West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee has made it official that her party will take on BJP in the run-up to the State Assembly polls based on Bengali Asmita. Addressing a massive Martyrs Day rally in Kolkata she accused BJP of unleashing linguistic terrorism and Mamata made it categorical that another Bhasha Movement will be embarked upon to safeguard Bengali pride. She claimed that more than 1,000 Bengali-speaking individuals have been detained and jailed in BJP-ruled states such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. TMC supremo stated that terror has been unleashed on the Bengali language and described the BJP’s actions as a massive conspiracy against Bengali identity. She warned that if linguistic profiling of Bengalis does not stop, the resistance movement will be taken to the national capital. Mamata also announced a statewide protest campaign against what she described as the ongoing oppression of the Bengali language. Directly attacking Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Didi said he is unable to manage his own state but continues to interfere in West Bengal’s affairs. Interestingly, she went a step further in her political critique, claiming that the present Indian government is being remotely controlled by U.S. President Donald Trump. Significantly, during the rally, Mamata introduced the gathering to the father of Jhantu Ali Sheikh and a family member of Bitan Adhikari—both victims of the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year.

A skirmish between India and England, that’s been fascinating so far, is set to resume at Manchester from July 23. England will strive for a 3-1 lead and a series win before the teams travel to London for the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy at The Oval. While England — given an impetus to its attack by the return of fast bowler Jofra Archer — will take the field with its tail up, India will have to do the catching up with no leeway for mistakes in the three departments of the game. The first three Tests have delivered contests that the purists of the sport would have taken delight at; so remarkable have they been. And yet it is India, shepherded by the young captain in Shubman Gill, that appears to be on the precipice before the first ball is sent down at Manchester. Gill has to get his No 3 in Karun Nair to be more productive and tell Yashasvi Jaiswal not to throw away his wicket. Then he has to find a bowling group that has the wherewithal to take 20 wickets. Jasprit Bumrah appears to be a case of “fait accompli” and lead the attack, a perforce situation for India dictated by England’s 2-1 lead in the series and an 8-day gap between the Lord’s and Manchester Tests. Mohammed Siraj, who flared up in the third Test will be his Dukes-ball partner. Seamer Anshul Kamboj has been added as a cover for the injured Arshdeep Singh. Gill has to choose from Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Kamboj as first change. Gill has plenty in his plate — including Rishab Pant’s finger injury — to ponder at in order to keep the series alive.

With assembly elections early next year in Tamil Nadu, major political parties in the state including the DMK and AIADMK, have begun to enlist the services of consultancy firms to devise political strategies and campaign plans for their leaders. DMK, the ruling party, has roped in the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and Showtime Consultancy, owned by Robbin Sharma, through its in-house firm, Populus Empowerment Network (PEN), which successfully handled its 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The DMK as a political party has faith in political strategist ever since the I-PAC, then led by ace political strategist Prashant Kishor, was credited with the party’s comeback in 2021.  This time round the DMK has roped in Robbin who worked for the TDP and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) in the 2024 Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra respectively. TN is likely to face a four-cornered contest among DMK, AIADMK, TVK, and NTK. AIADMK, the principal opposition party has signed on Sravanth D and Hari H of the Hyderabad-based Pramanya Strategy Consulting. The firm had worked for Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena in the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Actor-politician Vijay has been working with John Arokiasamy, a political strategist who had previously worked for Congress and PMK, for his Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). His party colleague, Aadhav Arjuna, also owns a political consultancy firm, Voice of Commons. Current DMK President M K Stalin was the first political leader in TN to hire a political strategist, Sunil Kanugolu, in 2014. Though his strategy failed in the 2016 polls, leading to the AIADMK’s successive government, it succeeded in 2019. It is said both Dravidian parties kept political strategists away when they were led by the charismatic M Karunanidhi (DMK) and J Jayalalithaa (AIADMK), but things changed dramatically after their deaths in 2018 and 2016 respectively.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from his five-nation visit and immediately held over 20 high level meetings to include India’s President Draupadi Murmu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chiefs of Indian armed forces and more. The long pending delivery of two sophisticated fighter jet engines by General Electric was successfully accomplished end of last week besides a large trance of armaments from the USA that instantly put inimical rogue nations Pakistan and Bangladesh on high alert. PM Modi had similarly kept the former on tenterhooks and guessing even while launching ‘Operation Sindoor’ on the day India was merely scheduled to hold ‘mock drills’. This was Modi’s signature style just like he allowed the annual Amarnath Yatra to be held right until the day in August 2019 when Article 370 was revoked in Jammu and Kashmir. “The confusion over the number of aircraft on either side during Operation Sindoor was another successful gambit by the Indian side that deliberately launched dummy airplanes that were shot down by Pakistani air defence forces to expose their correct locations to then face an Indian aerial assault. Fact is, India has just ordered spares, replenishments and artillery armament fitting for 36 Rafael fighter jets from France that indicates the entire fleet is intact,” a well placed source reveals. Turkey based NGO – the Turkish Youth Federation – calling itself Saltanat-e-Bangla exploited Dhaka University to peddle leaflets supporting creation of so-called “Greater Bangladesh” that over ambitiously includes parts of India in its eastern and northeast regions. PM Modi cut off the water sharing treaty dehydrating Pakistan and now, floods it even as Afghan/Balochistan groups bring it to its knees. Is it Bangladesh’s turn now?

Ever since his name figured as a possible candidate to be considered for BJP President, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav has been discreet and cautious in his conduct. It is being said he recently went on to conduct a low-profile wedding of his daughter in Himachal. In doing so, he apparently took a leaf out of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s playbook and followed her example of marrying off her only daughter in a simple ceremony in Bengaluru without drawing much attention in June 2023. He probably wanted to avoid the kind of record the incumbent BJP chief JP Nadda had set by hosting a wedding reception for his second son in a Delhi stadium two years ago. Of course in February 2022, Yadav had arranged an impressive wedding of one of his daughters in Delhi in midst of Covid-19 pandemic and top leaders including President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi had attended the event. With the prospect of an important responsibility looming in the horizon for him, Yadav probably didn’t want to risk his career at this juncture. Considered close to Home Minister Amit Shah, Yadav was hoping to be made Law Minister — a portfolio he lost to Arjun Meghwal who like him also hails from Rajasthan. At the same time BJP sources are still not sure if course corrections like what Yadav has done will help him clinch the top job. Much as they say will still depend on the small mercy shown by the Big 2 at the top.

Mudslinging by politicians at each other sometimes results in baring the naked truth before the public. While it could be deliberate, occasionally it can be inadvertent also. This happened owing to a heated argument in the Maharashtra legislative council. The focus of the attack was none other than the minister of state for home, Yogesh Kadam. The allegation was that a bar at Borivali was run by his family, which is incidentally headed by veteran politician Ramdas Kadam, father of the minister. The charge was levelled by Shiv Sena (UBT) member Anil Parab, who said that it was a dance bar. Clarifying, Ramdas said it was not a dance bar but just a bar and was in the name of Jyoti, his wife and mother of Yogesh. The bar was run by a hotelier called Shetty and only ladies’ service was available there. Ramdas is among the senior members of the original Shiv Sena and was handpicked by Balasaheb Thackeray to contest from Khed in Ratnagiri district. An aggressive leader, Ramdas was made a minister of home in the final days of the first Sena–BJP government, which ruled the state between 1995 and 1999. Ramdas was among the first lot who left Uddhav to join the Eknath Shinde camp, now deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. Ramdas has threatened to initiate legal action against Parab for the perceived defamation. Interestingly, when the Sena long ago was agitating against ‘outsiders,’ Kadam had entrusted his business to a south Indian. 

He was a dark horse who became the chief minister of Odisha. Mohan Charan Majhi who was handpicked by PM Narendra Modi recently celebrated the first anniversary of BJP rule in June 2025. But he seems to have a bout of bad luck. He is making front page news for all the wrong reasons. A few months back it was regarding 500 Nepali students forced to leave the campus of KIIT University in Bhubaneswar following a period of unrest related to the death of a Nepali girl student. This became a diplomatic issue. This was closely followed by a stampede during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to more than 50 others. More.  A BJP leader was seen thrashing a senior OAS civil servant at his office premise. The Opposition parties – BJD, Congress – seem to be baying for his blood. With so many arrows in their quiver the Opposition hit the streets portraying him as an incapable leader. Incidentally, even BJP’s own cadre ABVP has joined the chorus with Opposition leaders. The latest trigger point is the alleged molestation and rape of a college student of Fakir Mohon College, Balasore. She died by self-immolation as the Vice Chancellor did not act on her complaint of molestation by the college professor. Seasoned political observers say for BJP sorting out the current sexual harassment mess including institutional failures will take time and government may face challenges in implementing safeguard reforms quickly. As of now the dice seems to be loaded against Majhi and one has to see how he comes out unscathed from this mess.

A potential rumour bomb has been defused by the Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis with a simple statement. The rumour circulating in the state’s political and administrative circles had caused many bigwigs to spend sleepless nights. It was started by former state Congress president Nana Patole, who had raised the matter in the legislative assembly as well. The crux of the balloon was that 72 influential people across the state had been blackmailed due to their involvement in a honey trap operation. The matter assumed gravity since it was whispered that some ministers, too, were under the cloud but the implication that several top civil servants had been compelled to favour certain forces or face exposure. The allegations said the centre of the scandal was Nasik in north Maharashtra and the name of a prominent local hotelier was surfacing. Patole and others had feared that even the most secret government details could land into the wrong hands. As demands for a discussion in the house became more and more vocal, Fadnavis on Friday said, “There is neither honey nor a trap,” he said, adding that there was no police complaint. The Fadnavis government is already at the receiving end following a free for all in the legislature premises. Members of his government were feeling unease since each minister was viewed as if tainted by the honey trap racket. Senior officials, too, had started looking at each other warily. The allegation is considered a plot to defame the government and Fadnavis, who has tossed back the ball, making it imperative for Patole to substantiate his serious charge.

Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) is now a busy leader of the AIADMK, the prime opposition of Tamil Nadu. The challenges he faces in the run up to the  2026 TN Assembly Elections seem insurmountable; at last, the BJP alliance is a fait accompli….yet K Annamalai, the firebrand former TN BJP head has just bowled a googly …whether the alliance will acknowledge the AIADMK as the unilateral face of the government or if a coalition would steer it. EPS has coined his own slogan, “Makkalai kaappom, Thamizhagathai meetpom” (protect the people, reclaim TN).  In contrast the DMK under MK Stalin has already eased into the limelight with Stalin’s slogan “Oraniyil TN” (TN in one Formation) with his people outreach programmes already in motion. Recently, EPS set the cat among pigeons when he said “a huge party is about to join us”. Now, the guessing game is on which is the huge party in TN that will join the AIADMK-BJP alliance. “Our party will roll out the red carpet for any outfit wanting to join us” says EPS. The BJP and AIADMK are going hammer and tongs to dethrone the DMK, even as actor-politician Vijay and his TVK claim that they would not need any props to call the shots …TVK has even passed a resolution about having no truck with BJP and AIADMK. Congress leader Karthi Chidambaram has had the last laugh with his own witty and sarcastic take on the identity of this huge party waiting to tread the red carpet. “Is it Trump and his party waiting to join the alliance”?

There was a time when Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were derided by Maharashtra for their rampant lawlessness. On the other hand, the mature and rich political culture of the state was shown as an example to them with advice that they should emulate it. But the ruckus within the Maharashtra legislature precinct on July 17 has shamed those loving the state. There is no denying the fact that those taking law into their own hands are becoming more and more brazen. Even certain political leaders openly threaten those disagreeing with them and their supporter’s resort to mindless violence against innocent victims. The free for all fight between BJP and NCP-SP leaders has raised a serious question about the way Maharashtra is going to proceed. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis articulated this concern when he told the legislative assembly that the common public sees legislators as unrestrained. The aftermath of the violence has raised some pertinent questions. For instance, senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Bhaskar Jadhav demanded to know how so many visitors could enter Vidhan Bhavan. However, he did not explain why he or any other member had not raised and pursued the matter till now. The fact is that every minister, MLA and MLC arrives surrounded by their clique. They do not pay heed to the requests by the security personnel. A member narrated how a visitor entered the premises even after refusal by a minister to sign his entry pass. The member refused to reveal the method used by the visitor but it was not difficult to know what he meant. Assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar has now declared that only the personal assistant of a member will be allowed admission. This fiat is a slap in the face of Maharashtra as it is a telling comment on the situation and the sordid incident. 

Bihar politics has eschewed the ‘Y’ component from its traditional ‘MY’ (Muslim-Yadav) factor that allowed RJD’s Lalu Prasad Yadav to rule the roost for decades just like SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav did in Uttar Pradesh. The brutal July 5 killing of Ajay Yadav and severe injuries to his brethren after a Muharram procession turned violent and, the severing of the arm of another Hindu youth similarly in Dhaka in east Champaran district alongside the killing of a Hindu family of three in June has failed to impress principal political parties, including the ruling JD(U)-BJP or even the Opposition RJD adequately to call upon families of the deceased even as state assemblies are looming. The July 6 attack on a Hindu temple during another Muharram procession in the Katihar (Naya Tola) district also instilled fear in Hindu minds and yet, political parties have done little more than target each other for the violent incidents finding no time to assuage the feelings of bereaved Hindu families. While political parties are known to dance to the tune of their preferred voter base (the minority vote bank here), neither the Hindutva votary in power — BJP — through its Bihar president Dilip Jaiswal nor RSS functionaries in the state found time for an outreach to Hindu families drawing flak from Hindus of Bihar. Ironically, at East Champaran where the father of the nation had launched his Satyagraha movement, RJD efforts to flaunt his grandson Tushar Gandhi backfired when the village ‘Muhiya’ Vinay Kumar Sah asked Gandhi to leave over his “Badlo Bihar, Nai Sarkar” campaign after another colleague made disparaging comments regarding PM Narendra Modi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has once again invoked the powerful sentiment of Bengali Asmita ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. In a move reminiscent of her successful 2021 campaign, Banerjee accused the Centre of systematically targeting Bengali-speaking individuals and migrants across BJP-ruled states, painting it as part of a larger political design to marginalise Bengalis. This protest comes just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled rally in Durgapur on July 18 and the TMC’s annual Martyrs’ Day on July 21. The TMC supremo led a protest rally on July 16, alleging that the Union government had secretly issued a notification permitting detention of individuals — especially Bengali speakers — on mere suspicion of being illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Walking alongside her nephew and party’s National General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee — amid speculations of a strained relationship — Mamata projected a message of unity and communal harmony by notably including a Buddhist monk and a Muslim cleric, underlining inclusivity in the face of alleged divisive policies. She raised concerns over Bengalis being labelled as Bangladeshis despite having Aadhaar and PAN cards. She pointed out that over 1.5 crore migrant workers from other Indian states are working in Bengal with dignity, unlike the treatment meted out to Bengalis elsewhere. Didi cautioned that if Bengalis are detained, Bengal will politically detain the BJP through the ballot box. Political observers believe that the choice of location for the PM’s rally on July 18 in Durgapur is strategic as it will encompass the two key Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bardhaman district — Bardhaman-Durgapur and Asansol. In both constituencies BJP was defeated in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Modi’s address is expected to clarify BJP’s stance — whether it will continue with a Hindutva-driven approach or pivot toward inclusive development.

The Vidhan Bhavan is increasingly witnessing scenes of bad blood and sharp exchange between legislators. While sarcastic one-liners comments and humorous leg pulling have been traditionally acceptable and even encouraged, the current exchange of barbs between political rivals has taken on a downward spiral. So, when the BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar questioned Sharad Pawar’s family members following different faiths, not surprisingly, it was followed by NCP(SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad passing nasty remark to Padalkar when the latter was giving bites to news channels. The duo continued their duel right till the parking lot of the Vidhan Bhavan. The discourse turned further downwards when Opposition members turned up in banians and towels to poke fun at Eknath Shinde’s MLA Sanjay Gaikwad turning up in that gear at the MLA hostel in a viral video. In fact, Aaditya Thackeray and Nitesh Rane had a one-to-one duel on the floors of the assembly over the former terming the latter’s party as Chaddi-Banian party. Even the normally genial Aaditya Thackeray did not spare others and called out deputy chairperson of the legislative council Dr Neelam Gorhe for her comment that Mercedes had to be gifted for posts in the Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. The TV cameras caught Gorhe returning an angry stare. The same evening saw Aaditya’s cousin and fellow legislator Varun Sardesai accusing Gorhe’s bodyguards of pushing him around, again the spat flowing out before full media glare. While the TV cameras positioned outside the Vidhan Bhavan provide much needed oxygen in such reel-worthy and hits-hungry viral times, it’s not surprising to see the political friction play before the media gallery at this monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

There is a worry in top echelons of the government that a lobby of busy-bodies has emerged in the power echelon in Delhi that eagerly offers to fix appointments with government officials and secure policy solutions for some consideration. The rise of such a busy-body has begun to deter honest bureaucrats from entertaining any requests for interactions with any non-familiar persons. It is being said PM Modi felt it was necessary for the officials to come up with public feedback on government policy decisions for improving delivery. In the absence of any interaction with common citizens and NGOs, officials were also not coming up with fresh ideas. It is in this context that Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan’s letter to secretaries of the central government asking them to interact with people is interesting and makes sense. He flagged the “perceived reluctance” among several senior central government officials to give appointments to people, saying such interactions can give insights into ground realities, and clarify misunderstandings about “government policies or intentions”. In his letter, Somanathan made it clear that such meetings should be held in offices and not clubs or hotels. He said people from various sections of society have told him that there is a “perceived reluctance” among several secretaries of the central government and other senior officers to give appointments to people other than officials, who may wish to meet with them in connection with the work of their ministries. He said the work of the government is such that it affects or benefits many people and organisations. In some cases, “if you feel it is necessary as a precaution, you could ask another officer to be present.”

The Bombay High Court is not amused with the second ‘closure’ report filed over the sensational June 2020 Disha Salian unnatural death case that lived on like a political potboiler ever since. On July 2, 2025, the closure report in the case was submitted to court bearing the signatures of Malvani police station’s senior police inspector Shailendra Nagarkar (in SIT) and a state public prosecutor, neither of whom bothered to attend the day’s court proceedings. Strong observations followed over their absence particularly since no ‘closure’ report was sought by the court in the first place. The court also considered invocation of contempt proceedings against the officers concerned. A legal source reveals, “A disgraced IPS officer, allegedly responsible for the first closure report filed in the case under then MVA ruled Maharashtra is believed to have actively ensured the second closure report also by the SIT set up during the current litigation through the writ petition filed by Disha’s father seeking a CBI probe into his daughter’s death. The High Court justice questioned why the missing in action officers submitted the closure report in the first place and will take issue with them come July 16.” A well placed political source in Delhi notes, “Then Mumbai police commissioner, Parambir Singh, thoroughly disgraced the city’s police force by acts of omission and commission, was even cited for the so-called Thane model of corruption and yet, only five days back he was acquitted in the extortion and corruption case in Thane. He was also suspended following the ‘Antilla’ case (Ambani residence) when he was Mumbai CP and yet, continues to operate with impunity or tacit political backing.” Reportedly, his son is married to a Nagpur-based politician’s daughter.

Recognised by Cornell University in USA as “a promising Asian student,” Yashasri Gopinath Munde is all set to enter active public life. The youngest of Gopinath Munde, Yashashri has been a director of the Vaidyanath cooperative sugar, a power base of the Munde family. She kept away from politics. But, now, there seems to be a rethink. She has filed nomination for The Vaidyanath Urban Co-Op Bank Ltd election in Beed, signalling her intentions of moving forward in public life. The bank has remained a battleground in Beed’s politics. Hence Yashashri’s entry in the fray is considered an indication of her plans. The district’s politics, however, has remained a fiefdom of the Munde family and Yashashri’s appearance on the horizon will reshape it soon, it is felt. Her two elder sisters, Preetam and Pankaja, are already in politics. While Preetam has been elected to the Lok Sabha twice from their hometown Beed, Pankaja has been representing the assembly constituency and been a cabinet minister in Maharashtra over the years. Their father, Gopinath Munde, was a deputy chief minister in the state and a cabinet minister in the first team of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. Munde married BJP leader Pramod Mahajan’s sister and the two ruled the state BJP firmly for a couple of decades. Munde’s abrupt death was a setback for the family but did not thwart the political career of his two daughters. This is going to be one more addition to the tradition of family rule in the state, critics say.

The political reunion of the Thackeray brothers — Raj and Uddhav Thackeray — has disturbed political calculations in the state forcing parties to reassess and redraw their political strategies as per the new ground realities. The direct impact of this reunion is obviously on Eknath Shinde, who officially holds the Shiv Sena party name and flag, and is eyeing the same pie of the Marathi manoos vote bank, that is now facing consolidation under the Thackeray brand. Shinde air-dashed to New Delhi in the middle of this assembly session to meet Union home minister Amit Shah. Shah is believed to have sought his opinion on how to deal with the Thackeray reunion in the forthcoming polls and if launching an attack on them could prove helpful or counterproductive. Shah is also said to have shared details of local surveys conducted by his party to assess the atmosphere post the Thackeray brothers reunion. Shinde, who is upset with the BJP local leadership, is also said to have shared his concerns about his minister receiving income tax notices, funds for his ministers being curtailed, and his party being kept away from power equations.. Analysts feel that the BJP could delay the elections in a bid to diffuse the strong buzz that the Thackeray brothers have successfully generated around the Marathi language issue. The BJP is keen to gain power at the BMC with vital projects like Dharavi redevelopment and other redevelopment projects unfolding in the city.

In the atmosphere of levelling unfounded allegations, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut is now tasting his own medicine following a serious charge made against him by a BJP spokesman. Raut is seen time and again, day in and day out, on TV channels, making some claims or allegations. His latest such utterance is about deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s unscheduled Delhi visit, incidentally on the Guru Pournima day. Raut said Shinde had gone to the national capital suddenly to touch the feet of his mentor, Union home minister Amit Shah and to seek the chief ministership again, which he had vacated after the Maharashtra assembly election late last year. Owing to persistent reports that Shinde is sore ever since he had to accept the deputy CM post, Raut’s allegation was widely reported. However, BJP spokesman Ram Kulkarni has caught Raut unawares with a counter-charge. Kulkarni said that Raut had called on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a few days ago to urge him to forestall the handshake of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. The statement by Kulkarni has the backdrop of the impending civic elections, including in Mumbai, soon after the monsoon. If the Thackeray cousins fight the elections jointly, it could have some impact on the outcome. Raj has maintained silence on the issue but Uddhav has repeatedly emphasized that their alliance is solid. Hence Kulkarni’s charge is seen as an attempt to checkmate Raut at his own game.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat  and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were born in the same year and same month. A couple of days ago, Bhagwat made a remark that has gone viral, many interpreting it as a signal to Modi to step down. At a book release function, Bhagwat quipped that 75 was the age to bid adieu and retire. Immediately, Modi baiters were overjoyed as if the PM had actually handed over his resignation. This has reference to a statement made by Modi many years ago that the retirement age in politics should be 75. As soon as he emerged as the sole leader, Modi gently but firmly sent away the old guard, led by LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, into the sidelines. The rule was implemented across the states, too, with rare exceptions. Hence, discussion has been rampant about Modi’s own decision. While there is silence on the BJP front about Bhagwat’s oblique advice, a few Modi followers have ventured to suggest that the suggestion could have been about the RSS chief himself. It is well-known that the RSS is disciplined to such an extent that even its head is not allowed to breach its ironclad culture. In the past, Balasaheb Deoras and Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) themselves relinquished the position, among the most coveted in India, owing to their advancing age and failing health. On the other hand, Bhagwat is physically fit and enjoys attending cultural events. Many of his speeches have become a guiding light for the RSS rank and file. Hence, all eyes are now on the Dussehra rally, traditionally used by RSS chiefs to announce some pathbreaking decision.

Actor Kangana Ranaut, the BJP MP from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, is showing herself to be a misfit in politics. Naturally, the BJP high command is upset with her. But they do not know how to handle her moods. Mandi is reeling from the impact of cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods. Firstly, Kangana did not rush to Mandi from Mumbai, where she normally stays. After the natural disaster that killed 85 people, Kangana was asked by BJP leaders to reach Mandi. On reaching there, she said she had no power or post to do anything. “I have no cabinet, no funds’ during a visit to Mandi on July 6.  Since her comments drew a negative reaction, BJP chief J P Nadda decided to go to Mandi himself. Nadda belongs to Himachal Pradesh. Accompanied by Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, and Himachal BJP chief Rajeev Bindal, Nadda met with people impacted by the heavy rainfall in Mandi. Kangana was not part of his entourage despite being the local MP. Later, Thakur oversaw the relief efforts. A BJP MLA, Vinod Kumar, and another party MLA, Deep Raj, were given the responsibility to help affected people. At this rate, Kangana is indicating that she is no longer interested in politics. She told a podcast recently that “It’s a very different kind of work, more like social service…I’ve never thought of serving people.” No politician speaks the truth. What more, Kangana feels that “I’ve fought for women’s rights, but that’s different… Somebody’s naali (drain) is broken, and I’m like, ‘But I am an MP and these people are coming to me with panchayat-level problems… they come to you with problems like MLAs, broken roads, and I tell them that’s a state government issue, and they say, “You have money, you use your own money.” With that kind of comments, can Kangana survive in the BJP as an MP for long?

Has ‘Sheesh Mahal’ jibe returned to haunt the BJP?  First it was Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami who went on to splurge on a swimming pool in his official bungalow. And then Delhi CM Rekha Gupta came up with doing up her quarters. The Opposition called it ‘Maya Mahal’. This has left the BJP high command very angry. Taking a dig at Dhami’s “Jal Mahal” — a play on Arvind Kejriwal’s “Sheesh Mahal”jibe coined by the BJP — the Congress has asked “how many crores” the CM spent on the “modern, all-weather” pool. Last year, the BJP had released a video of Kejriwal’s erstwhile Civil Lines residence, calling it “Sheesh Mahal”, a “museum of corruption”, and a “luxury palace” of Kejriwal, in an attack on the AAP chief’s ‘common man’ image. AAP had lost Delhi to the BJP in the elections that followed. Dhami had shifted to the CM’s official bungalow in 2021. Built over 10 acres, the residence was termed as jinxed by many, as the previous three CMs were not able to complete their tenures. Some say Dhami apparently added the swimming pool to improve the Vaastu of his residence. The now-cancelled renovation plan for Gupta’s residential bungalow allegedly included extensive electrical upgrades, the installation of 14 air conditioners, televisions worth Rs 9 lakh, and light fixtures worth Rs 6 lakh. Improvements for Delhi CM’s bungalow ran into controversy as tender orders for 14 ACs had to be cancelled as it became a throwback to Kejriwal’s days. Gupta had been allotted two bungalows on Raj Niwas Marg by the Public Works Department, with one to serve as her residence and the other one for a camp office, which she inaugurated last week.

Despite recent efforts at mending fences, internal rifts in the Bengal BJP have resurfaced after senior leader and former state president Dilip Ghosh reignited controversy with remarks seemingly soft on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. This comes even after Ghosh’s meeting with newly appointed state BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya and a visit to Delhi where he met BJP national joint general secretary Shiv Prakash. Ghosh stated again that Mamata herself is not named in any corruption cases, blaming those around her instead — a comment that runs contrary to the BJP’s aggressive anti-Mamata narrative and has triggered discontent within state ranks. Without naming him, Ghosh also appeared to take aim at Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, saying that some recent entrants into the party are trying to stoke divisions — a likely reference to criticism he faced after attending the inauguration of Digha’s Jagannath Temple on Mamata’s invitation. Ghosh later insisted he was merely stating facts, not giving Mamata a “clean chit.” In an effort to contain the damage, state president Samik Bhattacharya met Ghosh at the party office and publicly reaffirmed his place in the BJP, declaring, “He was in BJP, is in BJP, and will remain in BJP.” Tensions date back to Ghosh’s April 30 Digha’s Jagannath temple visit, which drew flak from Adhikari and then-state chief Sukanta Majumdar. Ghosh was subsequently sidelined from key meetings, including on leadership selection, and complained of deliberate alienation—even being denied a chair during meetings. His latest remarks, though intended to reaffirm party ties, have once again unsettled the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

It seems to be a point of No Return in the PMK family feud. Now, 85-year old Dr S Ramadoss has denied his son Dr Anbumani even the right to use his name. Ramadoss senior is seriously contemplating bringing his daughter Srikanthi to lead the party he founded and continue his legacy. Combative and razor sharp Ramadoss is preparing his cadres for the ensuing elections and keeping the Vanniyars vote bank intact. He did hint that his daughter Srikanti could be his succession choice. In front of his party workers, the wily doctor even sang the opening of a popular Tamil film song, Poga Poga  Theriyum …….Inda poovin Vaasam theriyum. Meanwhile, Dr Anbumani with wife Sowmya and his daughters is taking a totally different political stance, quietly consolidating his status as political heir.  Since he has the Election Commission’s stamp that he is the party’s leader till the 26 June 2026, he is confident that these emotional edicts and anger filled statements by his father may not carry legal weight. Both have approached the Election Commission for settling the legacy dispute for party name, symbol and leader, as candidates must file their nominations. There are those who ask why does senior Ramadoss knock at the doors of courts and Election Commission when his age and experience should be mature enough to not air family feuds in public? But a very poignant meeting of Anbumani with his ailing mother Saraswati Ramadoss, at the Thailapuram family home garnered enough emotional weight. It is well known that she has more affection for the son. At least now Anbumani can claim “Mere paas Maa Hai”.

Manmohon Samal has been re-elected as Odisha BJP president for the fourth time. And this did not surprise anyone, neither the ruling BJP nor the Opposition BJD and Congress leaders. Samal’s win uncontested also means a setback for the Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan. His nominee Golak Mohapatra VP Odisha BJP wanted to enter the fray but it seems the high command was not keen.  His claim to fame is that the Odisha BJP under Samal’s leadership not only wiped out the Biju Janata Dal from the Lok Sabha map of Odisha but in the process brought to end the long reign of Naveen Patnaik’s government, an outcome few had imagined possible. Unfortunately, Samal lost the last election to BJD and this explains why BJP’s central high command has now reposed confidence on his leadership style once again, bringing him back to action mode after one-year gap. Samal’s job is well defined. He has to build BJP cadres at 30 district level, train them and make them acceptable to the people which is somewhat weak today, compared to BJD’s Naveen Patnaik whom an average Odites loves, supports and admires. Hailing from the OBC community, which constitutes a significant portion of Odisha’s population, Samal’s reappointment is now seen as a strategic move to further consolidate the party’s base in Odisha given Samal’s strong organizational skills and grassroots connect.

Three days after their joint rally at Worli, the Thackeray brothers bounced back on the streets, forcing the BJP and even Eknath Shinde on the backfoot. Their cadres turned up in large numbers to showcase Thackeray’s street strength at Mira Road, on the outskirts of Mumbai, which is emerging as the laboratory for polarisation of identity and communal politics. What Raj Thackeray lacks in political strength of numbers — he has zero legislators or corporators — he made up with his street-smart strategy, as he had vowed at the joint rally.  Both Thackeray’s stayed out and kept mum, letting cadres to defy midnight detainment by police, take train to outwit police and successfully put the BJP on the mat on the Marathi issue. Eknath Shinde’s minister Pratap Sarnaik, who tried to participate in the MNS showdown, was booed and forced to retreat within minutes. That chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had to step in, to distance itself from the critical remarks made by BJP Jharkhand MP Nishikant Dube as also to explain lack of police permission to protest, reflected the party’s failure to handle the Marathi language issue. That this street show is just the beginning can be gauged from the fact that Raj Thackeray has restrained his leaders from commenting on alliance issues. Interestingly, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, known to enjoy close equations with Raj, too has restrained his people from criticising Raj Thackeray or his party. Shinde has been very selective in reserving his criticism only for Uddhav Thackeray and showering praise on Raj, post the Thackeray’s joint rally.

The Calcutta High Court directed the Union government to resume implementing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in West Bengal from August 1. The scheme, which provides 100 days of wage employment to rural households, had remained suspended in the State since March 2022. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee noted that the Ministry of Rural Development had invoked Clause 27 of the MGNREGA Act to withhold funds to the State, a provision that permits stoppage of fund flow for a reasonable period of time. Though the court pointed out that the Union government was within its rights to impose special conditions for implementation to avoid irregularities, Justice Sivagnanam stated that the Act “does not envisage a situation where the scheme would be put to cold storage for eternity.” The Bench also took note of irregularities in wage disbursement flagged by Central teams. Responding to the HC order the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in an interview to The Business Line, pointed out that there should be some rationale with which money is to be distributed. “It’s also a question of how based on the BE (Budget Estimates), within the first half year itself, everything gets exhausted. If it is a demand-driven scheme, a certain BE is announced so that money can be apportioned. How does the BE get exhausted every year in every state much before the first half of the year? This is a scheme which has got to be in force when it is the non-agricultural season. So, come the rains, you shouldn’t have demand coming. But the demand is still in place even during the rain.”  Pointing out how there are states where senior citizens taking money out of MGNREGA–it is a C&AG’s observation–she wanted to know if they are productive enough to be employed and given payment? 

BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (BATL), which was losing importance following the setting up of a new unit at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, is getting a fresh lease of life. The unit, which is owned by BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd (BAPL), a joint venture between India and Russia, is expected to be taken over by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). BAPL, headquartered in New Delhi has an integration complex in Hyderabad and production unit in Thiruvananthapuram. According to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, former IT Minister and BJP Kerala president, he has been assured that DRDO will take over BATL. This will bring BATL employees directly under the Central government structure and align the unit with the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, which would not have been possible if it was functioning as a JV with a foreign entity. BATL was set up in 2007, with the Kerala government transferring Kerala Hi-Tech Industries (KELTEC), sitting on 15.8 acres of land near Thiruvananthapuram airport to the JV. The land had recently become a contentious issue following the expansion of the International airport. The Kerala government has now offered BATL 186 acres of land at Nettukalters near Neyyar Dam in Thiruvananthapuram, to relocate the unit.  The defence ministry is believed to be evaluating the proposal. BATL, is a jewel in Kerala’s industrialisation plan and the first defence unit in the state. BAPL took over KELTEC and converted it into a world class missile making unit in India. BAPL was set up in 1998 as a JV between DRDO (50.5%) and Mashinostroyenia (49.4%) Russia.

About 767 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra between January and May 2025. These include about 229 farmer suicides in the month of April,2025. Of these, the families of only 373 farmers were found eligible to receive compensation of Rs 1 lakh from the state. Out of these, 327 families have received compensation, the balance 46 families’ paperwork are being processed. Claims for compensation of about 200 families were rejected as ineligible. These figures were provided by minister for relief and rehabilitation Makarand Jadhav Patil, in a written reply in the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The state has witnessed crop losses across 36 million hectares worth Rs 7000 crore in damages over the last five years. Maharashtra being highly vulnerable to climate change with the state witnessing 142 extreme weather events in 2024, only adds to the conundrum. The Opposition have been contending that the farmer suicides have been on the rise due to failure of the State to protect farmers from crops loss impacted by climate change, failure to provide fair support price, ensure crop insurance and failure to provide loan waivers to farmers. The state has recently scrapped crop insurance for farmers with a premium of Re 1. Maharashtra has the highest number of farmers suicides in the country with the parched regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada registering the highest numbers. Over 250 farmers committed suicide in March alone this year in these regions. The Opposition has been demanding that a higher compensation be awarded to farmer suicides on the lines of compensation provided to those who die due to wild animal attacks.

The Odisha government headed by Mohan Charan Majhi has chalked up big plans to transform Puri, which houses the famous Lord Jagannath Temple, into a world class tourism hub so that tourists spend more days at Puri. For starters, it is planning to upgrade Puri from municipality to a municipal corporation. A municipal corporation is a larger, more autonomous body than a municipality, typically governing big cities while municipality governs smaller towns. Puri’s envisaged municipal corporation status will now include around 10 adjacent Gram Panchayats, expanding the city’s size and providing enhanced facilities for residents and tourists. Other plans include: a world class museum and library complex showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Lord Jagannath and an auditorium for daily light and sound shows in multiple languages plus an open-air theatre. This decision by the Majhi government to enhance Puri’s appeal comes at the back of a large influx of devotees – both from India and overseas. With this upgrade proposal, Puri now joins Odisha government’s plan to establish a metropolitan development region of 7,000 sq km encompassing Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Jatni, Cuttack, Paradeep and Puri making an integrated economic corridor. For now, CM Majhi’s focus is clear, he wants to make Puri one of the liveable cities of the country.

The BJP has appointed Kolkata-centric and RSS-backed Samik Bhattacharya as the president of its West Bengal unit, marking a strategic departure from its previous leadership patterns. Bhattacharya, known for his clean image and strong ties with party stalwarts including outgoing state president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, LoP Suvendu Adhikari, and even sidelined party veteran Dilip Ghosh, is seen as the party’s attempt to build cohesion ahead of the crucial 2026 assembly polls. Political observers suggest this move is also a subtle endorsement of Adhikari as BJP’s projected face against chief minister Mamata Banerjee. With smooth coordination between Bhattacharya and Adhikari—both sharing a cordial rapport—the party aims to enter the electoral battlefield with a unified front. Sources indicate Bhattacharya’s urban, middle-class image could help the BJP strengthen its hold in key regions like Greater Kolkata and Durgapur. His long standing role as BJP spokesperson, with consistent media engagement, has lent him the acceptability required for a high-visibility opposition leader—a trait Suvendu is often criticised for lacking. His rise, however, comes after years of inner-party marginalization, reportedly due to both electoral surprises and internal resistance. Despite winning the 2014 bypoll in Basirhat South and staying loyal through political highs and lows, Bhattacharya was never fully empowered—possibly due to his independent success unsettling the power structure. His elevation comes amidst the BJP’s acknowledgment of the “Kolkata factor.” After successive non-Kolkata-based leaders like Dilip Ghosh and Sukanta Majumdar, the party now bets on the historical trend where successful state leaders like Jyoti Basu, Didi and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee all had strong urban roots. Now a Rajya Sabha MP, Bhattacharya has sounded the election bugle stating that this election is Bengal’s final chance to stop brain drain and save the identity of Hindu...

Despite much excitement and buoyancy among the cadres and the average Marathi manoos about the reunion of the Thackeray brothers — Raj and Uddhav — after two decades, the road ahead seems far from smooth. Though the Thackeray brothers are yet to announce anything concrete, talking more in cryptic clues and hints, how they manage their seats adjustments will determine the future of the political breakthrough. Even if a political reunion does get announced, as is expected at their joint victory rally on July 5, ironing out the creases may not be a smooth affair. For starters, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) could be uncomfortable with the entry of Raj Thackeray. While the Congress may have warmed up and collaborated with the sober Uddhav Thackeray wing of the Shiv Sena, joining hands with the strident Raj Thackeray of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena could prove a difficult pill to swallow for them. Particularly with Bihar elections on the anvil, enlisting Raj in the opposition coalition MVA could prove difficult. Prithviraj Chavan, the party’s senior leader has already stated that they would deal only with Uddhav vis-a-vis their alliance. Be it about his anti-migrants stance or about loudspeakers in mosques, Raj Thackeray has refused to break bread or make conciliatory notes towards North Indians or the Muslim community. Uddhav’s  Sena, on the other hand, has successfully earned sizable political dividends in the last 2024 assembly elections thanks to his outreach towards the Muslim community. Of the 20 seats won by Uddhav, 10 of them were from Mumbai, particularly its Muslim dominated constituencies like Jogeshwari (E), Bandra (E), Versova and Mahim. While visuals of their cadres from Sena and MNS dining together may make for great photo op, the actual give and take of seats particularly in the Marathi-dominated belt, will determine how this plays out on the ground.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has proved his worth and weight on numerous fronts in these past four years. Even though it is easy to pass it off as osmosis by being trained by the political Machiavelli, dad Karunanidhi, he has honed his skills and political instincts by using every trick in the trade. Most significantly, he has been able to stand up to a powerful central government and find his own resolutions to problems. Not that charges of corruption, dynastic polity and Tamil isolationist fervour have not been thrown at him. But he has developed into a powerful leader who projects his state at every chance …and of course showcases himself. So when he showed up in the higher middle class neighbourhood of Chennai’s Alwarpet on July 3 with a clarion call “Oranyil Tamil Nadu” (TN in one formation), people were impressed. All the more when he asked leading questions …do you think the doles of my government should be continued? How is our government, what did you gain? Should we protect our “Mann, Mozhi, Manam” (our land, language, identity) at any cost? The speed brakes on our educational system, unjustified delimitation, our share of the country’s finances …should we protect our rights or blindly accept? His ministerial colleagues and all regional functionaries have been instructed to do this door-to-door feedback/survey for 45 days. Meanwhile, the Opposition parties are still getting their alliance act together. Will it be the hare and tortoise race or the early bird gets the worm case?

The $ 110 mn F-35B fighter jet grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is turning out be butt of jokes among Malayalees. The fighter was on a routine exercise off the Indian coast when it made an emergency landing on June 14. Reason given initially was that the aircraft ran out of fuel. After landing, the pilot of the ill-fated jet refused to leave the aircraft from his eyesight. He requested for a chair, so as to sit next to the aircraft. Then the reasons for the aircraft’s emergency landing kept changing day by day. First, it was low fuel which made it difficult to land on the aircraft carrier. Then it shifted to hydraulic problems. Finally, the British High Commission came out with a statement that a specialist UK team is being flown in to carry out repairs on the USA made fighter jet. This announcement led to the malayalee mind working overtime. Questions like have parking charges been imposed on the British Navy? Has it been occupying the VIP landing area? Why is it not being shifted to the Air India hanger? Amidst all this, an enterprising Malayalee put the aircraft on sale on OLX for $ 4 mn. Another post warned that with the overstay of the aircraft, the Waqf board has now claimed that the aircraft belongs to them as it is on their land. Other memes include film clippings of yesteryear Actress Shobana (IAS Official) questioning a PWD contractor – Mohan Lal, (a Priyadarshan movie – Vellanakalude Naadu) why his road roller which has been under repair for long has not been removed despite promises that it will be removed today, tomorrow and day after.

The name Salar Jung is famous as it is identified with a well-stocked museum in Hyderabad. Salar Jung was Diwan (Prime Minister) to the Nizam, once upon a time the wealthiest individual in the world. Curiously, the Salar Jung family is in the news now. Reason: Descendants of the great collector have reportedly gifted a plot of land, claimed to be worth Rs 150 crore, in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in Marathwada region of Maharashtra to an individual. But more curious is the fact that the recipient of the windfall is none other than the driver of Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre, a close confidant of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. The MP and his MLA son Vilas have both denied any connection with the controversial transaction, claiming that it was a personal affair of the driver, Jawed Rasul Shaikh, who has been working for them for the past 13 years. Notice Boards installed at the property name Shaikh as the owner. For some time, all was well. But the EOW received a complaint from Advocate Mujahid Khan about the gift and has started an inquiry. The land was gifted to Shaikh through a Hibanama (gift deed) by Mir Mahmood Ali Mazhar Ali Khan and five other descendants of the Salar Jung family, the complaint noted. Shaikh maintains that he had close ties with the Jung family, which resulted in him getting the land. So far, the EOW has not taken any further steps. 

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor did not expect a second foreign tour so quickly after delivering exceptionally well as team lead of the (Indian) Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs’ outreach to the world post ‘Operation Sindoor’. The Indian diplomat turned MP was invited to PM Modi’s residence late night, and following an hour-and-a-half long meeting, dispatched out-and-out to Russia without even returning home to pack his bags. Tharoor met Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov the following day and was not surprised when the Russian leader commenced his parlance in French. India’s former UN delegate comfortably, consciously negotiated the rest of the conversation in French with aplomb. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on out-of-the-box thinking now extends without the BJP party lines, making him the first Indian premier to command international statesmanship across party lines for national progress. Another first in Indian international history was Union defence minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to China to attend the SCO summit where he not only refused to sign on the dotted line of the resolution for excluding references to Pak terrorism but also sidelined the courtesy call meeting with the Pakistani foreign minister who was also in attendance. Singh’s visit to China simultaneously witnessed India’s NSA Ajit Doval holding talks with his Chinese counterparts emphasizing Pakistani double speak vis-a-vis China and USA respectively. Next up, MEA S Jaishankar’s visit to China that may well accomplish another major diplomatic win for India. So, what else is new? 

When it was announced that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge would interact with the media to mark Emergency anniversary, it was presumed he would come up with some punitive step against Shashi Tharoor, for intensifying his praise of PM Modi in an article published in The Hindu. However, Kharge appeared rather muted and merely stated for the party, “it is country first”, contrasting it with the view that “for some” individuals for whom it is, “Modi first and then the country comes.”  Pushed to specifically comment about Tharoor, he made it clear that the Gandhis had possibly not favoured any action against him. Tharoor enjoys rather good equations with both Sonia and Priyanka. Kharge merely said “Mr Tharoor is very fluent in English. I can’t read English well. His language is very good. That’s why we have made him a Congress Working Committee member”. A senior Kerala Congress leader also made it clear that no one in the state unit is pushing for action against Tharoor.” We hear Tharoor is looking to position himself as India’s candidate for next UN Secretary-General. It is likely that the Modi government may back him. Along with support from the U.S., Tharoor could possibly clinch it — an office he once bid for in 2006.”  Little wonder then Tharoor had responded to critics in the Congress with a message about birds “not seeking permission to fly”. Tharoor, currently at the centre of a row within the party, was on a private visit to Russia to promote a documentary series based on his book “Inglorious Empire” and had meetings with key members of the Russian leadership such as foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.

Many in the Congress are still troubled by the manner in which Priyanka Gandhi Vadra remains a AICC General Secretary without any specific assignment. Her brother Rahul, who remotely controls the AICC is apparently not interested in sharing power or responsibility with her. He has made it clear to mother Sonia Gandhi. In this backdrop it is interesting to note that Priyanka visited her cousin Varun Gandhi on the death anniversary of her uncle Sanjay Gandhi (June 23) recently. There has always been a buzz that Priyanka and Varun share a close bond and it is speculated that while she may wish for a role for Varun in the Congress it may not go down well with Rahul. Interestingly, while Rahul wants full control over the Congress, he doesn’t mind using Priyanka’s name as a shield for his frequent foreign trips. Well that’s what happened when the BJP mocked the Lok Sabha LoP for flying out all too frequently. On a backfoot, the Congress rushed to clarify that he had gone to London to attend the graduation ceremony of his niece/ Priyanka’s daughter Miraya Vadra and would be back shortly. The clarification came as BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya had attacked Rahul Gandhi over what he said were “frequent disappearances”. Rahul Gandhi was on a secret foreign holiday just last week. Now, he has flown abroad again to yet another undisclosed location,” Malviya said on X. There was also speculation on social media that Rahul had gone to Bahrain. The Congress dubbed it as an effort of the “PMO, as usual, up to its dirty tricks”. Politically, for Priyanka what must have been important is the Nilambur assembly by-election win.

Kirit Somaiya, who rose up from the ranks to become a MP of the BJP, finds himself isolated within his own party. The fact that a coalition party leader like NCP’s Ajit Pawar could publicly tick him off without any protest from the BJP, clearly highlighted Somaiya’s lack of standing in his own party. The junior Pawar warned him to stay off Masjids since it escalated social tensions after Muslim legislators and leaders across Mumbai protested against his campaign against loudspeakers in Masjids. Muslim legislators across the board approached Ajit Pawar demanding he rein back Somaiya particularly since his campaign against Masjid loudspeakers created outrage in the community. Notwithstanding a token voice of support from Mumbai president Ashish Shelar, forget outrage there was not even a whimper of protest from within the BJP. Somaiya, once known to be close to the party leadership, found himself systematically isolated in the BJP. Despite raising high decibel anti-corruption campaigns against the likes of Ajit Pawar, Hasan Mushrif, Narayan Rane, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, Uddhav Thackeray, he and his son found themselves denied party tickets. Almost all his campaigns failed to withstand legal scrutiny after most of those accused either joined the BJP or its coalition partners. Viral videos of him in a compromising position and charges of misappropriation of funds raised for INS Vikrant ship, were the last nail in his political career. But the persistent Somaiya refuses to give up and keeps raising controversial issues like that of illegal entry of Bangladeshis or illegal loudspeakers in Masjids, subjects that the party keeps at an arm’s length.

Whispers within Bengal’s political circles are growing louder that the former BJP state president Dilip Ghosh may launch a new political party — possibly named Paschimbanga Hindu Sena (PHS). Reports suggest a senior BJP leader chaired a closed-door meeting, allegedly attended by nearly 25 BJP leaders and ex-functionaries, to discuss the formation of a new Hindutva-oriented outfit. Sources claimed preparations are underway to submit registration documents to the Election Commission. The appearance of PHS-branded T-shirts in parts of South Kolkata has only intensified speculation. Interestingly, several names of leaders who will join Ghosh are doing the rounds. They are: former BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu, ex-vice president Rajkamal Pathak and the currently suspended Ritesh Tiwari. Though none have confirmed it. Ghosh, BJP’s most successful former Bengal president, has been increasingly sidelined within the party which has become evident from his absence from key events including those of PM Modi and Amit Shah. His appearance at Digha’s Jagannath Dham inauguration by the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee provided grist to the rumour mills of him launching a new party. While subtly critical of Suvendu Adhikari’s faction, Ghosh denies any split, reaffirming his decades-long role in building the BJP and rejecting splinter politics. However, Bengal BJP sources claimed that the party HQ is enquiring about a close-door meeting that took place, after the party lost Kaliganj bypoll, by some of the disgruntled leaders who feel they have been sidelined ever since Suvendu Adhikari entered the scene.

Finally, the die is cast. Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have reportedly agreed to take out a joint morcha on 5 July in Mumbai against any imposition of Hindi for the students from the first to the fourth standards. Though the Maharashtra government has already announced that a decision in this regard will be taken after consulting all the stakeholders, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have decided to march hand in hand to express people’s opposition to the proposal. Earlier, the two leaders had announced two different dates for their respective protests. Now, several bodies and opinion makers have supported the proposed morcha, which has injected a new life in the paralysed opposition. Especially, the decision of Thackeray cousins has enthused workers of both the militant organisations which are in the process of pairing for the coming local body elections. As the future of both depends heavily on BMC election, their joint fight can pose a formidable challenge for the ruling Mahayuti alliance. The proposal to make Hindi compulsory is facing increasing resistance. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, too, has opined that Hindi should be taught from the fifth standard. His uncle Sharad Pawar, as is customary, has changed his earlier stance about the advisability of learning Hindi. Sensing the public mood, now he says that the position taken by the two Thackerays is right. In view of the sensitivity of the matter, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is weighing the pros and cons before he makes any announcement.

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar was approached by then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who was desirous of visiting Israel to study its innovative farm techniques and water management initiatives. Pawar was then Union agriculture minister. Once Pawar had announced that he would lead a delegation of agriculturists to Israel. After reading this news, Modi approached him and requested his inclusion in the visiting group. Pawar obliged and Modi could go to Israel, which at the time was extremely strict about granting visitor visas. “Modi called and I responded positively,” Pawar recalled in an informal chat with the media. He was referring to the U.S. president Donald Trump’s claim that it was POTUS who had brokered peace between Iran and Israel. Pawar said it was imperative that Modi should take a clear stand about this conflict. He reminded the PM that his successive predecessors had taken a consistent position about Iran and had stood by it. It was Modi who was the first PM to visit Israel, the veteran leader said. Pawar was quizzed about the current anti-Hindi agitation in Maharashtra and the reticence of some celebrities about the issue. For instance, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has kept mum on the controversy. Pawar said Sachin was a sportsperson and hence it was not necessary that he should talk about this language feud. “Ask Sachin about cricket,” Pawar quipped.  He reiterated that the three-party opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi will fight the coming local body elections unitedly.

Maharashtra’s most prestigious civic elections to be scheduled for India’s financial capital, Mumbai’s metropolis is turning into a political potboiler. Every formation worth its salt wants to make its political presence count. Before this happens, realignment of 227 seats electing our city fathers, to include designated reserved civic constituencies is the big news. A former state election department officer emphatically says, “No electoral officer can provide you the last value on anvil changes of civic wards. Reservations, realignment of individual seats is the prerogative of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations’ ward offices. We provide electoral lists of the six parliamentary, 36 assembly constituencies in Mumbai and enjoy hands-on involvement only during general, state assemblies.” BMC Chief Bhushan Gagrani says 2011 census data (alongside estimated population figures) serve as the benchmark aligning individual civic councillor seats. “Wherever there is a geographical change — the coastal roads infrastructure — where ‘nullah’ (sewer lines) were diverted and, couple of redevelopment projects impact population demography within 26 wards will witness marginal realignments,” he says. That done, Uddhav’s Sena (boasting 85 sitting corporators) demanding over100 seats, Congress emphasising minority voter base in Mumbai — citing Lok Sabha results to wrest an equal number of seats leaves Sharad Pawar rueing his woes or, will he? BJP’s 83 invisible sitting corporators failed emphasizing PM Narendra Modi’s schemes over five years so, CM Devendra Fadnavis will micromanage BMC polls also while sharing civic seats with deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar’s political parties without much acrimony. Despite the Supreme Court’s mandate for early polls, some delays still threaten to postpone Mumbai’s civic elections some more.

Hindu Munnani, a right-wing outfit close to BJP, organised a Lord Murugan (or Kartikeya) Devotees Conference on June 22 and passed a resolution for ‘Hindu unity’ and protection of Hindus in the temple town of Tirupurakundram in Tamil Nadu. An interesting aspect of the Murugan Meet of devotees was that it was attended by Andhra Minister Pawan Kalyan and BJP office-bearers of Tamil Nadu. The conference adopted a number of pro-Hindu resolutions to protect the rights of Hindus. The Murugan Meet seemed like the first of steps to rally Hindu votes ahead of 2026 assembly polls. It not only suggested that the DMK government should “stop treating temples as a revenue source and use temple funds to only benefit devotees”. A highlight of the Murugan Meet was the record-breaking mass recital of “Skanda Sashti Kavacham”( a popular Tamil hymn in praise of Lord Murugan) by an estimated 5 lakh Murugan devotees. It was also resolved to have such recitals of Skanda Sashti Kavacham regularly. The political message of the meet was a clarion call to Hindus to vote en bloc. Pawan Kalyan, who had been encouraged by the RSS to take active interest in TN politics, spoke in Tamil. He hit out at ‘secularists’ and atheists for targeting Hindu gods and temples. In a grand gesture Pawan Kalyan also sought to bring together former TN BJP chief K Annamalai and present incumbent Nainar Nagendran as he made them hold hands on the stage. As for the AIADMK, former CM Edappadi K Palanisamy made it a point to send four MLAs for the meet. Meanwhile RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was in Coimbatore where he praised the spiritual tradition of adheenams in TN.

Developers in Mumbai owe pending rental dues worth over Rs 646 crore to slum dwellers whose houses have been taken up for redevelopment under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme. The pending rental dues had swelled upto Rs 1382.48 crore since 2022 of which the state helped recover Rs 735.67 crores till May, 2025. Defaulting on rents for slum dwellers of SRA projects has assumed such proportions that the government now insists developers deposit two years of rent in advance. The SRA also managed to get Rs 552 crore as advance rents from developers. In a bid to expedite stalled projects, the SRA has also served notices to 86 errant developers to facilitate their replacement and help these projects take off.  About 1700 projects of SRA are currently ongoing in the city of Mumbai, out of which about 517 are stalled due to various reasons. In order to take such stalled projects off the ground, the Maharashtra government has also got government statutory bodies like the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) and even the City Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to intervene and get into the slum rehabilitation space. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is also undertaking SRA in 64 of its own plots. Though the SRA was adjudged as the best performing department in the 100 days administrative reforms review by the Devendra Fadnavis government, activists are convinced that it continues to remain a developers’ domain.

There wasn’t much reaction in Telangana Congress when former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin’s son, Asaduddin, also a cricketer, recently parachuted in and landed as a General Secretary of the Telangana Congress. A senior leader and a former MP dismissed the appointment as a non-event and routine. After a stint in cricket, Asaduddin expressed his desire to serve the public through politics, drawing inspiration from his father and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Describing his new role as a “big responsibility”, Asaduddin said he was committed to working for the party in line with its ideology. He praised Rahul Gandhi for fighting for the Congress’s values despite facing numerous challenges He also credited his father, who has been active in politics for over 15 years, as a major influence. Azharuddin, a former Lok Sabha MP from Moradabad, UP, contested and lost the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections from Jubilee Hills constituency. Asked why he quit cricket, Asaduddin remarked that a sports person’s career is short and timing plays a crucial role in success. Married to tennis star Sania Mirza’s sister, Anam Mirza, Asaduddin felt his time in cricket was over. In a post on X, Azharuddin wished his son and said he had seen his (Asaduddin) commitment to people, his passion for service, and his sincerity up close and hoped he would stay “grounded”. With his son’s debut in state politics, Azharuddin is now confident that he will once again be fielded for Jubilee Hills by-elections.  He had lost the seat in 2023.

For AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal winning MLAs in Gujarat by itself may not be a big deal; about half a dozen or so have won before. But none of the MLAs have stuck around. However, with AAP candidate Gopal Italia winning from Visavadar for the second time in a by-election, Kerjiwal has something to cheer about. In the backdrop of losing power in Delhi, AAP felt it had to make a song and dance about securing assembly seat in Gujarat by-election– where the BJP has been in power for 30 years –that too from a seat– Visavadar which the BJP has never won. In a post on X, Kejriwal bragged that his party won with nearly double the margin compared to the previous elections and claimed that “people of Punjab are very happy with the work of our government and have voted even more in favour of us than in 2022. The people of Gujarat are now fed up with the BJP and see hope in the AAP”. Italia shot to fame during the 2015 Patidar agitation in the state. The seat has been vacant since 2023 after the then AAP legislator Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the BJP. BJP sources said Italia winning the seat wasn’t a surprise. Visavadar has been a traditional Congress seat. “BJP has never won from there. In 2012, Keshubhai Patel won from there as Parivartan Party candidate. Kesubhai later rejoined the BJP.  Sources say more than Visavadar what is of significance for Gujarat politics is that BJP managed to win Kadi assembly seat, a reserved seat in Mehsana. BJP’s Rajendra Chavda won by a margin of over 39,000 votes in a triangular contest taking on both the Congress and the AAP.

Maharashtra’s Mahayuti alliance achieved a thumping majority in the assembly election late last year. One important factor that ensured such a handsome mandate was the Mahayuti’s ‘Laadki Bahin’(Beloved Sister) scheme. Under this, each applicant woman was paid a monthly dole of Rs 1500. Though there were certain conditions for a beneficiary to be eligible, there was no scrutiny. As a result, even female government officials and those paying income tax also took advantage of the scheme. Some others came in their own cars to receive the cheques. Now, a thorough scrutiny is underway and thousands of names have been dropped, some of them voluntarily by the beneficiaries concerned themselves. Considering the local body elections due in the state after the monsoon, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde has declared that a scheme called, “Laadki Soon” (Beloved Daughter in Law) will be launched by the government. There is a reason for the necessity of such a measure despite tall claims that Maharashtra is a progressive state. Time and again, harrowing stories of torture for dowry of newly wed girls surface in the media. In certain cases, the unfortunate girls are either killed or commit suicide. A few such instances that shook the state’s conscience over the past two months are believed to have caused Shinde’s announcement, which will be implemented soon. Incidentally, it was Shinde as the state CM who had introduced the Laadki Bahin Yojana last year.

Hours after the U.S. bombed Iran’s three key nuclear facilities on June 21, PM Narendra Modi spoke with President of Iran Dr Masoud Pezeshkian. “We discussed in detail about the current situation. Expressed deep concern at the recent escalations. Reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability,” Modi said in a post on X. The conversation assumes significance as many Indian students are still in that country, hoping to return back home. Teheran had evacuated Indian students with the help of our mission to leave Iran via Armenia and Doha. Some batches of students managed to reach Delhi. Our mission in Tehran has been helping students from Nepal and Sri Lanka also to leave Iran. Pakistan too rushed to condemn the attack and said that Iran had all the legitimate right to defend itself under the UN charter. The official comments by Pakistan come days after its Field Marshal Asim Munir visited White House for a lunch hosted by President Trump. Pak reaction seemed odd considering the initial reports suggested that the U.S. plan was to use Pak base to attack Iran. But now media reports indicate that the U.S. Stealth bombers were flown from Missouri for over 37 hours and had refuelled mid-air to carry out the operation. Clearly it seems President Trump did not trust Gen Munir and had a surprise element in the strikes. In Iran, Hossein Shariatmadari, the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative, has called for immediate retaliation. He talked about launching a missile strike on the U.S. naval fleet in Bahrain and simultaneously closing the Strait of Hormuz. Any adverse action in Hormuz could hurt India.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandra Babu Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh is clearly moving centre stage in politics. The 42-year old Minister for IT and Human Resources Development came for high praise from PM Modi on the way he organised the International Yoga Day event in Visakhapatnam. The event was a logistical success with Lokesh overseeing extensive arrangements. Modi specifically praised Lokesh’s efforts, a gesture that resonated widely within TDP circles and reinforced his growing stature. He managed to mobilise a record crowd of 302,087 at Visakhapatnam alone. Calling him bhai, PM Modi said “I want to praise Lokesh profusely. He has proved how a social celebration should be planned, and executed and how all sections of society should be brought together in just one and a half months”. How Lokesh had organised the Yogandhra Abhiyan should serve as a role model for the rest of India. In this abhiyan, two crore people took part in it (referring to events across mandals). This is the cardinal principle of the Viksit Bharat, said Modi. TDP spokesperson Prof Jyothsna Trinagari said the Visakhpatnam numbers were double of Surat which was about 1.47 lakh. A notable highlight of the event was the use of a QR code-based participant tracking system, which yielded highly accurate attendance data, setting a new benchmark. Of course, it is not that Lokesh had suddenly moved into the spotlight; he has had a number of high-profile engagements with national leaders, including a one-on-one dinner with Modi on May 17 along with his family and meetings with key Union Ministers. These suggest that he has been slowly emerging as key interlocutor for Andhra and TDP — he has been acting as a bridge between the Centre and the state. 

Just a year for the most bitter battle for the Tamil Nadu gaddi and a whole host of chinks and breaches in the DMK armour are tumbling out. Is the DMK being dismantled by a cunning Chanakya? Are DMK MP K Kanimozhi and MK Alagiri being instigated to rebel against a dynastic family succession? Political seers are seeing red at every turn. The latest buzz about the Maran brothers, Kalanithi and Dayanidhi fighting for their share of spoils has shaken the DMK leaders and cadres. The father of Maran brothers, Murasoli Maran was Kalaignar’s (nephew) alter ego, power broker and conscience keeper. The two families grew wealthy and powerful even as the DMK’s political relevance grew to sustain the families. Kalanithi, founder of the SUN TV Group, an entrepreneur with an unfailing Midas touch and brother Dayanidhi too basked in the sun’s radiance and held sway in Delhi. The timing of the fallout is what everybody is questioning. Whose hidden hand is at work? The recent star status accorded by PM Modi to Kanimozhi (Stalin’s step sister) to lead an all-party delegation post Operation Sindoor indicates she is a power centre in her own right. Was she given the plum role to highlight that she too was ready for the state’s CMship? On his recent visit to Madurai, an estranged Stalin made amends by calling on older brother MK Alagiri, who assured Stalin that he is no longer interested in politics and would create no trouble as the family’s “Southern Satrap”. BJP knows that 2026 may be too early to make a significant dent in the iron grip of the Dravidian parties. But chipping away brick by brick could dent that grip. Chanakya at work on many fronts.

After spending two years at 10 Janpath with his mother Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is moving into a new address. He started the process of shifting on his birthday on June 19. It is being said 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, barely two km from 10 Janpath, will be his new address and Rahul will move into the Type VIII bungalow before the Monsoon Session of Parliament starting July 21. The Sunehri Bagh residence was earlier occupied by Karnataka BJP leader A Narayanaswamy, who was Minister of State for Social Justice in the Modi government from 2021 to 2024, and had not contested 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Since he became an MP in 2004, Rahul has been staying at 12, Tughlaq Lane for 19 years till 22 April, 2023. This was the house he had to vacate after he was disqualified from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a defamation case involving PM Modi.  He was given the choice of moving back to 12, Tughlak Lane — but it was believed that it lacked an auspicious vastu and the Gandhis declined moving back. Rahul had the option of paying market rent and continuing to stay in the bungalow after filing an application but he chose to stay with his mother. He continued to stay at 10 Janpath even after the Lok Sabha election and assumed the chair of Leader of Opposition.