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Well, when National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on June 10 evening at his official residence in Mumbai, Fadnavis shared a picture with the ace sleuth on his X handle. Though the CM did not share details of his discussions, the meeting has set off speculation in Delhi political circles that Doval, who is 80 years old and has been the NSA since 2014, could be considered for a gubernatorial role. It is being said Doval could be moved to Raj Bhavan in view of his advancing years and somewhat indifferent health. Since he has done tremendous work in revamping the security set-up under the Modi regime, PM Modi is not keen to let go of him. It is being said Modi would like to accommodate him as Governor and Maharashtra Raj Bhavan could be an ideal place. BJP sources said governors reshuffle/appointment would be first in the series of changes in the Modi government that would come before the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. With the Governors’ appointments, changes will happen in the Union Cabinet and eventually in the election of BJP chief. Lot of administrative changes and changes in the party set up have been delayed because of a series of unfortunate events. As far as Doval is concerned what is working for him is that he is a much decorated IPS officer of the Kerala cadre (1968 batch ) who hails from Uttarakhand who has been overseeing sensitive security operations of the Modi Government in the past decade. In June 2019, when he was reappointed NSA he became the first NSA to get a Cabinet rank. In 2024, he got a 3-year extension as NSA.
The meeting of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis with Raj Thackeray was a clear indicator that the Thackeray brothers are not fighting the local body elections together. It practically nipped in the bud all speculations of the reunion of Thackeray brothers that would have led to the consolidation of the Marathi vote bank particularly in the urban belts of Maharashtra like Mumbai, Thane and Nashik where Raj Thackeray’s party holds some influence. Currently, the loyalties of the traditional Marathi vote bank are split into three between the Thackerays and Eknath Shinde, who has thrown in his weight behind the BJP. Shinde’s key aides like Uday Samant have played a crucial role in getting Raj Thackeray to go with the ruling Mahayuti alliance. While the speculation of the reunion of the Thackeray brothers was received with much warmth and support from the cadres on either side, clearly the consolidation of the Marathi vote bank would not have suited all parties. Definitely not the BJP which is looking to decimate the Shiv Sena particularly the Uddhav Thackeray wing in Mumbai and would not have wanted him strengthened. The Raj-Fadnavis meeting, coming as it did in the wake of heavy speculation and lobbying from Shiv Sena’s vocal spokesperson Sanjay Raut left no doubt about Fadnavis emerging as the boss in Maharashtra politics. The entry of Raj Thackeray in the BJP-alliance could also prove to be a counterweight against Shinde, whom the BJP is not keen to let him grow stronger in Mumbai post the BMC polls.
Rain or shine, criticism of the government by certain Opposition leaders does not cease. The tragic air crash in Ahmedabad is no exception. This trait was seen after the suburban train accident in Mumbra (outskirts of Mumbai) a few days ago. Although it is known that aviation is a complex subject, these leaders do not hold back. They don’t stop even when it is the question of India’s defence, not caring that the military should be kept away from such wrangling. For instance, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has given sage advice that no politics should be made of the air tragedy. In the same breath, he has criticised the government by raising some questions. If this government can’t avert an air crash, train accidents or attacks like at Pahalgam, what can it prevent, he asked? In this connection, he has attacked Union home minister Amit Shah. NCP(SP) leader Jayant Patil, too, has made some comments. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray has posed several queries. Frankly admitting that he does not possess any technical knowledge, he has pointed out that many leading newspapers around the world have asked pointed questions. He has also expressed apprehensions about the continuous use of the Dreamliner Boeing aircraft. Shiv Sena (Shinde) MLA Dilip Lande has warned the government that countless lives can be lost if such a mishap takes place in Mumbai since the international airport is surrounded by slums on all sides.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar and nephew Ajit Pawar will clash once more on their home ground. But for a different reason. Both have entered the fray to elect a new board of directors of the famous Malegaon Cooperative Sugar Mill in their backyard in Baramati. The factory has been the focal point in that wealthy sugar belt for several decades and every election for its control is marked by a battle between the Pawar family and its opponents. The election is fought without any party labels. The anti-Pawar forces unite under the leadership of Chandrarao Taware, a staunch foe of the elder Pawar. In the past, the Taware panel has wrested the factory’s control a couple of times though both Pawars were in power. This time, the suspense was heightened since Sharad Pawar had kept his signal to enter the election in abeyance. Now that he has asked his followers to file nominations, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has become extra cautious since his power base can be threatened if the factory’s reins are snatched by his opponents in Pune district. Sharad Pawar’s decision to take on his nephew has once again jolted his clan since talks of merger of both factions of the National Congress Party are said to be in an advanced stage. Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule has given such vague indications, especially after her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few days ago. All in all, another twist to the politics in Maharashtra will be witnessed soon.
In a rare and increasingly confrontational political climate within the West Bengal Assembly, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari has set an extraordinary record with multiple suspensions and breach of privilege motions against him over the past four years. From chief minister Mamata Banerjee labelling him as a “limitless opposition leader”, the Assembly passed yet another breach of privilege motion against BJP leader Adhikari, the eighth since 2021. Reminding that he had defeated the CM in Nandigram, Adhikari has already faced suspension from the Assembly four times over the past four years and maintains that the government would not be able to take any effective action against him as he had never claimed any medical bills since 2006 and had not drawn his salary during suspension periods. He argues that these motions are attempts to silence his voice. Dismissing the claim, TMC Chief Whip Nirmal Ghosh and senior cabinet minister Chandrima Bhattacharya explained that the party had repeatedly approached the Speaker due to various statements made publicly by the LoP. Assembly records show that no previous LoP since 1957 has faced as many disciplinary actions as Adhikari. Former opposition leaders such as CPI(M)’s Surjya Kanta Mishra and Congress leader Abdul Mannan also faced privilege motions during Didi’s tenure but not to this extent. Veteran leaders noted that even former CM and CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu, who served as Opposition Leader from 1957–67 and again from 1971–72, did not face such a record. Congress leader Abdul Mannan viewed that the situation was unprecedented adding that while strong opposition is important, lawmakers must remain mindful of their language.
Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani was among the 240 who died in the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad on June 12. The plane was headed to Gatwick airport, UK when it crashed in a civilian area near the airport. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board crashed within 32 seconds after its take off. One passenger – 40-year old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh — survived the crash while rest of the passengers including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals died. Rupani, the 16th CM of Gujarat (Aug 2016 –Sep 2021) was on the ill-fated aircraft. Known for his composed demeanour and firm administrative style, he steered Gujarat through a critical phase of post-Covid recovery. He was traveling to London to meet his daughter. He stepped down from the CM’s post in September 2021, making way for Bhupendra Patel. He was close to Home Minister Amit Shah. Which is why the incident has completely shaken the government, got Shah to rush to Ahmedabad as he is a local MP. Until then in the past few days Shah has been busy showcasing PM Modi’s 11 years’ in office to the national media. Meanwhile, a lot of theories are already floating about what may have led to the aircraft crash. There were speculations about engine failure. Aircraft engines are made by Rolls Royce or GE or Prat Whitney. While bird hit is quite possible at the height from which the aircraft fell, these planes are designed to fly with one engine when the other engine shuts off. But it is impossible for both engines ingesting birds separately. The other theory was that incorrect flap settings contributed to the Air India Flight AI171 crash.
Vikrant Massey who bagged the Filmfare Critics Award winner for 12th Fail, and after his lead role in the sensitive political film The Sabarmati Report, had declared in December 2024 that he would retire from films. He said he would probably do just one film a year, and he would focus on his family life, spend time with his young child and recalibrate himself. Recently, Vikrant and his wife Sheetal visited Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s International Art of Living Ashram in Benguluru. Reason: he is playing the role of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in an international thriller titled White. So the visit to Bengaluru must be both to seek Gurudev’s blessings and closely observe him. The film White which is based on the real-life story of spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, will be a largely untold chapter of modern peace-building that will show how Sri Sri helped end Colombia’s 52-year-long civil war, and how ancient Indian wisdom played a pivotal role in resolving one of history’s longest-running conflicts. The film shooting is scheduled to begin in August 2025 and is expected to release in 2026. The makers intend to bring in an international cast and crew from Los Angeles to depict the true story of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s life. Directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Mahaveer Jain, the film aims to bring a lesser-known story of peace and humanity to the big screen. The film will be produced in Hindi, English and Spanish.
Sunil Gavaskar has hit the nail on its head saying that performances in the BCCI’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 tournament should count a lot for the IPL franchises’ talent scouts to look at than the Twenty20 Leagues run by the States. The former India batting maestro and commentator for around four decades shared his thoughts in a Sunday Column for Midday on the basis of some players’ performances in the Tata-IPl-18. His visit to the Wankhede Stadium during the T20 Mumbai League (TML) enthused the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officials, but the Champion association of domestic cricket may do well to energise its multi-day tournament structure. Revived after a long gap of six years, the rain-marred TML may have served its purpose to the extent of keeping the local talent busy and happy too because of the financial compensation they received, but what good hope is there for a 38-year-old replacement medium pacer Rohan Raje who became the first to pinch a 5-ver in the league! The big haul cheered him up; he spoke happily at the press conference sitting by the side of his captain Siddhesh Lad of the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals that would vie for the title with the Shreyas Iyer led SoBo Mumbai Falcons. The TML lost Mumbai and CSK’s new kid on the block Ayush Mhatre because, as batter and captain, he has to focus on the India under-19 tour to England. Mhatre was a talent that flourished in the Ranji Trophy and so the MCA could mull over a meaningful multi-day league to run parallel with the Ranji Trophy tournament of which it’s the winner 42 times. As an idea, the TML is good, but an MCA multi-day professional league is the need of the hour.
On June 9, BJP national president JP Nadda addressed a spirited presser to mark PM Modi’s 11 years in office – which he called a transformative period that should be “written in golden words”. The best part of the presser was that Nadda had marked his targets. He wanted to highlight the achievements of the government. It may be recalled that at a meeting with his ministers recently, PM Modi had shared a sense of disappointment that achievements of the government had not been adequately showcased. That is why even as Nadda attempted showcasing some of Modi government’s achievements such as reduction of Naxalite-affected districts from a high of 126 to just 18, he also settled political score with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh who was mocking PM Modi for not addressing a press conference in all these years. Nadda reminded Jairam, a Rajya Sabha MP, that he would never have spoken to the public as much as PM Modi does. Nadda credited the BJP government with bold decisions like the repeal of Article 370, abolition of triple talaq, Waqf amendment, demonetisation, and the women’s quota bill. He said PM Modi had changed the country’s political culture by making the government more responsive and accountable. Reacting sharply to LoP Rahul Gandhi’s remarks questioning Operation Sindoor and EAM Jaishankar, Nadda dismissed the LoP’s charges with a prayer that “may God give them true wisdom” because it’s very difficult to understand their objective. “When they attend an all-party meeting, they say they stand with the country. But when they step outside, they start raising questions, questions that are completely baseless. That’s why I can only say they are playing the role of an irresponsible opposition.”
If Rajeev Shukla, senior vice president of BCCI, goes on to become the president of BCCI in the elections to be held in September at the annual meeting, it will be unique as he is a veteran politician from the Congress fold. In the last 15 years or so, BCCI had presidents like Jagmohan Dalmiya and N Srinivasan who were industrialists taking the honorary role of cricket administrators. But, after the Lodha Committee ruling on the board, no administrator who reaches the age of 70 can continue. With Roger Binny attaining 70 in June, it is 65-year old Rajeev Shukla who will take over as the interim president. If the old liaison man, political survivor and acceptable personality across the spectrum can convince the ruling party BJP — which has been in total control of BCCI through the Home Minister Amit Shah’s son — that he can be a consensus candidate, he would be achieving quite a feat in cricket administration of today. Of course, Shukla had been useful to many top administrators when the UPA was ruling till 2014, and he had access to Sonia Gandhi when she was the Congress president and all-powerful figure in the country. A brother-in-law of senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shukla had also been IPL chairman for a few years. Of course, he would have to cash in on all his old cards if he is to convert his interim presidency to a more permanent one at the AGM. The political survivor would then have achieved quite something as cricketers Sourav Ganguly and Roger Binny were the last two BCCI presidents who had served the game as players.
Controversial NCP leader Jitendra Awhad’s announcement to resign his membership of the legislative assembly to protest against police atrocities has created a political storm in Maharashtra as the former minister has dragged chief minister Eknath Shinde into the whole affair. Awhad has announced his intent as Thane police have filed a second case against Awhad within 72 hours. The case pertains to a BJP woman worker’s complaint that he had pushed and molested her in a crowd that had gathered in Thane during Shinde’s visit on Sunday (Nov 13). Awhad is already out on bail in a case when his supporters assaulted a cinegoer in his presence a couple of days ago in regard to some debatable references to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in a Marathi movie. According to the complaint filed by the aggrieved, he had gone to watch the movie with his wife. When Awhad and his supporters stormed the theatre and stopped the screening, the cinegoer demanded a refund of his ticket money. It was at this juncture that he was roughed up. He has alleged that this happened in Awhad’s presence. The NCP has condemned the police action and warned that the level of politicking in the state had been deteriorating day by day. Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil has declared that he will try to convince Awhad not to take the extreme political step.
There is speculation whether Rahul Gandhi who is busy with Bharat Jodo Yatra would be attending the winter session of Parliament in December. The session is expected to be held soon after Gujarat and Himachal assembly results are out on December 8. As such he has kept himself away from the election campaign in Himachal because of yatra. So did the incumbent AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge. However even as the yatra is now moving northwards, Rahul has not included poll-bound Gujarat– in his route map. Incidentally, Gujarat was a state, he had extensively campaigned in 2017 and had got good results. This time his yatra has decided against entering Gujarat; may be as late political secretary Ahmed Patel is no longer around. So he has chosen to spend some time in Rajasthan and will be visiting Bulandshahr in western UP before reaching J&K via Delhi. It is now being said that the Wayanad MP will spend a day campaigning in Gujarat on November 22 — the state goes to polls in two phases on December 1 and 5. After this Rahul may most likely skip the winter session as he would not like to be seen taking any break from the 3,500 km long foot march from Kayakumari to Kashmir Yatra.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inarguably remains the best election strategist and untiring campaigner for the BJP. With Himachal and Gujarat elections on his plate, one must give it to him that he makes it a point not to ignore his ministerial responsibilities as advised by PM Narendra Modi. He held as many as six rallies in Himachal. Even then he was recently seen holding a six-hour-long meeting in Delhi on how to further strengthen the process of information sharing and enhancing liaison between counter-terrorism and anti-drug agencies of the states, MHA officials were stuck in awe. The meeting started at 11 am and continued till 5pm. Shah chaired a high level meeting of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers from across the country and reviewed the internal security situation of the country. The meeting held extensive discussions on various issues related to national security. At the meeting, Shah underlined the government’s commitment to ensure the country’s security and lauded the IB for its “very important contribution in maintaining peace in the country since Independence, anonymously without any expectations.” “Our fight is against terrorism as well as its support system; till we do not fight strictly against both of them, victory over terrorism cannot be achieved,” he said. He called for the need to control the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) by dismantling its financial and logistical support system.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is due to tour the prestigious Baramati Lok Sabha constituency soon, as part of the BJP’s mission ‘B for Baramati.’ She had visited Baramati in August this year. The BJP has decided to keep 16 LS constituencies in the state on its radar. All out efforts will be made to win them in 2024. While most are from the earlier Shiv Sena quota, NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s home constituency Baramati will be the focal point of this mission. Union minister of state Pralhad Singh Patel has been camping in Baramati to prepare for Nirmala’s visit, which is being finalised. Maharashtra with its 48 LS constituencies is the second largest electoral slice after Uttar Pradesh. As the BJP feels that it has little scope in expanding its winning spree in UP and Gujarat, it has decided to concentrate more on Maharashtra. Although the LS election is two years away, BJP leaders have decided to begin preparations well in advance. The electoral scenario in Baramati is expected to change in the days to come owing to Ajit Pawar’s intriguing moves over the past month. Though he has discounted all rumours of his parting ways with the NCP, the friendship between him and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is considered a decisive factor in future permutations and combinations. At present, all concerned have kept their fingers crossed.
With a focus on the South, PM Narendra Modi has in the past two days been reaching out to people in the four states inaugurating a slew of infra projects. In a marked departure, he was seen connecting with the masses who had lined up to see his cavalcade whether it was in Dindigul in Tamil Nadu or in Bengaluru in Karnataka. In fact, there was a huge crowd to welcome Modi despite the rains in Madurai. People had turned out in large numbers to greet the PM in Visakhapatnam on November 12. While in Visakhapatnam, Modi launched projects pertaining to connectivity, oil and gas sector that will give fillip to Andhra Pradesh’s growth, he will visit a fertiliser plant at Ramagundam in Telangana. Modi described his visit to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as “an eventful day with diverse programmes”. In Bengaluru, where the PM inaugurated terminal 2 of the international airport and unveiled a 108-feet tall statue of Bengaluru founder ‘Nadaprabhu’ Kempegowda, Modi said, “Unlike previous regimes, his government believes speed as India’s aspiration and scale as its strength”. He also stressed that along with physical infrastructure, social infrastructure of the country needs to be strengthened for India’s advancement. “Whether it is governance or developing a physical and digital infrastructure, India is working on a different level. The world is admiring the strides India has made in the digital payments system, was it thinkable eight years ago?”
Shiv Sena’s senior most MP Gajanan Kirtikar’s tirade against Uddhav Thackeray while joining the faction led by chief minister Eknath Shinde has not surprised many since he had been publicly hinting at his displeasure against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) formation. An ardent Shiv Sainik and architect of the establishment of Sena unions in foreign banks, airlines and star hotels, Kirtikar has remained away from any political controversy for decades. This is the first time he has openly come out against the Sena leadership. When Shinde felicitated him at a function in Mumbai, Kirtikar explained why he was moving away from Uddhav. He said, “We were hoping that Uddhav will say goodbye to Congress and NCP. However, no such possibility is on the horizon. But Shinde has been proceeding on the path prescribed by Balasaheb Thackeray. Hence I have decided to support him.” The Sena has 18 Lok Sabha members. With Kirtikar’s decision, the Uddhav faction is left with just six. Though Kirtikar has switched sides, his son Amol has declared that he will continue to be with Uddhav. He said he respected the decision taken by Kirtikar but would not follow him. Kirtikar was among the select few, designated as ‘leaders’ during Balasaheb’s times. He was elected to the state assembly for four consecutive terms and this is his second LS term.
Nationalist Congress party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar’s clarifications about his mysterious weeklong absence and his unannounced resurfacing have created more questions than the answers he has given. Ajit, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, hit out at the media in Pune ‘for writing reckless stories’ about his absence from the scene. Ajit explained that he was abroad from November 4 and returned on November 10. Angrily, he asked the media, “Why can’t you leave me alone? Don’t I have any private life? I have not gone abroad for the past six years. Why did none of you even try to call up my office and find out?” Ajit did not disclose which foreign country he had visited or why he had left the party’s Shirdi conclave last week suddenly or why the party spokesman was not ready to reveal any information about his absence. Moreover, his otherwise vocal cousin Supriya Sule or uncle Sharad Pawar, too, have refrained from saying a word, which is considered significant. Ajit’s silence was more acutely felt when Maharashtra agriculture minister Abdul Sattar’s statement in regard to Supriya had led to widespread demonstrations by NCP workers all over the state. Significantly, Ajit had welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the reservations for economically weaker sections during this same period. Ajit had left the NCP’s Delhi conference midway as well.
After spending 102 days in custody Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s fulsome praise of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his indication that he would soon call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as meet Home Minister Amit Shah are perceived as a political signal fraught with multiple possibilities. However, his boss Uddhav Thackeray has said that had Sanjay wished to ‘adjust’ with the powers that be, he would not have spent a 100 days in custody. “Sanjay has shown that he does openly what he wants,” Uddhav remarked. He expressed apprehensions that Raut could be implicated in some other cases. Both leaders were interacting with the media after the MP’s release from custody on November 9. Raut had said at the press meet that the present Maharashtra government had taken some laudable decisions and he welcomed them. He complimented Fadnavis for his major decisions regarding the restoration of powers to Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). However, he completely ignored chief minister Eknath Shinde. Playing it safe, Fadnavis reacted that he had not come across the praise showered by Raut upon him. However, about Raut meeting him, he parried the question, saying that he was open to meet anyone who sought his time. However, he said if political bitterness were to end in the state, all concerned would have to act accordingly.
The BJP released its list of candidates for 160 constituencies for the upcoming #and picked up interesting names as it dropped 38 of its sitting MLAs. Its most talked about pick is former Morbi MLA Kantilal Amrutiya who had jumped into Machchu river to rescue people following collapse of the bridge, cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba Jadeja, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Hardik Patel. Entry of Amrutiya, a former Congress MLA from Morbi, into the fray is interesting as he is seen as someone who had reached out to people in their hour of distress. The video of the leader skirting the waters of Machchu river had gone viral soon after the tragic incident where 135 people lost their lives. That’s perhaps why the BJP replaced its sitting MLA and Minister Brijesh Merja, and selected Amrutiya who had lost in 2017 on a Congress ticket. Merja was also a Congress turncoat who had defected to the ruling party in 2020 and was made a Minister in 2021. The party has dropped as many as 38 sitting legislators including outgoing Assembly Speaker Nimaben Acharya and several Cabinet Ministers The 160 list includes as many as 14 women including 69 sitting MLAs. Rivaba Jadeja is contesting from Jamnagar North.
With elections in Himachal Pradesh scheduled on November 12, PM Narendra Modi took permission from President Droupadi Murmu to skip the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on account of a hectic poll campaign. Amidst reports of rebels in as many 50% of the 68 assembly seats, Modi addressed rallies in Kangra and Sujanpur districts. Results for Himachal are to be declared along with Gujarat on December 8. In a direct appeal to people of Himachal, Modi urged them to shed their habit of not repeating a government. He pointed to how the people of Uttarakhand had changed the old tradition and made the BJP win. “In UP too, it has happened after 40 years when a party won again and came to government for the second time in a row with an absolute majority. In Manipur also the BJP government has come again. The condition of Congress is deteriorating day by day. The area which was once considered Congress’s stronghold, the party has been completely wiped out from there…It has only two states left, Rajasthan & Chhattisgarh, no news of development comes from these two states.” It is the tenacity of rebels like Kripal Parmar who have stayed on in the fray in Fatehpur seat even after Modi spoke to him that may worry the BJP. The alleged phone call with the PM had gone viral.
For reasons best known to it, the Congress kicked up a needless row over “lotus” being part of the G20 logo that was unveiled by PM Modi on November 8. It was left to Union Minister Hardeep Puri to put Jairam Ramesh in his place for trying to draw an equivalence between use of lotus — BJP’s symbol and instance of Nehru resisting Congress Party flag being adopted as flag of India. Puri pointed out that lotus wasn’t merely BJP’s symbol but had been declared India’s national flower since 1950 “by the then Congress Government. Jairam was born in 1954. God alone knows why the Congress chooses to denigrate & undermine every national symbol even as it is desperately out to ‘jodo’ itself.” In an explainer, the MEA says the G20 Logo draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India’s national flag – saffron, white and green, and blue. It juxtaposes planet Earth with the lotus, India’s national flower that reflects growth amid challenges. Modi made it clear that the G20 presidency for India would not remain a central government event and would be a great opportunity for all states to showcase our tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. That means events related to G-20 will not be limited to Delhi. PM Modi will be travelling to Indonesia next week where the G-20 presidency will be handed over to India.
Relying on the strong rural connect CPM is going all out to seal the spot in Panchayat Elections to be held in West Bengal in 2023. Having returned empty-handed in the Lok Sabha Polls 2019 and State Assembly elections 2021, the CPM is clear that this Panchayat Election is a do-or-die situation for its political existence in the state. Incidentally, the CPM had to bite the dust in the wake of anti-land acquisition movements losing around 50% panchayat seats in 2008, leading to the fall of its citadel in 2011. It continued with Trinamool Congress going all guns out for an uncontested win in the 2018 polls. Sources said that the Left top brass believes that terming TMC as “B Team” of BJP led to the decline of their vote share, where anti-TMC votes translated into saffron share. Hence, the recent dictate from the party leadership is that no official or unofficial pact with the BJP in upcoming panchayat elections. Significantly, TMC’s corruption and a beleaguered BJP led to the increase of vote share of CPM in recent past. With vote share declining to 4.71% during 2021 Assembly polls held in March, CPM clawed back with 11.87% in Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls held in December same year. These numbers went up further to 14.2% and 16.75% respectively in the Municipal elections across Bengal held during February and March 2022.
Former chief minister Ashok Chavan’s daughter Shrijaya has become the centre of attraction from the moment Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo yatra arrived in Maharashtra Sunday evening. Despite repeated whispers that Ashok was about to jump into the BJP camp, he led the Congress contingent that was organized to welcome Rahul, along with Shrijaya. A post-graduate in law, Shrijaya had kept herself away from active politics and was concentrating on taking care of family business affairs. However, in 2019, she led the Lok Sabha election campaigning for Ashok, who lost it. Not deterred, Shrijaya spared no efforts to mobilise public opinion for her father for the assembly elections later that year. Ashok won it hands down. Remaining away from the limelight so far, the launching of Shrijaya was noticed when her smiling face appeared on countless posters and hoardings. Her presence at Rahul’s reception was talk of the town. The yatra has been receiving a grand response, according to Congress workers, whose mood has heightened after a long interval. Rahul’s itinerary is more or less final. However, the participation by the Nationalist Congress party and the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray is still somewhat unclear since NCP president Sharad Pawar is not in robust health at the moment while Aaditya Thackeray is likely to join at some points, it is said.
Maharashtra agriculture minister Abdul Sattar’s objectionable comment about NCP MP Supriya Sule has ignited a conflagration in the state, once again bringing her cousin Ajit Pawar at the centrestage due to his continued silence. At the same time, BJP has reminded the opposition that it had remained mute when women were insulted by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. Known for his acidic tongue, Sattar has been getting embroiled into one controversy after another. A confidant of chief minister Eknath Shinde, the minister has issued an apology but maintained that he had not abused Supriya or women in general. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has attracted attention, again, due to his silence over the whole affair. He is said to be at his grandparents’ place. He has not written even a twitter message about the whole affair. State NCP president Jayant Patil has a hard time to rationalize Ajit’s silence. Without backing Sattar’s statement, BJP leader Chitra Wagh said the opposition was silent when slanderous words were used against Kangana Ranaut, Swapna Patkar or Ketki Chitale. Patkar was lambasted by Sanjay Raut using some unparliamentary words. Ketki was kept in custody for weeks just for forwarding a twitter post against NCP chief Sharad Pawar while Ranaut was at the receiving end for many of her utterances by the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders.
Mallikarjun Kharge’s emergence as AICC president has given a lot of confidence to Congress leaders in Karnataka that they will be able to form the next government in the state when assembly elections are held early next year. A clear sign of this was the manner in which Kharge’s Sadashivanagar residence in Bengaluru was packed with visitors — hundreds of party leaders and workers — calling on him early this week. In the fractious Karnataka politics message went out that the new Congress chief would not be another power centre but someone who would play a referee in the all -out war between two factions of DK Shivkumar and Siddaramiah. It was interesting that very important visitors had lined up, seeking a ticket for their kin in 2023 polls. Among the senior leaders who called on Kharge were former Governor Margret Alva, former Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad and Allum Veerabhadrappa. The rush to meet Kharge was so much that he had to skip his 1.15 pm flight back to New Delhi and instead take an evening flight. He was confident that he would get everybody’s support. He has already asked party leaders to chase a target of 150 seats– a target set by Rahul Gandhi.
BJP MP Poonam Mahajan’s question, “Who was the mastermind behind killing my father Pramod Mahajan” has created a sensation in political circles since she has raised the question 16 years after the influential BJP leader was shot at by his own brother Pravin, who also is no more. Addressing a BJP rally in Mumbai on October 6, Poonam said everyone knows who killed Pramodji. “But who was the mastermind behind this dastardly act, why was he not found,” she has asked. “It was your government,” she remarked. However, instead of making any allegation against any individual or political party, Poonam came down heavily against Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of dividing society on lingual and religious issues. Poonam and BJP’s Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar, who also spoke, were addressing the party’s Jagar Yatra (Awakening March) at Bandra (East), the backyard of the Thackeray family residence Matoshri. Poonam lobbed a volley of questions at Uddhav. “If you were so keen on the 50:50 formula of power sharing, why was no BJP corporator allowed to become Mumbai’s mayor,” the two-term MP asked. Hard hitting at Uddhav for instigating the Marathi-Gujarati conflict, Poonam pointed out that the BJP Gujarat unit’s president was a Marathi Manoos. Are you not proud of this fact, she thundered.
In Odisha BJP finally managed to check BJD’s by-poll winning spree since 2019 by winning the prestigious Dhamnagar by-election. It won by a margin of 9,881 votes. Biju Janata Dal supremo Naveen Patnaik said he was not surprised by BJD’s loss. “I always respect the verdict of the people. We expected that BJP would win this by-election” said Patnaik. Why did BJD fail in Dhamnagar by-election when it was predicted to win by a margin of 30,000 votes? Analysts say, one, BJD’s strategy of playing women empowerment card, by fielding Abanti Das failed to counter BJP’s sympathy waves. BJP’s Suryabanshi managed to retain his father’s seat, though more women exercised their franchise this time. Two, possibly BJD’s women card failed to make an impact due to low voter turnout. Three, for BJD it was a self-goal, as it first promised former MLA Rajendra Das of a ticket then changed it at the last moment by nominating a new comer Abanti Das. This created internal dissension and mistrust. BJD also failed to prevail upon Rajendra Das to withdraw from the election race as an Independent. He polled 8,153 votes denting BJD’s vote share and finally making BJP win. Dhamnagar election debacle is a wakeup call for Naveen babu whether he should pursue experiments with women empowerment or rely on the tried and tested politicians to win the election race.
In a big win for the Modi Government ahead of Gujarat and Himachal polls, the Supreme Court on November 7 backed a 10% quota in jobs and education for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), introduced just before the 2019 general elections. The EWS quota is not discriminatory and does not alter the basic structure of the constitution, said the majority judgement of SC bench. Two judges Chief Justice UU Lalit and Justice Ravindra Bhat dissented. Justice Bhat said he supported quota for the economically backward, but the exclusion of the socially backward sections is not allowed in the Constitution. Economic destitution, economic backwardness is backbone of this amendment and on this account, amendment is constitutionally indefensible. “However, excluding the classes such as SC/ST and OBC is not constitutionally permissible,” Justice Bhat said. CJI Lalit concurred with his view. The decision stands at 3:2. The EWS quota introduced through the 103rd constitutional amendment helped the BJP to reach out to those castes who were left out of the reservation system, like the Patels in Gujarat, Jats in Haryana, Marathas in Maharashtra and Lingayats in Karnataka. As many as 40 petitions were heard by the SC for 6 days. Tamil Nadu, which has among the highest reservations in the country, opposed the EWS and asked SC to revisit the Indra Sawhney or the Mandal judgement.
When West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Chennai to attend a family function of State Governor La Ganesan early this week, not only did she make it a point to catch up with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin at his residence but she also reportedly struck a bond with Stalin’s wife Durga. She told Durga Stalin how Bengal people worship Goddess Durga. Apparently, anyone who warms up to Durga Stalin is ushered into her puja room, so that’s what happened with Mamata too. Later, Mamata chatted up with Stalin over a cup of coffee. While details of their discussions are not available, it would be interesting to see the kind of impact the TMC chief has on the DMK’s future course in politics. That is of course if both the TMC and DMK plan to work together for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It would be interesting to see if Stalin begins to temper his pro-Congress image as we know Mamata is opposed to any kind of tie-up or linkages with the Congress. At the moment, Stalin has a good equation with the Congress both at the state and national level. Even Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had started from Kanyakumari endorsed by DMK top leaders. Mamata who is desperate to expand beyond Bengal needs to tie-up with the DMK.
A massive anti-Hindi rally held on November 1 at Rajarathnam Stadium, Chennai sent a clear message to those planning a strong bid for Tamil Nadu’s political power reins. Pouring rain did not deter fiery Naam Thmizhar Katchi Founder Seeman who is a successful film director, riveting orator and die-hard Dravidian. His lieutenant, director Amir added colour to the procession’s power slogan, “We are Tamils, TN should have only Tamil rulers. Tamil is our life breath, don’t shove Hindi down our throats”. Is there a hidden challenge to DMK’s Dravidam? DMK critics are already grumbling about the mercenary greed of Udhayanidhi Stalin who as a film distributor is fast buying potential hits, Hindi movies too. The other parties, contenders for coalition with DMK, are happy to play a silent role. Seeman, an avid Kalaignar and LTTE Prabhakaran fan, has a natural flair as a magnetic orator. His only flaw, he gets emotionally carried away, and lives to rue indiscreet talk. His Naam Thamizhar Katchi started in 2010, has a disciplined and youthful cadre, willing to be moulded into a strong movement. What impressed many, after the rally was that every bit of garbage was collected on the 1.7 kms stretch by the cadre, bagged and the place left clean. He is aiming to get 12% votes and at least 10 Assembly seats in 2026. Seeman is surely aiming to be a Seen Man.
The Nationalist Congress party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray have accepted the Congress party’s invitation to join the yatra which arrives in Maharashtra on Sunday (Nov 6) in Nanded district of Marathwada region. Currently undergoing medical treatment, Pawar is learnt to have decided to join the yatra on November 8; either Uddhav or his son Aaditya will walk with Rahul. Details of their participation are being worked out. Several top Congress leaders called on Pawar and Thackeray on Saturday to extend the invitation, to which both leaders have responded enthusiastically, according to the delegation led by party observer for Maharashtra, KH Patil. Rahul will stay in Nanded district for five days and begin his yatra on Monday from Deglur bus stand. He will be in Biloli tehsil on Tuesday and Wednesday, in Kandhar tehsil on Thursday and will enter neighbouring Hingoli district on Friday evening, as per party’s planning. The reported nod by Pawar and Uddhav for joining the yatra has revived the talk of reunion of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) once again. Since the fall of the Thackeray government in July this year, various leaders of the three partners have been making contradictory statements against each other’s parties. But Pawar and Uddhav have steadfastly avoided voicing any such criticism. Congress leaders feel that Rahul’s visit will give a boost for the unity moves.
Former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s absence from the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) conclave in Shirdi on Saturday resulted in diverting attention from the speech of party founder Sharad Pawar, who remained present despite his current hospitalization. Ajit was stated to be away for personal reasons. Ajit is said to be unhappy in the party for a variety of reasons though he has refuted such talk again and again. But his abrupt absence from NCP’s rally in Delhi earlier this year and on Saturday when Sharad Pawar was speaking has fuelled speculation. Ajit had taken oath of deputy chief ministership with Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister after the 2019 assembly elections but their government could not last even 72 hours. Since then, Ajit returned to the party fold but has kept everyone guessing about his intentions. His presence during PM Narendra Modi’s Pune visit only rekindled the forecasts and predictions. Though undergoing treatment, Sharad Pawar made it a point to inspire his followers by making a token presence. He spoke for a few minutes and his remaining speech was read out by former assembly speaker Dilip Walse Patil. When workers noticed that Ajit was absent, unease prevailed at the venue. Interestingly, Ajit had spoken at the party meet on Friday for nearly 90 minutes, castigating chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for abandoning the farmers who were facing calamities like excessive rains and flooding.
The Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi may make mysterious air dashes to the capital New Delhi. But, when in Chennai, he does what he can to light a match under the DMK’s ideological stand on various issues, most of all religion and NEET. The Governor can do little about the national entrance test as it is a Supreme Court cleared reform, apart from sitting on the legislation that the Assembly passes Where the Governor tends to get on the nerves of the rulers of the land of the Dravidians is when he harps on sanatana dharma, which is more a personal matter of faith though it becomes political as it clashes with the DMK’s ideological belief in atheism. The Stalin government has tried to make Governor Ravi the enemy No.1 of the state on the grounds that he sits on Bills and breaches Constitutional propriety. Clashes with Governors are not a new thing even in Tamil Nadu where Jayalalithaa passed a resolution in the House against Chenna Reddy with whom she had running battles. With regard to god and religion, the DMK has changed somewhat over time as the party line is one of leaving faith and religion to the individual. But, as the Centre is unlikely to budge on the Governor, TN can only disparage him rather than unseat him.
On a day, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal announced in Ahmedabad his CM candidate for Gujarat, he was virtually pushing for the Delhi model of governance. Yes, in picking a journalist-turned-politician Isudan Gadhvi as AAP CM candidate, Kejriwal was actually seeking a repeat of Manish Sisodia story — Delhi’s Finance & Education minister — a former TV journalist. However, will the Delhi model work in a large state like Gujarat? Interestingly, Gadhvi, a popular TV anchor was picked via popular vote just the way Bhagwant Mann was picked in Punjab. Gadhvi was pitted against state party unit chief Gopal Italia who played a key role in the Patidar community agitation. Aged 40, Gadhvi hails from a financially strong family of farmers in Pipliya village of Dwarka district and belongs to the OBC. He had quit his media job a year ago to join AAP. While the Delhi CM urged Gujarat people to give his party one opportunity and said he will quit politics if he fails to deliver in the next five years, the AAP found it will be put to test in its own home ground as Delhi Municipal Corporation elections will be held on December 4. The results will be out on December 7. With Delhi civic polls clashing Gujarat poll dates, Kejriwal would really be spoiled for a choice.
Political enmity between Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde is percolating to their sons if the goings on at Sillod town of Aurangabad district are to be believed. Soon after the Shinde faction walked out of the parent Sena, Aaditya took the reins of the assault against it and the BJP, whose coalition government has been sparing no opportunity to humble the rivals, including the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). On behalf of Shinde, the attack is led by agriculture minister Abdul Sattar, who lords over the fiefdom in Sillod. Aaditya has been touring the state over the past few weeks, trying to create anger against the Shinde government, consistently charging it with betrayal and monetary manipulations. As part of this campaign, his followers sought permission to hold a public meeting at Sillod in Mahaveer Chowk at 4 pm on November 7. Coincidently, Shinde’s son Dr Shrikant, a Lok Sabha member, also has scheduled his public meeting at Zilla Parishad school grounds at Sillod, also at 4 pm on 7 November. According to reports, Aaditya’s side has been asked to find another venue by the local administration as both venues face each other. His supporters feel that this has been engineered by Sattar.
Kerala politician Thushar Vellappally is in the eye of the storm with Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) naming him as the kingpin behind BJP’s Operation Kamala to woo TRS MLAs for Rs 50 crore each. Son of SNDP leader Vellappally Nadesan, Thushar heads Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) and is State Convenor of NDA Kerala. BDJS has not really made any inroads in Kerala. But Home Minister Amit Shah has found Thushar very resourceful. He came close to Amit Shah because of an incident in UAE where he was arrested for defaulting on a payment of Rs 6 crore. Following his arrest, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was approached for help. But, since it was a country-to-country issue, the CM directly requested the Home Minister to intervene. Shah moved in quickly and UAE agreed to release Thushar provided that the overdue amount was deposited in a local bank. This condition put everyone in a spot. But Vijayan tapped his good friend, LuLu Group’s MA Yusuff Ali to do the needful which he duly obliged. Thushar was released, and all cases against him in the UAE withdrawn. The so-called Shah and Vijayan link ensures that the Congress-led UDF remains out of power in Kerala and the CPM remains BJP’s default team.
The Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5; while results will be declared on December 8, the Election Commission announced thus ending speculation that it could be put off in view of the Morbi bridge tragedy on October 30. The tragedy that claimed 135 lives has potential to unravel BJP’s plan to return to power with huge numbers. But then Saurashtra region has always been the party’s underbelly, which is perhaps why there has not been much change in election schedule. Of course, CEC Rajiv Kumar did admit there was some delay in announcing the dates due to the recent tragedy. The term of the 182-member Gujarat assembly ends on February 18, 2023. Meanwhile, police officials went to the office of Oreva Group, contractor for the renovation of Morbi bridge to verify claims made by its nine arrested staff members. There is a lot of public anger as the top management of Oreva — known mainly for making ‘Ajanta’ wall clocks — has not faced any action. That includes its managing director Jaysukhbhai Patel, who had publicly claimed that the bridge will hold up for “at least eight to ten years” when it was reopened, ahead of schedule, on October 26. He is highly networked into the BJP; his daughter is married into a central BJP minister’s family. Is he being spared because he is kadva Patel?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a Rs 200,000 crore package for Maharashtra in the form of over 200 different projects in a bid to blunt opposition criticism over the flight of industrial investments from the state. Modi made this announcement while video-participating in the state government’s ambitious ‘Maharashtra’s Megaplan’ gala event, organised to mark the beginning of creating 75000 jobs in a year. Actual appointment letters were issued to some of the candidates at the main event in Mumbai. Similar functions took place at all divisional headquarters. Modi was confident that millions of job opportunities would be generated in Maharashtra in coming years and said the Centre would keep on supplementing these efforts by the state. Modi’s reassurance is viewed against the backdrop of the decision of three major industrial projects preferring Gujarat over Maharashtra. Opponents of the Shinde-Fadnavis government have been trying to exploit the situation politically, hinting that the shifting was a well-planned move. Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray has been heading a battling force to corner the state government about losing large projects by alleging that it is being done at the behest of the Centre to benefit Gujarat. Realising the potential damage, the government has launched an all-out campaign to rubbish the criticism. Modi’s announcement is expected to serve the purpose, to some extent.
Strange things continue to happen in Maharashtra’s political arena, again and again blurring or highlighting interparty differences. On Thursday, ardent followers of Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray were shocked when the daily ‘Saamana’ was delivered at their doorstep. The entire front page was displaying smiling images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, state chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. So far, all three names have been taboo for the mouthpiece ever since rebellion took place in the party and the Shinde-Fadnavis government came to power. Justifying the decision to accept this advertisement, released by the state government, Uddhav’s confidant and former minister Anil Parab said this was not anybody’s private or personal advertisement, it has been released by the government utilizing public money. Parab did not comment on the inclusion of the name of Sena MP Arvind Sawant in the advertisement. Taunting the Uddhav faction about accepting the advertisement, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandip Deshpande has questioned it, “How big a ‘box’ has reached ‘Saamana’ office?” In another development, state Congress president Nana Patole has declared that the Sena under Uddhav is not a ‘natural ally’ of the Congress party. Though Patole is not taken seriously in politics, the timing of this strange comment has miffed the party. Not a single notable Congress leader has reacted to it so far. Incidentally, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo yatra is scheduled to enter the state soon.
The Shinde-Fadnavis government in Maharashtra has given Mangal Prabhat Lodha, a reputed builder and staunch BJP loyalist an important portfolio. He has been appointed Minister of Tourism, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Women & Child Development. And one big task he has been entrusted with is to attract global tourists to the state. Toward this objective he has decided to camp for over a week in London for roadshows. Incidentally, his wife Dr Manju Lodha, author-poet, is also in London to release her book Ankahin Kahaniyan at the Nehru Centre to be launched by the Indian High Commissioner. The minister is expected to use this event to hobnob with the biggies and woo them to Maharashtra. Post the book launch Lodha accompanied by Saurabh Vyas, Tourism Secretary, Dr BN Patil, Director, Directorate of Tourism and Dr Dhananjay Sawalkar, Dy Director, Directorate of Tourism will attend World Travel Market between November 7-9. Lodha and team are likely to privatise MTDC’s 30 resorts. The Lodha team is likely to engage Tatas (Taj group), Mahindra group and other experts from the travel trade and hospitality to revamp, refurbish and make all properties productive and profitable. The current Maharashtra government’s thinking is developing strategy is the job of the government but businesses have to be run by private enterprises.
With Rahul Gandhi slated to enter Maharashtra on November 7 for his Bharat Jodo yatra, prominent state Congress leaders are busy making themselves fit enough to accompany him for whatever distance they can walk. Their adherence to a strict regimen of exercising over the past few days has attracted media attention after former energy minister Nitin Raut, who was with the yatra, collapsed last night and is undergoing treatment at a Hyderabad hospital. While one version says he just could not cope up with the strain, his supporters said he was pushed by someone in a crowd that had gathered to greet Rahul. Former chief minister Ashok Chavan has been taking brisk walks amidst his followers and security personnel. He is said to be walking 5km daily for the past few days. As Rahul enters Maharashtra in Nanded district at Deglur, it is Chavan who will welcome him first on behalf of the state Congress. Chavan and his father late SB Chavan have dominated the district politics for decades. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole is toning up his muscles to withstand the yatra, whose average daily distance is stated to be 40 km. NCP chief Sharad Pawar was to join the yatra for some duration but his current hospitalization has raised a question mark about his ability to do so. Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray, too, will join the yatra though no details are announced as of now.
The by-election to the Adampur assembly constituency in Haryana on November 3 has become a prestige battle of sorts for the BJP and the Congress. It is a contest that is happening because sitting Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi resigned after he was blamed for the defeat of Congress Rajya Sabha nominee Ajay Maken in June 2022 when he allegedly cross-voted in favour of JJP-backed and BJP-supported Independent candidate, Kartikeya Sharma. Bishnoi was removed from all party posts including as special invitee to Congress Working Committee. On August 3, 2022, he resigned from the Haryana Legislative Assembly and joined the BJP. His son Bhavya Bishnoi is contesting on the BJP ticket; he is the grandson of former CM Bhajan Lal. Not wanting to leave anything to chance as it had lost two by-elections in two years – Baroda by-poll in 2020 and Ellenabad by-poll in 2021, the Haryana BJP has assigned senior leaders to campaign for the by-election. Senior leaders, including state president Om Prakash Dhankar, Ram Bilas Sharma, Capt Abhimanyu and Kamal Gupta have visited Adampur, says party sources. There has been a record of high profile campaigns for this seat by three CMs – Manohar Khattar (Haryana), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab) and Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi). Former CM Bhupendra Singh Hooda charged the Khattar Government of doing nothing except snipping the OBC quota and welfare schemes.
In an unusual move, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he shared a stage with him at ‘Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gatha’ at Mangadh Hill in Rajasthan’s Banswara on November 1. He talked about how Modi “receives great honour when he goes abroad. Because he is the PM of the nation of Gandhi, where democracy is deep-rooted. When the world realises this, they feel proud that the PM of that country is coming to them.” At a time, when the Congress is usually targeting the PM, it is interesting that Gehlot chose to lavish praise on him. These words of praise for Modi seem to be coming days before new party chief Mallikarjun Kharge is set to initiate disciplinary action against Rajasthan leaders for defying high command authority. As a shrewd political player Gehlot may have chosen a public forum to send a message to the AICC that he could be exploring other options. On his part, PM Modi reciprocated Gehlot’s gesture by recalling working together as CM and how “he is senior most in our lot of CMs”. Interestingly, Gehlot loyalists had recently opposed Sachin Pilot’s elevation as CM on the ground that he had hobnobbed with the BJP during the 2020 crisis. But then is it okay for Gehlot to warm up to Modi? Or BJP is merely a punching bag for the Congress?
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s right hand man Milind Narvekar continues to attract attention due to controversial statements made by the group led by chief minister Eknath Shinde. One such latest statement has been made by industry minister Uday Samant against the backdrop of the state’s decision to upgrade Narvekar’s security cover. So far, Narvekar has not reacted to any such statements. Considered quite close to the CM, Samant was among the very first batch of the Sena MLAs to leave Uddhav and rush to Guwahati along with Shinde. At present, Samant has been leading the assault against the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi regime over the flight of industrial investments from Maharashtra to other states, especially to Gujarat. In an interaction with the media, Samant said, “We shall remain behind Narvekar firmly if there is any threat to him. Narvekar will be welcomed if he wishes to join us.” Samant’s statement comes soon after Narvekar has been elected to the cash-rich Mumbai Cricket Association with the support of leaders like Sharad Pawar, Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis. In this regard, Samant has lauded Narvekar’s all-party cordial relationship. He revealed that when he decided to join the Shiv Sena by leaving the Nationalist Congress Party, it was Narvekar who took him to Uddhav Thackeray. “Some people feel jealous if Narvekar is praised,” Samant taunted.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s appeal to the Tata Group to invest in and around his hometown Nagpur has received positive response from the industrial giant while a political battle is raging in the state over the group’s earlier decision to shift its Airbus project to Hyderabad from Maharashtra. In his letter to Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran written on 7 October, Gadkari’s missive assumes significance over earlier losing the Rs 22000 crore aircraft manufacturing project for which the Group has tied up with Airbus. The Tata Group chairman has replied to Gadkari that his team would be interacting with a Nagpur delegation of Vidarbha Economic Development (VED) council, as suggested by Gadkari. On the other hand, Tata’s decision has kicked up a political storm in Maharashtra. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had told the media in Mumbai a day ago that a Tata official had said in 2021 to him that the conditions in the state were not suitable for setting up the Airbus project. Challenging him, Aditya alleged that the project was shifted to Gujarat at the behest of the Centre. The state had lost investments of thousands of crore rupees due to inaction by the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Aditya said, “I challenge Fadnavis to name the Tata company official who said that the situation was not appropriate to set up the Airbus project in Maharashtra.”
Indian origin British citizen Chandru Iyer, former Head of Business Development, South Asia Group at Grant Thornton UK is changing his career track. Iyer will don the mantle of a diplomat. He moves from the UK to Bengaluru to take over as the British Deputy High Commissioner. Chandru’s experience in the India-UK business corridor gives him the additional responsibility to oversee the trade and investment in the South of India and South Asia. Incidentally, the term of Alan Gemell, the current British Deputy High Commissioner in Mumbai who is also the Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia, comes to an end and thus it appears that Chandru’s role becomes more formidable extended to South Asia beyond south India. Chandru’s appointment comes at a time when the relationship between the two countries is extremely amicable and signing of the Free Trade Agreement is just round the corner. Hailing from Nagpur, Chandru needs no introduction to the corporate world, the India –UK business corridor, Department of International trade and the media in the UK. Fluent in various Indian languages Chandru was a popular host at several formal events hosted by Grant Thornton UK including the annual Diwali party. His name featured in the “Top 100 Influential People in India UK business relations”. He was instrumental in developing Grant Thornton’s strategic growth plans in the South Asia region.
The Munugode by-election is a barometer for the 2024 polls in Telangana. Tied in a three-way battle with the Congress and the BJP, it is prestigious for the ruling TRS of KCR. The BJP is fighting tooth and nail with KCR, drawing him out in a personal battle over his daughter they call ‘Liquor Rani’, to come up at least a close second to trigger a series of defections before the big event two years hence. The battle used to be between the Congress and the TDP in the constituency for decades before Telangana was formed and TRS came into the picture. But the Congress got so busy with the Bharat Jodo Yatra of its prince that it brought campaigning to a halt to go to the neighbouring district when barely days remained for the poll on November 3 (result on Nov 6). The BJP, already engaged in a large but shady campaign of wooing TRS MLAs over with inducements, is hoping to seriously challenge the TRS in Telangana in the coming Assembly elections. Surveys indicate a huge anti-incumbency building against TRS and KCR in India’s youngest state and BJP is aiming to not only take Telangana but also try to boost its tally of MPs from a non-BJP state in the south in 2024. It appears the Congress has willingly put itself in a third position where it should have been battling for a comeback.
With as many as 141 lives being lost, 180 people being rescued and innumerable people still feared missing after a British era bridge in Gujarat’s Morbi district collapsed on October 30, there has been a war of words between the BJP and AAP in the social media over an AAP MLA from Delhi Naresh Balyan predicting dhamaka in Gujarat two days in advance. Citing these tweets, the BJP alleged a conspiracy and leaders like Kapil Mishra called the Morbi tragedy a “bhayanak hatyakand” or conspiracy. While AAP leaders dismissed this as an attempt to “evade responsibility and digress from the terrible tragedy”, Balyan explained his tweet as a possibility of “many BJP leaders joining AAP in Gujarat.” Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh asked if it was an “act of God or an act of fraud”. Around 500 people were on the suspension bridge when the cables supporting it snapped, sending people crashing into the Machchhu river below. The bridge could take the weight of only about 125 people and had been shut for seven months for repairs; it was reopened to the public on October 26, the Gujarati New Year, without a fitness certificate from the civic authorities. The Morbi tragedy couldn’t have come at a worse time for the BJP in poll-bound Gujarat. PM Modi cancelled his road shows in Gujarat and is expected to be in Morbi on Tuesday.
It is daggers drawn in the West Bengal unit of BJP. According to party insiders, the state BJP President Sukanta Majumdar is likely to go; he may be replaced by the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. If this happens, Suvendu will resign from the post of LoP giving way to BJP MLA Manoj Tigga, chief whip of the state unit. These changes will be made once Panchayat Poll dates are announced. Majumdar is likely to get a shunting post of central secretary or any post in the parliamentary party. All these developments come against the backdrop of the party’s new state observer and All India General Secretary (Organization) BL Santosh’s discussions with the Bengal committee members following Majumdar’s failure to attack TMC over a series of issues. Besides, it is known that Suvendu even while at TMC had great acceptance, ground-level reach and connect. This will benefit BJP in the Panchayat Polls. However, both RSS and the old guards of the BJP are against Suvendu’s ascension as the next state president. They are rooting for National vice president and former state president Dilip Ghosh, a diehard RSS man. The state RSS and VHP members feel, if Suvendu becomes the state president, the power of the party will go into the hands of Trinamool turncoat which will tarnish the prospects of BJP in Panchayat polls.
DMK spokesperson Saidai Sadiq is on a sticky wicket after having called actors-turned-netas such as Khushbu Sundar and Gowthami as “items”. He may have believed he had picked soft targets but ran into a doughty Khushbu who took it up on social media with such force as a defender of women that Sadiq had to make a grovelling apology on TV. But that came only after Kanimozhi, DMK MP, had tendered an apology to Khushbu and others, saying such sexism cannot be tolerated. The high- profile daughter of M Karunanidhi has just been elevated in the party as a Deputy General Secretary and has clout with the top party brass, which is why Saidai’s position is looking increasingly shaky. Also, in picking on Khushbu, he may have strayed into very sensitive territory for, as a member of the DMK before she crossed over to BJP, she was very close to the first family, having known three generation of male leaders in Karunanidhi, Stalin and Udhayanidhi by dint of their film industry links. The issue at hand is, however, clearly about the denigration of women and to say they are an “item” was most demeaning. The speaker is certain to face his party’s wrath for only recently Stalin had said publicly that he has spent sleepless nights because of such unwarranted remarks from his partymen.
Manipur Governor La Ganesan, who is holding temporary charge of West Bengal, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appear to have warmed up to each other. He has invited Didi to his elder brother’s 80th birthday in Chennai on November 3. Mamata has accepted the invite, in what appears to be her attempt to mend ties with the Raj Bhavan. Ganesan was given additional charge of West Bengal in July after his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar became the Vice President. Dhankhar’s three-year tenure in the Raj Bhavan was marked by heated exchanges with Mamata who even blocked him on Twitter in January. But, with Ganesan being nice to her, she too wants to mend her ties. The big question is whether Ganesan’s move has the blessings of PM Modi or HM Amit Shah. The warmth in their dealings has apparently set the tongues wagging in Kolkata. On October 24, Ganesan attended Kali Puja at Mamata’s residence along with his family. The CM gave a short tour to the Governor amidst the festivities. Governor was “very impressed” by Mamata’s modest residence and asked her how she lives in a small house. Ganesan, who was close to DMK chief M Karunanidhi, has also invited Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin. Bengal BJP leaders dismiss the bonhomie between Ganesan and Mamata as of no consequence. Ditto TMC leaders.
Rishi Sunak’s rise as UK PM has prompted sharp responses in India. Sunak, the 42-year-old Indian-origin UK leader, is the first-ever UK PM of South Asian heritage, and is the youngest premier the country has seen in about two centuries. For the UK to have a PM of colour is being hailed as a key moment. In India, PM Narendra Modi defined Sunak — the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy — as a “living bridge” and looked forward to working with him. Meanwhile, the Opposition were gloating how a minority member has been accepted. “First Kamala Harris, now Rishi Sunak. The people of the US and the UK have embraced the non-majority citizens of their countries and elected them to high office in government,” tweeted Congress’s P Chidambaram. “I think there is a lesson to be learned by India and the parties that practise majoritarianism,” he stressed. Coming from the Congress, it is a bit rich. The party could have got Sonia Gandhi elected as PM in 2004 itself. But then if one were to go by the account of K Natwar Singh in his book it was Rahul Gandhi’s threat that had made Sonia give up the crown. As for Shashi Tharoor wondering if India could have a minority PM in India, he forgets between 2004 and 2014, Dr Manmohan Singh belonging to Sikh minority was the PM.
In an emotional reunion, a young Army officer in Kargil presented PM Narendra Modi with a 2001 picture of him when Modi had visited Sainik School in Balachadi, Gujarat as CM and presented him with a shield. When they met again on October 24 this year in Kargil it was a nostalgic meeting. Interacting with soldiers, Modi pointed out, “There has not been a single war with Pakistan when Kargil has not flown the victory flag”. Emphasising on the importance of 1999 Kargil armed conflict for India, he recalled how he was a witness to the war and had watched it closely as he had come to spend time with the jawans when they were giving a befitting reply to the enemies. Modi had gone to Kargil as an ordinary citizen to drop off the supplies put together by countrymen and said that it was a moment of worship for him. What is of interest is the manner in which the PM was seen freely interacting with the soldiers, enjoying music with them — like when a soldier crooned AR Rahman’s number Maa Tujhe Salam. The high-altitude conflict zone reflected mini India with Tamil soldiers enthralling the PM with a Tamil song and even a Gujarati song boomed from Kargil —“Gandhiji Gujarati, Modiji Gujarati, Gujarati na bol bala amme lehri lala, amme lala“. Modi tweeted about the videos in Gujarati & Tamil.
It will not only be a great moment in British history but also that of Indian history as Rishi Sunak takes over at 10 Downing Street after being voted in as Tory Party leader on Diwali day. It is 75 years since Winston Churchill, Britain’s greatest hero of World War II, made the terrible remark on Indians saying – “All Indian leaders will be of low calibre & men of straw”. And that was said by a man who is considered as responsible for the Bengal Famine of the 1940s when he allowed Indians to starve while the grain was earmarked for British troops. Only seven years ago was the greatness of Mahatma Gandhi as the apostle of peace and fighter of freedom for India recognised as his statue was installed in the British Parliament in 2015. Britain gets an Indian origin Prime Minister. At 42, he is Britain’s youngest PM in 200 years, educated at Oxford in true blue Britain and Stanford in the US, as rich as royalty thanks to his wife Akshata, daughter of Narayana Murthy of Infosys fame, and as fund manager at Goldman Sachs conversant with the financial markets. The controversies over his wife’s non-domiciled tax status in the UK and the US green card he kept for too long are behind him now. He is expected to unite Britain at a time of a grave financial crisis.
While Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has scored his third political victory in as many days, his son Amit has asked the government to grant as bonus a month’s salary for police personnel in the state. Raj Thackeray’s Diwali celebration at the historic Shivaji Park on Friday (Oct 21) evening has deep political overtones since chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis appeared on his stage. Shinde made a loaded statement there. He said, “I wanted to attend this celebration for the last 10 years but could not come.” The barb has been aimed at his erstwhile boss Uddhav Thackeray, who is at loggerheads with cousin Raj. The first win for Raj was the prompt response to his appeal by Fadnavis to withdraw the BJP candidate from Andheri assembly by-election. The second was his letter to Shinde seeking relief to farmers. Soon thereafter, the CM announced the writing off the farmer loans. The third victory is the presence of CM and DCM on his platform. Amit also has been sending out clear political signals. Response is awaited to his appeal to Fadnavis, also the home minister, to consider the case of police personnel for a bonus so that their Diwali becomes joyful.
A day after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog on terror financing and money laundering, announced that Pakistan is “no longer subject to its increased monitoring process” as it has agreed to continue to work with APG (Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering) to further “improve its AML and CFT (Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorist Financing) system” and India noted that it was scrutiny that had forced Islamabad to take anti-terror steps, DMK leader TR Baalu decided it was a good time to move the Modi Government for seeking help for a miniscule group — Tamils in Pakistan. In a letter to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Baalu pointed out that the Tamils in Madrasi Bara in Karachi have been living there for decades and were taken there by the British. “During the British days, they were taken to East Pakistan to do account related jobs and they subsequently moved to present day Pakistan.” Post partition, these people opted to live in Pakistan. However, in view of deteriorating ties between the two countries these expats have not been able to visit their ancestral villages in Tamil Nadu or enable their children to maintain a cultural and language connect with Tamil Nadu. Urging the EAM to arrange for a visit of the Pak Tamils to their villages, Baalu offered to extend support of MK Stalin government in imparting Tamil language skills to next-generation Pak Tamils.
The Maharashtra government has intensified its campaign to ensure that the state does not lose the multi-billion rupee Nanar refinery project in Ratnagiri district in Konkan region. The precaution is said to be taken to avoid recurrence of the Vedanta-Foxconn fiasco that occurred a couple of months ago. With an estimated Indian and international investment of over Rs 3 lakh core, Nanar was projected as the largest such refinery in the world. Nearly 7500 acres of land was acquired for it though some land holders were against it. The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime then decided to shift it to a nearby village, Barsu, though opposition from others quarters continued. After losing Vedanta-Foxconn, the Shinde-Fadnavis government held a cabinet sub-committee meeting, which took place after a lapse of 14 months. After discussing pros and cons, it was felt that the project should stay at Nanar and the opposing villages deleted from its planning. After keeping this area of about 2000 acres out, the proposed project can be developed on the acquired 5500 acres of land, it was suggested. Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis have been wooing various industrialists to start their projects in Maharashtra. Coincidentally, the sub-committee met just when it was being announced that Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan was to visit Pune to attract industry through his “Invest MP” initiative.
Former Union home minister Shivraj Patil has put his foot in his mouth on many occasions in the past and his latest ‘Jihad’ remark has come as no surprise for those knowing him. Patil was in the news last time when it was found out that he had completely deleted the sordid 26/11 terrorist attack tragedy on Mumbai by Pakistan from his autobiography Odyssey of My Life. A lightweight figure in Maharashtra politics, Patil was always rewarded due to his total loyalty to the Gandhi clan. In active politics for over 45 years, Patil was always close to the powers that be. He has not participated in any protest or demonstration. Due to his penchant for ‘correctness’ and razor-sharp crease of his suits, Patil never indulged into the hurly-burly of street politics. Every time a Maharashtra chief minister was to be changed by the Congress high command, Shivraj Patil’s lackeys would indicate that his name was being considered. On a couple of such occasions, he camped in Mumbai but was never sounded by the party. He would then himself discount the news reports and criticize the media for circulating them. Patil had claimed after the 26 November 2008 Pakistani attacks that he had air travelled to Mumbai in a cargo plane along with about 250-300 NSG commandos. However, the claim was rubbished by the officials who had been on that aircraft. As a result, the entire episode vanished from his autobiography.
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It was interesting to hear former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu hold forth on the language issue. Unencumbered by any office, he spoke freely on Hindi imposition which is a pet project of the RSS and Modi Government. Naidu handled the sensitive subject in his own inimitable style. Addressing a News Broadcasters Federation, he said “‘We are a federal country, we have different states, but we are one nation. My preference is always for my mother tongue, then brother tongue and then any other tongue.” Recalling how as Rajya Sabha Chairman he had ensured all members could speak in their mother tongue. Describing mother tongue as eyesight, Naidu described English as spectacles. “Without eyesight, there is no use for the most expensive pair of glasses.” It was politically significant that Naidu called on people to “try and learn one language that is spoken by a large number of people — be it Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali or Marathi”. By this, he meant those from Hindi-speaking areas should also pick up an Indian language. “There should be no imposition of any language and also no language should be opposed. We should also not oppose English,” he said. Known for his quips as Rajya Sabha Chairman, Naidu made it clear he may have retired on August 11, but isn’t tired. And would continue to interact with people.
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Remember the dramatic shoot out of Sandalwood brigand Veerappan? Tamil Nadu top cop and late Jayalalithaa’s alter ego, the much decorated K Vijay Kumar was assigned to capture Veerappan, the Sandalwood smuggler who was literally running a YouTube studio from the dense jungles of Sathyamangalam and teasing the cops. He had kidnapped Karnataka superstar Rajkumar. Enter Vijay Kumar and Veerappan’s story ends forever. Vijay Kumar, is now back in TN, after resigning from a high profile posting in Delhi as Special Security Officer to the Ministry of Home Affairs, following a notable stint as Security Advisor to J&K. He held plum posts 6 years after retirement and is said to be close to Amit Shah and Ajit Doval. Who is the new brigand Vijay Kumar has been sent to capture? Before we presume why he is back it is relevant to track two other top guns who came to TN from the Force. First was Governor RN Ravi now comfortably ensconced in the Raj Bhavan stonewalling many a bill to vex the ruling party DMK. Second, K Annamalai, an IPS officer posted in Karnataka has taken over as TN BJP chief. He has already made a name for his son et lumiere profile quickly. Now is Vijay Kumar back in TN to ferret out proxy terrorist units like the PFI or play a new role? Watch this space.
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The return of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister of Britain is a distinct possibility. He will be up against his former protégé and now rival Rishi Sunak for the right to reside on Downing Street. There is reason to believe that Boris deliberately and cynically backed Liz Truss as the candidate for PM against Rishi though he knew he was backing the wrong candidate for the job. This was his way of creating a comeback trail for himself. Had he proposed the correct candidate in Rishi he may not have stood this chance of getting back in the job because Tory MPs would have realised what their wrong choice could do to the country and its economy. The master and his protégé had fallen out during the partygate crisis after Rishi had first stood by Prime Minister Boris. But, as the crisis grew in such proportions that Boris was in danger of being dethroned, Rishi pulled out to make a play for the top job. And that is when Boris plumped for Truss in the hope of swinging the nomination for her. This was cynical politics at its best and Boris was never averse to pursuing it. In what could be a shortened contest in view of the emergency situation in Britain, it might become a straight fight between Boris and Rishi with Penny Mordaunt likely to be left behind, once again.
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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.