DMK MP Kanimozhi had an interesting start to her 58th birthday. TVK chief and superstar Vijay wished her. So did Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This has set off a lot of political buzz. Since Vijay personally called Kanimozhi, it gained significant political attention given their roles in different parties ahead of the Tamil Nadu assembly elections this year. Shah, who was in TN for election campaigning, also called Kanimozhi to extend his birthday greetings. Shah has been regularly greeting her on birthdays. As for the birthday girl, Kanimozhi began her day by paying tribute at the memorials of former chief ministers CN Annadurai and her father M Karunanidhi at Marina Beach. What is the reason that TVK chief Vijay, who is vowing to oust the DMK, has begun to court Kanizmozhi? Apparently, it is not without reason.  A Lok Sabha MP and DMK’s Deputy General Secretary, Kanimozhi has been increasingly finding herself isolated and limited in party affairs. Her half-brother chief minister MK Stalin along with son and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi recently held a meeting of the DMK Women’s Wing in Tirupur. While the CM talked about launching Bihar style sops to women ahead of the polls, Kanimozhi’s posters were apparently missing at the event. This considering she is in charge of the DMK Women’s Wing. Her pictures were apparently added to the Stalin family posters as an afterthought. It is being said that supporters of Kanimozhi in the DMK do not wish for return of the party to power as it would mean working under Udhayanidhi’s leadership, who is being clearly projected as the heir apparent. For them, the choice would any day be to rally behind Kanimozhi and help TVK chief superstar Vijay.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s decision to be on the screening committee to pick candidates for Assam assembly elections is being viewed in party circles as a stepping stone to her larger role in Congress affairs eventually. It may seem odd that a Gandhi family member has deemed it fit to chair a state’s candidate screening committee. That too when another family confidante and a close Rahul Gandhi aide Jitendra Singh, is in charge of the state. Well, if Priyanka thinks she has stepped into Assam to pose a challenge to incumbent CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and oust the decade old BJP regime, it is surely not going to be an easy task. Himanta has already declared that the ruling BJP and its allies in the NDA are likely to win 103 of the 126 assembly seats. He attributed the higher winning rate of the NDA to delimitation. In these circumstances, what would be Priyanka’s role? Is she coming to mobilise votes of Muslims in Assam? Last month CM Sarma had flagged the rise of phenomenal growth of Muslim population and had blamed the Congress for it. The Muslims are largely loyal to the All India United Democratic Front led by Badruddin Ajmal. In the last elections, AIUDF won 16 seats. It is possible Priyanka has come to strengthen the hands of youthful Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi who is not a much-liked figure. Maybe Priyanka thinks Assam is a low-hanging fruit since in the last elections the difference in the votes in Assam between the NDA and the Opposition alliance was only 1.6% — though the NDA won 75 seats and the Opposition 50. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi one hears has taken off to Vietnam. Of course, BJP’s Amit Malviya insists Rahul has set up Priyanka for “failure”.

Maharashtra has registered the record number of candidates – never witnessed ever before – unable to file their official party nominations for the forthcoming civic elections scheduled for January 15. A second record set was the number of candidates (belonging to the ruling Mahayuti) being elected unopposed already and yet questions of political impropriety, unethical behavior, and unscrupulous use of power remains to be answered. Consider Mumbai, where candidates belonging to the Congress, RPI and AAP parties allegedly were physically prevented from filing respective nominations from the south Mumbai citadel controlled by Speaker of the Maharashtra state legislature Rahul Narvekar whose sister, brother and sister-in-law are BJP candidates for civic corporator seats located within his assembly constituency. Narvekar has denied any wrongdoing or even being heavy handed with a far more senior politician from the Congress party Haribhau Rathod. And yet, viral videos appear to belie his averments. The State Election department was compelled to direct BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani to submit his report regarding alleged incidents in the prestigious south Mumbai constituency. Allegations also abound about Returning Officer Krishna Jadhav having served as Officer on Special Duty to erstwhile CM Eknath Shinde, further queering the political pitch against the expected level playing field. RPI candidate from seat number 227 (held by Narvekar’s own brother) Vaishali Gawde says she was physically prevented by sub-inspector of police, S Shinde attached to the JJ Police station from submitting her candidature form tantamount to a case under POSH. Is democracy in Maharashtra’s posh Mumbai on the ebb?

While the Maha Vikas Aghadi which is in shambles is finding it difficult to find sufficient candidates to field for the coming municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti has already opened its account in some cities. The most striking score, so far, is in Panvel, a satellite town of Mumbai. At least eight BJP candidates have been considered elected since there are no opposition nominees. Similarly, major corporations like Kalyan-Dombivali, Thane, Bhiwandi, Ahilya Nagar, Jalgaon and Pune are following suit. Incidentally, most victorious candidates are proved lucky since in several places, their opponents were eliminated as their nomination documents were found lacking in scrutiny. While chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has expressed confidence that the Mahayuti will sweep all the 29 municipal corporations on 16 January, deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, too, has half a dozen winners to its credit. Although there was large scale defection and rebellion till the other day, leaders of all major parties have become successful in quelling the revolts. Munira Shaikh Fakir Mohamed of Islam Party has been elected unopposed from a ward in Malegaon, considered a sensitive town communally. The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party led by veteran Sharad Pawar appear to be the most vulnerable in the power play. The final picture will be clear by Saturday (Jan3) when the names of those who have withdrawn from the contest will become known. Nonetheless, the saffron outfit is already on cloud nine.

If you are worried about the future of Mumbai, wait till 16 January since the brothers Thackeray have promised the moon to Mumbaikars if they come to power in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on that day. The only catch is that the two parties, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), are facing a formidable adversary, the BJP-led Mahayuti, which is ruling Maharashtra with a thumping majority. Moreover, most former BMC corporators and Mumbai MLAs are in the saffron fold, complemented by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. In addition, the Congress has decided to go it alone, making the Sena’s challenge more difficult. Given this ground reality, Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and his cousin, MNS scion Amit Thackeray, have come out with a fantastic manifesto for Mumbai to lure the voters. The duo has made such tall promises that if ever they become a reality, Mumbai will compete with the best cities around the world. For instance, housing units with an area up to 700 sq ft will be exempted from property tax. Secondly, the female domestic servants in Mumbai will be paid a monthly dole of Rs 1500. Fisherwomen will be provided with meals at Rs 10; young entrepreneurs will be extended Rs 1 lakh as employment assistance fund; all BMC parking lots will be free of charge; zero bill for power consumers using 100 units or less per month and a mini sports complex in each civic ward. Interestingly, the manifesto has kept away from the touchy issue of the declaration that the next Mumbai mayor will be a Marathi Manoos.

A recent Tamil film with unknown cast and a pedestrian title, Middle Class did fair business at cinemas and is now getting attention on OTT. Middle Class is about a middle-class family, their middle class aspirations and a predictable middle class life that takes an unexpected turn for the not so middle class twist …Munishkant and Vijayalakshmi, pitch their ordinary life roles dramatically, to tug at the heart strings. The film has a touching existential life lesson too…sharing and caring brings the most happiness. Soon to be released Toxic …A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups is definitely a Noire film, stylish, sexy and shadowy. A line up of femme fatales … .Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria , Huma Qureshi and Rukmini Vasanth orbiting Kannada super star Yash (of KGF fame ) ply their trade and tricks in Toxic. Directed by Geetu Mohandas bold, beautiful and boss director who has bagged significant film awards (Liar’s Dice, Akale) brings a tale of deception, betrayal and drug lord crime in the Goa of 80’s period gangster setting. Tamil cinema fans were treated to a Nayanthara still in her skin — flick ensemble …she plays Ganga in Toxic…memory dredges up another titillating title Ram Teri Ganga Maili. Toxic was filmed simultaneously in Kannada and English, dubbed in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. These are just two extreme book ends of the variety films offer …whether the viewers lap up the offering or not, the cinema machine is ready to churn the pot of gold.

India’s cleanest city, Indore, which has bagged this title eight times in a row, has now seen 15 deaths due to contaminated water. This week has been horrific for Indore as families lost their loved ones, their kids and parents, to the water crisis in the city. The issue began on Dec 29 night after several locals began vomiting and developed a high fever suddenly. District Collector Shivam Verma added that initial laboratory reports confirmed contamination of water supply from a toilet that was reportedly built on the drinking water line without any safety tank underneath. According to officials, samples tested positive for fecal coliform, E.coli and Klebsiella bacteria, all of which can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea. The tragic water contamination scare had left many families devastated. A private school teacher lost her five-month-old son after she mixed contaminated water with his milk. The son was born after 10 years of waiting, the woman said. Meanwhile, politics peaked over the Indore deaths with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launching a sharp attack on the Madhya Pradesh Govt over Indore water contamination issue. “Those whose hearths have gone cold needed consolation; the government served them arrogance instead,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X. His remarks were aimed at MP Minister for Urban Development Kailash Vijayvargiya whose rough and ready ways in dealing with the civic crisis has shocked everyone. He snapped at a reporter for posing a query about safe drinking water still not reaching people. Though he took to X to explain his rude conduct, it explained nothing. Close to Home Minister Amit Shah, Vijayvargiya may survive in office — Shah had deputed him for 2021 Bengal polls, but will he survive public wrath or pass PM Modi’s muster? Everyone is talking about how he has been sitting on a file for the new Narmada water supply line in the area. One hears the tender was opened only after people started dying!

After inaugurating the Jagannath Dham in Digha earlier this year, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone of the Durga Angan project in Kolkata and reiterated that the Mahakal Temple in Siliguri will be inaugurated in the second week of January. Envisioned as a permanent, year-round space for the worship of Goddess Durga, Durga Angan project spread over 17 acres will cost Rs 262-crore. It is being developed by the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation in partnership with the state government. According to the project blueprint, the complex will span over two lakh square feet and include a temple courtyard capable of accommodating 1,000 devotees at a time, a 20-foot-wide circumambulatory path, 1,008 pillars and a main sanctum rising to a height of 54 metres. Along with the principal mandap, the complex will feature a Singhadwar and several auxiliary mandaps. The government has projected infrastructure to handle up to one lakh visitors daily, with additional facilities for art, heritage studies and cultural activities, positioning it as a major cultural and tourism hub. Linking the project to UNESCO’s 2021 recognition of Durga Puja in Bengal as an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’, Didi believes that the state had a responsibility to preserve and pass on the honour to future generations. However, the initiative has triggered sharp political reactions. BJP MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato alleged that projects like Durga Angan are driven by Mamata’s personal political agenda, claiming religious symbolism would not yield electoral gains.. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya alleged financial irregularities, claimed protests over the land earmarked for the project and accused the CM of undermining religious sanctity for political gains.

Ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, a sharp political divide is emerging. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is foregrounding Bengali language, asmita, and secularism, projecting her government as pro-people through social welfare schemes and friendly governance. Conversely, the BJP is centring its campaign on illegal infiltration, corruption, misgovernance and a “climate of fear,” as outlined by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. During a three-day Kolkata tour, Shah intensified attacks on the Trinamool Congress, alleging that 15 years of rule have been paralysed by “syndicate-driven practices” and corruption, hindering development and central scheme implementation. Shah accused Mamata of nepotism, claiming power concentrated around her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. He further criticised the appointment of senior police officials, alleging deviations from norms via the use of retired officers as proxy heads. On national security, Shah labelled illegal immigration a critical concern. He alleged the state failed to provide land for border fencing, claiming while infiltration dropped in Assam and Tripura, it persists in Bengal due to “vote-bank considerations.” He cited the BJP’s growth from 17 % vote share and two Lok Sabha seats in 2014 to 39 % vote share and 12 seats in 2024 as evidence of momentum. Banerjee launched a counterattack by questioning why the Centre focuses on Bengal while ignoring security issues in regions like Jammu and Kashmir. Finally, she questioned the timing of BJP’s deportation promises, noting that Bengal and Punjab bore the historical brunt of 1947’s Partition displacement.

Apparently, there isn’t the usual rush of visitors at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi these days. No, it has nothing to do with the winter blues. It has got more to do with the appointment of new BJP working president Nitin Nabin. It is being said the usual throng is missing. Perhaps, people are waiting for Nabin to be formally installed as party president which will happen very soon. Along with him, a new set of office-bearers will also take charge. It is being said that only people who are now being spotted at headquarters are people from Nabin’s hometurf — that is Bihar — probably taking a lot of pride in the big office he will soon occupy.  Of course, Nabin himself has been busy traveling to Puducherry in the South and Patna. An interesting fallout of Nabin’s elevation is that the other serious BJP president hopeful — Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav — has finally begun attending to his ministerial responsibility. Yadav could be heard speaking about Delhi’s toxic AQI only after Nabin’s elevation. Meanwhile, there are also misgivings about Nabin’s rise within the BJP. It is felt he would always be remote controlled. He would remain the best bet for whoever picked him for the top job. Perhaps that was why he was chosen!

With the emergence of Tamil Vetri Katchi (TVK) and actor Vijay drawing phenomenal crowds for his meetings, the Congress is no longer sure if it would benefit from sustaining its alliance with the DMK. Aware that it may not be easy to just walk out of the DMK alliance that is nearly two decades old, a section of the Congress is exploring ways to break off and stitch up a pact with Vijay’s TVK. Officially, while AICC managers, dealing with TN are fretting about finalising seat agreement with the DMK before an imaginary deadline. And somewhere out of the blue, Praveen Chakravarty, a close Rahul Gandhi aide and head of All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC), began attacking the DMK government for TN’s rising debt. Praveen’s post on X drew sharp reactions from the DMK. While the BJP enjoyed Praveen’s post, TN Cong MPs were simply not comfortable with Praveen’s attack on the DMK and TN’s debt comparisons with Uttar Pradesh. Sharpest assessment came from former IAS officer turned MP Sasikanth Senthil posted on X “Judging states by absolute debt is like judging fitness by body weight — no height, no muscle, just vibes.” TNCC chief Selvaperunthagai, in a post on X, dubbed Praveen as acting against Congress interest. As for Praveen interacting and negotiating with actor Vijay, AICC managers made it clear that it was neither “official” or authorised. The only AICC leader who is very keen about a tie-up with actor Vijay and TVK it seems is AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal who is fancying himself as the next Kerala CM. Venugopal wants a Congress-TVK tie-up to help sweep Kerala polls. He is not bothered about performance in TN. Looks like Praveen is negotiating with Vijay on behalf of Venugopal. As for TN polls, one hears DMK leader Kanimozhi is also not keen for Stalin’s return to power.

The entry of Rashid Mamu, former mayor of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, in the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has stirred a hornet’s nest because prominent Sena leaders from that city have publicly objected to this development. Local Sena leaders complain that this entry has been engineered by former legislative council opposition leader Ambadas Danve without consulting them. Former MP Chandrakant Khaire, a close loyalist of Balasaheb Thackeray, has reminded the Sena leadership that Rashid Mamu was among those who had pelted stones at a Sena procession taken out to demand a Uniform Civil Code some years ago. Khaire has declared that he will make efforts to ensure that Mamu is not selected by the party to contest the civic election from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. Mamu was admitted into the Sena at Matoshri in Mumbai in presence of Uddhav and Danve. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, too, has castigated Uddhav Sena for welcoming Mamu in its fold. In a stinging indictment, Fadnavis has said, “It is extremely painful to see that such an individual (Mamu) has been admitted by the Sena (UBT). This decision has been taken by the son of Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray for gaining votes. This type of appeasement of licking somebody’s shoes for political benefit makes me very sad.” The CM has warned his erstwhile ally that patriots and nationalists will not pardon the Sena (UBT) for such decisions.    

Controversy seems to be chasing Dr Achyuta Samanta founder of Odisha’s KIIT/KISS University. For the third time this year he is now being questioned about the death of a KISS student. It began with the suicide of Nepalese KIIT student Prakriti Lamsal allegedly over sexual harassment in February 2025. Close on the heels another girl student Prisha Shah committed suicide in May 2025 and in December 2025, a class IX tribal student died under mysterious circumstances.  It was falsely certified as cardiac arrest. But the parents of the boy smelled foul play and asked the Odisha police to investigate it. The Odisha Police post mortem report says that the boy died by strangulation and not by slipping in the bathroom as certified by KISS/KIMS. Based on this report the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has swung into action and has raised important questions: One who is the mastermind behind this incident trying to suppress the murder issue; Two, why due process of law not followed and police not informed and why action should not be taken against the institution. Odisha chief minister is already facing political heat on this issue as Bonai MLA Laxman Munda has already blown the tribal bugle alleging that administrative connections are shielding KISS/KIIT/KIMS founder Dr Samanta from meaningful scrutiny so far. Odisha TV played a big role in exposing the truth. The ball now is in Odisha CM’s court and everybody awaits his decision.

It must be hard to trade places with Vikram Prabhu, Kollywood’s heir to an illustrious film family. Whatever he achieves is sure to be overshadowed by his legendary grandfather, Thespian Shivaji Ganesan and his popular father, actor Prabhu. Maybe that’s why he went off to America as a youngster to find and immerse himself in a totally new, almost alien career path. To this day, Tamil cinema has not replicated an actor of Simha kuralon (Lion’s voice) Shivaji Ganesan’s talent…every role etched in the audience memory, a complete one-man acting university. His son Prabhu never tried to fit into his father’s legacy …he just carved himself a space, popular and acclaimed, never mind the role nor his persona. Vikram Prabhu is all set for the screening of his 25th film, Sirai (prison). It’s aptly titled even as this Nepo kid has established a name for himself, but trying his best to break out of that DNA prison, and set his own Star Trek. His first film Khumki was well received in 2012. Vikram Prabhu is a low key person…not stepping out of that spotlight that made his grandfather a cinematic legend. He still remembers his grandfather bellowing across a transcontinental line “Are you still an Indian or have you turned into an American?”. Today, Kollywood has a sudden exodus of super stars like Vijay and Ajith…Kamal and Rajini finding it challenging to please Gen Z , and Suriya, Sivakarthikeyan trying to fill the void. Vikram Prabhu has the right DNA .. if only he could prise himself out of the wall he has built around himself.

More than a decade after the Tata Group exited Singur following protests led by then Opposition leader Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, now West Bengal chief minister, has cleared a Rs 500-crore investment proposal for the same area, signalling a renewed push for industrial development. Political observers see this as an effort to reinforce her government’s pro-industry image and revive Singur ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The Mamata Banerjee-led Cabinet approved a large warehouse and logistics project at Singur, marking a symbolic turnaround for a site central to her political rise. Minister of State for Finance Chandrima Bhattacharya said Nahar Industrial Enterprises Ltd will invest Rs 500 crore, with 11.35 acres allotted on a 99-year lease. The facility is expected to bolster logistics and delivery operations for major e-commerce players such as Amazon and Flipkart, generate employment, and strengthen supply-chain infrastructure. Singur gained national prominence in 2006–08 after protests against land acquisition for the Tata Motors Nano factory under the CPI(M)-led Left Front government. The agitation, led by Didi, ended with Tata Motors pulling out in October 2008, and the Left branding her “anti-industry.” More than 14 years after assuming power in 2011, Mamata has now facilitated major private investment at the same site. This follows a 2016 Supreme Court verdict directing the TMC government to take possession of about 1,000 acres and return it to farmers, declaring the earlier acquisition illegal.

Chennai-based Residency Group of Hotels, a part of the Appaswamy Real Estates conglomerate, is now spreading its wings to Madurai, Mysore and the Maldives. The Madurai project with 188-room is being set up at a cost of Rs 150 crore. The unique part of this project is its 56,000 sq ft convention centre, perhaps one of the largest in the region, capable of hosting around Rs 2,000-3,000 people at a time. In the Maldives, the second upcoming project will be a villa-led luxury resort in partnership with the Marriott. As a part of the ongoing expansion in Tier 2 cities, the group is planning an upscale hotel in Mysuru as well. And, the upcoming Mysuru project is being developed under the owner-operator model. All combined, the group has drawn up an investment plan of around Rs 2,500 crore for the next three years. The company currently has seven projects, namely The Residency Chennai, The Residency Towers Chennai, The Residency Towers Puducherry, Richmond Puducherry, The Residency Towers Coimbatore, The Residency Towers Rameshwaram and The Residency Karur. Without including the Maldives, the group has a room inventory of around 700 rooms. Appaswamy Real Estates was founded in 1959 by S Appaswamy. It forayed into hospitality sector in the early nineties is now managed by founder’s son Ravi Appasamy

Psephologists and political analysts have started gearing up in Maharashtra where various municipal corporation elections are scheduled on 15 January. Expectedly, the initial focus is on making predictions about the number of seats likely to be won by the ruling saffron Mahayuti, led by the BJP, in Mumbai. The fight for the BMC will be thus mainly confined between the BJP and the alliance of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (Sena), led by the cousins, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. The first such prediction has been posted by Amitabh Tiwari of ‘Vote India Vibe.’ According to him, the Mahayuti can win up to 114 seats in the 227-member civic body, followed by the Sena alliance at around 80. The basis for this estimate is the voting pattern witnessed in the assembly election held a year earlier. The Mahayuti had won almost 240 seats in the 288-member house. The other factor in reaching this conclusion is the demographic profile of Mumbai. As of now, the Congress party has decided to go it alone in the election, underscoring the possibility of a split in the opposition vote. More such ‘surveys’ are expected to tumble out in the next two weeks, about Mumbai and other major cities like Pune, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

Elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) – the most prestigious and cash richest civic body housed within the financial capital of India — will be held on January 15. Seat number 227 (identical to the total tally of seats in BMC) sees the Congress party faced with a Hobson’s choice, where two Christian women are vying for the party candidature. One resourceful hospitality sector entrepreneur – Laura D’Souza  and the other – Vaishali Gawde – grass-roots worker of the party who will need the party’s financial investment into her candidature if selected as the party candidate. The seat is housed in the most prestigious Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha parliamentary and assembly constituencies of Mumbai that used to be the HQ of the Jan Sangh now BJP. Back then the undivided Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray had wrested the seat despite protestations from the BJP. After all, former Union Power Minister Jaywantiben Mehta held the seat for over a decade. Shiv Sena candidate Arvind Sawant still won convincingly with 50K votes more than his nearest opponent and has enjoyed voter confidence ever since. BJP’s state assembly winner and Speaker in Maharashtra’s state legislature Rahul Narvekar is credited with being the real political powerhouse in the belt alongside the developmental skill sets of neighboring Malabar Hill MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha. Narvekar’s younger brother has been the corporator elected from the seat and is likely to field his wife this time round. Coming back to the Congress candidate chosen for seat 227 – she will have to be a real giant killer. UBT Sena has tied up with MNS while Congress, Sharad Pawar’s NCP are seeking Prakash Ambedkar’s Dalit vote bank separately.

The Indian team for the ICC World Twenty20 bash in India (and Sri Lanka) from February 2026 has been announced, and not one and all is happy with the inequity in Shubman Gill being shown the door and Suryakumar Yadav being retained in spite of his meagre returns this year. The selection committee Chairman Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir have taken a call on Gill not to pick him for the Twenty20 World Cup because he has been far from spectacular. He has made only 291 runs in 15 matches, but what has Suryakumar Yadav done with the bat this year? 21 matches, 218 runs, average 13.63, scoring rate 7.39! Clearly the selection committee and Gambhir do not want to dump him for not being upto a scratch in 19 innings of the 21 matches he has played. They have given credence to the number of runs he has scored in 2022 (1164 runs), 2023 (733) and 2024 (429). Moreover, as captain he has won 30 of the 38. It must be noted that Gill and Abhishek Sharma, as the opening pair, have tallied 560 runs in 17 innings which is 22.44% contribution to the team score. Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have made 527 runs in 10 innings for a team contribution percentage of 30.22, whereas Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have made 330 runs in 13 innings for a team contribution percentage of 12.79. Both Gill and Yadav have not been on good nick this year, but Gill has been sidelined and Yadav retained for his leadership, which in a way says that no one wants to bring back Hardik Pandya (16 matches, 10 wins, 5 losses,1 tie) as captain!

The battle lines have been drawn. Even as the much-hyped anticipation is churned up for Vijay’s last film Jana Nayagan to hit cinemas on January 9, avant garde director Sudha Kongara and Dawn Pictures have cantered in from behind to release Parasakthi on January 10, originally planned to be a Pongal screening. Vijay fans, now turned TVK party followers are fretting and fuming over this sudden change. Is Sivakarthikeyan throwing his gauntlet in the popularity ring? As it is, fans and fierce loyalists of Vijay drum beat about no suitable successor to fill his slot. But Sivakarthikeyan is super confident about moving into any slot. Kongara is canny enough to buy insurance …just in case. A very novel and creative promo event was staged at Valluvar Kottam, Chennai’s not-to-be missed Dravida symbol tourist spot. Sudha Kongara’s team built a full exhibition of Parasakthi sets, props and visuals that took fans on a Time Travel into the 1960s retro world of Parasakthi. The response from the public was overwhelming. Kongara said emotionally “For Gen Z it was a time machine that transported them to an entirely different cultural ethos of the 60s”. The antiquated train and the vintage Chevrolet were super draws, with AI providing thrill experiences to the visitor. But wait… is the old iconic Parasakthi film (a watershed joint venture of Shivaji Ganesan as hero and Kalaignar Karunanidhi as the script writer) being challenged by this new yet old Parasakthi?

With the West Bengal Assembly elections just months away, veteran politician Humayun Kabir’s decision to launch his own outfit, Janata Unnayan Party and openly challenge chief minister Mamata Banerjee has added an unexpected twist to an already heated political season. Kabir announced that his party will contest 135 of Bengal’s 294 Assembly seats. There is speculation that he could split the Muslim votes in the state. If that happens, it could seriously hurt Didi’s Trinamool Congress party, which draws significant support from Bengal’s 27% Muslim population. The TMC has downplayed the move as a sideshow. The development has invited comparisons with Banerjee’s own break from the Congress in 1998, when she formed the Trinamool Congress, eventually ending the Left Front’s long rule. According to a section of political observers, Kabir’s situation is different as he does not command a mass following, nor have a statewide organisational structure or a clear ideological pitch that can cut across regions and communities. However, his move cannot be dismissed entirely since his criticism of the Trinamool’s leadership style — particularly its highly centralised decision-making — have quietly circulated within party ranks. By stepping out, Kabir has brought these murmurs into the open. From an electoral perspective, the immediate impact on the ruling party is likely to be limited as Trinamool remains firmly deep-rooted across most of the state. A section of party sources, however, feel that in tightly contested constituencies, even a marginal split in votes — especially among minorities — could tilt the balance. For the opposition, including the BJP, Kabir’s entry not only highlights cracks within the ruling camp but may also split the anti-Trinamool vote further.

For a change, the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the end of Winter Session for party leaders struck a pleasant note. Unlike in the past, when there would be no conversation, except exchange of courtesies, the brief meeting between PM Modi and senior minister Rajnath Singh with Opposition leaders like Priyanka Gandhi and senior leaders from Kerala like RSP MP NK Premachandran went off very well. Did it have anything to do with the absence of Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi who is known to be stiff when it comes to dealing with PM Modi or anyone in the government? Has Priyanka Gandhi’s presence made all the difference? Did she persuade the Opposition to join the Speaker’s tea party? Senior MPs from Kerala deny it wasn’t Priyanka’s idea to attend the Speaker’s tea. “Normally, at the end of every Parliament Session both the ruling and Opposition leaders meet the Speaker to thank him. Since the Monsoon Session was a washout, we had decided to give Speaker’s tea a miss. It had nothing to do with Rahulji’s presence or absence,” says a Kerala MP. At the same time the Kerala leader concedes that the Speaker’s tea meeting without Rahul Gandhi was a pleasant affair. It perhaps had a lot to do with the informal exchanges PM Modi had with Priyanka and Premachandran. Like Priyanka asking PM Modi about his latest foreign visit and the small talk about Wayanad herbal drink for her throat. BJP sources say ever since she became a MP Priyanka has been reaching out to the government. She had sought out a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and during the session met with Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. Unlike her brother, she is open to the idea of having a dialogue with the government.

In Odisha, there is a public outrage over the recent three-fold salary hike — from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3.45 lakh — of the Odisha legislators. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have expressed their displeasure over this unprecedented hike. Now, it is learned that Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi is taking corrective steps. Sources say, after the salary hike was passed in the Odisha Assembly, CM Majhi was summoned to Delhi by BJP national General Secretary BL Santosh on December 14. Reportedly, it was conveyed to Majhi about PM’s displeasure over the hefty hike which could be sending a wrong signal to other BJP ruled states which are getting lesser pay and allowances. Santosh expressed his surprise how Majhi could take such a bold and swift decision without consulting the central leadership. Majhi has now been advised to roll back the pay hike decision and the first step is to pass a resolution by the legislature party. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling said that such an important decision taken without consulting the central leadership was not well received by the Centre. This massive embarrassment has been saved just in time as the Governor is yet to give his assent on the Bill. As a first step towards roll back, a resolution was adopted for reconsideration of the Bill regarding legislators pay hike passed on December 9 at BJP Legislature Party chaired by the CM.

Indians are known to flout any and every rule if they are not watched or stopped. When abroad, they praise and follow all rules and regulations but once back home, their original instinct takes over. It is so widespread that nowadays, even traffic police personnel ignore the violators or at the most, capture them in mobile cameras. Hence, walking even on footpaths is no longer safe since ubiquitous two-wheelers can bump into you, from behind mostly. Traffic anywhere in India is a testimony to this national malady. Therefore, those criticising the British for enslaving India will find it quite unnerving that in Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune, some foreign nationals were seen stopping two-wheeler riders who were using the footpath and urging them to follow traffic rules. The incident has been recorded by Pune Mirror at Rakshak Chowk in the Pimple Nilakh area. Following its ‘X’ post, there is a barrage of angry retorts. One respondent says, “When outsiders have to teach us how to use our own roads, it’s a serious question mark on our civic sense. Rules aren’t optional, they reflect basic respect for others.” Politician Satyajit Tambe is equally critical. He has lamented in his post, “If foreigners feel the need to point out basic traffic rules, it highlights how urgently we need better civic sense on our roads.” Dr Neeraj Sharma is more direct when he writes, “It’s a shame that we need foreigners to come and teach us civility. I have repeatedly said that we need to change our primary education syllabus and add Civics and civility to it rather than reading about the Battle of Plassey.” The post hopefully serves some useful purpose.

Congress MLC Pradnya Satav’s decision to resign her post and join the BJP has wider ramifications than was initially understood. It is now clear that the most affected individual by her abrupt change of loyalty is none other than Rahul Gandhi. Although the state Congress failed to persuade her to stay over in the party, Pradnya decided to join the ruling party since she felt that no developmental work will be possible in her Hingoli area unless there is a strong political support. Unfortunately for the Congress party, its last leader from Marathwada, former CM Ashok Chavan, is now a BJP MP while his daughter is elected to the legislative assembly on that party’s ticket. Pradnya’s husband Rajiv Satav was a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi, who had entrusted him to handle the last assembly election in Gujarat. In that election, the Congress had won 77 seats, a record in recent times, against the BJP’s 99. After Rajiv’s untimely demise in 2021 in the Covid pandemic, the Congress party sent Pradnya to the state legislative council, a gesture to pay homage to her husband. However, over the past three years, Pradnya realised the importance of political backing and has decided to join the saffron outfit. With her decision, Rahul Gandhi’s leadership limitations have once again been exposed. Nonetheless, on her part, Pradnya has praised Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. But that will be her swan song for the Congress, it is now clear.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s latest attack on GST has exposed visible strain between her and the Chief Financial Adviser and former Finance Minister Dr Amit Mitra. She has questioned his role in backing the indirect tax regime and blamed the Centre for substantial losses to the state. She accused the Centre of collecting GST on behalf of states while withholding their legitimate share, alleging West Bengal has been deprived of Rs 20,000 crore. In an unusually direct reference to her adviser, Mamata questioned Dr Mitra’s support for GST during its formulation and rollout, when he chaired the drafting committee and advocated a uniform tax structure as economically beneficial. She said his position must now be explained in light of continued deductions from GST revenues and the scale of losses claimed by the state. Dr Mitra has pointed to parliamentary statements in which the Centre acknowledged GST fraud amounting to Rs 2 lakh crore. Mamata has countered that while the figure has been officially stated, there is no credible evidence establishing the actual scale of fraud, raising doubts over whether GST has resulted in net gains or losses for states. The remarks come weeks after Mamata publicly admitted that her government erred in accepting GST. She also said that during the GST rollout, Dr Mitra explained the concept of a uniform tax structure to her, an explanation she has since described as misguided, adding that it was based on this understanding that the TMC became the first party to support GST. The public questioning of Mitra highlights growing tensions within the state’s economic leadership amid intensifying Centre-state fiscal confrontations.

The BJP leadership had to recently redeploy Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal once again for handling Tamil Nadu assembly polls. This was apparently being done on request from the Tamil Nadu BJP unit. Even NDA ally — AIADMK chief Edappadi Palaniswami – had conveyed to top BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah that Goyal should be in charge of the state. Initially, the party had assigned senior leader Baijayant Panda and Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol to handle the southern state. Party sources felt Goyal had been a good election manager during the Lok Sabha polls and was quite hands on. TN BJP leaders also found MoS  Mohol was too distracted and not taking interest in Chennai affairs. So TN BJP chief Nainar Nagendran rushed to Delhi and lobbied with central leadership to deploy Goyal once again so that BJP can give good results in the state. Nainar had cited the experience of state BJP during Lok Sabha polls. Yielding to local demand, the central BJP leadership tweaked its assignments for the poll-bound states. Goyal was given Tamil Nadu charge and Panda was given Assam. The responsibility of winning back Assam assembly elections will anyway largely lie with incumbent CM Himanta Biswas Sarma. 

With the Election Commission releasing West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following the SIR exercise, which saw over 58 lakh voters removed across the state on grounds including death and migration, and voter profiles redrawn across districts and border belts ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, there is a disquiet in the ruling Trinamool Congress. What has particularly upset West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is voter deletion in her Bhabanipur constituency – nearly 44,787 voters have been deleted. The CM is also surprised that no complaints are forthcoming since the draft rolls were published. That is why the TMC leadership decided to deploy its booth-level agents for a fresh, door-to-door verification of deleted voters’ names in her constituency. Bhabanipur had 206,295 voters as of January 2025. The newly published draft rolls list has 161,509 names. TMC leaders are particularly upset over a large number of voters being marked “dead”, “shifted” or “absent”. “The party leadership made it clear that no valid voter’s name should be deleted under any circumstances. Every deleted name must be physically verified,” a TMC source said. Bhabanipur is a dense urban seat with many residents originally from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. Mamata is also surprised that maximum deletion of voters, 74,533 has happened in Chowringhee constituency of her close friend Naina Bandhopadhya. In contrast, voter deletion from Nandigram — from where she lost – is just 10,550. The seat is now represented by her BJP rival Suvendu Adhikari. Reacting to names deleted in the SIR exercise, BJP leader Amit Malviya says the process has revealed that TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has stayed in power due to votes cast in the names of illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas.

Even a Kollywood super hero takes his vulnerability seriously. TVK chief Vijay’s mega meeting on September 27 at Karur where 41 people died in the stampede must be rankling him. Vijay just pulled the drawbridge across his Panaiyur residential moat, and stayed unavailable, licking his wounds and fearing the worst for his fledgling party. But TN being TN, politics and the election run up are unfolding at a furious pace. Vijay too broke his slumber and planned yet another mega meet…this time in Erode. This time he wasn’t taking any chances. The venue had 40 CCTV cameras, 24 ambulances, 70 doctors on call, supported by 120 nurses, 200 water tanks, with canned water at every point, 3 fire engines and 60 acres as a parking area. Former AIADMK heavyweight points man, AS Sengottaiyan turned Vijay’s GPS and capo di, took over to run the mega event. Having been a confidante of late MGR and JJ, Sengottaiyan is a veteran of political manoeuvring and masterful optics. Is he testing Sengottaiyan’s organisational skills? Even as Vijay was ready to preside over the sea of followers, a bike gang driving rashly crashed headlong …fortunately no loss. The adrenaline run cinema gang escaped with injuries. Vijay, with his confidence boosted, is planning the next meet. Gathering huge crowds is impressive but can this pole-vault him to the top?

The  impact of actor-politician TVK chief Vijay, who held his second rally in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district on December 18 afternoon — his first in the state since 41 people died in a stampede in Karur on September 27 — is such that it is  already making top DMK leaders rethink their election  strategies. With Vijay already setting the tone of his campaign for next year’s Assembly election by borrowing from late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa’s lexicon and calling the ruling DMK as “thiya shakti” or “evil” forces, the top leadership one hears is scouting for safer assembly seats for the 2026 assembly elections. Both his Erode and Puducherry rallies had drawn such massive crowds, that the DMK leadership does not want to take any chance. It is being said that incumbent chief minister MK Stalin, is already toying with the idea of moving to his son Udhayanidhi’s seat– Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni. At present, Stalin represents the Kolathur State Assembly seat. It is another matter that he was recently seen visiting the area. It is also one of the six state legislative assembly constituencies that is part of Chennai North Lok Sabha seat. As for deputy CM Udhayanidhi, he is reportedly toying with the idea of contesting the Tiruvarur seat—the legacy seat in Thanjavur that his grandfather Karunanidhi had won in 2016 assembly polls recording his 13th straight victory since 1957.

Has sibling rivalry caught up with the Gandhis? According to Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, a former Congress leader now in the BJP, insists that the Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi set off for a visit to Germany in midst of Parliament’s Winter Session only after his Parliament speech on electoral reforms went bust and was compared with his sister Priyanka’s speech on Vande Mataram. Sources say the minister spoke about the sibling rift to give context to negative statements being made by the LoP about India — such as “Manufacturing is declining in India” in Germany. It is being said Rahul is apparently upset that his speech made no impact while Priyanaka’s created a buzz. Yet, there are few takers for stories of rifts between the Gandhi siblings. Younger sibling Priyanka regularly defends Rahul against the BJP’s political attacks. She had also fiercely defended Rahul’s trip to Germany. While it is true that both Rahul and mother Sonia have ensured that Priyanka does not have any role in the Congress, party sources say Priyanka has been micromanaging floor protests in her brother’s absence in the last few days. On the penultimate day of the Session, Priyanka used Question Hour to meet Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to sort out issues about her Wayanad constituency. However, too many disruptions cost Priyanka an opportunity to speak about air pollution in Delhi/NCR. The Lok Sabha was adjourned as soon as the house passed modified MNREGA or the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025.  The House had sat till wee hours — till about 1.30 am — discussing the bill. Speaker Om Birla rejected Opposition pleas to send the Bill to a Standing Committee; After all, 99 speakers participated in the discussion.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee sacked state Sports & Youth Welfare Minister Aroop Biswas following the inept handling of the legendary footballer Lionel Messi event which turned ugly leading to chaos and vandalism at the Salt Lake stadium. The CM who has instituted an inquiry will handle his portfolio for now. Thousands of fans had bought costly tickets but failed to get a glimpse of GOAT Messi. The visuals of the vandalised parts of the stadium shown worldwide embarrassed the ruling Trinamool Congress. Biswas came under sharp criticism after images of him accompanying Messi at the stadium went viral, with football fans alleging that he remained in close proximity to the footballer during the event. Though Biswas wrote to Banerjee expressing his willingness to step down till the probe was completed, sources said the chief minister did not speak to him during two high-level meetings. Some of his associates had expected the controversy to be eclipsed by the publication of the draft voter list. The inquiry committee submitted its preliminary report to Nabanna on Monday (Dec 15) night. Acting on its recommendations, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on Tuesday issued show-cause notices to DGP,police commissioner, principal secretary etc.  Apparently, there has been a turf war between two TMC ministers — Sujit Bose and Aroop Biswas –over access to Messi. Bose has deep roots in Bengal’s sports administration and enjoys high visibility at major events, while Biswas, as Sports Minister, has overseen marquee tournaments, giving him clear institutional authority over visiting athletes. Beyond sports, the two are also perceived as rivals in Durga Puja — Sujit’s Sribhumi versus Aroop’s Suruchi Sangha. While Sujit’s interactions with Messi unfolded in the controlled confines of the hotel, Aroop sought to reclaim visibility at the stadium, where mass crowds and public attention mattered more. As a result the public anger focused on Biswas and Didi had to...

Delhi BJP leaders had mixed feelings when in February 2025 PM Modi zeroed in on a first term MLA from Shalimar Bagh, Rekha Gupta, as Delhi CM – over looking at claims of more worthy CM hopefuls. It was felt perhaps Modi was scripting a different kind of BJP administration for the national capital. Not the sort that Delhi has seen in the 90s either under Madanlal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma or Sushma Swaraj. Ten months later with Delhi and the National Capital Region battling a toxic AQI has Rekha Gupta’s elevation helped? Apparently not. The incumbent CM who has risen from the ranks — from a combative councillor to CM is increasingly proving to be a disappointment, say BJP sources. It is isn’t just her attempt to oversimplify toxic AQI of Delhi with her remarks like “AQI is a temperature that can be measured with any instrument”. Such inane remarks have so embarrassed everyone in the Delhi BJP that party leaders simply retreated into a shell. After all, no one could be seen contradicting her. What saved Delhi was Lionel Messi’s visit. It wasn’t until the football star reached Arun Jaitley Stadium CM Gupta was greeted with “AQI, AQI” chants that her Govt was forced to speak up and of course swing into action. Her environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa finally issued a public apology while asserting that ‘it is impossible for any government to clean up the entire pollution in 9-10 months’. Meanwhile it is being said Rekha Gupta functions a lot like women sarpanches — who authorise their husbands to act on their behalf. Delhi CM’s husband is reportedly present at official meetings. Not so much to influence her decisions but probably to enable her decisions.

The ICC World Twenty20 is only under two months away; So soon, may ask the passionate Indian cricket fan. For it was only in June 2024 that Rohit Sharma’s men in blue team stunned South Africa in the final at Bridgetown. Thanks to an extraordinary catch taken by Suryakumar Yadav around the straight boundary line, India could cause a turnaround in the match that had drifted South Africa’s way. The same Yadav is almost certain to lead the campaign in the February-March 2026 competition to be held in India and Sri Lanka. Yadav has not been in good nick for many matches, the selection committee has no other option though, but to zero in on Yadav to helm the team that will have Shubman Gill as vice-captain. India’s trump cards for some months have been Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma and the mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, but the focus will be on Gill and Yadav who form the core of the Indian team’s batting — being among the top-4. Yadav, clearly has been protected by his leadership that has won many internationals, including the Asia Cup, and lost a few. India has not lost a series since August 2023, winning in South Africa and Australia; its record in this phase is 31 wins including the two against South Africa in the ongoing series and losing just six. The team has won in different conditions, which is what gives credence to the belief that Yadav’s team can really have a good crack at the title that it won in 2024 after 17 years. In a short time left from its opening match against the USA in Mumbai on February 7 next year, the team will have to fix a few glitches.

The box‑office phenomenon around Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar has triggered an exhibition pivot: cinemas in Mumbai added a 12:45 am show and Pune introduced a 12:20 am screening, while several chains pushed regular schedules well past midnight into the early morning — a programming move usually reserved for only the most in‑demand releases. The reason being the consistently packed halls across key urban centres so the exhibitors risk these unconventional slots: audiences showed up in numbers that justified the supply. Dhurandhar’s commercial trajectory underscores that demand. The action drama crossed the Rs 300 crore mark within nine days, becoming one of the fastest films this year to join the milestone club. On its ninth day, the film recorded its highest single‑day collection of Rs 53 crore, taking the domestic cumulative to an estimated Rs 303 crore. Crucially, the Saturday spike — bigger than the previous weekend’s — and the surge in midnight attendance indicate momentum driven by word‑of‑mouth rather than opening weekend hype alone. Social media amplified that momentum. Memes, reels and trending soundtracks turned scenes and performances into viral currency, while controversies — including bans in several overseas markets — generated additional headlines and curiosity. What began as mixed critical response flipped into mass enthusiasm as online chatter translated into footfalls, proving how digital buzz can reshape a film’s theatrical destiny. If sustained, the success of late‑night Dhurandhar shows could set a precedent in Indian exhibition: when demand exists, exhibitors will extend screens and hours, turning midnight slots from novelty to viable revenue streams.

Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi courts seems to have landed in a bit of a controversy over his decision to opt for an official Type 7 VIP bungalow in Delhi’s posh 2 Teen Murti locality – close to the residence of the Union Cabinet Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Majhi is the first CM from Odisha to opt for a luxury type of residence in Delhi. Earlier, Odisha CMs while visiting the Capital stayed either at Odisha Bhawan (now officially closed for redevelopment) or stayed at the central government accommodation or at designated hotels. Majhi’s VIP culture has set tongues wagging. BJD, the Opposition party led by Naveen Patnaik, has taken a potshot at Majhi’s VIP culture and questioned the need for a luxurious bungalow in Delhi even though it has been officially allotted to him. The general ask is: why is Majhi who comes from a humble tribal background fostering VIP culture? And many say this is a wasteful expenditure since CM Majhi is not staying in Delhi permanently. Questions are also being asked about the security cost — 30 Odisha police platoons along with bullet proof vehicles have been deployed to look after CM’s security. By opting to have a permanent resident close to Dharmendra Pradhan’s house, political commentators now ask is it a preparatory signal for the next election?

The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation victory seems to have infused some life into BJP’s mission to break the last frontiers that are Kerala and Tamil Nadu. With the win under their belt, they have now named three Union ministers for talks with the AIADMK regarding seat sharing among the alliance with Piyush Goyal to lead the panel. The AIADMK, under Edappadi K Palaniswami has hit upon a formula to please the BJP by which it will take 160 seats and leave the other 74 for the allies to decide. The BJP will have to juggle with seat demands rising from the likes of Anbumani Ramadoss who brings his branch of the caste party PMK and the rump elements of the old undivided AIADMK like Sasikala, her confidant O Panneerselvam and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran and even the late actor Vijayakanth’s DMDK. But 74 is a good number with the BJP likely to keep at least half that give the rest to try and bring about a coalition of parties to boost the alliance’s vote share. Even so, Tamil Nadu may prove a tougher nut to crack than Kerala when it comes to letting in the BJP, which is considered a north Indian party trying to break its way into the south. The election scene has already got busier this season with Vijay’s TVK entering the fray to make it a genuine three-way contest.

Biju Janata Dal chief, former chief minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has decided to forgo the recent salary hike and allowances passed in the Odisha Legislative Assembly. In a letter to the chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, he would like to “forgo the salary and allowances hiked for Leader of Opposition and utilise the same for the welfare of poor people of Odisha. He said he is indebted to the people of Odisha and their love towards him and his late father Biju Patnaik.  It may be mentioned that in 2015 Patnaik and his family decided to donate their ancestral property Anand Bhavan in Cuttack for the people of Odisha. The Odisha Legislative Assembly increased the monthly salary of its members more than three times — from Rs 1.11 lakh to Rs 3.45 lakh, one of the highest in the country.  It is understood that the salary of the chief minister, ministers, speaker, deputy speaker, the LoP and the pension of ex-MLAs were increased by around three times.

In a surprise move, the BJP’s Parliamentary board on December 14 appointed Nitin Nabin, as the party’s new working president. Party sources said Nabin would be reaching BJP headquarters in Delhi on December 15 to take charge of his new assignment. It is most likely that he will continue as a minister in the Nitish Kumar government. His elevation is being compared to the appointment of another of PM Modi’s picks as BJP state president for Uttar Pradesh — Union Minister of State — Pankaj Chaudhary — an effective Kurmi leader. Sources said despatch of Chaudhary, widely acceptable OBC face to UP, was to send a message to supporters of state CM Yogi who were having a free-run of the state. As for zeroing in on Nabin — an upper caste pick, a Kayastha and high energy performer — to replace Nadda was PM Modi’s idea entirely going by organisational skills. Apparently both Chaudhary and Nabin will discharge their ministerial responsibilities for the time being. Does Nabin immediately replace Jagat Prasad Nadda? Unlikely. The term of the current president Nadda had ended way back in January 2024 but was extended in view of the 2024 general election. Though Nabin’s appointment as working president came into effect immediately, he will take charge only after he is formally elected as party president. Sources recall Nabin is following Nadda’s trajectory – Nadda was also appointed as working president in June 2019 when Amit Shah, the then president, took over as the Union home minister. Nabin’s elevation marks a generational change in the party. Lot of seniors may not be comfortable working with a youthful party chief. It is likely that Nabin’s elevation as party president could eventually be worked out via election for the top post only after the assembly elections.

It is well known that those in business don’t like to sweat on the small stuff. And will certainly not waste time trying to huddle with politicians. Guess industrialist Gautam Adani must also be valuing his time. But then with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s penchant to bring sworn rivals together, his birthday bash on December 11 in Delhi seems to have played a perfect backdrop to bring together Adani and Rahul. The Congress leader who breathes fire and brimstone at the conglomerate, we are told, even politely shook hands with Adani. Apparently host Supriya Sule ensured that Adani-Gandhi handshake does not become a photo-op. Now within days of the bash, guess those who organised the bash seem to have had second thoughts about keeping this “historic” handshake under wraps. With no one caring to do even a two-bit news item on the Pawar bash, guess it became incumbent on a select guest (Rajdeep Sardesai ) to share what had transpired between Adani and Rahul with an authorised podcast, Lallantop. Obviously, Supriya Sule must have okayed the podcast as an afterthought. She could have spared much effort if only Rahul Gandhi-Gautam Adani handshake had been photographed. After all, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

In a major boost for the BJP in Kerala, the BJP-led NDA scored a historic win in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation marking the end of 45 uninterrupted years of Left (LDF) control, making it one of the most significant political upsets in Kerala electoral history. It retained power in Palakkad municipality, while the LDF lost control of its long-held stronghold in Kollam after 25 years.  The Congress-led UDF emerged as the dominant force across the state, consolidating its hold over a majority of panchayats and municipalities. In corporation-wise trends, the UDF is currently leading in Kochi, Thrissur, Kannur and Kollam, marking a significant improvement from the last local body polls when it won only Kannur. The LDF and NDA are leading in one corporation each. The rise of BJP in the capital Thiruvananthapuram Corporation as the single largest party is a big boost for the national party. Party sources acknowledge that a strong RSS-network and popularity of PM Modi delivered the results.” We have never won more than 34 seats in the Kerala capital. But the fact that we have gone up to 50 seats and that we have got our own mayor elected shows that we have grown in strength.” Besides Modi’s widening acceptability, full credit goes to state BJP chief Rajeev Chandrashekhar. Bringing him to helm the state unit was the best decision that the leadership took; it has given us the results according to RSS ideologue R Balashankar. At the same time, he felt the party had put up a below par performance in Thrissur. This in spite of the fact that the local MP, Suresh Gopi is a Union Minister. Inconsistencies of the minister may have upset the voters, it was felt. Rahul Gandhi took to X “salute to people for ‘placing trust’ in UDF.”

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s 85th birthday celebrations have refreshed speculation about his future moves. Showing clear signs of ageing, Pawar will retire from the Rajya Sabha in 2026. His parliamentary career began in 1967 when he won the Baramati assembly seat in Pune district. And for the last 58 years, he has been a member of either the state legislature or parliament. However, the assembly election last year has decimated his faction of the Nationalist Congress Party to such an extent that he will have to secure support from some other party to be re-elected to the Upper House of Parliament. While the BJP is unlikely to help him, Pawar will have to depend upon either his nephew Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction or the Shiv Sena splinter led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. As both are with the BJP through the thick and thin so far, Pawar will have to weave his strategy. But he is a master in such political manipulations and can re-enter Parliament, if he wishes, his supporters are confident. However, there is a third possibility. The President of India can nominate Pawar to the Rajya Sabha, in view of his long career in public life. And none will object since Pawar is on friendly terms with all political parties and prominent industrial magnates. The presence of Gautam Adani at Pawar’s Delhi residence to join the celebratory dinner is quite eloquent, it is felt. All said and done, Pawar has once again shown that he is still active.

Five days at the Maharashtra State Legislature in session were distinct for the dynamic political recalibrations being constantly at work. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who lilted to the sound of Indian music for over two hours the previous night, displayed his best confident self on day three while attending to matters of the state – Supplementary demands. On the other hand, deputy CM Ajit Pawar wore a worried countenance very apparently on his face and remained distracted in thought pensively while adeptly attending to his legislative affairs. His son, Parth Pawar, possibly weighed heavily on his mind regarding the ongoing enquiry in the latter’s realty transaction in Pune. His Shiv Sena counterpart, Eknath Shinde, continued to exude happiness notwithstanding spending limitations his state departments were dealt with by Pawar at the instance of CM Fadnavis. Shinde’s recent visit to New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah over coalition wrangles – the BJP poaching on his son Dr Shrikant Shinde’s parliamentary constituency – was preceded by one when he met PM Narendra Modi to thank him that time. Dr Shrikant Shinde’s political trajectory was personally handcrafted by the PM projecting him as an international statesman who travelled the globe pitching India’s Operation Sindhoor to the world. His parliamentary skills were not only brushed up by Modi with whispers abounding of how the PM even suggested the issues Dr Shinde must raise in Parliament and so, deputy CM Shinde’s thank you was duly in order. Within Maharashtra, however, the Nagpur chill has translated into frosty relations within the Mahayuti alliance of the state threatening to turn icy cold going ahead.

The Bengal BJP is recalibrating from its earlier hardline Hindutva stance to adopt a more measured political tone, even as chief minister Mamata Banerjee intensifies her charge that the party is anti-Bengali, communal, and attempting to bring the NRC into the state through indirect means. The shift became most evident when Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari softened his long-held claim that the BJP neither expects nor needs minority votes. After months of asserting that minorities never support the BJP and that a 5-6% rise in Hindu votes would be enough to form government, he has now reinterpreted his stance, saying the party simply does not receive minority votes rather than rejecting them. There is no indication that the BJP’s central leadership has instructed the state unit to soften its tone, and even central leaders acknowledge that polarisation has helped the party perform better in rural regions. Trinamool Congress leaders argue that Adhikari has realised Hindutva alone will not secure victory for the party. Party insiders see the shift as a strategic effort to weaken the strong perception that a BJP government would threaten minorities and instead minority votes may fragment rather than consolidate behind the Trinamool. Adhikari has recently suggested that AIMIM and ISF could draw minority support and predicted that the Trinamool may not win any seat in Malda, with the BJP securing a significant share. The BJP’s choice of Shamik Bhattacharya, viewed as a moderate, as state president was aimed at appealing to the liberal urban middle-class Bengali electorate that is harder to draw with hardline rhetoric.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is proud that Maharashtra has become the first state in India to equip its police force with an AI-powered platform to accelerate cybercrime investigations. “MahaCrimeOS AI” is developed by CyberEye in partnership with Microsoft India Development Center and Maharashtra’s Special Purpose Vehicle, MARVEL. Unveiled at the Microsoft AI Tour in Mumbai, Microsoft Chairman & CEO Satya Nadella announced that the platform allows ‘instant case creation, multilingual data extraction, contextual legal assistance and automated workflows.’ Integrating India’s criminal laws and open-source intelligence, the AI platform will help officers link cases, analyse digital evidence and respond to threats more effectively, reducing manual effort. “MahaCrimeOS AI is designed to augment police officers with AI tools, enabling faster, more efficient investigations,” according to Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India & South Asia. This initiative is not just about technology—it’s about building trust, protecting citizens, and setting a new benchmark for digital safety in India. MahaCrimeOS AI is a pioneering platform, powered by AI and Azure, developed by CyberEye. The innovation in cutting-edge technologies leads Maharashtra in maintaining law and order machinery. The announcement was made by Nadella, who also met Fadnavis to discuss the future of digital safety and AI-driven governance in the state. Currently live in 23 Nagpur police stations, MahaCrimeOS AI will be expanded to all 1100 police stations across Maharashtra, Fadnavis said.

In the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah was at his assertive best as he went on to quietly demolish every argument of the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi against Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls launched by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Worse part was he told the Congress leader that his pet peeve “vote chori” had been unleashed on India thrice — all the 3 times by members of the Gandhi family. “Post-Independence, Sardar Patel was backed by 28 persons, Nehru by two persons; yet Nehru became PM, this was the first vote of chori. Second “vote chori” was by Indira Gandhi, when she granted herself immunity after court set aside her election. Dispute of third “vote chori” has just reached the civil court (in Delhi) on how Sonia Gandhi became a voter before becoming a citizen of India.” Interestingly, while the Congress and the rest of Opposition didn’t protest too much Shah mentioning court issuing a notice to Sonia Gandhi on voting before citizenship, the Congress staged a walk-out as Shah spoke about not allowing infiltrators to vote. While accepting that the NDA had won 3 general elections and 41 state assembly elections, a total of 44, Shah pointed out that the Congress too had “won 30 elections across various state assemblies. BJP has lost more elections than it has won, but we never questioned the ECI or EVMs. Tradition of electoral loss began in 2014 and they (Congress) blamed EVMs, which were brought by Rajiv Gandhi in 1989. More significantly Shah defended RSS activists occupying high office. “There is no law in the country that disallows an RSS activist from holding key positions. Both Modiji and me belong to the RSS.”

Support organisations working with sex workers across Kolkata are coordinating with the Chief Electoral Office (CEO), Bengal to facilitate SIR (Special Intensive Revision) enumeration ahead of a special camp. Rehearsal sessions for filling SIR forms have begun, where groups flagged concerns that widespread messaging around the process has created fear among sex workers. Ratan Dalui, Secretary of Amra Padatik, said various forms of publicity circulating on phones have unsettled many, adding that a viral song from actor-director Anirban Bhattacharya’s musical group ‘Hooliganism’ referencing SIR has contributed to anxiety about possible omission from the voter’s list. Three organisations, including Amra Padatik, had written to CEO Manoj Agarwal highlighting documentation challenges. Sources said the Commission initiated steps to address the issues and informally noted that while states such as Bihar also have red-light districts, no organisation there has taken similar initiatives. Groups in Kolkata’s red-light areas have stepped up outreach, visiting brothels and urging sex workers to attend the special camp. Dedicated screened-off spaces will be set up at the camp to ensure confidential interaction with election officials. Kolkata’s central red-light district has nearly 10,000 sex workers. About 3,000 travel daily for work, while 7,000 live there permanently. Most permanent residents possess voter ID cards, but many cannot provide documents dating back to 2002, required for SIR verification. Organisations estimate that around 1,400 sex workers from this area face documentation hurdles, with over 100 more in Kalighat and Khidderpore.

When it comes to Sachin Tendulkar, it’s always a long innings. Starting as a wonderkid in the mid-1980s, the Mumbai cricketer turned out with phenomenal displays to earn the moniker “master blaster” and brought an end to his international career in the winter of 2013 — that’s around 25 years after playing matches across formats for India and other teams. So, no one was surprised, when he said at the new brand identity (logo) launch of Ageas Federal Life Insurance that he’s going to complete 10 years with the insurance company. During his illustrious career, Tendulkar played 200 Test matches, 463 one-day internationals, 78 IPL matches and one Twenty20 international and scored 18426 runs with 101 centuries.  His numbers are staggering, and he and the insurance company must be hoping for a very long association. As the master blaster said, Brands are important in society; as a cricketer he triggered a big wave for the game — much more than what he achieved with the bat! And that’s been acknowledged by many cricketers for whom he was the role model to emulate. The corporate world was keen and eager to get him on board as Brand Ambassador, and that the insurance company has signed up one of the greatest cricketers in the annals of the sport that will soon cut a milestone of 150 years of Test cricket, is a recognition of the brand value he brings to the table. He is already in the course of a long innings with the company which sponsors quite a few sports events, and not long ago conducted fast bowling camps with the Australian Jeff Thomson. With Tendulkar as its Brand Ambassador, it’s time the company gets into cricket in a big way — for a long innings like Tendulkar!

On December 8, the Temple Town of Kancheepuram was steeped in Hindu devotion and VIP arrival. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin’s wife Durga visited the temple. Dressed in a beautiful Kanjivaram mustard yellow saree, her long hair braided and adorned with Jasmine, she carried herself with much grace …quietly presiding over her role as the First Lady. The initial Camel Pooja …not seen as a droll dromedary today, then the temple Elephant worship with coconut, sugarcane and bananas. Then on to worship at the Manimandapam of the Kanchi Seer, Maha Periyavar where she prayed, transfixed.  A Golden Chariot made of 23 kg of gold had its inaugural run in the precincts of the Ekambareswarar temple in her presence. Of course, the wagging tongues had much to talk about …that a minister close to the First Family had influenced the renovated temple’s Kumbabishekam to coincide with Durga Stalin’s visit. Others floated yet another angle …with elections just around the corner was she compensating for her husband and son’s open defiance of Sanatha Dharma. One wonders …is Durga a strong First Lady who has her own faith and religious beliefs? Or is Stalin the tolerant power centre who allows his wife to practice her faith? Or is it a third dimension…Stalin and son Udhayanidhi trumpet their rejection of Hinduism with an eye on the Dravida vote bank, even as Durga takes her role as mitigator seriously? There is a saying in Hindi “Hathi ke dant khane ke aur, dikhane ke aur”. Translated it means hypocritical people who appear one way but act differently. Will this double optic strategy bring the DMK back to power in 2026?

The BJP took to social media to corner Shiv Sena (UBT) for signing up the anti-Hindu move launched by the DMK to corner a sitting judge of Madras High Court Justice GR Swaminathan who had restored an age-old religious practice of the Hindus. That is of lighting lamps to mark Karthigai Deepam at a spot sacred to the Hindus. Senior BJP functionary BL Santosh in a post on X “SS (UBT) members sign impeachment motion against Madras HC Judge for giving a judgement in favour of lighting Karthigai Deepam. Shame on them who chose vote bank politics & political expediency over their Balasaheb’s legacy”. Among the signatories shared in his post was SS (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant. On December 9, the DMK submitted a notice with 120 signatures to the Speaker seeking impeachment proceedings against Justice GR Swaminathan. DMK parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi, the party’s Lok Sabha leader TR Baalu, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra handed the impeachment notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The DMK was keen to appease their Muslim vote bank. In fact, the DMK even dared to mention the judge’s Brahmin caste as a factor in the impeachment motion and forced many north Indian MPs to sign it without explicitly knowing it. The notice alleged that Justice Swaminathan’s conduct raised questions on judicial impartiality and transparency, accused him of showing undue favour to a senior advocate and lawyers from a particular community–Brahmin — and claimed that verdicts were influenced by political ideology, going against “secular constitutional principles”. The opposition move against Justice Swamination shocked many BJP leaders. BJP leader K Annamalai was heard saying how the judge had passed many adverse orders against him. Tamil Nadu Congress sources are only hoping that Justice Swaminathan is quietly elevated to Supreme Court soon.

It seems the Congress leadership is once again very serious about maintaining its alliance with the DMK as its traditional allies in the North are rethinking its ties with the Congress post Bihar results. With the Samajwadi Party planning to go alone in local body elections in Uttar Pradesh and the ruling JMM in Jharkhand is exploring option of joining the BJP-led NDA, the Congress is now determined not to lose its traditional INDIA bloc partner in the South such as the DMK. With this view, the AICC leadership has completely distanced itself from its functionary Praveen Chakravarty’s meeting with TVK president actor Vijay on December 6. When asked how could Praveen meet the TVK chief for a personal reason, a top AICC functionary dealing with Tamil Nadu said, “It is possible Praveen ji may have dropped in on actor Vijay for a cup of coffee or just have idlis or some other personal work. We are not aware. He was not assigned or authorised by anyone in Delhi.” Praveen, who heads All India Professional Congress, called on the TVK chief three days after the Congress set up a panel to engage with the DMK on seat-sharing talks for 2026 assembly elections. Vijay-Praveen meeting completely unsettled the traditional DMK-Congress equation. Of course, it is quite likely Praveen, a close Rahul Gandhi aide, may not have got an audition with Vijay for a private reason. It may be recalled post Karur stampede Rahul Gandhi had also spoken to Vijay. However, now there is an intense speculation that the Congress party may have to take some punitive step against Praveen to win confidence of the DMK. Yet at the same time Congress leaders dealing with DMK conceded that Arivalayam has been playing tough, factoring in Bihar drubbing. “We wanted to finalise the seat-sharing agreement with the DMK by December 15,” says a top Congress leader.