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There are two more Tests to go against New Zealand in the ongoing three-Test series, but like against England — which won the first Test in Hyderabad before losing in Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamshala — the Rohit Sharma led home team will go to Pune 0-1 with a hope of causing a turnaround from the second Test. India has not lost a Test to New Zealand in 36 years and so the eight wicket defeat will hurt its players. New Zealand’s fast bowlers exposed the Indian batters’ vulnerability against speed and bounce on a pitch that was not really a deck for the fast bowlers. England chose rookie spinners left arm Tom Hartley and off-spinner Shoaib Bashir because of their height and skill and in Bengaluru — where India held a 3-0 record against New Zealand’s tall fast bowlers Tim Southee, Matt Henry and William O’ Rourke — brought down India to 46 in the first inning and took the last seven wickets in the second for a mere 54 runs. India has now lost one Test each to Australia, England and New Zealand at home in the last three years, it will be hard pressed to make the ICC World Test Championship final if it does not win the big points in Pune and Mumbai. Sharma made one mistake upon winning the toss and that was to bat. It has already cost India the first Test and if it does not show innovative ways to take wickets and some spunk while batting in the first inning, it may even face the prospect of going down in the series which will not be good augury travelling to Australia.
Not all is quiet in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) front, post its election defeat to BJP. Many within BJD put the blame on Naveen Patnaik for his blind faith reposed on his personal assistant VK Pandian, IAS officer from Tamil Nadu cadre. The man who was seen in every photo frame of Naveen Patnaik for over a decade now has gone off the grid post the election debacle. BJD insiders say though Pandian seems largely out of sight but he is not out of the picture. He continues to be Naveen babu’s eyes and ears and stealthily visits Naveen Nivas regularly. On his part, the former Odisha chief minister publicly acknowledged that “Pandian had served the state and party with utmost dedication, efficiency and integrity”. Sources say Pandian is like the late RK Dhawan, Indira Gandhi’s personal secretary, who knows too much and that perhaps explains why Patnaik continues to support him. Not surprisingly, his influence continued and led to more disgruntlement, dissensions and desertion within BJD. BJD’s former five time MP Prasanna Kumar Patasani who joined BJP says BJD has become a divided house because Pandian continues to guide BJD as he has Naveen babu’s protection. Patasani alleges that Pandian advised him not to raise the issue of conferring Bharat Ratna to Naveen’s father late Biju Patnaik in the Parliament earlier. Amidst all this finger pointing exercise many from BJD are crossing over to BJP.
For the first time in recent years, Tollywood has taken the Puja box office by storm in Bengal, outshining twin Bollywood releases. Three Bengali films — Srijit Mukherjee’s Tekka, starring and produced by superstar Dev, Shiboprasad Mukherjee-Nandita Roy’s Bahurupi, and Shastri, featuring veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty and Deboshree Roy—hit theatres on October 8 as a Durga Puja bonanza, and audiences flocked to cinemas, setting a new trend in festive box office dominance. Despite earlier scepticism, due to controversies and online trolls targeting Tollywood actors following the RG Kar incident, the three films delivered big time helping the industry recover from a difficult first half. It has been a tradition of releasing Bengali films during Durga Puja but RG Kar protests forced directors and producers to cancel trailer launches and promotions back in August. This led to disappointing collections for films like Raj Chakraborty’s Babli and Srijit’s Mrinal Sen’s biopic Padatik. The only notable box office success during that period was Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta’s 50th film, Ajogyo which crossed Rs 1 crore at national multiplexes. Bahurupi earned over Rs 3 crore in six days. In four days, Tekka achieved over 450 housefull shows making it the highest-grossing Puja release to date of Rs 2.75 crore. Trade analysts expect Tekka to surpass last year’s Puja hit, Dawshom Awbotaar which earned Rs3 crore in 10 days. Meanwhile, Shastri earned over Rs 1 crore. Bollywood’s two major releases Alia Bhatt’s Jigra and Rajkummar Rao’s Vicky Vidya Ka Woo Wala Video earned Rs 2.5 crore each, significantly less than their Bengali counterparts.
If there is one formula for the success of its third term in Haryana that the BJP would most likely use in Maharashtra assembly polls, it would be having a very limited campaign of its star campaigner PM Modi. Unlike the previous strategy of carpet bombing the poll-bound states and Lok Sabha constituencies with Modi’s rallies in the run upto 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the party has begun to restrict the number of Modi’s rallies from Haryana elections. Party sources indicate that PM Modi would not be addressing more than half a dozen rallies and at best such rallies would be spread across different regions in the state. BJP sources pointed out that the CM face for Mahayuti was more or less settled at the Chandigarh NDA CMs meeting when PM Modi asked Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to move the resolution lauding the return of the BJP in Haryana for a third term. Shinde was picked for the honour even as Devendra Fadnavis who represents the BJP in Maharashtra was present. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar also attended the Chandigarh meeting. The NDA CMs conclave started immediately after the swearing-in ceremony of Nayab Singh Saini on October 17 in Chandigarh. There were 13 Chief Ministers and 16 deputy CMs belonging to the BJP and other NDA allies in attendance. Besides CMs of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, states like Bihar, Sikkim, Nagaland and Meghalaya had also put in their attendance.
This year’s biggest grosser Stree 2 has found its place in the numbers book as pure entertainment riding a spooky plot. This film’s highlight is Tamannaah Bhatia enticing fans with her Aaj ki Raat item number, bringing in repeat audiences just to see her dance. Her earlier film Jailor item number Noovu kaavalaa is still rocking the audience. Tamannaah has her place as a saleable star who raises no controversies, does her work and moves on. But she may not have realised the deep trouble she was getting into by signing on as Brand ambassador for the Mahadev HPZ Token App, which has now become a legal nightmare for its owner Saurabh Chandrakar. His App and role in the alleged illegal broadcast of the IPL competition has turned into a Rs 5000 crore lawsuit, with Viacom claiming Rs 100 crore loss. Tamannaah is alleged to be part of the promos and events and now the ED is determined to question all those connected with the scam. Travelling to Guwahati with her parents, the ravishing film star was subjected to 5 hours of questioning. It is not known how this captivating lady withstood the ED grilling (or how the ED faced her voltage). But her visit to the famous Mahashakti’s Tantric power temple of Kamakhya, dressed in a white kurta accompanied by her parents, made more news.
National media attention over the Haryana/J&K state assembly elections blindsided the rest of India from political goings on in neighbourhood Punjab. Fully fit CM Bhagwant Mann quietly reshuffled his cabinet of ministers stamping his authority in Punjab notwithstanding changing intra-party dynamics. Chetan Singh Jauramajra with nine portfolios to include Defense Services Welfare, Freedom Fighters, Horticulture, mining and geology, water resources, conservation of soil and water got the pink slip. AAP’s Jalandhar MLA Mohinder Singh Bhagat (who had left AAP for BJP pastures) secured ministership and first three of these portfolios. Another newly inducted Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal got the remaining departments and a place in Punjab’s council of ministers. Another big loser in the political stakes was Anmol Gagan Maan who held Hospitality, Investment Promotion, Labour, Tourism & Cultural Affairs till CM Mann replaced him with another biggie, Tarunpreet Singh Sond allocating to him Gagan Maan’s portfolios and department of industries and commerce as well. In addition to these Sond also takes charge of rural development and panchayat departments that another downsized minister Lalit Singh Bhullar held till September 23. Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Balkar Singh lost his portfolios but not cabinet rank and will administer the Jails department of Punjab. Ravjot Singh became minister and took over his erstwhile portfolios. Hardeep Singh Mundian is another big new ministerial find for CM Mann and takes charge of housing and urban development (CM held portfolios) along with revenue, rehabilitation and Disaster Management (held by Brahm Shankar Jimpa, who also got the axe. Harjot Singh Bains also found induction as the new Information and Public Relations minister in last month’s reshuffle. Was CM Mann pre-empting a coup? Only time will tell.
Are we driven to autopilot mode? Encircled by artificial intelligence and social networks, it appears that we are pushed into autopilot mode. What is the way out? Mumbai-based Dwarakanath Soundararajan, who promoted Neurosymfony Technologies Ltd, has hit upon a unique solution. A software engineer with deep expertise in web application development and Machine Learning, he has launched a web app that offers much-needed pause — a space for intentional reflection and cultivating a healthy information diet. He has launched www.sphatika.cloud, a structured spiritual journal and deep-thinking web app. It is designed to help one track his/her life’s goals based on yogic principles, specifically the pancha kosha theory, focusing primarily on the Vijnanamaya kosha — The Wisdom Sheath. The app also encourages cultivation of other koshas through spiritual practices. Designed for individuals seeking personal growth and self-awareness, the app serves both as a tool for structured reflection and a guide for pursuing life’s dreams. Its unique blend of spiritual principles and goal-oriented journaling makes it an ideal companion for those who value introspection while striving to achieve tangible results in their lives. Graduated with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Texas at San Antonio, Soundararajan is now focused on creating a social network for spiritual health management.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has taken a lead over other major parties by declaring its first list of a hundred candidates for the coming Maharashtra assembly election. The party is expected to contest around 160 seats in the 288-member house. Even as the partners in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi have been haggling for their individual share of the seats, the BJP’s decision to come out with the first list is considered strategic. Already preparing for the election immediately after the Lok Sabha election was over, the party machinery is geared up to take on its adversaries. Significantly, the first list has few surprises as almost all the sitting MLAs have been asked to contest. The list is topped by deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. A somewhat surprising nominee is state BJP president Chandrakant Bawankule, who has been accommodated in the legislative council after he was refused the assembly opportunity in 2019. He is considered a loyal follower of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. A few days ago, there were murmurs that Gadkari’s loyalists were being side lined. Following some such news reports, a meeting between Gadkari and Fadnavis took place. Bawankule’s selection to fight for the assembly is considered as an adjustment. While the BJP candidates have gone into an overdrive, the hopefuls in other parties are still groping in the dark about their future. Their fate will be declared latest by Monday (Oct 21) evening, it is felt.
It is reportedly the fifth busiest airport by passenger traffic and aircraft movements in India. It is also the third busiest airport by international traffic. In 2023–24, it handled over 21 million passengers. Well, the Chennai International Airport is turning out to be hectic by the day. Handling such heavy traffic and facilitating customs processes prove a big challenge for the authorities. Well, the government is quite aware of this. The Ministry of Finance has decided to appoint approved valuers for assessing gold, silver, jewellery and precious stones at Chennai International Airport. It has already come out with a notification inviting nominations for a panel of valuers responsible for assaying and valuing precious items for both accompanied and unaccompanied passengers, as well as for issuing export certificates. The appointed valuers will also handle the valuation of seized or confiscated goods. One of the requirements for appointment is that they should be available at any time. Qualified assayers, valuers or jewellers affiliated with recognized associations are eligible for submitting applications. “The assayer/valuer is required to present himself /herself before any adjudicating authority / appellate authority/ courts to give the evidence/ produce the relevant records, as and when required,” it said. A valuable initiative, it appears!
In an interesting initiative, PM Modi has established a monitoring group chaired by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to focus on reviewing the implementation of various schemes announced by him, its budgetary provisions, subordinate legislation, and other critical infrastructure projects. The inaugural meeting of this newly formed group took place on October 18 at the PMO. The meeting saw participation from all secretaries to the GoI, including the Chairman of the Railway Board, who attended in a hybrid format. This group is set to convene monthly at the PMO in South Block. The group has been tasked to examine the announcements made by Modi and also assess projects for which the foundation stone has been laid by him. Besides, Chouhan will also communicate expectations of the PMO to relevant secretaries, especially if any project appears to be lagging or requires inter-ministerial support. Modi was reportedly worried about delays in the implementation of government schemes, highlighting these issues in closed-door meetings with secretaries and senior PMO officials. His proactive approach to governance suggests a commitment to ensuring that all government initiatives are executed in a timely and effective manner. The establishment of this monitoring group is widely interpreted as a response to these concerns. Involving Chouhan with more governance responsibilities also reveals that Modi has more plans for the BJP veteran from Madhya Pradesh than what the RSS envisions for him. The Sangh has been pitching for Chouhan who had a near record run of three plus terms as Madhya Pradesh CM as next BJP chief. With his involvement in both day-to-day administration and global affairs, Modi will surely have his say on who will head the BJP next.
It certainly seems to be raining sops in Haryana with both the incumbent BJP and the Congress trying to outwit each other this election season. The BJP announced two lakh government jobs in the state, Rs 2,100 pm allowance for women under the Lado Lakshmi Yojana, and cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 under the Har Ghar Grihini Yojna. Seeking a third term, party chief JP Nadda asserted that the BJP has always fulfilled its promises. “What was the image of Haryana 10 years back? Jobs used to be given on paper. Actions were taken against people. Haryana used to be known for land scams,” he said. It is another matter that Priyanka Vadra’s husband Robert Vadra had got an administrative clean chit under BJP rule in the much talked land scam. Releasing BJP’s manifesto, Nadda promised every Agniveer hailing from Haryana will get a guaranteed government job. Haryana has changed under BJP’s leadership, he asserted. In 2014, the state’s per capita income was Rs 1.37 lakh, which has increased to Rs 3 lakh rupees. A day earlier, the Congress announced similar sounding guarantees like Rs 2,000 monthly allowance to women and gas cylinders at Rs 500. The add ons were of course the Rs 6000 social security monthly pension for the old, handicapped and widows and the promise of 300 units of free electricity per month to every household. It promised to hike the minimum income limit for the creamy layer among OBCs from Rs 6 to Rs 10 lakhs. The party also promised to provide 100 square yard plots with Rs 3.5 lakhs cash assistance to every poor homeless person for constructing a two-bedroom house.
The corporate world in the city of Chennai is ever exciting. Yet, the industrial groups in Chennai are always dubbed as conservatives. This is far from the truth, however. This company from the Murugappa group was, perhaps, among the first in the post-liberalisation era to daringly make an open offer to acquire Wendt India in early 90s. Much water has flown under the bridge since then. Today, each constituent of the Murugappa group is chalking out its own aggressive growth path. September 16, 2024 was a hectic day for Carborundum Universal Limited (CUMI), a leading materials sciences engineering solutions provider headed by MM Murugappan. It announced a couple of deals. First, it said it had entered into a Purchase Agreement for acquiring 100% membership interest in Silicon Carbide Products Inc through a special purpose vehicle at an enterprise value of around Rs 56 crore. SCP specialises in producing high quality Nitride Bonded Silicon Carbide (NBSiC) products. It has also announced a deal with Amplus Energy Solutions PTE Limited, Singapore, and Grian Energy Private Limited (GEPL) to invest Rs 8 crore in GEPL having its registered office at Okhla Industrial Phase, aggregating to 4.19% in its equity capital for accessing the contracted capacity of around 10 MW in the captive power plant of GEPL. This particular investment is expected to aid CUMI source clean green energy, thereby reducing the carbon footprint. Trust CUMI to stay contemporary!
Generally speaking in Tamil Nadu the alliance partners whether of the DMK or AIADMK get itchy and periodically restless then threaten to walk out. So it was not surprising to see Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi’s (VCK) supremo Thol Thirumavalavan make his stunning move when chief minister MK Stalin was away to the U.S. for a month. Thiruma announced plans to hold the mother of all public meetings on Gandhi Jayanti (Oct 2) to hammer home the need for prohibition in TN (where state sells liquor to the thirsty populace) and highlight the fast spreading drug menace. Holding a mega meet of over 35, 000 women against liquor, on 8 acres of his venue, bringing women voters from 134 wards to Kallakuruchi. Thiruma cannily invited the AIADMK to join the mammoth meet and share a common platform. But his other demand, more share in power and governance is what shook the ruling DMK, shocking Stalin and his stalwarts Duraimurugan, KN Nehru, AV Velu and Ponmudi. Sure enough Stalin was rattled sufficiently to call Thiruma for an immediate meeting at DMK Anna Arivalayam. Thirumavalavan poured out a litany of woes…his party did not get respect when the party flags had to be put up whereas PMK and even newbie Vijay’s TVK were getting better treatment from the Police. It is not clear which hit Stalin most…Jet lag or Thiruma’s tirade. Muscle flexing seems to be the best optic for alliance partners.
If it has been puzzling everyone in the Lutyens political circles how Atishi Marlena, daughter of Marxist parents, was chosen over the likes of Raghav Chadda, Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj to be Delhi CM, the reasons are apparently not far to seek. It seems she was chosen because she was fully endorsed by Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita, a public activist who had a voice in this decision. The proof of it is the manner in which estranged Delhi AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal who was in Sunita’s crosshairs has come out openly against Atishi’s elevation. Through a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Swati has hit out that Atishi as Delhi CM could be a security risk as her own family has fought a long battle to save terrorist Afzal Guru, the man responsible for Parliament attack in 2001 from death penalty. “Her parents wrote mercy petitions to the President several times, that he is innocent, that he should not be hanged, that he is a victim of political conspiracy. How wrong is this? Today, Atishi will become the CM but we all know that she will be only a “dummy CM”. Still, this is a major issue because she will be the CM and this matter is directly linked to the security of the country as well as Delhi. God save the people of Delhi from such a CM”. Swati also posted signed copies of the mercy petition. Of course the Kejriwals may have preferred a rootless Atishi as she will step down whenever told. So far the BJP has not accused her of corruption and it will be difficult for it to do this now. And of course the LG will get little ground support if he blocks files.
In an interesting political twist, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal picked Atishi Marlena, a junior minister and someone considered close to Deputy CM Manish Sisodia as the new chief minister of Delhi, as he decided to step down and hand in his resignation to Lt Governor VK Saxena. Known as the main brain behind Delhi Government school reforms, Atishi played down her elevation as a stopgap arrangement. Making it clear that Delhi and its 2 crore people can only have one CM — that is Arvind Kejriwal. Atishi asked party cadres not to celebrate her elevation. There could be celebration only after Kejriwal gets re-elected in the March 2025 assembly elections. Initial announcement about Atishi was made by a party heavyweight and potential contender Gopal Rai. AAP also made it clear that there will be no deputy CM this time. By choosing to play the woman card and not opting for his wife Sunita as CM, Kejriwal may have tried to buy time with voters but will it blunt the edge on incumbency and non-delivery? Only time will tell. Yet with her rise as CM, Atishi will be the third woman CM of the UT after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit. Born in June 1981 Atishi hails from an academic family in Delhi, with her parents, Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi, both professors at Delhi University. She will be the youngest CM of Delhi at 43.When Kejriwal became CM in December 2013 he was 45. With an undergraduate degree in History from the prestigious St Stephen’s College in 2001, she completed her Master’s from Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar.
AAP’s former CM Arvind Kejriwal has a new political guru in Congress MP and advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, instrumental in his enlargement on bail. Initial plans to reward Singhvi with Rajya Sabha seat failed, even blowing up in Kejriwal’s face over l’affaire Swati Maliwal, with Congress accommodating their estranged leader from Telangana instead. Senior BJP leader Mahendra Jain says, the non-resignation drama first, by Arvind Kejriwal, continuing during incarceration over five months and then, precipitating as two-day resignation drama played over worries about Delhi LG, VK Saxena’s imminent intention to seek his resignation following Supreme Court’s diktat against Kejriwal attending CMO, other official duties. While incarcerated, Kejriwal pretended to carry on as CM from jail although no government papers were signed by him over issues of confidentiality and directives of SC. Even his note to the LG seeking approval for AAP’s CM incumbent Atishi (Marlena Singh) hoisting the tricolour on August 15 was rejected by Saxena instead authorizing AAP minister Kailash Gehlot.” The LG took issue over Kejriwal’s access to official CMO letterhead over the communique with SC also curbing jail visitors thereafter. Plans to reach consensus over two days for better half Sunita Kejriwal as incumbent CM were shelved as LG would cite her unelected status with less than five months to state assembly elections in Delhi. With Atishi helming AAP, BJP lost no time raking up her parents’ leftist leaning as ideologues demanding release of parliament attack terrorist Afzal Guru. The saffron party insists moniker ‘Marlena’ was a combination appended to Atishi Singh’s name by parents assimilating leftist philosophers: Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.
Political parties have their own whims and fancy notions about good luck charms of their parliamentary party offices. That’s why when it comes to the new Parliament complex, it seems — both the Congress and the BJP– are reportedly being reluctant to move their parliamentary party offices from the old Parliament House. Both the offices are on the ground floor and have plenty of history to it. Of course ministers and the LoP do have their offices in the new complex. The only party which has moved into the new building is the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) which stormed to power in Andhra Pradesh winning 164 of 175 assembly seats in an electoral alliance with Janasena Party and the BJP and has 16 seats in Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha Secretariat allocated a new office, F09, to the TDP on the first floor of the new Parliament, a prime location that also houses the offices of the Prime Minister and Union Ministers. This change marks a transition from the party’s previous office, Room No 5, which was situated in the old Parliament building. Recalling how the YSRCP led by Jagan Mohan Reddy had occupied TDP’s office after party was routed in 2019 elections, a TDP source pointed out that in the 2019 LS polls, the YSRCP had swept the elections, winning 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state and TDP was reduced to just 3 seats. Official sources said regional parties like DMK are also reluctant to move into the new Parliament complex.
A new star has joined the Indian insurance galaxy! Galaxy Health Insurance Co Ltd is the new addition. The birth of Galaxy signals the re-entry of yet one more family of the erstwhile TVS group into the insurance space. Significantly enough, this happens a few years after the formal legal separation of four families of the erstwhile TVS group. Galaxy Health Insurance is promoted by Venu Srinivasan and his family. V Jagannathan, former CMD of United India Insurance Company and the founder of Star Health & Allied Insurance, is the co-promoter. Industry stalwart G Srinivasan, former head of United India Insurance, is the MD & CEO. The Galaxy board comprises Dr Sai Satish, a renowned cardiologist, and Sudarshan Venu, MD of TVS Motor Company. Galaxy Insurance is all set to commence its operations shortly. Insurance business is nothing new to the Chennai-based TVS Group. It was the owner of Madras Motor and General Insurance before the industry’s nationalization. After nationalization, Madras Motor merged into United India Insurance. Subsequently, in the post-liberalization era, Sundaram Finance, initially promoted by Madras Motor, launched Royal Sundaram Insurance, a general insurance company. Ironically enough, two former heads of United India Insurance will be guiding Galaxy Health Insurance to make a mark in the space. The size of the Indian health insurance sector was estimated at Rs 1.17 lakh crore in FY 2024, and is currently growing at a CAGR of 20%. Post the legal separation, assorted organisations who once formed part of the erstwhile TVS group are now freely exploring the freedom of opportunity, it appears.
Top BJP minister Nitin Gadkari’s sensational disclosure that he had been offered support for Prime Ministership by a prominent opposition leader before the Lok Sabha election is considered significant owing to its crucial timing. Gadkari generally avoids commenting on political developments and does not entertain any media questions in this regard. Hence, his candid revelation has surprised the BJP brass, which has refrained from reacting to it. The opposition, by and large, also has kept away from the potential bombshell. Gadkari has refused to name the opposition leader who made this offer to him. But the political grapevine is on overdrive to identify the opposition emissary. Various algorithms are applied to find out who it could be. Is he from Maharashtra? From Nagpur or Vidarbha? A former BJP member? Close to Rahul Gandhi or Mallikarjun Kharge? Or someone having tacit approach to the RSS decision makers? Of course, all these are supposition without any factual backing. Still, the suspense is mounting in view of the coming assembly elections. It is deepened since Gadkari has declared on multiple occasions that he is not interested in the topmost job and is happy with his ministry. In the past, his name was being discussed to become the Maharashtra CM but he had firmly rejected the idea. His only connection now with the state elections is that he is one of the star BJP campaigners.
The ongoing RG Kar Medical College protests have cast a shadow over the Bengali film industry, with many in the fraternity struggling to return to work amid constant backlash and online trolling. While several actors, directors, and singers actively participated in the protests, some have gone back to work sparking mixed reactions from the public. The situation intensified after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s call to “return to festivities”. This statement was widely criticized. Amidst this political tension, prominent figures in the Bengali entertainment industry have found themselves facing undue criticism from netizens. Celebrities like singer Iman Chakraborty, actors Swastika Mukherjee, and Sohini Sarkar, all of whom supported the protests, became targets of online trolling. Swastika faced particular backlash after promoting her upcoming film Tekka, despite her regular attendance at protest rallies. Dev, who stars in Tekka and is also a Trinamool Congress MP, defended his stance, supporting the movement while stressing that livelihoods, especially during Durga Puja, should not be affected. He pointed out that marginalized groups, such as dhakis, decorators, and vendors, depend on the festive season. Singer Shilajit, another victim of online criticism, echoed similar sentiments. He defended the importance of continuing work, noting that events contribute significantly to artists’ earnings. Director Raj Chakraborty expressed concern over how easily celebrities become targets for trolls, leading many to avoid social media. Amid this growing tension, promotions for upcoming Puja releases, such as Bohurupi and Shastri, have been toned down to avoid further controversy. The Bengali film industry continues to navigate these challenging times with caution.
The mantle of head coach of the Indian cricket team has passed on smoothly from Rahul Dravid to Gautam Gambhir. The once famous ‘Wall’ of Indian cricket has returned to IPL’s Jaipur franchise, Rajasthan Royals, but the immediate focus will be on the doughty left hander from Delhi who showed guts and gumption for India across the three formats, scored 10324 runs in 242 matches embellished with two World Cup titles — the Twenty20 In 2007 and the 50 over format in 2011. Gambhir’s international career spanned from 2003 to 2016 after which he spent time as a BJP member of the Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024 before he joined Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders. His success there has catapulted him to the national team that won the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies in July. Gambhir’s first major work will be to facilitate India qualify for the final of the World Test Championship. India under Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri and Rohit Sharma and Dravid finished second best against New Zealand and Australia in the two previous cycles of the WTC, the finals being played in Rose Bowl and The Oval. India has to win at least five of the remaining 10 Test matches to be in the running for a third consecutive WTC final appearance, and this time the final will be played at the famous Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from June 11 next. Gambhir will have five home Tests — two against Bangladesh, starting this Thursday and three against New Zealand — before the historic five-Test series in Australia from November 22. Guiding India to the WTC summit before the ICC Champions Trophy in February- March 2025 in Pakistan will give a perspective about Gambhir’s coaching and mentoring philosophy.
A free burqa distribution programme organised by a Eknath Shinde camp legislator highlighted the uneasiness between the ruling alliance partners particularly over the Muslim vote bank. While the BJP did express its displeasure about such acts as “appeasement politics”, they clearly had to leave it at that. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena neither publicly disowned nor criticised the drive, thus recognising the need to woo core voters. The MLA concerned, Yamini Jadhav recently lost from the prominent Mumbai South Parliamentary constituency by over 50,000 votes mainly due to the fact that the Muslim voters there chose to throw their weight behind Uddhav’s nominee, Arvind Sawant. The fact that 50% of voters in her Mazgaon constituency are Muslims, could not have been lost on her as she faces her electorate yet again to reclaim her MLA seat. All this, while the prominent alliance partner, the BJP continues to adopt an aggressive pro-Hindu pitch with Nitesh Rane’s diatribe against Muslims being the order of the day. The BJP has also been critical of Uddhav’s recent success in garnering the support of the Muslim vote bank terming it as a result of not being sincere to core Hindu ideology. The third partner, Ajit Pawar, has already clarified that he would continue to be secular, in spite of his alliance with the BJP. Pawar has gone ahead and almost-declared the candidatures in key Muslim-dominated seats like Bandra East (Zeeshan Siddiqi) and Anushakti Nagar (Nawab Malik’s daughter Sana Malik) ignoring the BJP.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin said he would be seeking an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and personally request him to release funds meant for the second phase of the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) project as well as the funds due to the State under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) relating to school education. Both funds have been blocked by the Centre. His finance minister Thangam Thennarasu has already issued a statement hitting out at the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for saying that the ongoing CMRL second phase for Chennai was a State sector project. He had pointed out that the project envisaged in 2017 was a central sector project in which the Union government’s share had worked out to Rs 7,425 crore. He also refuted a statement by Ms Sitharaman that the state had spent only Rs 5,880 crore on the 119-km phase II whereas the state had already expended more than Rs 18,000 crore so far. The step motherly treatment being meted out to Tamil Nadu, considered the last bastion against the ruling BJP is borne out by the fact that funds allocated for Metro Rail schemes in cities like Bengaluru (Rs 30,399 crore), Kochi (Rs 1,957 crore), Nagpur (Rs 6,708 crore), Pune (Rs 910 crore) and Thane (Rs 12,200 crore), are all from the Centre’s kitty while not even what was promised for Chennai Metro expansion has been delivered.
Even as film fans across the country are wildly speculating about divorce in the Bachchan’s family comes the news from Kollywood that Jayam Ravi, one of the most dependable performers (the standout star of Ponniyin Selvan) dropped a bombshell on his 44th birthday (Sept 9) that he is seeking divorce from wife Aarti after 15 years of marriage. The couple have two children. A shell shocked Aarti, a successful entrepreneur in her own right, said “Ravi did not consult me, nor was I aware that he is about to drop this bombshell on me and the kids. This unilateral announcement never gave me a chance …much as I tried to talk to him.” Coincidentally, Ravi’s first hit, M.Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi was a film that touched the hearts of many. It is about a single mother who brings up her son with no help from a husband who walked out on the marriage. Ironically, Ravi asking for divorce will see Aarti face a similar predicament. Aarti is the daughter of successful TV serial producer Sujatha Vijayakumar. Has Ravi come to the end of his tether because of perceived interference of his in-law? Inspite of his busy schedule, Ravi has always given quality time for his family says sources. No one is aware of the real reason for Ravi’s ultimate break decision. But the way he has done it made Aarti lament, “My grace and individuality have been knocked out by the media speculations.” She still hopes for a rapprochement. Marriages are made in heaven, but hit the rocks in this fantasy world of tinsel make believe.
It was Chandrababu Naidu’s dream to create a world class city — Amaravati — as the capital of Andhra Pradesh. But, he lost the 2019 assembly elections badly and the new government headed by Y Jagan Mohan Reddy put his plan on the backburner. A kind of political vendetta. With Naidu’s TDP sweeping power in Andhra Pradesh 2024 Assembly elections Naidu is going all out with his dream capital plan. The new city, to be built from the ground up, will start from December 1. The Modi government has already sanctioned Rs 15,000 crore for the project, besides Naidu is talking to multilateral agencies like World Bank seeking soft loan for this mammoth project. Sources say Naidu definitely wants a city which is resilient, creates value, drives new markets and responds to future demand. For now the 29,966 farmers who had pooled in 34,400 acres of land for this ambitious project eight years ago are in a celebratory mood. The land prices have zoomed from Rs12,000 to Rs35,000 per square yard. Naidu has roped in renowned London-based architectural firm Foster + Partners to design the government complex to house the legislative assembly, high court and secretarial buildings. Sources say Amaravati would require a budget of at least Rs 40,000 crore.
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has miffed his supporters by declaring that he has never hankered for the chief ministership. In the same breath, he has expressed determination to wrest power in the coming election. Conversing at a rally of an Old Pension Scheme organisation, Uddhav said, “You, the people of Maharashtra are my power, which none can take away.” Uddhav performed darshan of Sai Baba at Shirdi and later addressed the OPS meet at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. His observation is viewed in the context of the persistent efforts of his supporters to project him as the next CM of the state. The campaign had dampened some time ago as veteran NCP leader Sharad Pawar and state Congress president Nana Patole had publicly clarified that this issue will be discussed only after the assembly election results are out. Uddhav has refreshed the issue by giving an emotional touch to the meeting by saying that he had been invited to speak with its members though he had no power, no office now. “But you are my power. Nobody can retire me from this position. I don’t care for power, I am concerned for your future,” he said. Nonetheless, he assured the audience that he will wrest power and dispense justice to them and the people of Maharashtra. Uddhav has thus dwelt on both possibilities, although not in explicit terms. His statement, hence, can be interpreted in any way but will make his supporters think before taking any stand.
Haryana state assemblies, set for triangular fight between Congress, BJP and AAP, saw Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s timely enlargement on bail suiting BJP’s poll strategy although facing tough anti-incumbency itself. Congress authorized former CM Bhupinder Hooda to finalise poll prospects, refusing to cede 10 assembly constituencies to AAP for pre-poll alliance. Hooda’s son Deepinder, a Lok Sabha MP organized fanfare for Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat (a Jat) on her return following the Olympic debacle. She was part of the Jantar Mantar agitation over molestation charges against ex-president WFI and BJP MP Brijbhushan Singh. Julana constituency choice for Phogat, however, raises questions over winnability with Congress never winning the seat and potential loss of face for the party that garnered 10,000 votes at best from here. AAP fielded former WWF wrestler Kavita Dalal against Phogat to further dampen Congress prospects while Kejriwal who steps down as Delhi CM utilizes bail time to canvas against Hooda’s choice of candidates. Brijmohan Shrivastav, Chief National Spokesperson NCP (Ajit Pawar) feels Phogat will emerge victorious in husband Somvir’s home constituency as Jat and Rathee communities will combine in her favour since caste is dominant factor in Bihar, UP and Haryana. Phogat’s recent disqualification at Olympics and perception of BJP not backing her up upset the two communities. It may be recalled that Phogat and wrestler husband Rathee even challenged norms at their wedding ceremony, opting for eight rounds (vows) of holy havan kund including extra phera emphasizing the girl child (Beti Bachao, Beti Padao, Beti Kilao) over gender bias evident in population ratio of Haryana. Will Julana solemnize Vinesh’s Congress alliance too?
Will Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana pull off a coup at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates? The two stalwarts of the Indian team are the top two run-getters in the format for India and among the top three in the world. Kaur has played 153 innings from 173 matches, scored 3426 runs, and has featured in 92 wins, while Mandhana, 135 innings from 141, scored 3493 runs and has featured in 79 wins. Kaur has played all eight previous world cups, and Mandhana has five. But both have been erratic in the global competition which is reflected in Kaur’s average of 20.57 and Mandhana’s 22.45. That India is placed in a tough group along with six-time winners Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka means that they cannot make a faltering start against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on October 4. India has won 55.56% of its World Cup matches and has a 50% record against Australia and New Zealand (played 4 and 2 wins each), four wins against Sri Lanka out of five and five wins against Pakistan from seven matches. Since only two advance to the knockout from the preliminary stage, India starts its campaign with a pressure match against New Zealand. India has not played a single Twenty20 international in Dubai, as is the case with Australia. But Pakistan and Sri Lanka have. India has played 36 matches since January 1, 2023 and lost 10 including the Asia Cup final to Sri Lanka.
Maharashtra BJP is facing a quandary since the mass media is awash with reports about a purported internal survey conducted by the party in Vidarbha region. The reason – the prediction that neither the BJP nor the Mahayuti will fare well in the region. Although BJP leaders are yet to react to the news stories, the survey has reportedly said that the Mahayuti can win around 25 seats out of the total 62 in the BJP’s traditional stronghold. Vidarbha was once the Congress citadel and had stood by Indira Gandhi even after the post-emergency election in 1977. However, it has been a cakewalk for the BJP since 2014. The first jolt it received was the Lok Sabha election earlier this year as the Congress performed unexpectedly well, at the cost of the BJP. In 2019, the BJP-led saffron alliance had won 39 of the seats. However, after the splits in the Shiv Sena and the NCP, the configuration has undergone a sea change. In view of the Lok Sabha voting pattern and analysis, the Mahayuti will have no problem in remaining at the top but its dominance will be dented seriously, if one wishes to trust the so-called survey findings. According to the survey assessment, the BJP will be able to win 18 seats while the Sena (Shinde) will bag just five and the NCP under Ajit Pawar a token two. The overall tally of 25 for the Mahayuti will impact the alliance’s ambition of returning to power in the state in the election, most likely to occur in November this year.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has finally rung down the curtains on the speculation surrounding the prestigious Baramati assembly constituency by giving out ample indications that he will contest the seat this time, too. Ajit took this decision after he was advised that his shaky stance could cost the NCP(A) heavily. Ajit has also scored over the two other Mahayuti partners – the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Shinde) — by finalising nearly two dozen assembly candidates. Both these parties are still to decide on their nominees. Internecine power struggle and past rivalry with each other are hindering the list finalisation. The picture on the Maha Vikas Aghadi is a little different. None of the MVA partners has so far declared any name of a prospective candidate. Against this backdrop, Ajit has overtaken all other parties in the state. Equally important is his willingness to enter the fray after dilly-dallying for a long time. The other names in Ajit’s list include former home minister Dilip Walse Patil, senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal and the legislative assembly’s deputy speaker Narahari Zirwal. Not to take a chance, Ajit’s team started combing the Baramati constituency much earlier. The contest will be a fierce one if Ajit’s nephew Yugendra Pawar decides to take on his uncle. Yugendra is groomed by NCP founder Sharad Pawar ever since Ajit broke away from the parent party. Whatever the outcome, the seat will remain with the Pawar family, which has been holding it for the past 55 years.
Even as Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin signed off his U.S. sojourn with a “goodbye USA” post, there is still a lot of speculation about the real purpose behind his nearly month-long tour across America. Though the official reason being given is that he had gone there to talk up foreign investment for the state, but both his critics and well-wishers are not convinced that the kind of business meetings that Stalin had lined up with CEOs reveal foreign investment had driven the DMK leader to camp in the U.S. Sources close to Stalin say the real purpose of the CM staying away from Chennai was that he was advised by astrologers, consulted by wife Durga, that the CM must stay away from his home, preferably travel across seven seas for the sake of his well-being and future of his politics. That is why in view of the inauspicious times, he also put off elevating son Udhayanidhi as Deputy CM as he was not sure of its impact on senior DMK leaders His critics have been panning his U.S. trip in social media as a waste of public money.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Bengal is grappling with a significant leadership void following the sudden demise of Sitaram Yechury, the party’s General Secretary since 2015. Known for his pivotal role in steering the CPI(M) through turbulent political waters, Yechury’s death has left a profound impact, particularly on the Bengal State Committee, with which he had close ties. His demise has now triggered discussions within the party regarding his successor, with sources close to Alimuddin Street indicating that the Bengal faction is seeking someone aligned with its interests. Among the names being floated for the interim general secretary position are Brinda Karat and Prakash Karat. However, sources close to the party’s leadership in Bengal suggest that Brinda Karat has the edge, primarily due to her past association with Bengal. She was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by CPI(M) Bengal secretary Anil Biswas, further solidifying her connection with the state’s leadership. As there are also whispers about Maryam Alexander Baby, a former Kerala minister, as a possible successor to Yechury, in the upcoming Central committee meeting, the state unit is likely to push hard for a leader with pro-Bengal sentiments to take up the national leadership role owing to Yechury’s Bengal connections. Mohammad Salim, the current Bengal State Secretary, is another figure whose name has been suggested for a possible elevation to the national level. If Salim were to step up, the Bengal unit would need to find a new state secretary..
Six months after he was first arrested in the liquor policy scam, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal got bail in the CBI case. The AAP chief will now walk out of Tihar jail having been granted interim bail in the ED’s money laundering case in June. Fifth leader to get bail after AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh in the same case, Kejriwal’s release may help the AAP go full throttle in its campaign in Haryana — where it will be taking on both incumbent BJP as well as the Congress, which refused to ally with it. Haryana-born Kejriwal will also have the advantage of testing his acceptability in the state even as AAP rules adjoining Punjab. The bail conditions make it difficult for Kejriwal to return to Delhi CM’s office. It is likely that he may go for an interim CM, elevate wife Sunita. Legally, the bail verdict has cast the CBI in a poor light as one of the judges invoked “caged parrot” analogy of the coal scam era and dubbed CBI arrest as “unjustified” after Kejriwal had secured bail in the ED case. Lok Sabha MP Sheikh Abdul ‘Engineer’ Rashid, who had been incarcerated in a terror-funding case under PMLA for 5 years, was recently freed by a NIA court to take part in J&K polls. To his surprise, the man who had trounced former CM Omar Abdullah in Baramulla was shocked to find that only fewer people had turned up to listen to him as he addressed his first election rally in Baramulla. Will Kejriwal’s experience be different from Rashid’s?
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with U.S. lawmaker Ilhan Omar sparked controversy, with the ruling BJP accusing him of aligning with anti-India forces. “…He has become the first LoP from India who met with a declared anti-India MP Ilhan Omar notorious for speaking against our country,” said BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi. Ilhan Omar serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis and nearby suburbs. Omar has introduced resolutions in the U.S. Congress that criticised India’s policies and spoke against India’s decision to revoke Article 370, which gave special status to J&K. In April 2022, she visited Pakistan, met with top Pakistani leaders, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and travelled to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). India condemned the U.S. Congresswoman’s visit to POK. In June 2023, Omar boycotted PM Modi’s address to the U.S. Congress. In June 2023, she introduced a resolution calling on the US Secretary of State to designate India as a country of particular concern for alleged violations of religious freedom. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya accused Rahul Gandhi of siding with Ilhan Omar, whom he described as a Pakistan-sponsored anti-India voice. His reaction came a day after Rahul in an address to the diaspora, took a jab at the BJP, saying people are no longer afraid of PM Modi after Lok Sabha results. In the backdrop of J&K polls, it would be interesting to see how Rahul’s photo-op interaction with Ilhan Omar plays out in the UT.
Netflix India’s content head Monika Shergill met Union I&B Ministry officials answering summons over controversy surrounding Anubhav Sinha’s IC814 -– The Kandahar Hijack web series aired worldwide. The inadequate disclaimer tagged alongside the series was promptly rectified with additions reflecting, “During the hijacking of IC814 (Indian Airlines plane) terrorists used aliases, code names. The names of terrorists were: Ibrahim Athar (alias Chief), Shahid Akhtar Sayed (alias Doctor), Sunny Ahmed Qazi (alias Burger), Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim (alias Bhola), Shakir (alias Shankar).” While expected to bring closure to issue, BJP is livid at the selective advisory being aired limitedly on Netflix India while global feeds (aired through U.S.-based servers) continue depicting the old disclaimer. I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw faces flak from within BJP for the limited clarification. “The Indian Hindu diaspora is a global phenomenon in every corner of the world. Why is disclaimer restricted to resident Indian audiences? I&B Minister must take issue with Netflix,” senior BJP leader Mahendra Jain says. Another leader states, “Vaishnaw knows the old disclaimer was amended to include fresh advisory to be put out globally to set the record straight. This is now akin to hijacking the clarification itself to suit Netflix’s convenience. When newspapers issue rejoinders over inaccurate facts, it’s not limited to one segment alone but carried across editions so all readers are well informed.” He added BJP’s former I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad lost his ministry over a smaller faux pas after being tasked by PM Narendra Modi for tackling X over pejorative content regularly tweeted. “Back then, Prasad’s own twitter account was suspended which did not go down well with the BJP higher ups and he lost his job. Vaishnaw must pull up his socks or else face a similar fate.”
The Chennai-headquartered Shriram Group has become a bone of contention between NCLT and IRDA. One of the largest financial services companies in the country underwent a series of reorganization in the not-so-distant past. Ostensibly, the objective was to un-clutter its cross-holdings to usher in a simplified structure. By doing so, it sought to consolidate its focus on its core business. The restructuring process also involved two group companies — Shriram Life Insurance Company Ltd and Shriram General Insurance Company Ltd. As part of the process, the separate investments of Shriram Capital in these two insurance ventures were demerged into two SPVs (special purpose vehicles) – Shriram LI Holdings and Shriram GI Holdings. These investments were described as businesses while setting in motion the demerger process. This was done mainly to address the taxation angle. Within a year or so of the formation of these two SPVs, a move was initiated to amalgamate these two with the Shriram Life Insurance Company Ltd and Shriram General Insurance Company Ltd. The NCLT in Jaipur (where Shriram General is headquartered) and NCLT in Hyderabad (where Shriram Life is headquartered) heard these cases for approval. Insurance regulator IRDA raised objections to the amalgamation at Jaipur NCLT. The IRDA insisted that it had sole powers to approve since the merger related to the insurance entity. The Jaipur NCLT, however, declared that a merger of a non-insurance company with the insurance firm falls within the purview of the Companies Act, and, hence, IRDA has no power. The NCLT Jaipur suggested that only transfer of shares would come under the Insurance Act. In this instance, the amalgamation will result in the issue of fresh shares only. Hence, the NCLT Jaipur is convinced that fresh share issue comes under its purview only. The amalgamation move, no doubt, has the NCLT nod. But the NCLT Jaipur order has a lot to ponder over for the IRDA. Consequent to the NCLT Jaipur...
Looks like the BJP government in Odisha is in a hurry to obliterate all things related to the previous Biju Janata Dal government headed by Naveen Patnaik. No sooner he took over as chief minister, BJP’s Mohan Charan Majhi renamed Naveen Patnaik’s 40 popular schemes. Seeing no resistance to this move seems to have emboldened the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to go one step ahead by mooting the idea of renaming Odisha’s 156-year old prestigious Ravenshaw University, named after a Britisher Thomas Edward Ravenshaw who was Commissioner of Odisha in 1865. Pradhan’s idea seems to have backfired and created a major uproar across all classes of people in the state. Alumni members of Ravenshaw and Odisha’s intelligentsia have formed the Ravenshaw Heritage Forum to protest against this name change initiative. They say, there are two temples in Odisha, one is the Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri and the other one is Ravenshaw University and we will not allow name change of the university.. The BJP seems to have realised their folly and are now trying to back-peddle saying it was Pradhan’s personal opinion. Devdas Chottray, the first Vice Chancellor of Ravenshaw University said “University’s identity is related to its name representing both pre-modern and modern Odisha”. The university represents not just an institution of learning, but is an integral part of Odisha identity which produced eminent statesman like Biju Patnaik, Harekrushna Mahtab, Pratibha Ray, poet Jayant Mohapatra, Madhusudan Das, Gopabandhu Das and others. Former Indian Ambassador to Philippines Lalduhthlana Ralte who studied in Odisha said “Nothing wrong in having a colonial past, it reminds us to be resilient”.
Why are politicians these days making a beeline towards the corridors of power at the Mumbai Cricket Association? Nothing new to an association that has won the Ranji Trophy 42 times; barrister Sheshrao Wankhede was a politician, but he did not throw his weight around and bring party politics into the MCA’s daily affairs. The Stadium is named after him because of his role in the development of the Stadium in South Mumbai. Observers at the D Road venue in Churchgate say that Manohar Joshi (Shiv Sena); Sharad Pawar (NCP).and Vilasrao Deshmukh (Congress) — all Chief Ministers — and Ashish Shelar (BJP) did not play petty politics in cricket administration. Wankhede was from Nagpur, Pawar from Baramati, and Deshmukh from Latur, but though Joshi was born in Raigad, he was a ‘Mumbaikar’ residing in Shivaji Park and Shelar is known as a “Bandra Boy.” Dr Vijay Patil who was the President for one term belonged to a political family based in Navi Mumbai. Political parties made their presence in a big way at the MCA election of 2022 Jitendra Awhad of the NCP, Milind Narvekar, Nilesh Bhosle (SS-UBT) and Vihang Sarnaik (SS) — all got elected. Top of it all was Amol Kale — backed by Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP — who got elected as President. Politicians seen at the recent election for Secretary were Nana Patole (MPCC President), Ramdas Athawale (RPI and Union Minister) and Prasad Lad (BJP). Cricket gives politicians visibility, but the latest entrants (politicians) “have to contribute to Mumbai cricket’s legacy, not just win elections and occupy the seats”, says an insider!
The rape-murder of RG Kar hospital doctor has led to a wave of revelations in the Bengali film industry. Women across all levels have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against influential figures, including directors and producers. In response to these allegations, the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) recently announced the formation of a special 15-member committee, named ‘Suraksha Bandhu,’ aimed at safeguarding women in the industry. However, the formation of the committee has sparked controversy, with the Directors Association of Eastern India (DAEI) questioning the legitimacy of the new body. Director Sudeshna Roy representing DAEI criticized the FCTWEI for not adhering to a proper process when selecting committee members. She also challenged the Federation’s statement that claimed 60% of directors and 40% of producers were implicated in the complaints. Roy pointed out that the technician’s association is led by Swaroop Biswas, brother of state minister Aroop Biswas, and alleged that Swaroop made the sole decision to constitute the women’s protection committee without consulting other key stakeholders. She argued that the Federation is not the industry’s sole regulatory body and questioned its authority to unilaterally form such a committee. In contrast, DAEI has proposed the creation of a new committee, ‘Women’s Forum of Screen Workers Plus,’ which would be tasked with addressing complaints of sexual harassment. It may be recalled that celebrated director Arindam Sil was banned by the Directors Guild following multiple complaints of sexual harassment. The ban will remain in effect until Sil is proven innocent, signalling that the industry is taking the allegations seriously.
Omar Abdullah runs scared of Rashid Engineer’s son Abrar, whose incarcerated-over-separatism charges father dealt him a blow in the Baramulla parliamentary constituency. Omar insists his twin efforts from Gandharbal and Badgam assembly constituencies emanate from confidence though his party’s three-time MLA and Mayor from Badgam Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, a Shia cleric, is peeved over sacrificing his family bastion for affording his party boss a winning seat. What really scared junior Abdullah is that following Rashid Engineer’s win from Baramulla, son Abrar announced 15 candidatures for the assemblies. Omar’s desperation was apparent with his recent emotional appeal to voters in Gandherbal assembly constituency, Kashmiri-Topi-in-hand, “My honour is in your hands.” It is more than just his honour at stake with Abrar Engineer’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) set to field a sizable number of candidates cashing in on their recent victory. Omar’s desperation is further evident by the fact that the Badgam assembly constituency alone saved him the blushes within Baramulla Lok Sabha seat registering high number of voters despite his overall loss in the remaining five assembly segments. While Ganderbal assembly seat is Omar’s family bastion, grandfather and father Farouq Abdullah were elected from there, he himself lost the seat on his debut into electoral politics in 2002, though he won it back in 2008. Also, while he had won from the Beerwah assembly seat, adjoining Badgam, in 2014 the recent Lok Sabha results dampened his spirits after this assembly segment of the parliamentary constituency registered fewer voters in his favour.
You say what’s in a name, it is what you make of yourself that finds your name in history. There is at least one mega star who would differ aggressively…actually the very name he shunned turned into the mega brand, loved and idolised. Many have wondered what the name Mammootty meant. For the past 50 odd years, it has shot into global popularity and respect. Mammootty who turned 73 on September 7 was born into a conservative family. His parents Ismail and Fathima ran a modest trade business in clothing and rice in Kerala. Mohammad Kutti, the eldest of their six children, dreamt of getting into films but family pressure saw him graduate from Ernakulam’s Maharaja College and forced him to study law so as to add the prefix Advocate to his name. Wanting to be known as Omar Sharif, the Egyptian killer star, Kutti hated his nickname Mammootty, the abbreviated choice of his friends and family. Now comes the filmy twist. One day the postman knocked on the Advocate’s door, asking “Who is Mammootty…I have a letter from MT Vasudevan Nair of Janasakti Films, addressed to Mammootty”. The rest is magical cinematic history. Mammootty , christened and chosen by the genius Vasudevan Nair went on to become the tallest Malayalam film star, with 420 films in his bag…a mix of good, bad and passable. In 2000, Mammootty hit the mother lode of four scorching hits —Narasimhan, Valletta, Dada Saheb and Kandukondein Kandukondein. With four National Awards and countless State Awards, at this age Mammootty still causes heart flutters in women. A nickname turned into a legend, and a guaranteed audience draw. Mammootty, destiny’s child is acclaimed by his son Dulquer Salman as a hard act to follow.
Rahul Gandhi gave clear hints that he will be taking more interest in Maharashtra in the forthcoming elections. Rahul Gandhi, who is upbeat about a Congress victory in Maharashtra, told his partymen that he would be available anytime they needed him to come. “Wherever you need me, I will come. You just have to order me and I will be there,” Rahul Gandhi said at Sangli, the sugar heartland that had once been a party bastion. This is significant considering that there were complaints of high-handedness from the Maharashtra state coordinators, who were accused of not conveying the party workers’ sentiments to the top party leadership, particularly candidate’s selection process. While people like Vishwajeet Kadam chose to fight this upfront by staying within the party forum, others like Sanjay Nirupam were forced to quit the party after the party leadership paid no heed to their grievances. Nirupam had accused five power centres operating within the Maharashtra Congress — namely led by Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and also KC Venugopal — in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. Congress managed to bag the highest tally in MVA in spite of this factionalism. Rahul Gandhi’s signal of being available here is thus taken as a hint of him taking charge of the scenario here, of leading from the front. How this will play out in the ticket distribution process, the campaigning and beyond, now remains to be seen.
After the spectacular response generated by the Maharashtra government’s “Laadki Bahin” drive, a new initiative called “Yojana Doot” has been announced by the Mahayuti regime. Under this, 50,000 youths will be recruited to propagate various beneficial schemes among the public at a monthly remuneration of Rs 10,000. It will be implemented under the Chief Minister’s Yojana Doot programme. It has the backdrop of the Laadki Bahin drive which has evoked tremendous response, surprising the ruling alliance. To further consolidate public support, the Yojana Doot progamme is launched. It will be open to all youths between 18 and 35, provided that the applicants are graduates, are conversant with computer operations, are domiciles of the state and own a mobile phone. While one Yojana Doot will be appointed for each gram panchayat, for urban areas, every 5000 population will get one. Their assignment will be to take various state government schemes to the needy and help them to receive the benefits under them. The duration of the employment will be six months and will not be renewed under any condition, the announcement has clarified. Each Yojana Doot will have to prepare a daily report of his/her work and upload online. In case any Yojana Doot breaches the conditions of employment, he will be relieved of the responsibility. This programme, too, is bound to come under fire from the opposition parties, which have been attacking the Laadki Bahin scheme.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has once again publicly repented for parting ways with his uncle Sharad Pawar. This is considered an implied signal for the Mahayuti leadership to prepare for any eventuality, including Ajit’s probable decision to do a homecoming act. Although he has not said anywhere that he will desert the Mahayuti, his recent statements can be interpreted by his detractors to mean just that. At a rally in Gadchiroli, he advised the daughter of NCP(A) minister Dharmarao Baba Atram to reconsider her decision to enter the NCP (SP). Ajit said, “People don’t like creating rifts in one’s own family.” In Baramati, he said he had been elected uninterrupted since 1991 but if people wanted otherwise, someone else would be the MLA from Baramati. He, however, did not indicate who the next incumbent will be but his supporters are discussing the name of his son Jay, who has started touring the constituency, the fiefdom of the Pawar Parivar since 1967. Ajit’s chagrin over the defeat of his wife Sunetra in the Lok Sabha election is coming to the fore time and again. Coincidentally, some BJP workers from Pune have started expressing their opposition to the NCP(A). As Ajit has admitted to his own ambivalence in the present political atmosphere, revised electoral equations can emerge in the state.
With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) releasing its first list of 20 candidates for Haryana assembly elections amidst stalled pre-poll alliance talks with the Congress, it now seems the state is headed for a three- cornered contest. Apparently, the talks were stuck over the number of seats to be contested by the AAP with the party demanding 10 seats while the Congress was only offering five. Haryana Congress leaders have not been keen on accommodating AAP as they feel the Congress under former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda is expected to make a strong comeback after a lacklustre two-term stint of the BJP. Party sources said even Rahul Gandhi himself had been pushed to accommodate INDIA Bloc mainly by anti Hooda leaders like Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala “Rahulji was otherwise not keen. Considering how well Congress has performed in Punjab In the Lok Sabha. In Haryana, Congress is synonymous with Hooda. Of course Kumari Selja too had gathered a lot of mass support through her yatra. Which is why it is not simply possible for us to hand the goodwill for the Congress on a platter to the AAP,” a senior party pointed out. Sources said 80% of the 90 seats could go to Hooda’s supporters, a handful to Selja’s backers. In the 2024 LS polls, AAP had contested 22 seats mostly solo across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Assam and had managed to win only 3 seats in Punjab where it is in power. The party had failed to even open its account in Delhi in spite of its flawed alliance with the Congress. This is what gives the Congress the bargaining chip.
Olympian Wrestler Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress and is all set to contest Haryana assembly elections from Julana seat. Famous for missing the silver medal by 100 gm in the Paris Olympics as she had breached the category in which she entered the contest, Vinesh had received a hero’s welcome as soon as she returned to India. She was given a grand welcome at Delhi airport by the Haryana Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son, Deepinder. Her name was finalised as soon as she formally became a member. While wrestler Bajrang Punia has been appointed as working president of All India Kisan Congress. Entry of the wrestling icons, who are both Jats, means consolidation of Jat votes behind the Congress. Former CM Hooda is determined to make a comeback with Jat vote power after 10-year BJP rule in Haryana. Phogat termed her political innings as a new chapter and said that she will continue to work for the rights of other athletes. Referring to the ongoing sexual harassment case against former WFI chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Singh, she made it clear that only the Congress had understood “our tears”. “I will work for other athletes so that they don’t have to go through what we went through,” Phogat said. “I could have quit wrestling at Jantar Mantar because the BJP’s IT cell was publicising that we were spent forces. They said I did not want to play in the nationals but I did; they said I did not want to do trials, I did that… They said I could not go to the Olympics but I did… Unfortunately, it was not God’s will,” she said.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s latest allegation against NCP MP Supriya Sule has enraged her supporters. Supriya herself has vehemently refuted the charges and challenged him to produce the evidence to substantiate it. A staunch follower of BJP heavyweights Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP leader has stunned the state polity with his so-called disclosure. According to Bawankule, she had said, “If Fadnavis comes back to power, we will be nowhere and this will be the last election for Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.” Different versions of Supriya’s directions to her party’s spokespersons regarding the coming elections are floating around. The general tenor of the reports is that she has indicated to them to go soft on chief minister Eknath Shinde and avoid any statement on Maratha leader Manoj Jarange but zero in on Fadnavis. Referring to these news stories, Bawankule has attacked Supriya while making his allegation. Taking him to task over his remarks, Supriya has challenged Bawankule to produce proof that she had asked her party spokespersons to hit only Fadnavis. “Show me a video making such a statement,” she has said. Fadnavis and Supriya are the two names which are repeatedly making rounds of the political grapevine as the next CM choice. Hence Bawankule’s advocacy of Fadnavis is hardly surprising. Other major parties in the state have so far kept away from this slanging match.
In the backdrop of the Modi government releasing a Rs 100 coin to mark birth centenary of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on August 18 and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailing him as “titan” of Indian politics, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has always been anxious to assure his allies in the secular INDIA Bloc that he is not inching close to the BJP. Away in the U.S. since the end of last month along with his wife Durga to pitch for foreign investment in his state, Stalin has been making it a point to enjoy ordinary things like working out at a gym in San Francisco or a bike ride near Lake Michigan in Chicago. His post on X, “Evening’s calm sets the stage for new dreams”, somehow caught the attention of Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi who replied to Stalin’s post with a playful comment, “Brother, when are we cycling together in Chennai?”. Responding to Gandhi, Stalin proposed a leisurely ride to explore the heart of Chennai. “Dear brother @Rahul Gandhi, whenever you’re free, let’s ride and explore the heart of Chennai together! A box of sweets is still pending from my side. After our cycling, let’s enjoy a delicious South Indian lunch with sweets at my home.” Incidentally, Rahul will also be briefly in the U.S. — September 8-10 — to interact with the Indian diaspora as well as key business and academic figures. This will be his first visit to the U.S. since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, after the Congress made significant gains. His visit precedes PM Modi’s planned appearance at the UN General Assembly later in the month. Gandhi will visit Dallas and Washington DC during his time in the U.S.
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar’s choice for the next Maharashtra CM will not be Uddhav Thackeray. This sensational claim made by DCM Devendra Fadnavis has further dented the campaign started by the Shiv Sena leader’s followers to project him as the future chief minister. Pawar and state Congress president Nana Patole have publicly negated Uddhav’s demand to declare the name of the next Maha Vikas Aghadi CM in advance. Both have reiterated that a decision in this regard will be taken at an appropriate time. The Sena (UBT) has maintained a stoic silence ever since on this issue, unlike its practice to react to any development, big or small, instantly. Using the opportunity of his interview taken by a private news channel, Fadnavis ridiculed the efforts being made to project Uddhav as the unanimous MVA leader in Maharashtra. Fadnavis did not mention any other name in this connection but left his remark hanging, so that enough suspense pervades the opposition camp. Pawar himself has added to the guessing game. Though he had claimed that his party would not be in the race for the post, he has now added another rider by stating that the party with the largest number of MLAs will stand the chance. Fadnavis rubbed Uddhav the wrong way by remarking that the three-day recent visit of the Sena leader to Delhi had failed to obtain Sonia Gandhi’s backing to his name for chief ministership. Uddhav’s backlash is awaited.
Six decades have gone by since it was incorporated in 1959 as a company with charitable objects under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 (now Section 8, Companies Act, 2013). Ostensibly, it was set up with the object to promote the spread of knowledge across assorted areas – such as politics, culture, art, history, sports and the like – and disseminate news to the general public both about Indian and foreign affairs. United News Of India (UNI) is a multilingual news agency. Once upon a time, it was one of the largest news agencies in India with several hundred subscribers across the length and breadth of the country. Today, it is a shadow of its past. Struggling to survive, UNI has now come under the IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code) resolution process. A process to invite resolution was initiated in August last year. However, based on a decision taken by the Committee of Creditors, a “Round 2” of the entire Resolution Process for inviting EOI (Expression of Interest) for submission of Plans has been now initiated. With just about 175 employees and revenue of less than Rs 7 crore, this once iconic news agency is on the verge of extinction. With the whole media industry going through tough times, UNI is hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel. Will the resolution process throw up a Good Samaritan? Fingers are crossed, indeed.
Amid a series of electoral failures, including a hat-trick of zero wins in major elections, the CPI(M) in Bengal is facing growing internal pressure to reconsider its approach and hire an external political strategist. Alimuddin Street, party’s headquarters, has received feedback that the organization’s current state is “disgraceful” and it must consider “alternatives.” Most political parties – BJP, Cong, TMC, AAP and DMK — have from time to time roped in political strategists/consultants. For instance, the Trinamool Congress’s 2021 victory was largely credited to IPAC, led by Prashant Kishor. Likewise Congress party has benefited from strategic insights provided by Sunil Kanugolu. CPI(M) State Secretary Mohammad Salim stated that though the party cannot afford to hire a professional agency, professionalism must be increased. The party had hoped that its alliance with Congress for the Lok Sabha polls would increase its vote share. Leaders had predicted a three-way contest between Trinamool, BJP, and the Left-Congress combine. However, the reality was a two-way fight between Trinamool and BJP, leaving CPI(M) without a seat, and Congress lost key constituencies like Baharampur, where five-time MP Adhir Chowdhury was defeated by TMC’s Yusuf Pathan. Party insiders have highlighted organizational failures, including an inability to deploy agents in polling stations. Again, in the RG Kar incident relating to rape-murder of doctor, where the CPI(M) youth wing DYFI, led protests in Kolkata, the party failed to mobilize at the district levels. Also, it has alienated women voters in the state by terming the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme as “alms”.
Vishwajeet Kadam, who jolted the MVA alliance in the recent Parliamentary polls, is set to ruffle feathers again in the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Kadam, who backed Congress rebel Vishal Patil to victory over the MVA’s official Sena nominee, now seems to have the backing of the Congress high command this time too. The message was sent loud and clear when Rahul Gandhi flew down on September 5 to unveil his father –Patangrao Kadam’s statue in the presence of the entire top brass of Congress and even NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar. The prominent positioning of rebel Vishal Patil MP on the dais at the event, between the state Congress and NCP chief — Nana Patole and Jayant Patil — signalled Vishwajeet’s insistence to have things work his way. The high-profile event estimated to cost over Rs 50 crore, with over 1.5 lakh people housed in a Rs 8 crore canopy spread over 20 acres, was also meant to pitch Vishwajeet for the top slot in state politics. The absence of Uddhav Thackeray from the event clearly signalled that the friction between the Congress and Sena, is here to stay. Currently, of the eight legislative assemblies in Sangli, only two are held with Congress. Another two seats are held with the BJP, which is keen to wrest control of the prosperous sugar belt. The Congress, which has sensed victory in Maharashtra, after emerging with the highest tally among MVA partners in the recent LS polls, is in no mood to relent to their coalition partners’ demands. The NCP has been tamed while the recalcitrant Uddhav is being ignored. The Congress which wants to play the big brother could give Vishwajeet a free hand to chart party’s revival in the state.
Raja Randhir Singh may have triggered a fresh debate on whether administrators’ maximum tenure of 12 years is good for developing sport in India. India’s National Sports Development Code (NSDC) 2011 specifies terms, tenures, age, and cooling-off rules for sports federations. A five-time Olympian, several-time Asian Games participant in the Trap and Skeet shooting event, a gold and bronze medal winner has been an administrator for around four decades at the national and international sports bodies and is all set to become the 44th President of the Olympic Council of Asia wef September 8. In recent interactions, the 77-year-old former member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that Yoga will become a medal sport from the 2030 Asian Games, but more significantly, he touched upon an essential aspect of the governance structure and strict rules. He believes more than 12 years is needed for administrators at the sports bodies. While the NSC stipulates a 12-year time restriction for national sports federations, the Justice Lodha Committee report that the Supreme Court has endorsed stipulates a maximum period of nine years together at the State and BCCI and with a cooling off period after six years that was initially three years. Being an experienced hand, Raja Randhir may have a point that will only get full support from the BCCI, but the Apex Council of the country believes that sports federations cannot be a fiefdom for an individual or group of people. The BCCI has been lucky to get relief from the Supreme Court on the cooling-off period restriction, but they may hope for further ease in restrictions. Given a chance, both the BCCI and the sports federations would like the cooling-off period and tenure restrictions, junked!
Now that N Srinivasan-headed India Cements has changed hands, the focus is clearly on what will happen to Chennai Super Kings Ltd. Once a division of India Cements, CSK was spun off into an independent entity following the conflict of interest issue. Post-India Cements sale, the focus obviously has turned to CSK. Where is it heading? Well, Srinivasan and his family have now consolidated their holding in CSK. They have increased their stake in CSK to nearly 42% from just above 28% in March 2023. The promoters now hold 158,016,303 shares. They had 86,726,373 shares in March 2023. The equity share has a face value of Rs 0.10 (ten paise). CSK Ltd. is the owner of the Chennai franchise of the IPL (Indian Premier League) T-20 cricket team. With the player auction for the upcoming IPL season coming up soon, the consolidation of holdings by the Srinivasan family in CSK reflects the commitment and passion of the promoter group to the cause of cricket. Not surprisingly, the board of CSK has decided to elevate K Viswanathan, popularly known as Kasi, a close loyalist of Srinivasan, as the managing director for a three-year term. Well, the context may have changed following the sale of India Cements. Srinivasan and Co, nevertheless, is focussed like a blinkered-horse on furthering the cause of cricket.
Caste dynamics has political formations of India in a tizzy for the imminent Haryana state assembly elections with the BJP set to also launch a new poll strategy to dampen the Congress dream of a clean sweep in the Nuh belt of the state along with others where the minority vote plays a dominant role. The AAP and Congress vowed to fight solo after the zero-voter verdict their alliance evoked in Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha constituencies, then kissed and yet, to make up. While AAP wants 10 seats, Congress is willing to part with only seven. The SP too wants seats to field candidates in Muslim proliferated constituencies. Congress believes minority votes will accrue to itself, particularly in three assembly constituencies in Nuh region dominated Muslim voters. Only former Congress CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda appears worried over his political future. The BJP too, worried over anti-incumbency, wants to buck the political tide and announced 16 OBC candidates, 13 from Jat community with 17 reserved SC seats. Though the OBC community is the majority voter segment in Haryana, Jat community always holds sway over political affairs be it the Lal clan troika (Bansi Lal, Devi Lal) or the Chautala clan among dominant segments of farmer leaders. The BJP elevated another community leader Kiran Choudhary to the Rajya Sabha and will also accommodate her daughter for state assemblies. Similarly, late Jat leader Ajit Singh’s son Jayant Choudhary was inducted into the NDA alliance for the Haryana assembly. The BJP has topped up its poll plans by clearing a slew of farmer packages in the state before the elections were notified in the state to include most of the crops sown in Haryana under the ambit of its MSP protection.
The pre-release hype and hoopla for top star high budget films are hard to ignore. But Archana Kalpathi, Creative Head of Kalpathi Films has more than swivelled 360 degrees to hit the target for Great Of All Time (GOAT) – superstar Vijay’s penultimate film. The usual suspense about extra shows ended when TN cinemas announced a special 9 am show. Kerala went a step further and had a 4 am show as crazed fans from Coimbatore and state border towns pole-vaulted to Kerala cinemas. The (unofficial) ticket cost of Rs 1000 shot up to 2k. Such is the hold of superstars and the besotted fans…a launch pad for politics that TN stars transit from formula films to politics with ease. Tamil news had snippets of who watched GOAT where …top heroine Trisha watched the movie with Archana, Director Venkat Prabhu preferred Kamala cinema. If the delirium surrounding Vijay was not already palpable, another snippet conveyed that Thala Ajit was one of the first to call, and wished Vijay all the best for his mega hit. The buzz about the AI and De-ageing technology used in the film to differentiate between father Vijay and his son is sure to kindle curiosity. The last few years had a rush of filmi gossip about Vijay’s estranged parents and wife Sangeeta, even son Sanjay’s rebellion. Suddenly, photos of the entire family bonding watching the film at this time were flashed in the media.Vijay’s newly minted party TVK is now planning the mother of all public gatherings to present Vijay as the new messiah of TN. Interestingly, throughout the film, Vijay drives a car with the number plate TN07 CM 2026! Talk about subtlety!
In the wake of the horrific rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata has been rocked by widespread protests. This disturbing incident has had a profound impact on the business landscape, leading to a significant decline in consumer activity. From the traditional pottery artisans of Kumortuli to the bustling marketing hubs, sweetmeat shops, and restaurants, the city’s economic pulse has noticeably weakened. The usual pre-Puja rush, which begins usually at this time, is notably absent and instead of shopping bags, people are holding placards demanding justice. The usually bustling Kumortuli, the heart of Durga idol creation in Kolkata, has fallen into an unusual quiet this year unlike previous years. Karthik Pal, Secretary of the Kumartuli Potters Association, attributed this change to the recent tragic incident, stating that the usual influx of enthusiastic photographers, young people with cameras, crowding the place even on weekends, has dwindled. Further, there has been less number of buyers for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi and Vishwakarma Puja this month. The food and restaurant businesses have seen a decline of 15% in August and if protest continues September could losses of upto 30% says Sagar Daryani, All India Vice President of the National Restaurant Association of India. Dhiman Das, state president of the traders’ organization Mishi Udyog and director of KC Das & Sons, said that from Vishwakarma Puja to Diwali, the profit from this period sustains businesses for the rest of the year. However, if the agitation continues, the industry is fearing a 70% drop in business.
At a time when the Congress in Kerala had hit the streets against the CPI(M) for not letting go of its actor Kollam MLA M Mukesh against whom a rape case had been registered in the wake of the unveiling of the Justice Hema Committee report on the basis of complaint by an actress, allegations of casting couch in the Congress by a former party functionary and PSC member, Simi Rose Bell John, seemed to have come at an inopportune time. That is because Simi John did not get support from women leaders within the party who may have suffered at the hands of their male colleagues. The Congress top leadership as usual managed to push everything under the carpet and promptly expelled Simi John from the party to contain the damage of her “revelations”. However, the “casting couch in Congress” may have come as a brief relief to the Pinarayi Vijayan government that was battling with its LDF ally CPI, which also wanted MLA Mukesh to resign. In a statement, Kerala PCC described Simi John’s accusations as being aimed at mentally harassing and defaming lakhs of women leaders and workers in the Congress movement. It was felt Simi John may have been allegedly in collusion with political adversaries. She had alleged that only those close to the leadership get opportunities in the party. She also made it clear that women who have dignity and pride could no longer work in the party. Challenging the party to release evidence of the alleged conspiracy with the CPI(M), Simi fondly recalled her close bond with former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. Kerala Congress leaders feel Simi’s outburst will not hit the party in the state.
Tatas, Birlas, Wipro and many other business houses have done it – acquiring brands/companies abroad and making the country proud. Joining this prestigious list is the Chandigarh-based KDDL, a pioneer in watch dials, which has acquired 92% stake in a Swiss company which owns the iconic brand Favre Leuba. Favre Leuba, established in 1737, was a popular luxury brand in India too. A whole generation in the 60s, 70s, 80s grew wearing this brand. The watchmaker headquartered in Grenchen, Switzerland is the second oldest watch brand in the world, with Blancpain being the oldest. The iconic Favre Leuba brand was relaunched on August 29, this year at the decentralised event, Geneva Watch Days. KDDL founded by Yash Saboo is a pioneering manufacturer and supplier of watch dials, hands and indexes to top end global watch brands. Its subsidiary Ethos Watches is India’s largest chain of luxury watch boutiques with more than 60 stores selling over 60 premium luxury watch brands. KDDL had bought Favre Leubra from Titan a few years back. Making a comeback, Favre Leuba has ambitious and exciting plans for the Indian market. The company plans to offer affordable and yet high value watches with a strong vintage inspiration specifically from the 1960’s when the brand was known for their robustness and functionality. The brand is looking to unveil 22 references across three distinct collections – Deep Blue, Sea Sky and Chief.
Tamil Nadu leads in current headlines. Yes, F4 is what you are thinking. The first family has come a long way from the modest roots of Thiruvarur. Today Stalin Jr is conducting a car race event…you’ve come a long way, baby. But intel reports are pointing out that Bangladesh illegals too have come a long way to escape strife ridden country, seek jobs and livelihood and perhaps turn TN into a state like Kashmir? The Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has warned TN authorities about this increasing penetration by illegals with fake IDs like Aadhaar cards and others. The Dibrugarh to Trivandrum train via Coimbatore brings job seekers and migrant workers, and it is easy to “vanish” in the crowded industrial and knitwear centres of the hinterland. A labour hungry knitwear industry gobbles up labour. According to KM Subramanian, Tiruppur Exporters Association, “TN textile industry is one of the largest…so illegals head job prospecting head straight to Tiruppur and Karur with fake documents”. About 8 lakh people are employed in the knitwear sector, with 2.5 lakhs from North India. Even 20,000 workers can be absorbed at any given time. The penny dropped with frequent visits of chief Ajit Doval to TN. His latest meeting with Governor RN Ravi has catapulted this security issue to high levels. Is this frequent visit by Doval, a signal that Governor Ravi may get an extension?
For the second time in three months, near about 380 member-voters of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) have been called upon to cast their vote for the high-profile position of Secretary, a post that needed to be constitutionally filled after Ajinkya Naik (Secretary) was elected President in July. There has not been a political drama preceding the election on September 3 and people are not even speculating whether Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is playing behind-the-scene role; he appears to have done before the election of the President following the untimely demise of his friend Amol Kale. Candidates believe that they need to have the backing of bigwigs across the political spectrum and in recent times Fadnavis’ name has surfaced more than any other. Abhay Hadap, one of the two candidates for the Secretary’s post, is banking on the goodwill he has gained following his work at maidan level for three decades and his rapport with the Secretary and officials of member clubs. Suraj Samat’s candidature proposed by Sachin Tendulkar has puzzled the cricketing fraternity in the city who feel that the legendary cricketer has been, hitherto, sagacious not to be on a particular side of the electoral process. Hadap and Samat were elected to the MCA Apex Council two years ago and were probably looking forward to hierarchical progress next year, but Kale’s death on June 10 left a vacuum providing an opportunity for the ambitious ones to try their strength and popularity. People in the MCA feel that the two ‘by-elections’ — for the President and Secretary doesn’t matter much, and that next year’s election for the Apex Council will see either the Mahayuti (NDA) or Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA- INDIA Bloc) call the shots.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack
It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
And this is vindicated by our two marquee advertisers – IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Lombard. Both believed in our story and have supported us from Day one. A big thank you to both.
If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.