out to the various leaders who have arrived in Mumbai for the I.N.D.I.A meet,” some remarked. State Congress president Nana Patole said that the entire menu was vegetarian and traditional Maharashtrian dishes were served. The give and take became spicy for a short while though ended without leaving any bitter after taste.
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Govt For Special Session In New Parliament Complex On Auspicious Ganesh Festivities
Parliament Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi’s tweet announcing a Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) from September 18 to 22 predictably triggered a howl of protest from the Opposition. The announcement best served to take the limelight away from Opposition-I.N.D.I.A meet. With speculation rife that PM Modi could even push for a one nation-one election bill at this session, it must have sufficiently altered the agenda of the Opposition conclave in Mumbai. The Shiv Sena UBT protested loudest as the 5-day session coincided with Ganesh Chaturthi festivities beginning on September19 and dubbed it as anti-Hindu move. For the Modi government it was an auspicious day to launch numerous things, including holding the first session of the Parliament in the new building. While the Sena UBT may cry foul, what it does not know is that Ganesh Chaturthi is auspicious and celebrated not just in Maharashtra but in other states including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat.  As for government business in the brief session, the session will adopt resolutions on successful launch of Chandrayan-3, conduct of G 20 summit and laud achievements of athlete Neeraj Chopra and chess wizard R Praggnanandhaa. As for the bills there is talk about a new reservation policy in the pipeline.
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Under The Cloud, Sharad Pawar Dares PM Modi
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, who has been under the cloud, following his hobnobbing with his nephew Ajit Pawar even after splitting his party, dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to investigate and act against him. “You are in power, the facts are with you. Investigate and bring the truth before the entire country,” the senior Pawar dared at the precursor press briefing of the INDIA alliance. Prior to Ajit Pawar aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), PM Modi had alleged that the NCP was involved in corruption of over Rs 70,000 crore. Sharad Pawar has stated that there is no confusion among people and they will show the defected NCP leaders, who shifted allegiance to the BJP-Shiv Sena ruling alliance, their place in the polls. The NCP party is expecting deterrent action from the Modi government in the form of losing their party name or symbol, a la the Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, a senior NCP leader said. Incidentally, while Uddhav Thackeray works closely with Sharad Pawar, his party mouthpiece Saamna continues to be strongly critical of Pawar’s mollycoddling with his nephew, which it termed sends confusing signals to workers of the alliance partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
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Uddhav, Akhilesh, Kejriwal In PM Race, Indicate Their Wish Through Women Leaders
The multi-party I.N.D.I.A front is already besieged with the issue of electing its contender for the post of Prime Minister as former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, too, has indirectly expressed his willingness to enter the fray. Former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal are already believed to be in the race. The I.N.D.I.A front has started on a good footing as leaders of most prominent Opposition parties have arrived in Mumbai for the two-day meet. Though the previous two meetings, held in Patna and Bengaluru, could not decide on any of the major policy issues, the Mumbai meet will attempt to arrive at a consensus on the front’s logo, agenda and collective leadership. SP’s Juhi Singh has announced the name of Akhilesh for premiership. According to her, Akhilesh has established his credentials to hold the top post. AAP’s Priyanka Kakkar has praised Kejriwal’s performance as Delhi CM and has cited his various decisions like holding the price line in the national capital by subsidizing water, power, education and free bus travels for women. She claimed that he will be able to do it for the entire country, too, given an opportunity. Uddhav’s candidature has been declared by party MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, recalling his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. As all three names are forwarded by women leaders, the outcome will be awaited eagerly.
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Ahead Of Opposition Meet In Mumbai, Modi Govt Cuts LPG Prices By Rs 200
In a surprise move that is being seen as a raksha bandhan gift from PM Narendra Modi to all Indian households, the price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder was reduced by Rs 200 in all markets across the country. In Delhi for instance, the decision will bring down the cost of a 14.2 kg cylinder from Rs 1103 to Rs 903.”This is a gift to crores of my sisters of the country on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan”, said PM Modi. Opposition parties are already crying foul and see it as a move aimed at targeting voters in poll-bound states in Hindi heartland at the end of this year. The sop was announced just days ahead of a meeting of Opposition leaders of I.N.D.I.A in Mumbai on Aug 31-Sep 1. The effective price for PMUY (Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana) households in Delhi after this reduction will be Rs 703 per cylinder. There are more than 31 crore domestic LPG consumers in the country including 9.6 crore PMUY beneficiary families and this reduction will help all LPG consumers in the country.  Reacting to the government move, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that Karnataka rout of the BJP — the high price of LPG was one of the main issues of the election. He also bragged about how the Congress government in Rajasthan was giving LPG cylinders at Rs 500. “Expect more such ‘gifts’ in the coming months as the PM becomes even more desperate to cling on to his chair.”  
Anil Anthony
Onam Gift: Anil Anthony Appointed BJP Functionary
In a significant move, the BJP leadership appointed Anil Anthony as its national secretary as well as national spokesperson. It is significant that it chose to make the announcement on the traditional Kerala festival of Onam. Anil Anthony, son of senior Congress leader AK Anthony, had joined the BJP in April this year after quitting the Congress and criticising its stand on the controversial documentary film of the BBC on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had termed BBC as “a state sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices” against India, after which, he said, he had received threats as well. “Despite large differences with BJP, I think those in India placing views of BBC, a UK state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over Indian institutions is setting a dangerous precedent, will undermine our sovereignty,” Anthony had tweeted. Welcoming Antony to the BJP, Piyush Goyal described him as a “very grounded political worker”, who was convinced that the BJP cares for the country and shared the vision of sustainable growth.
Jayakumar Stalin
AIADMK Leader Jayakumar Slams Udhayanidhi Stalin Publicly
Ex-AIADMK minister D Jayakumar has many epithets…motormouth, loose cannon, party mouthpiece, King of repartee, master of comedy. While in power, the media was hilariously entertained by his innuendos, and funny swipes. Jayakumar knows how to give what he gets…in spades. After his telling success at Mayiladuthurai’s DMK Youth Wing meet where Udhayanidhi Stalin upped the swag quotient, he went a bit over in inciting the AIADMK citing instance of an AIADMK functionary lodging a police complaint about his missing wife, and mirth erupting as some smart alecks suggested that Jayakumar be questioned. A composed Jayakumar said, “This Udhayanidhi is a mere cub. Neither his baap nor his baap’s baap can neutralise our party. I am warning this cub, stick to politics, don’t stray into personal attacks. If you try, we can pepper social media with filth exposés that you won’t withstand “. He further added, they call our party “garbage” but… garbage at least can be turned into fertiliser compost. The DMK has gnawed into the state like termites, leaving everything wasted in its wake. TN is now an “addiction” state — alcohol, ganja, power, money, you name it. Even the police are beaten up by cadres.  DMK scraped through in 2021 assembly elections with a mere 3 % lead. After 2026, it will be buried, swag, money, power and all. Will Udhayanidhi, the SUN in waiting, be more politically gracious in his speech?
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Chhagan Bhujbal Attacks Pawar, Nephew Ajit Silent
NCP chief Sharad Pawar is facing one attack after another from his long-time confidants, notably made in presence of his nephew Ajit Pawar, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. Chhagan Bhujbal, the first Shiv Sena rebel is at the centre of the latest furore which has erupted due to his allegations that Pawar made him resign as then home minister owing to the multi-crore Telgi stamp paper scam on 23 December 2003. Bhujbal reminded Pawar at a Beed rally that he himself had arrested Telgi, and had asked the police to invoke MCOCA against him. But based on some allegations levelled against him, “you asked me to resign,” he lamented. On Bhujbal’s charges, Ajit told the media that though he was on the dais, he couldn’t hear fully what Bhujbal had said. “I have read some newspaper reports about it but not yet spoken with him,” Ajit said. Bhujbal had walked out of the Sena in 1991, dealing it a severe blow to join the Congress party. When Pawar quit Congress to set up NCP in 1999 Bhujbal joined him. It may be recalled that a few days back, Pawar’s one-time secretary Dilip Walse Patil had remarked that Pawar inspite of being the tallest leader of Maharashtra had never been able to form a government in the state on his own. This observation, too, was endorsed by Ajit.
Indian politician
How Politicians Keep Their Brand Alive
There are certain timeless topics (read issues) that make it easy for political parties/politicians to be in the news. There are at least five to six issues which are raked up at regular intervals — once in two-three years – which keep the politicians going. Take the case of Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka which has not been solved for decades. The issue has been deliberately kept on slow boil; once solved the politicians and their existence will be forgotten. Ditto the border issue between Maharashtra and Karnataka, or Naxalite menace. Here, the communal issue is a tool of the last resort. But, generally all politicians go in for low hanging fruits like corruption, bad roads or environment issues. Not surprisingly, the media will oblige with non-stop coverage.  Of course, the favourite whipping boy is the film industry. Sushant Singh Rajput’s death became almost a national issue. Likewise flags of revolt were raised over movies like Padmaavat or The Kashmir Files for misrepresenting history or showing religion in bad light. Then hijab issues keep surfacing from different corners of the country bringing the entire Muslim brotherhood together. The timing of the issues have also become predictable – it is either run-up to the elections or some serious issues rocking the government either at the Centre or State, and suddenly as part of the deflecting strategy these issues are raked up. Interestingly, all these issues die a quick death too.
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Stalin Paradox Of Onam Greetings
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin continues to present his festival paradox by wishing people on the occasion of Onam while he would not countenance doing that for Deepavali. In some strange Dravidian party ideology logic, their leader is not to wish people on Hindu festivals, but somewhere they seem to have lost the plot because Onam is very much a Hindu festival, marking as it does the good governance of a mythical Hindu king Mahabali. The date of the festival coincides with the day of the Thiruvonam star according to the Hindu Panchangam. While the celebration of festivals has an increasingly universal ring to them these days with people of all religions joining in to take in the grid times and the feasts that go with them, it does appear Stalin has to explain the paradox at least to himself that while he wishes the people of Kerala on a festival he would not do so for a more pan-Indian Hindu festival like Diwali. Of course, on the political front, Stalin has picked up courage to take on Prime Minister in a direct frontal attack saying Narendra Modi has no moral right to comment on corruption and how he plans to fight it while his own government has been pulled up on seven counts by the CAG.
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Pawar Backtracks Within Hours, Contradicts Supriya About Ajit’s Leadership
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has retracted his remarks about his nephew and breakaway group leader Ajit Pawar within hours, contradicting his daughter Supriya Sule as well in the same breath. Pawar’s public statement that “Ajit is a leader of our party” was flashed by social media within moments after it was made. Nearly four hours later, Pawar said he had never made any such claim. Moreover, Supriya’s assertion that Ajit was the party leader was also rubbished by Pawar. To top it all, Pawar flatly refused that there was a split in the party. He said certain members of the party had taken a different stand but it could not be termed as a split. Pawar’s diametrically opposite statements have created a question mark for the proposed I.N.D.I.A meet to be held in Mumbai next week. Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leader Sanjay Raut maintained that Ajit’s desertion of the NCP was very much a split. The Ajit group had appointed Sunil Tatkare as its own Maharashtra president while Pawar had continued Jayant Patil in that post. If there are two presidents of the same unit, is it not a split, Raut posed a counter question. Ajit Pawar was quizzed by the media in Pune about his uncle’s and cousin’s confusing statements. He merely said, “No comment” and walked away, deepening the suspense over the possibility of bridging the NCP’s split.
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister On The Offensive Against Centre, Governor
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has decided to go all out to oppose the Centre on all issues while throwing his weight behind the I.N.D.I.A that has been cobbled to try and beat BJP in the 2024 polls. He has told his party to go flat out to expose the Governor RN Ravi’s activities in support of the Centre and in being a spanner in the works in the State. He also sought the help of the Congress to highlight the Governor’s activities on occasions on which the government cannot oppose him directly as in the case of the Governor seeking clarifications on the proposed appointment of the retired DGP Sylendra Babu as head of TNPSC. The CM is also prepared to let go of the good equation with the Prime Minister at a personal level if that would help the case of the Opposition bonding more. Any chance of DMK changing sides even in a post-poll scenario of an unclear majority in the Lok Sabha may have disappeared already with the CM deciding on this hard line against the PM and BJP. The State will also take up the reopening of cases against two of its ministers by the Madras High Court by approaching the Supreme Court. The gloves are truly off now that Stalin has decided to throw in his lot with I.N.D.I.A.
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Onion Peppers Maharashtra Politics, Verbal Battles Ensue Between Pawar And Shinde
The Maharashtra onion crisis has triggered a fierce verbal battle in which top leader Sharad Pawar is the object of attacks by chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Ajit Pawar among others. The Centre has decided to purchase onion through NAFED at Rs 2,410 per quintal after the ruling alliance in Maharashtra pressed it for early decision in view of the glut in onion market and the resultant price crash. Opposition parties exploited the situation to corner the state government, which sent distress signals to Union home minister Amit Shah. Thereafter, Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal, who hails from Mumbai, has declared that the Centre will purchase two lakh tonnes of onion to start with and could buy more, if needed. Pawar has criticized the decision, saying that Rs 4,000 per quintal must be sanctioned by the Centre. He has been harpooned by Shinde, who recalled that Pawar had never taken such decisions in crisis situations during his 10 years as Union agriculture minister. Shinde has also reminded Pawar that the Centre has announced a Rs 10,000-crore package for the sugar industry, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative. Shinde’s observations articulated in presence of Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar were reciprocated by the Deputy CM, who has asserted that the state would always stand by the farmers, did not name his uncle but left no doubt about the object of his spirited support of Shinde.
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EPS: The Man Who Aspires To Be Another MGR!
AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palanisami (EPS) organised a mega event in Madurai on August 20. To draw crowds from all over Tamil Nadu, money was poured like ghee on the havan khund. A few party cadres say they were given tickets for Jailer, costing Rs 4,000 and exhorted to make it to Madurai at any cost. According to local intelligence, lakhs of ADMK?????(OR AIADMK) cadres…. came for the meet, to evaluate EPS and his crowd pulling ability vis a vis MGR and JJ. EPS smiled all the way through the meet, accepted piles of garlands and anointed himself Purathchi Thamizhar (revolutionary Tamilian) as prefixes. But deep down, EPS is acutely aware of the serious threats to his status and leadership. The BJP is playing a wily game of seemingly promoting EPS, knowing full well that at the right time they could up the ante and demand more seats in an alliance. BJP leader K Annamalai’s job is to needle EPS regularly just in case he acts tough in their shotgun marriage. Meanwhile, the troika of Sasikala, OPS, and TTV are baying at his heels, raking up every scandal including the shooting at late JJ’s Kodanadu estate. The option of merging his outfit AIADMK with BJP may have been attractive …till a savvy political leader told him, he would totally lose that Dravidam brand and leave the DMK the full arena to skate. Sleeping with the enemy brings its own dangers.
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Kharge Buries Ghost Of G-23 In CWC, Inducts Tharoor, Pilot & Tiwari
In a major reshuffle in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Shashi Tharoor, Anand Sharma, Manish Tiwari and Sachin Pilot to the policy making body. Except for Pilot, whose inclusion is being seen as a sop ahead of Rajasthan assembly elections, inclusion of the other three leaders is significant as it finally buries the ghost of Group-23. These three leaders were among the many who in a letter to Sonia Gandhi last year had questioned non-transparent functioning in the Congress.  Only exception among the G-23 leaders who got left out is former Maharashtra CM Prithiviraj Chavan. It is surprising that Chavan was kept out of the CWC unless the Congress brass is planning some other assignment for him. Also important is the inclusion of Ajay Maken and Alka Lamba, leaders who have been vocal against Arvind Kejriwal. Party sources were equally surprised that Kharge’s team decided to keep out a close Rahul Gandhi aide Milind Deora out of the CWC. Party circles from Telangana blamed bias of Kharge’s team for packing the CWC with men from Andhra — 4 leaders and only 2 from Telangana that too at a time when assembly elections are going to be held in Telangana by end of this year. “It just seems we have lost the plot to win elections,” said a close Rahul aide from Telangana who got axed in the CWC rejig.
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Mumbai University Senate Poll Postponed, Aaditya And Amit Thackeray Condemn Decision
The Maharashtra government’s abrupt decision to postpone Mumbai University’s senate election from the graduate constituency has brought arch enemies Aaditya and Amit Thackeray on the same page, at least on one issue. The two cousins, who were bracing for a pitched battle between their youth wings to control the senate, have condemned the decision. Both have alleged that the ruling Shinde-Fadnavis alliance has put the election on hold ‘fearing the BJP’s rout.’ On the other hand, BJP leader Ashish Shelar has defended the decision, saying that the electoral rolls were defective as many names had been missing. A university official announced the postponement ‘till further orders’ without citing any reason. At present, the senate is controlled by Aaditya as all its 10 seats were won five years ago by the Yuva Sena. On the other hand, Raj Thackeray’s son Amit was to fight his first political battle by fielding the candidates on behalf of his Vidyarthi Yuva Sena. As a trial of strength, the election would have been a game changer in Mumbai and surrounding areas. Amidst this slugfest, Aaditya’s close confidant Praveen Patkar declared his decision to join the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde. Yuva Sena’s past victories are credited to Patkar’s untiring efforts
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Kharge Finally Asserts Himself, Effects Changes In Congress
It is going to be almost a year since he was elected Congress President, yet Mallikarjun Kharge has not constituted Congress Working Committee or the AICC. However in the last few days it seems he has begun effecting changes which speaks of his efforts to reshuffle responsibilities in the organisation. He deputed Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC General Secretary who handled Karnataka, to election-going Madhya Pradesh, recalling old hand JP Agarwal. Congress leaders were surprised that Kharge should send Surjewala to MP just three-four months ahead of the assembly elections. While it is not clear if Surjewala was chosen because he delivered Karnataka but he also shot into limelight for his recent utterance while addressing a public meeting in Kaithal, Haryana. Chiding those who vote BJP, he said “…Those who vote for BJP and are BJP supporters are of ‘rakshas’ (demons) tendency. I curse from this land of Mahabharat…” Sending Surjewala to MP to oust the BJP where it has been in power for over two decades or more may not be much of a challenge to the veteran party manager. But then Surjewala hasn’t won any direct election in his home state for a decade now; he was elected to Rajya Sabha as an MP from Rajasthan angering his rival Bhupinder Hooda. Unlike Karnataka, MP is a Hindu-majority state. No wonder even Congress leaders like Kamal Nath are wooing Hindu voters with pravachans of Baageshwardham.
Mamata Rahul Sonia
I.N.D.I.A Meet: Will Congress Agree To Didi’s Seat-Sharing Formula?
In their third meeting in Mumbai, the main focus of the Opposition front I.N.D.I.A will be over seat sharing, based on the formula floated by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee. Didi has stated that the party which is strongest will contest the state and the specific seats. According to Congress sources, in West Bengal the Congress High Command is counting on Didi to decide on the seat sharing of 42 Lok Sabha seats. Insiders have also mentioned that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have no objection to the proposal. Incidentally, in 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, Congress won only two seats in Bengal with Bengal Congress Chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury winning from Baharampur and veteran leader Abhu Hasem Khan Chowdhury from Maldaha Dakshin. Moreover, political analysts believe that the TMC supremo might think of restricting Congress in those two seats, but Congress insiders say that the High Command may seek for six more seats. Interestingly, Chowdhury seems to have softened his stand on TMC. He further stated that Congress will be maintaining its relationship with TMC and CPI(M) at the national and state levels respectively. Meanwhile, the third meeting of the Grand Alliance will be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1, besides seat sharing, discussions will also focus on EVMs. Two more alliance meetings are scheduled before Diwali.
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Will Nawab Malik Be Let Off The Hook?
Generally, there is a tendency to keep at arm’s length from people who have served jail terms. More so, if the person has had alleged dealings with enemy of India Dawood Ibrahim. Maharashtra’s former minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik was arrested on February 23, 2022 by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a case allegedly linked to fugitive underworld don Dawood and his associates. After cooling his heels for nearly 18 months he got two months bail from the Supreme Court on August 14, 2023. But what’s surprising is that all NCP leaders were out in full force to meet him at his residence. They were:  Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, Dilip-Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbul, AnilDeshmukh and Sunil Tatkare. And reportedly, Sharad Pawar telephonically spoke to Malik. Does this show of solidarity indicate that Malik may be let off the hook? After all, the NCP (Ajit faction) has aligned with the BJP and various agencies have dialled down where his cases are concerned. So too have agencies put on back burner cases on Shiv Sena leaders who quit Uddhav and joined Eknath Shinde camp. It does not require a genius to predict what will happen next going by the past record of politicians who crossed over to the BJP camp. But the general sentiment is that people are not happy; their lament is why are they compromising principles to win elections? Quite.
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Is Jasprit Bumrah Ready For The Big Comeback?
India has won 49 one-day internationals when fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah spearheaded its bowling department. Precisely the reason Indian cricket is praying that he doesn’t break down again after his return to the ranks as captain for the short Twenty20 series in Ireland. In his absence (37 matches, 28 since July 2022) India has lost 23 matches. The numbers paint the importance of his presence at the ICC World Cup. He has sent down 633.5 overs in 72 innings, taking 121 wickets at 24.31 at a low economy rate of 4.64. Bumrah will be seen in action having recovered from a stress fracture of the lower back. He pulled out of the Indian team a few times last year because of his vulnerable back and hence another flare-up will be disastrous news for him and the Indian team. It’s in the Asia Cup and the three-match ODI series against Australia that he has to be put through the wringer to ascertain the condition of his spine. Bumrah would like to improve his results against Pakistan (4 wkts at 48.75), Australia (22 wkts at 37.36) and New Zealand (13 wkts at 36.85).  The Asia Cup and World Cup will give him the first opportunity to play a big part because India will start these two competitions against Pakistan at Pallekele and Australia in Chennai. Bumrah will be seen in action in blue against Ireland and the cricket world will get the first glimpses of the recovery he has made.
RNRavi_MKStalin flag
No Holds Barred Between Tamil Nadu Governor And Chief Minister
What Mantara and Shakuni wrought by diligently working on Kaikeyi and Duryodhana’s psyche in our epics is now quoted in Tamil Nadu. BJP leader K Annamalai’s faithfuls busy working overtime constantly citing the omissions and commissions of Governor RN Ravi. Even as the NEET bill assent is hanging in the balance of Raj Bhavan, the Governor hosted a tea meet to congratulate those who had passed the exam. The father of a student stood up to ask, “Sir, when are you signing this Bill?” Prompt came the response “If I had the authority, never.” On a recent tour of Thiruvannamalai, Governor Ravi went round the ultra holy Giri Valam path (lakhs circumambulate this hill on Poornimas) and said, non-veg food being served here must stop. Even as the Governor meets and greets the press, Annamalai has been quietly smouldering …there is talk that he has spoken about such matters to the top. Stories are doing the rounds that Annamalai is convinced that his walkathon has been seriously neutralised and marginalised by the Governor’s Raj Bhavan Durbar Hall. To add insult to injury, Stalin says let the Governor stay on till the Elections…he is our chief campaign mascot! An alternate Flag hoisting by Stalin at the Fort St, George, boycotting the Governor’s traditional ceremony clearly indicates that it is all out war in TN between the Governor and chief minister.
SupriyaSule
Will MVA Split As Congress Eyes Supriya Sule’s Baramati Constituency?
The Congress party in Maharashtra has started sending feelers that it could consider contesting the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency election with various possibilities as NCP chief Sharad Pawar — one of the architects of I.N.D.I.A — actions have left many questions unanswered. Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, considered close to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, has been indicating that a tacit understanding between Pawar and the BJP has been reached. The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, too, has urged Pawar to make his position clear amidst various intriguing developments. Although Pawar has reiterated that he will not go with the BJP and asked his followers not to follow ‘misleading’ media reports, there are few who take him at face value. To open a front against Pawar in case such an eventuality occurs, his detractors are making preparations to challenge his daughter Supriya Sule in Baramati LS constituency which has remained steadfastly loyal to the Pawar family. His nephew Ajit Pawar also had been elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati for a truncated term three decades ago. Supriya, who had adopted a low profile after the NCP split in early July, has become active again. Last week, she spiritedly attacked the Modi government while speaking on the non-confidence motion against the Modi government. Her presence to welcome controversial former minister Nawab Malik after his release on bail resulted in several raised eyebrows. She has sent signals that she will be more visible henceforth. Therefore, the Congress party’s move will be watched keenly.
Devendra Fadnavis Sharad pawar
Guessing Game Intensifies As Pawar & Fadnavis To Share Dais Once Again
NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis are scheduled to share dais on Sunday (Aug 13), once again giving rise to intense political speculation. Pawar’s latest proclamation that he will never align with the BJP is the reason for the guessing game as he is perceived to have acted differently than his public posture on many occasions. His fulsome praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1 when the PM received the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award and the warm gesture of Modi towards his ‘old friend’ attracted intense political attention. This was remembered when the NCP’s both factions – Pawar and nephew Ajit – did not issue any whip for last week’s voting in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) keep on expressing their anguish at Pawar’s decisions but have refrained from issuing any ultimatum in view of Pawar’s stewardship of the Opposition I.N.D.I.A front. Pawar and Fadnavis will be present at Sangola in Solapur district for unveiling the statue of former minister Ganpatrao Deshmukh, who represented the constituency for five decades with only one defeat. Deshmukh was a member of Pawar’s first cabinet in 1978. Meanwhile, rumour mills are once again buzzing over chief minister Eknath Shinde’s future. Hence the scheduled presence of Pawar along with Fadnavis is indeed raising eyebrows.
Adhir Ranjan chowdhury
With His Suspension Adhir Ranjan Has Earned A Life Line In Bengal Congress, Thanks To PM
West Bengal PCC chief and Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury enjoys the best of equations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. That was evident. As soon as Chowdhury began speaking on a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, the PM walked into the House to listen to him according him full status of Leader of the Opposition. However all that changed the minute Adhir slipped into name calling the PM. This saw the treasury side pushing for his suspension for his bizarre utterances – equating the PM to fugitive fraudster Nirav Modi. Sources close to Chowdhury say he is now filled with remorse and regret as he looks at all the perks he now has to forego. He has been telling all his close party aides that he had no intention to disrespect or humiliate the PM. But was facing pressure from Congress leadership to prove his loyalty to the party. Incidentally, the Congress top brass has been thinking of easing him out of one of the two posts that he now holds – LoP in the Lok Sabha and Bengal PCC Chief. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has been gunning for Adhir’s exit from Bengal as he has been her severe critic. Against this backdrop, Modi-Shah action of suspending Adhir from Lok Sabha could prove to be a blessing in disguise. With Congress forced to battle for him in the Parliament, Gandhis may not be able to axe him from Bengal.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdray
Congress Upset Over Adhir’s Suspension From Lok Sabha, No Protests From TMC
At the debate in the Parliament over no-confidence motion, the Leader of the Opposition Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury faced some uncomfortable moments when both the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah taunted him in their speeches. They called the West Bengal Pradesh Congress chief, a hapless leader “ignored by Congress high command” and also took a jibe saying he was not on the list of speakers as the Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee called Gandhis to keep him away from it. There was more when Modi-Shah claimed this Congress MP is under ‘CPM’s torture’. Interestingly, Modi referred to several Opposition leaders who spearheaded No Confidence Motion against ruling governments such as Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998, 2003 by Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi), himself (2018 by Mallikarjun Kharge). However, Adhir Ranjan did speak on the third day ahead of PM, but was suspended for comparing Modi with Mahabharata’s blind king Dhritrashtra, fugitive businessman Nirav Modi and for his repeated misconduct. In Rajya Sabha, Kharge raised the issue over Adhir’s suspension and in Kolkata demonstrations were held. Sonia Gandhi also called for an emergency meeting to discuss Adhir’ suspension. Meanwhile senior TMC leadership remained tight-lipped on the development, despite party insiders saying that there was nothing wrong in Adhir’s statement. It may be noted that Adhir’s extreme opposition to Mamata made Didi ask her party leaders not to speak on the issue.  Adhir will remain suspended till the privileges committee takes a decision.

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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter

Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.