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The Indian armed forces successfully executed ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the early hours of May 7 carrying out targeted strikes on nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had left 26 civilians dead. Shortly after the confirmation of military strikes in Pakistan, the Indian Army in a post on X said, “Justice is served. Jai Hind!”. The best part about the strike was the surprise element. Delhi chose to strike Pakistan in the wee hours on a day when it may have least expected. That’s because across the nation citizens had been asked to prepare for civil defence for a war like situation! Modi, who had vowed stern action to the terror attack had monitored Operation Sindoor throughout the night. In a big boost to military strikes, JeM chief Masood Azhar who is responsible for multiple terror attacks in India admitted that 10 members of his family had been killed in the attack on Jama Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur. Details of Op Sindoor were shared with the media by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and two women officers from the services — Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. Colonel Qureshi, who hails from Gujarat clarified that no military infrastructure of Pakistan was struck during the operation. Foreign Secretary Misri said that the probe into the Pahalgam terror attack had clearly established Pakistan links. He also noted that Pakistan did not take any action against “terrorist infrastructure” after the Pahalgam terror attack. Misri said the Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility for the attack, was connected with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Responding to the attacks, a Pakistan government’s statement noted that India’s “temporary pleasure will be replaced by enduring grief”.
Chennai Super Kings, which became the first team to be knocked out of the IPL this season when it dropped all chances of qualifying for the playoffs, may be preparing for life without Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the arena. Regardless of whether Dhoni dropped a hint about retirement before the match against PSBK or not, it is known that the skipper is prone to suddenly dropping out of the game as he did when he was Test captain. CSK, now being run professionally after its owner N Srinivasan became wheelchair-bound on losing his eyesight. CSK is looking at all options to rebuild despite the constraints of not being able to buy players at the next big auction that is years away. It appears there is no future at CSK for the likes of Ravindra Jadeja too though he has played a winning hand several times when appearing under Dhoni. There will be a role for Dhoni as mentor and team composition adviser at the auctions too if he is willing to take it. But CSK knows his contribution as a batter is not only limited because of his late appearance in 20-overs innings but also sharply declining even if his abilities as a ‘keeper are almost intact. The think tank has been told to start rebuilding for the future rather than fret over what happened in Season 18 in 2025. The brand value of the team in yellow is too huge to be lost in the fading of its super star Dhoni.
It is interesting to see the Congress blow hot, blow cold over the April 22 Pahalgam attack. First it extended unequivocal support to the government. Then when hot heads in the party from Karnataka including CM began shooting their mouths. AICC social media manager Supriya Shrinate took the ultimate shot with her PM Modi “gayab” post that went way beyond reproach. It was seen as a crude post mocking PM Modi’s absence from all-party-meeting with a missing head that resembled a “sar tan se juda” caricature. Shrinate had not only crossed the line but was apparently reluctant to delete her post even after public outrage. Media reports say till Rahul Gandhi intervened she didn’t yield. Congress leaders were shocked that AICC leadership had to put up with such recalcitrant behaviour from influential office-bearers who seemed more interested in flexing their muscle than in protecting or furthering Congress’s or nation’s interest. Party’s media-in-charge Jairam Ramesh himself was also not doing any better. The day LoP Rahul Gandhi was interacting with the media on a sensitive issue like Pahalgam, one found Jairam was immersed in amplifying his own two-bit message to the media. “Our media strategy should be such that the attention should not be dispersed from Rahulji with a cacophony of views,” pointed out a senior Congress leader. Meanwhile after all the talk of being fully with the government, the Congress was back to its old tricks. Emerging from a CWC meeting, two former CMs — Charanjit Singh Channi and Bhupesh Baghel — wondered why no action had been taken against Pakistan nearly two weeks post Pahalgam attack. Who is responsible for this deterioration? We want to know?
The cricket world in Asia could be altogether disrupted should India (BCCI) mull over not to take part in this year’s men’s Asia Cup. No one is even talking of the host venue yet, not even a hybrid model to facilitate the participation of India and Pakistan. Pundits have gone to the extent of saying that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) of which Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi is the Chair may plunge itself into a crisis for there is not even a remote chance of a solution. Naqvi’s predecessor was the BCCI’s Jay Shah, now the ICC Chair. The consequences of the Pahalgam terror attack on Indians will throw a monkey wrench into the works and observers seem to have seen hints of India boycotting the Asia Cup. The ACC was formed in 1983 by Jagmohan Dalmiya to keep the Asian bloc (read votes) together at the ICC meetings. India has won the Asia Cup eight times — with the tournament format alternating from 50 overs or Twenty20 depending upon the next format of the ICC World Cup — but taking part and winning the title will not be a paramountcy for the BCCI which will just go by what the Union government tells it to do. India and Pakistan have boycotted Asia Cup competitions in the past and India did not go to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy recently. But questions are being asked whether India will agree to be part of an ACC under the leadership of Naqvi who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister; he did not attend a recent ICC meeting chaired by Shah in Dubai, and the BCCI’s Rajeev Shukla and Ashish Shelar may just do the same leading to a Domino Effect.
While the nation is just recovering from the shock following the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has launched a campaign by criticising the BJP government at the Centre day in and day out. It has gone to the extent of demanding Union home minister Amit Shah’s resignation, holding him responsible for the security lapse. Upon this, Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has been taunted by former Union minister Milind Deora, who is now with the Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. Responding to the repeated criticism of the BJP government in the state and the Centre by Sena MP Sanjay Raut about the delay in teaching Pakistan a lesson, Deora has reminded Raut that his leader was in Europe or wherever enjoying a holiday when Shinde had rushed to Kashmir to reassure the tourists from Maharashtra. Shinde had organised their return journey and extended monetary help where it was required urgently. Deora has pointed out that Uddhav kept on posting X messages but did not send any representative for the all party meeting after the attack. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his visit abroad and returned to India, Uddhav continued with the vacation, Deora has told the Sena. Incidentally, it has been routine for Uddhav and his family to travel to the cool environs of Europe every summer. So far, there is no response from the Sena (UBT) to Deora’s barb.
Vizhinjam International Seaport, the country’s first deep water transhipment port is Kerala’s gift to the nation. The first phase of 3,000 metre breakwater and 800 metre container berthing facility has been set up at a cost of Rs 8,867 crore. The Kerala government has pumped in Rs 5,595 crore, partner Adani invested Rs 2,454 crore while the Centre, a measly Rs 800 crore by way of viability gap funding. The loan is repayable from future dividends. It is learnt that Adani group will invest another Rs 2,000 crore during the second and third phase of the project. It is estimated that the nation loses $220 million per annum for want of a transhipment port. In another estimate, the loss can be pinpointed to $ 100 per container. While in the first phase, Vizhinjam Seaport will handle one million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs), on completion in 2028, the capacity would be 5 million TEUs. For Kerala, the port could end up as a major employment generator. For starters, the port has employed 755 people so far. While 67% of the workforce is from Kerala, 57% are from Thiruvananthapuram district. Notably, 35% of those employed are residents from the immediate vicinity of the port, thereby keeping the government’s promise of local job generation. Indications are that once the port is at full stream, it is expected to create a ripple effect in Thiruvananthapuram where there will be a surge in employment opportunities for dock workers and logistics personnel to transport, warehousing and ancillary service providers. And also, local economics is expected to increase demand for goods, housing, retail etc.
As the first BJP government in Odisha under chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi will soon complete a one-year anniversary, the corridors of power are abuzz with speculation about the declining influence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the state’s affairs. Pradhan and his coterie, which includes leaders such as Samir Mohanty, Golak Mohapatra and Thakur Ranjeet Das, appear to have lost their hold. Well known journalist Shekhar Gupta has been raising the question: Who is ruling Odisha these days? Dharmendra Pradhan or Ashwini Vaishnaw! Thus, by raising this question he has clearly indicated that there is a power shift. The new power centre seems to be multi-portfolio minister Vaishnaw. Vaishnaw, a former IAS officer from the Odisha cadre whose family has been associated with the RSS is known to have close ties with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Besides, his control over three key cabinet portfolios has further bolstered his stature. According to both government and bureaucratic sources in Odisha, the decline of Dharmendra Pradhan’s clout has directly contributed to Vaishnaw’s ascendancy in the state’s political landscape. For instance, Vaishnaw is widely believed to be the driving force behind the Odisha government’s auction of mines. He is also close to Naveen Patnaik’s Man Friday VK Pandian and that made it possible for Vaishnaw to be re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in February this year with the support of BJD. While his efficiency and varied experience are beyond question, Vaishnaw in the past has been dogged by controversy, primarily because of his association with B Prabhakaran, who was named in the massive mining scam in Odisha in 2013.
Tamil film superstar-turned politician Vijay’s public appearances for his TVK party and his election stump are turning into a circus due to the fans over enthusiasm and uncontrolled public show of admiration. But is this public display of admiration working against Vijay’s agenda? Climbing on vehicles, crowding around his caravan and surrounding him with bike riders who don’t seem to care for their own safety and the public became the talking point after Vijay’s two events at Coimbatore and Madurai. On April 26 and 27, crazy fans descended on the airport to receive him causing annoying inconvenience to other air travellers. It was meant to be a meet to organise booth committees. However much these staggering crowds made him ecstatic, Vijay seemed to run scared as he appealed to them to maintain discipline. In fact, some party bigwigs planned to ask for a higher level of security than the current Y security from the government. His trip to Madurai was no less nerve racking when he had to insistently appeal to the tailgating crowds…please don’t follow my caravan riding your bikes “you are not wearing helmets, security personnel are thwarted…we have to follow discipline.” But the way his caravan got dented, soon went viral on social media. Vijay was on his way to Kodaikanal by road to complete the shooting of Jananayaga (Peoples’Hero). Observers are openly saying that these followers are still in fan mode and that Vijay must get his political act together before proclaiming that 2026 will see TVK coming to power in TN.
Opposition political formations’ jubilation over PM Modi’s scientific population, caste census is short-lived with the untimely AI driven process commencing 2026, concluding 2028. Bihar’s former DCM Tejaswi Yadav’s disappointment is imminent for imagining caste census would conclude before state assembly elections in 2026. The comprehensive, scientifically bolstered census digitally exploiting AI will eliminate redundant caste affiliations converted into other communities, religions. Corrective yardstick encompassing next census capturing social-economic, castes will not likely throw up existence of over 4.6 million castes, sub-castes, synonyms, different surnames and gotras in caste and clan names in India included among categories of SC, Scheduled tribes, OBC communities. 2011 census revealed many citizens had entered surnames under ‘caste’ discrimination column, was abandoned by then PM Manmohan Singh under weight of humongous data, relegated to timeless cold storage. PM Modi’s digitally initiated census process will serve as the true last value on cultural, socio-economic make-up of India. Use of AI, rejection of AADHAR, PAN cards as identity proof will ensure honest distinct process accomplishment. Even National Register of Citizens (NRC) provisions will play a pivotal role reaching true last values across India. One anomaly elimination, for a more accurate picture of existing castes in India, will delete surnames, occupation driven caste affiliations. The Andhra Pradesh High Court has also ruled Scheduled Caste citizens will lose status immediately upon converting to Christianity, forfeit protections under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in sync, albeit inadvertently. India’s purge of foreign nationals from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Rohingyas) also coincides with a larger census plan. Tejaswi and other backward community leaders’ vice-like grip on India’s reservation pie will phase out. The ‘M+Y’ political formula...
As the rift between the new-age directors of Tollywood and the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India deepens, the Directors’ Association of Eastern India (DAEI) has been abruptly dissolved and replaced by the East India Motion Pictures Directors’ Association (EIMPDA), the older organisation, which has now been reinstated as the officially recognised directors’ guild by the Federation. This development unfolded swiftly after a video statement released on April 30 by directors Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Anirban Bhattacharya, Sudeshna Roy, Indranil Roychowdhury, Bidula Bhattacharya, and Kingshuk Dey, who addressed the ongoing year-long conflict between DAEI and the Federation which has also resulted in a legal battle. They emphasised their continued support for technicians and denied any divide between directors and technical crew. Recently the Federation president Swaroop Biswas, a Trinamool leader and brother of cabinet minister Aroop Biswas, conducted a closed-door meeting, excluding all DAEI representatives. Besides this, all mentions of DAEI, including names of its president Subrata Sen and secretary Sudeshna Roy have been removed from the social media handles of the Federation. Not only this, the internal communication of the organisation’s WhatsApp group was also restricted, allowing only the Federation president to post messages, effectively silencing all other guild representatives. Subrata Sen, however, acknowledged the developments, stating that DAEI remains a legal member of the Federation under West Bengal labour laws. He accused certain forces of attempting to create a rift between directors and technicians and confirmed that a legal case has been filed in the High Court. Meanwhile, Federation treasurer Shubham Das described the Federation meeting as a united front against harmful elements and declared the industry’s collective intent to ensure smooth operations.
“BJP’s Vasundhara Raje Scindia is Ashok Gehlot’s leader, not Sonia Gandhi,” declared senior Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot. Announcing a “Jan Sangharsh Yatra” from Ajmer to Jaipur on 11 May, he said he would take his demands to the people, particularly for action against BJP’s corruption. Pilot’s comments come two days after the Rajasthan CM said in Dholpur that he had survived an internal revolt in July 2020 because BJP’s former chief minister Scindia and her two close aides — Kailash Meghwal and Shobharani Khushwaha–refused to support a conspiracy to topple the government. Pilot – with the help of 18 MLAs — had rebelled against Gehlot but could not muster enough numbers to bring down the government. Pilot said “the Dholpur speech has made it clear why there has been no action against the previous Vasundhara Raje government.” Anyway it is not just Pilot who is hitting the ground running. PM Modi will be in Rajasthan too on May 10 inaugurating and lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 5,500 crore. Meanwhile, Congress sources are raising eyebrows about Gehlot’s offer to “compensate” Congress MLAs crossing over to BJP at the behest of Pilot. 10 Janpath would certainly be squirming at the idea.
Although NCP president Sharad Pawar has staged a comeback, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray or the Congress in Maharashtra have refused to dilute their caustic stance towards the third partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. State Congress president Nana Patole and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan are in the forefront of humiliating the NCP time and again for various reasons. Patole has warned the NCP that its cosy relationship with the BJP could vitiate the atmosphere. Chavan has directly implied that a sizable faction of the NCP is still in cahoots with the BJP. Angered by the attacks, Pawar has hit back at Chavan. “Let Chavan find out his own place in the Congress party. Which category does he belongs to? A, B, C or D? Chavan’s cronies will tell you (the media) but not openly,” Pawar remarked. The NCP is already in an aggressive mood after Sena (Uddhav) mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ censured Pawar’s decision to withdraw his resignation following a high-voltage drama. The most pointed statement in the ‘Saamana’ editorial was that Pawar had not been able to groom his successor. Firebrand OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal castigated Sena MP Sanjay Raut by telling him that Pawar’s political career was longer than Raut’s age. Pawar has thus sent out a signal that the NCP will not tolerate any such criticism and the verbal clashes are likely to become more thorny in the days to come.
The Thevars, once a politically powerful community when Jayalalithaa was the CM and Sasikala her confidante wielding power from Poes Garden, are looking to regain some of the clout by seeking allies. Numerically strong in the state, the Thevars were sidelined after Jaya’s demise and Sasi’s jail term. Their once trusted leader O Panneerselvam, CM in Jaya’s place on occasion, had rebelled against the clan and had even complained about their strong-arm tactics to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who laughed it off as OPS was CM then and had the police under him. They are now joining hands again in their attempt to regain their hold. OPS’ power electorally is suspect but TTV’s AMMK has a reasonable vote share which appears to be their lifeline. The OPS-TTV combine is hoping that the BJP, in its hunt for an umbrella coalition to take on the powerful DMK alliance, will spare some seats for at least the two of them as Sasikala is out electorally until 2027 as she has been banished for 10 years from standing in polls. The BJP is said to be planning to extract more seats from EPS and use some of them to accommodate the likes of TTV, OPS and even GK Vasan. With less than a year to the Lok Sabha polls, a lot of political action can be expected now.
While all political parties are focused on Karnataka assembly elections mid-week, there is one Lok Sabha by-elections that is being held the same day that has gone completely below the radar. Yes, it is the by-election to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat. It has become a high-stake battle for the ruling AAP which lost Sangrur Lok Sabha bypolls last year. AAP is understandably eager to win the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat as it is being seen as a curtain raiser to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. To secure Jalandhar, AAP has fielded former Congress MLA Sushil Kumar Rinku, hours after he jumped ship. For some reason, however, Congress feels comfortable and confident that it will clinch the Jalandhar seat as it is banking on the legacy of its two-time MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary who died during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. It has fielded his wife, academician Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, as candidate from Jalandhar. Karamjit Chaudhary’s son Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary is the sitting MLA from Phillaur (reserved) assembly constituency, the home turf of the Chaudhary family in Jalandhar. “We are feeling confident about a Congress win not only because of the sympathy factor. It is also because everyone is working for the Congress”, said Khadoor Sahib MP Jasbir Singh Gill. Jalandhar has been a Congress stronghold since 1999. Congress sources say at present the mood against AAP is so much in Punjab that even the SAD-BSP alliance could emerge as first runner up.
Chinmay Patankar is a hero in the making for Mallakhamb, a traditional Indian sport, that’s akin to gymnastics and wrestling practised on a pole and rope. Praised by PM Narendra Modi on his ‘Mann Ki Baat‘ programme for spreading the India brand through Mallakhamb in the USA, the Pune-boy, a recipient of Maharashtra State’s Shiv Chhatrapati Award, Patankar is going all out to present Mallakhamb as a demonstration sport either in the opening or closing ceremony of the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028. A qualified engineer, Patankar who is a Director at Mastercard, USA, is very optimistic of Mallakhamb getting a global audience at LA 2028. Settled in New Jersey with his family for over a decade, Patankar is taking help from the Maharashtra Olympic Association and actor and producer Raqesh Bapat, who is going to make a lengthy documentary for creating awareness among the international community at the diplomatic, sports and cultural levels. Patankar spent $ 3000 in 2013 to get the sport take baby steps and now he has 500 plus Mallakhamb athletes, majority of them with a Grade 5 proficiency. He says the local authorities, including the Governor of New Jersey are kept abreast of the initiative taken by the Mallakhamb Federation of USA that the sport is already happening in 10 States of the USA and it is catching up in the East and West Coast.
Harjinder Kang, UK’s Chief Negotiator for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement has moved to Mumbai as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to South Asia and as Deputy High Commissioner for Western India. Kang will be succeeded in this role by Kate Thornley, previously Deputy Chief Negotiator for the FTA negotiations. Kang joins a team of nine His Majesty Trade Commissioners encouraging UK trade and investment and promoting Global Britain across the world. With an economy worth over £3.2 trillion, South Asia offers huge potential for UK businesses. Kang succeeds Alan Gemmell OBE. Before joining the Department for Business and Trade, Kang spent nearly 30 years at pharma giant AstraZeneca. He is also a member of the Council of the University of Birmingham. Kang will play a pivotal role in supporting the implementation of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement, which could bring huge opportunities for UK businesses. Kang said: “I am excited about the opportunities ahead as we strengthen our economic ties and forge new partnerships in the region to create jobs, promote innovation and drive economic growth at home and abroad.”
Taking a cue from the Karnataka election, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has decided to engage young talented new leaders for the upcoming panchayat election in West Bengal. Sources in the TMC said that the tainted image of some senior leaders has forced TMC to adopt a BJP strategy of going for newer and younger faces. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has instructed senior party leaders to give priority to young, dynamic talented leaders. Besides, Didi has asked a few senior leaders like Chandrima Bhattacharya, Sasi Panja who have a clean image to guide the junior leaders. Junior leaders like Saayoni Ghosh, president of TMC youth Congress, Birbaha Hansda, Ritobrata Banerjee, former CPM MP, Raj Chakraborty, June Maliah are some of the young talented leaders who will be given more responsibility for the upcoming panchayat election. Besides, the party is also looking for fresh faces. Political analysts are of the opinion that the move also reflects a trend among regional parties. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has taken the mantle from his late father and has chosen to appoint many young leaders. Imankalyan Lahiri, senior political analyst said “Bringing in new faces is a part of the brand strategy aimed at brand renewal. The selection of leaders who will be projected in the forefront and who will work behind is based on feedback and pre-planned strategy.
A drive-in theatre provides a viewing experience of a relaxed kind. This one perhaps was the first one to come up in the city of Chennai. Located on the ECR (the East Coast Road (ECR), one of the loveliest stretches on the national highway leading up to the Union Territory of Puducherry, this one was a favourite destination for many a cinema lover. For, it gave them the comfort of a relaxing environment and a unique movie-watching chance. Prarthana Drive-in Theatre on the ECR had for long provided young and old alike an entertaining space to unwind even while serving them sumptuously. All good things will have come to an end. So did Prarthana. The owners downed shutters on it sometime in 2021 due to administrative reasons. Founded way back in the early 90s, this drive-in theatre will disappear altogether from ECR. Reports suggest that the land which housed Prarthana has changed hands. A leading construction company in Chennai is believed to have decided to build a high-rise residential complex in the space that measures around 25 acres. Post-Pandemic, there has been a flurry of activities around land acquisition by residential real estate developers. Chennai has already seen many iconic theatres disappear. Prarthana is the latest one to enter this list!
When the Congress won Himachal in December last year polling just 0.90% more votes than the BJP it wasn’t seen as an effective victory. Of course, the Congress had secured 15 more seats than the BJP. However all doubts were put to rest on May 4 when under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu when the Congress swept Shimla Municipal Corporation elections picking 24 of the 34 wards, leaving a measly 9 seats for the BJP. It now became quite clear that the Congress had found a new leader in the CM. In a post- Virbhadra Singh era, it seemed the party had found the right kind of person to fill his place. Even as the Himachal BJP made an issue that the Congress was ignoring late Virbhadra Singh and had not used his posters in the civic polls, Congress sources point out that even late Virbhadra had never managed to win 24 wards in Shimla during his lifetime. Which means what had essentially worked for Sukhu, who had risen from the ranks, is that he had begun delivering on election promises including the old pension scheme. Zeroing in on Sukhu as CM and delivering in Himachal would definitely go a long way in boosting Priyanka Gandhi’s credentials as a leader. In fact, it is for this reason that the Congress decided to showcase Sukhu in Bengaluru at a presser on May 5 itself.
In a tense run to the finish in Karnataka, the BJP is seeing a small swing thanks to the propensity of the Congress to shoot itself in the foot. The grand old party can be said to have picked up a genius for defeat since it began stumbling as UPA-II leader from 2009. The run continues with the current Congress chief keeping up the tradition with his “snake” comment that boomeranged on the party. Most private surveys were showing a distinct swing for the Congress which seemed set for a clear majority on its own in the 224-seat Assembly. The BJP campaign was on a staid double engine refrain even as the Prime Minister was elaborating on a corruption plank, although it was his party that was in power in the State. Things began changing the moment the snake comment came and it was too late by the time Malikarjun Kharge came up with an apology. Whoever is advising the party may not have gauged the backlash of a proposed ban on the Bajrang Dal which found its way into the Karnataka poll manifesto. Waiting to pounce on any plank that could stoke the majority Hindu sentiment, the BJP drummed up a fierce campaign chanting “Jai Bajrang Bali.” While only the exit polls on May 10 can offer pointers to the result, expect the battle for seats to be much closer than previously forecast.
Rumour mills are doing the rounds that superstar Shah Rukh Khan may do a repeat of Pathaan. That is, keeping media at bay during the release of his forthcoming film Jawan directed by Atlee. The action film which releases in June has just been wrapped up and the heroine of the film Nayanthara was in Mumbai for dubbing and surprisingly did not oblige the waiting paparazzi with poses as is generally the practice. All stars including those from south are always cooperative with paps. It may be recalled that King Khan has distanced himself from the media for quite some time for two reasons. First, there was no film release, and second, he is quite disturbed by the fact that media literally hounded his son Aryan Khan when he was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in a drug case. The way media mishandled the case upset him. Although the actor has stopped covering his face with an umbrella but he refuses to pose for the media. This was evident at Congress leader Baba Siddiqui’s Iftaar party where he refused to stop even for a minute. The moot point is how long can SRK shun the media?
A committee of top NCP leaders has rejected party chief Sharad Pawar’s resignation, sending out clear signals that the supporters of Ajit Pawar have been isolated. The decision of rejection will be conveyed to Pawar, whose final response is awaited. Senior leaders Praful Patel and Jayant Patil briefed the media about the committee’s decision, claiming that there was mounting pressure on Pawar by important leaders across the political spectrum in the country. The committee’s verdict was more or less expected since barring Ajit Pawar, none had endorsed Pawar’s announcement to lay down reins of the party, formed in 1999. Over the past two days, Pawar loyalists had been lobbying for consolidating the situation in their favour. Expectedly, the rank and file fell in line, reiterating the demand that Pawar should continue. Whatever decision Pawar takes, it has become evident that he will control the party affairs. The moment chosen by Pawar to resign is considered fraught with many tacit messages, especially as he has castigated former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Ajit Pawar. At the same time, Pawar has blunted the constant grievance that there are plans at the Centre to wean away Mumbai from Maharashtra. ‘There is no such move,’ Pawar has declared in no uncertain terms, deflating Uddhav’s persistent campaign to rouse pro-Maharashtra sentiments. Pawar’s continuation, at least till the next general elections in 2024, has started looking probable now.
There is apparently a lot of resentment against AICC in charge for Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala among state Congress leaders for the manner in which he is handling ongoing assembly elections. Party leaders are particularly livid with him for messing up with the election manifesto. Across the board, everyone is holding him and election strategist, Sunil Kanugolu, responsible for the big time “Bajrang Dal” goof up — that is putting an incendiary item in the manifesto and handing the BJP, an electoral issue. “The Congress has gifted this election on a platter to PM Modi. This Bajrang Dal was not an input of the manifesto committee. In fact the panel headed by Dr G Parameshwara and members such as Madhu Bangarappa and Prof Radhakrishna had nothing to do with it. These words were added by Surjewala and Kanugolu perhaps with a view to give a handle to the BJP,” said a former Congress CM. That is why former Union Minister M Veerappa Moily clarified that there was no proposal to ban the Bajrang Dal. “No one in the Congress trusts Kanugolu as he has a history of working with the BJP. In fact Surjewala and Kanugolu so tightly control every one that all leaders are quite fed up. This was an election we were winning hands down. Now in the last week, our leaders are rushing to temples,” said a close Rahul Gandhi aide. To recover some lost ground D K Shivakumar even visited a Hanuman temple.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s revised autobiography ‘Lok Majhe Saangaatee’ has made several sensational disclosures, including the fact that then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray felt short in handling the situation within the Shiv Sena, created after he decided to form Maha Vikas Aghadi. Admitting that he did not foresee such momentous developments in the Sena due to the formation of MVA, Pawar said with Uddhav, he did not enjoy the ease he felt while talking with Balasaheb. “Owing to Uddhav’s health and his medical appointments, it was necessary to seek his appointment,” Pawar has revealed. About the revolt by his nephew Ajit Pawar to form a government with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, the NCP boss has noted that he was shocked when his telephone rang at 6.30 am on 23 November 2019. He was told what Ajit was up to. This was going to be a major jolt since the NCP was in the forefront of forming the MVA government. Had this happened, it would have finished NCP’s credibility. Pawar then rang up Uddhav and broke the news. Soon, it became evident that about 10 NCP MLAs had gone with Ajit. Immediately, Pawar sprang into action and the revolt was nipped in the bud. The book is replete with many interesting nuggets but was ignored after Pawar declared his decision to step down.
In Karnataka both the major political parties — the BJP and the Congress — are restricting their appeal to particular communities. It became more obvious in their election manifestos that was released about a week ahead of polling on May 10. Though the election pledges may not have much influence on the voters, the sticking point in the documents such as a claim to ban to the Bajrang Dal by the Congress to pacify Muslims or promise of the BJP to usher in the UCC, introduce the NRC and “speedy deportation of all illegal migrants” seem to be aimed at reaching out to the Hindus. Congress sources admitted that Hindus as a bloc were beyond their reach in coastal Karnataka and this seems to have made the party shift its focus to Muslims in the south. However by taking a pro-Muslim stand in a year when Ram Temple at Ayodhya is all set to become a reality, the Congress could be in a spot in north India. Little wonder that PM Modi promptly tore into the Congress’ manifesto promising a ban on Bajrang Dal. Addressing a public meeting in Hosapete, Karanataka he said, “I’m fortunate to be at the birthplace of Shri Hanuman, but it also unfortunate to know the Congress has declared to ban the Bajrang Dal, who revere Bajrang Bali Hanuman, if they come to power”. As Assam CM Himanta Sarma regretted equating a banned “PFI and Bajrang Dal”.
Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister has escaped the guillotine – at least for now. He will neither be dropped from the Cabinet nor will his portfolio be changed at the impending reshuffle before CM MK Stalin heads to Europe on May 23. Before the Cabinet met on Tuesday, PTR Palanivel Thiaga Rajan had a bit of a frosty meeting with the CM on Monday when Stalin spoke his mind and conveyed his family and party’s unhappiness with the audio tape episodes. PTR received a very cold reception from other Cabinet members at the meeting when only the CM spoke to him. He also excused himself after reading out matters connected to finance saying he had to attend a function at Meenakshi Amman temple in the evening. What Stalin has decided thus far is that by dropping PTR or changing his portfolio he would be sending a wrong message to his opponents that DMK is accepting the truth of the audio having been recorded secretly while PTR spoke to someone. Unless the BJP takes it further by registering cases against PTR, the CM and his party would like to let the status quo be. The CM also wrote on the subject in his Q&A that he did not want to waste time on a matter that had already been clarified by his finance minister.
In an unusual move of promoting cooperative federalism, Foundation Day of Gujarat and Maharashtra on May 1 were not only observed in the two states but across Raj Bhavans in the country celebrating the theme “Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat”. Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate India’s rich cultural diversity, to foster a sense of national unity and promote a spirit of mutual understanding and respect. It pairs up states and union territories with each other, promoting cultural and linguistic exchange between them through various activities such as art, music, dance, food and sports. The celebration of Gujarat and Maharashtra Foundation Day by the Raj Bhavans of other states is a unique step for the promotion of national unity. It seems to have the blessings of the PMO and has been encouraged by the top leadership. Even as the Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais unfurled the national flag and inspected the parade, it would be interesting to note that Maharashtra and Gujarat Foundation Day were celebrated across all Raj Bhavans in the country – from Union territories of J&K and Puducherry to Kerala, Tripura and Odisha — showcasing the rich and vibrant culture of the two states.
Odisha government’s former chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik has surprised everybody by joining the Congress party. Patnaik who served in public service for 37 years worked closely with the Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. He advised the CM on all matters of policy and administration. For his proximity to CM he was appointed chairman of the Odisha Staff Selection Commission and Member of Human Rights Commission, post retirement in 2013. This close connection with the CM saw him landing a job as president of Vedanta University promoted by Anil Agarwal. He quit the job as the project was a non-starter. In December 2022 with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra peaking he thought it prudent to take a political plunge by joining Congress. Observers say his yearnings to stay relevant explains why he has preferred to become a full time politician by joining Odisha Congress formally. No sooner he joined the Congress, Bijay Patnaik started lashing out at BJD, accusing it of poor governance and rampant corruption. The questions political analysts are asking: Can Bijay Patnaik give a big push to Congress in the state and push its ranking to the second place displacing BJP? Not an easy task but Congress could see marginal improvements in electoral scoring is the general feeling.
The 170-year old The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain has bestowed on the Indian born British citizen Saleel Tambe, a renowned wildlife photographer, the prestigious Associate of Royal Photographic Society (ARPS) title. This is one of the most coveted international distinctions, recognized as the “Michelin star of photography”. The RPS Distinctions are one of the most widely recognized and respected photography titles throughout the world. The qualifications support people to undertake structured assessments through a tailored and friendly education programme with a high standard of care and support for everyone. Saleel’s presentation was titled “WINGS” in the Natural History genre and a panel comprising seven eminent jury members assessed his body of work. This distinction grants a golden lapel with a gold emblem certificate and the ARPS title is now officially added to Saleel’s name. He has also authored several books on birds and wildlife. Saleel has gathered all these priceless images wandering relentlessly in various sanctuaries and national parks across the globe. Fifty year old Saleel, an IT professional, was born in Indore and graduated from Jabalpur Engineering College and in 2003 moved to the UK. Besides photography he is also an accomplished tabla player.
The much hyped new campaign of the ruling Trinamool Congress Trinamoole Nabo Jowar had raised several eyebrows in terms of expenditure, party’s slipping hold at panchayat level and increase in rebel leaders. In April, the party Supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her nephew and second in command of the party Abhishek Banerjee will start this new campaign where he would be undertaking Jana Sanjog Yatra comprising 250 public rallies. Abhishek’s 60-day outreach programme started on April 25 from Alipurduar and it will culminate in Kakdwip of South 24 Parganas on June 24. It is learnt that over 292 luxurious tents costing Rs 25,000 per tent/night were set up in Alipurduar-Coochbehar for party functionaries. Besides this a luxury caravan has been brought in for Abhishek’s stay. Significantly, the exercise of secret ballot to determine the preferred candidate for the upcoming panchayat elections was marred by clashes between two factions of party that broke out in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar. Not only this, the party’s sitting MLA from Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur district, Abdul Karim Choudhury threatened that he will send the names of probable candidates for the upcoming rural polls. Meanwhile, several senior party leaders view that Didi has put Abhishek on an acid test to translate this new campaign into a success by ensuring a win in the upcoming three-tier rural polls and also prove his acceptability.
State governments – cutting across party affiliations – jostle with each other to attract global investment. Of late, the competition has become intense among them to woo investors from across the border. Copious flow of capital from the international investing community is often seen as an endorsement of positive policies pursued by them. Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin is gearing up to hold a Global Investors’ Meet (GIM) in January. This will be the first Global Investors Meet for the Stalin-led government. The previous two investor meets took place in 2015 and 2019 when the AIADMK was in power. Chief Minister Stalin has indicated that the upcoming Global Investors’ Meet will play host to investors from over 100 countries. The State machinery is sparing no effort to make the summit an extraordinary showpiece. Expectedly, the DMK government has decided to appoint a global management consultant. The Stalin regime has reportedly roped in Boston Consulting Group to make the upcoming GIM a grand success. Sometime ago, the Tamil Nadu Government issued a Request For Proposal for the ‘Selection of Global Management Consultant’ as a knowledge partner for the Global Investors’ Meet 2024. The knowledge partner will work with the stakeholders across the canvas to effectively articulate the focus fields to the international investing community. Will Boston bring a big boost to the TN GIM?
The Bengal film industry which saw the likes of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Tarun Majumder and others, today struggles to hold on to its glory. There is a marked shift from big screen content to OTT platforms — Hoichoi, Zee5, Klick, Addatimes. Moreover, several renowned actors are also seen in Bollywood movies and regional movies of South. All top stars and directors like Prosenjit Chatterjee, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury feel that the Bengali film industry requires the much-needed investment and passionate people to surge ahead. Films Manobjamin, Projapoti, Kaberi Antardhan, Maayakumari, Dilkhush, Ghore Pherar Gaan, Mitthye Premer Gaan and others released in the first quarter of 2023. While Projapoti could turn box office collections into gold, others failed as they were replaced by Pathaan at the theatres. Interestingly, actors like Jisshu Sengupta, Anirban Bhattachajee, Tota Roy Chowdhury, Saswata Chatterjee, Churni Ganguly, Swastika Mukherjee, Parambrata and recently veteran actor Prosenjit are taking up projects from Bollywood and those from the South. Mardaani, Manikarnika, Sadak 2 famed actor Jisshu pointed out that the emergence of OTT platforms have blurred the lines between regional industries. For Parambrata, directing Bengali movies is passion and acting in Bollywood contents such as Bulbull, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi, Aranyak, Mithya gave him national exposure.
The succession battle within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) seems to have led to Sharad Pawar’s decision to step down from the NCP. A battle for succession had been brewing in the NCP that had led to Ajit Pawar’s forthright claim for the chief minister’s and almost threatened a vertical split in the NCP. Ajit Pawar, who is Maharashtra’s longest deputy chief minister – he has held the post four times — clearly is tired of waiting for the CM’s chair. Ajit Pawar has already muscled his way within the NCP, way beyond his contemporaries like Jayant Patil, Dilip Walse Patil, Sunil Tatkare. Analysts believe that Ajit Pawar is ruffled by the fact that the NCP won’t hand him the CM’s post even if the MVA wins in 2024, preferring either Uddhav Thackeray or Supriya Sule, instead. The reluctance of senior Pawar, now 82, to spell out his party’s succession plans, has evidently made Ajit Pawar uncomfortable. When Supriya first entered politics, the broad understanding in NCP was that she would work at the national level, while Ajit would lead charge at the state level. But, now with Sule clawing back her way in state politics, to claim her father’s party, has clearly made him restless. NCP may have lost its tag as a national party but analysts believe that it retains enough clout to bounce back with a winning tally in 2024, higher than the 53 seats it currently holds. The brewing succession battle threatens to disrupt equations in the NCP, the coalition arithmetic and politics in Maharashtra.
Suddenly there are many aspirants for the post of chief minister of Maharashtra. Or so it seems. All seem to have concluded that the Supreme Court verdict, to determine the fate of the Shiv Sena rebels, will go against Eknath Shinde and his 15 legislators, leading to a change in government. Aspirants range from Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The BJP’s ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis’ continues to stay in the race with state BJP leaders regularly pegging him as “our own CM.” Uddhav Thackeray continues to be a strong contender despite a drastic fall in his legislators’ strength from 56 to 16. Supriya Sule could be the dark horse in the fray. Not to be left behind, Ramdas Athawale too wants to be counted in for the race. Incidentally, in February, posters had sprung hailing NCP leaders like Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil and even Supriya Sule as the future CM of Maharashtra. However, NCP leaders termed it as the work of mischievous elements. Now, when Ajit Pawar has already thrown his hat into the ring, posters are springing up yet again, hailing him as the future CM. At this juncture, a statement by NCP chief Sharad Pawar about the need for change in government, has only further fuelled the speculations. Incidentally, the man at the helm right now, Shinde, is tight-lipped and maintaining a low-profile.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s meeting with her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejaswi Prasad at the State Secretariat, make it evident that Didi has not put her national ambitions on the back burner. Her single point agenda is to dislodge BJP from the Centre. Will it be possible given the fact, her party Trinamool Congress (TMC) lost national party status? In fact, many from her party feel that Didi should continue to work towards holding its own citadel in the state. A senior TMC leader on condition of anonymity questioned the party’s decision to contest Tripura Assembly Election in 2023 and Goa Assembly election in 2022. He questioned the futile exercise of spending crores of rupees in these two states without any political gain and instead it has led to the loss of National party status. Sources say Didi was not keen on contesting elections in Goa and Tripura but it was party’s general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee’s idea. Also, some TMC leaders feel the party’s image has taken a hit with the induction of former Union minister Yashwant Sinha and former BJP member Shatrughan Sinha. Though the actor won the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, he is still considered as an outsider by the district leadership. Yashwant Sinha quit the party in 2022. The general consensus is that Didi should focus on the party’s image as some of its leaders have been jailed.
While the two Shiv Sena factions are battling over the proposed mega refinery project at Barsu in Ratnagiri district, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have kept away their organisations from the imbroglio so far. Chief minister Eknath Shinde announced that the opponents of the project have gone back and peace has returned to the area. He disclosed that over 70% of those to be affected have backed the project. On the other hand, former CM Uddhav Thackeray will visit the area in the first week of May, according to Sena (U) MP Vinayak Raut. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has condemned the police action against the protestors though other top leaders of the party have more or less kept mum. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has objected to the lathi charge by the police but has not opposed the project. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, too, has been advising the state government to hold a dialogue with people affected by the project and proceed only thereafter. The Congress and the NCP have not organised or joined any protest march. The BJP, too, has refrained from making its presence felt, leaving the responsibility to Eknath Shinde and industry minister Uday Samant. The project issue will be the main focus of the Maha Vikas Aghadi rally to be held in Mumbai on 1 May, Maharashtra Day
Rishabh Pant has made a few public appearances during the Tata -IPL 16, the first one was during Delhi Capitals clash with Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Pant had survived a road accident in December last; and injuries to many parts of his body, surgery thereafter and a long rehabilitation time has ruled him out of action and no one knows when he will return to serious work. Observers don’t see him returning to action for more than a year which means he will miss the ICC World Cup in India in October-November. People who know the exacting demands placed on a wicketkeeper in a Test match feel that the ligament tear on his right knee will make it really tough for him to keep wicket for 90 overs (540 balls). “He has to bend his knees so many times and it will be a physical strain. Even in ODIs it’s a matter of keeping wicket for a minimum 300 balls. It’s going to be tough,” said a person closely watching Pant’s recovery. If the selection committee recalled Ajinkya Rahane for the final of the ICC WTC final against Australia at ‘The Oval’ from June 7, it was because of injuries to Shreyas Iyer and Pant. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been laid low by a weak back. But what could be worrying many is the severity of the knee injury to Pant.
BJP’s National Vice President, the 59-year old Baijayant Jay Panda has been hitting headlines in Odisha dailies for his quick visit to Kendrapada constituency. Many look at this visit as a reaffirmation that BJP may give 2024 Lok Sabha ticket to Panda from this constituency which he lost to BJD in 2019 polls. This suave, articulate ex-MP was elected four times on Biju Janata Dal ticket – twice to Lok Sabha, twice to Rajya Sabha. But, fell out of favour with chief minister Naveen Patnaik for his alleged anti-party activities and was suspended. Peeved, he joined BJP in 2019. A CM aspirant, many felt Panda, by joining BJP, would raise the profile of the party in Odisha but that was not to be. Ironically, he lost his Kendrapada seat to BJD’s film-star-turned-politician Anubhab Mohanty. For author, columnist Panda who has the statesman like presence, the formidable BJD base in Odisha poses a massive challenge because Odisha people continue to love Modi but via Naveen Patnaik.
The national party BJP may be preoccupied with Karnataka as the polls there are proving a challenge despite Congress missteps like Malikarjun Kharge’s ‘snake’ comment. Opinion polls are favouring the Congress, so too do some internal surveys done by the contesting parties. But the BJP is looking ahead to 2024, towards which Maharashtra looms as its next big issue as the verdict on the Sena split is due soon and preparations are on in case Eknath Shinde’s rule is disrupted. With the Karnataka polls round the corner, BJP had been asked by Amit Shah to put Maharashtra operations on hold, much as the Congress had done with its Rajasthan problem. Meanwhile, the BJP tied up its alliance with Edappadi Palaniswami as he had offered 10 seats in all to BJP – 9 in Tamil Nadu plus Puducherry – while the AIADMK would fight most of the other 30 seats, subject to what it may have to part with for allies if the likes of PMK and TMC stay with it for the 2024 Lok Sabha pills. It appears EPS had chosen to ignore whatever the TN BJP chief Annamalai may have said about alliances because he was confident that any decision would be made by Amit Shah, who he met in New Delhi. He has also requested the Home Minister that the CBI be asked to take over the Kodanad estate probe as the DMK is said to be playing games through the police.
It is not the impact of gaali politics or even yet to be launched PM Modi’s carpet bombing that is worrying the Congress in Karnataka. No, the party is not worried about the impact of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s decision to call Modi a “poisonous snake”. What is actually worrying the party is the plethora of pre-election surveys! Initially, these pre-poll surveys were giving the Congress a clear lead over the BJP. However, as the date of polling is drawing closer, several pre-poll surveys and opinions have begun to indicate the possibility of a hung assembly. “These surveys are disturbing. It is the possibility of a hung assembly with JD(S) playing a kingmaker that can mar Congress prospects.” pointed out an AICC manager. Even though KPCC chief D K Shivkumar met JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy in Hyderabad, but HDK seems to be more inclined to back a BJP government. “A hung assembly could work out best in the BJP’s interest. There’s already a talk that even if BJP fails to win Karnataka, they will still form the government,” admits a senior Congress leader. He also admits giving tickets to BJP rebel Jagdish Shettar has proven to be counterproductive as party workers in Hubbali are refusing to work for Shettar. Party sources are also questioning the wisdom of fielding a Muslim candidate Yaseer Ahmed Khan against Lingayat CM Basvaraj Bommai from Shiggaon.
Compared to his own standard Salman Khan’s Eid release Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan was ordinary, exactly as trade had predicted. They say the Rs 15.81 cr opening collection is the actor’s star power and Eid numbers going by his past track record could have been better. In a way his fans saved the day with collections on the first three days touching Rs 78.34 cr. His well-wishers feel that Sallu bhai is being misled by the mutual admiration society around him. They praise his film even though the content is not upto the mark like Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. And he easily trusts and believes people around him. Analysts say that post Covid-19 Pandemic the viewers have become very discerning. Thanks to OTT they don’t just walk into a theatre because of star power. The content has to be top gun like RRR, Pushpa etc. King Khan’s Pathaan seems to be an aberration, maybe because of controversy surrounding its release. Salman has always had a decent opening on Day 1 with all his Eid releases. Dabangg (2010) Rs 14.50 cr, Bodyguard (2011) Rs 21.60 cr, Ek Tha Tiger (2012) Rs 32.93 cr, Kick (2014) Rs 26.4 cr, BajrangiBhaijaan (2015) Rs 27.25 cr, Sultan (2016) Rs 36.54 cr, Tubelight (2017) Rs 21.15 cr, Race3 (2018) Rs 29.17 cr and Bharat (2019) Rs 42.3 cr. Although the trade is disappointed with KKBKKJ there is hope for Salman this Christmas with Tiger 3.
Three political heavyweights from Tamil Nadu — chief minister M K Stalin, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and BJP TN Head K Annamalai – flew into Delhi on April 26, separately, to meet the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Stalin’s visit was obviously for damage control in the wake of the recent tape leak on social media alleging huge sums of money made by his son and son-in-law, and the simultaneous raids on homes and offices of a leading realty company said to be close to the first family. In the case of EPS, after becoming AIADMK chief, he sought legitimacy to his status from the BJP boss. Even as he walked into Shah’s residence with his coterie –Thangamani, Velumani, Jayakumar — he was jolted by the looming presence of Annamalai, bogeyman antagonist whom he dreads as much as OPS. At a media meet, when asked about Annamalai’s sphere of influence, EPS caustic response was “We only deal with PM, HM and Naddaji.” There is no love lost between Annamalai and EPS but Shah made it clear to EPS that BJP works as a team with a chain of command; it’s not faction-led. In other words, he was asking EPS to bury the hatchet with his arch rival OPS, unify the party and give BJP solid support or else BJP will fight alone under Annamalai’s leadership.
Looks like Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor is keeping his options open. Or may be building pressure on Congress leadership to induct him to the Congress Working Committee. Aware that Congress leadership did not quite appreciate him entering the fray for the office of party president and forcing a contest, Tharoor is aware that the party may not easily re-nominate him to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. That is probably why he is reaching out to everyone across the political spectrum including the BJP. He was there at the airport to receive PM Narendra Modi who had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram to launch Vande Bharat Express and the PMO had tweeted about it. Vande Bharat will run between the Kerala capital in the south and Kasargod in the north covering 11 districts in the state. Earlier, Tharoor had complimented Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for making speedy train travel possible in his state. “Progress must be beyond politics,” he had tweeted. At the Vande Bharat launch, it wasn’t Tharoor alone who was all agreeable. Ashwini Vaishnav also came out praising CM Pinarayi Vijayan for extending all help to facilitate in improving and expanding tracks. Vijayan, who was pushing for the controversial SilverLine semi-high speed rail corridor, thanked PM Modi for allocating a Vande Bharat to Kerala. Under Modi, rail budget allocation had gone up five times — from Rs 370 cr in 2014 to Rs 2333 cr in 2023.
How political loyalties prompt various parties to make an about turn over their past policies is seen in Maharashtra at present over the land survey process for the proposed oil refinery at Barsu-Solgaon in Ratnagiri district carried out under heavy police bandobast. Although Maha Vikas Aghadi chief minister Uddhav Thackeray himself had written a letter to the Prime Minister to offer the same land for the project, the three MVA partners have attacked the Shinde-Fadnavis government for the survey. Industry minister Uday Samant, while releasing the letter to the media, alleged that the Congress, the NCP and the Shiv Sena under Uddhav are adopting double standards now. Quoting from the letter written by Uddhav on 12 January 2022 to PM Narendra Modi, the minister said the state government had offered 1300 acres in Barsu and 1344 acres of land at Nate for the refinery. Uddhav had assured the PM that almost 90% of land was unoccupied and hence there would not be any displacement. Moreover, the project would boost the Maharashtra economy without harming the environment. Samant alleged that Uddhav had also opposed the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi expressway but wanted to inaugurate the project to take credit for its completion. He was not successful due to a change of government. The issue will dominate the MVA rally to be held in Mumbai on 1 May, Maharashtra Day.
If Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a tough line against former BJP leader Jagdish Shettar during his visit to Hubballi it is not without reason. Shah’s assertion that “Shettar will lose the election as Hubbali has always voted for the BJP” was made to reflect not just the mood in the Karnataka BJP unit after Shettar crossed over to the Congress. It also shared the anguish of PM Narendra Modi over Shettar’s action. BJP top brass is reportedly furious that Shettar who was given “so much” by the party should join Congress. Shah primarily reflected the BJP’s determination to ensure that Shettar “loses the election”. Shettar is contesting on a Congress ticket from Hubballi-Dharwad-Central, a seat he has won multiple times on a BJP ticket. “There’ll be no loss, Jagdish Shettar will himself lose the election, Huballii has always voted for BJP and all workers of BJP are united,” Shah said at a press conference. Of course, Congress sources are surprised that Modi-Shah should make a fuss about a high profile turncoat, considering the BJP itself has renominated 16 defectors from the Congress who had propped up its government in the last few years.
Tamil Nadu ministers are a bit nervous these days. Not without reason: Chief Minister M K Stalin has been quietly keeping tabs on his ministers’ performances via two organisations. One is the government Intelligence Wing and second, is Peninsula Consultancy. Both these organisations have been secretly monitoring the performances of all the cabinet ministers. The performance appraisal of the ministers will be based on the inputs of both these organisations. So clearly, some heads are going to roll and some may get additional portfolios. For instance, education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi heads the list of good performers followed by industries minister Thangam Thennarasu in second place and MSME minister T M Anbarasan in third place. Those who did not perform well are housing minister S Muthuswamy. It was no surprise that the old war horse Durai Murugan also figures in the non-performers list. Meanwhile, Stalin is besieged with another problem. The finance minister P Thiaga Rajan’s private conversation about money allegedly made by his son Udhayanidhi and son-in-law V Sabareesan has put his party in an awkward position. Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai who earlier exposed corruption of the DMK government is going to town with this new audio tape. So now, there are talks that PTR may be replaced and several names are doing rounds including that of industries minister Thennarasu.
Harsha Bhogle drew praise recently for making Mahendra Singh Dhoni feel so much at home in the post-match interview that he opened his mind on impending retirement. The popular commentator is a rare one from the amateur world of early radio days to make it big in the professional world of TV cricket commentary of today. In an anodyne world of tutored speaking that is largely controlled by BCCI, which virtually owns world cricket and hates contrary ideas and words, Bhogle survives in a rat race of former players looking to don the mike and making a buck after retirement. Cricket jobs are virtually monopolised by ex-players who rarely let any competition in. But there are exceptions in this controlled world of opinionated speakers like Sanjay Manjrekar who sprouts independent opinions, not always good. He is one of the few who speaks his mind, however poorish the diction may be and however misplaced his low opinion of performers who prove him wrong so often. Ravi Shastri had blazed a trail of airing his opinions freely in a professional manner before becoming an Establishment figure in his coaching days. There are too many others who fit the bland stereotypical, obedient, middle-of-the-road ‘gobs on sticks’ in the commentary box. There are very few on the IPL scene who match Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain in informed, entertaining comment on what goes on in the middle
Numbers can’t just be wished away. Often, they give a clue or two to a decisive interpretation. A cursory reading of the FDI (foreign direct investment) equity inflows into the country has thrown up a revealing fact. In FY21-22, India recorded the highest ever annual FDI inflow of $ 83.57 billion. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) indeed comes out with data on FDI inflows across the districts in the country. A reading of the data for the last 11 quarters clearly suggests that there is a concentration of the FDI flow into a few districts. Surprisingly enough, two districts from Tamil Nadu figure among the top 10 which were consistent in terms of attracting FDI. The two districts are Chennai and Kanchipuram. They managed to attract over Rs. 500 crore FDI in nine out of eleven quarters. These two neighbouring districts in Tamil Nadu house some of the top-notch manufacturing industries. In fact, the Chennai-Kanchipuram stretch is an iconic one. Many big boys such as Hyundai, Saint Gobain and the like dot this stretch. That these two districts have been consistently getting FDI must make the political leadership sit up and ponder. Should it not facilitate an ecosystem that allows for equitable distribution of FDI flow across the state?
The staging associations of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will receive a financial compensation of Rs 1.5 crore for each match. For instance the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) will get Rs 10.5 crore from seven home matches of the Mumbai Indians. Other associations like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Hyderabad, Bengal, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat too will get the same. The Punjab and Rajasthan Cricket Association will get the equivalent for five matches because the Punjab Kings will play two at Himachal Pradesh (Dharamsala) and the Rajasthan Royals have already played two in Assam (Guwahati). In all the 10 staging associations will get Rs 735 crore for the 70 league matches. The four playoff matches — two each at Chennai and Ahmedabad — will be conducted by the BCCI. In 2008 the BCCI had allotted Rs 200 crore to be disbursed to its full members together, all this has gone up manifold. The players are not the only stakeholders who have benefited from the IPL, the members of the BCCI too have with different revenue streams in place. With the pandemic forcing the IPL to be played in the Middle East in 2020 and 2021, the home team associations lost substantial money. But it has been a windfall this season, the money could be deployed for stadium maintenance and other activities of the State association. The MCA (Mumbai) can even fund to an extent the activities of some well-run clubs that win local tournaments.
Is Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee planning to hand over the reins to her nephew Abhishek Banerjee? All indications point in that directions. Witness this, Abhishek, the party’s second-in-command and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has unveiled a new campaign “Trinamooler Nabojowar” (Uprise of New Trinamool). Spanning over two months, the campaign has two parts — first a Jono Sanjog Yatra (mass outreach march) where he will be addressing over 250 public meetings, and the second being Gram Banglar Motamot (opinion of rural Bengal). Interestingly, Abhishek will hold meetings with 3,000 party functionaries of the district, panchayat and booth levels and also with the people of local influence in the view of selecting 73000 candidates for the three-tier panchayat election through a secret ballot. Political analysts say that with Didi announcing the outreach drive it clearly hints at projecting her nephew as a mass leader ahead of the panchayat and the national polls next year. Moreover, analysts are also equating the new programme with that of Didi ke Bolo (Tell to Didi) campaign, designed by erstwhile political consultant Prasant Kishore, which resulted in thumping mandate during State Assembly election 2021. The march begins from North Bengal where TMC is still struggling for a strong foothold.
Edappadi Palaniswami getting the nod from Election Commission might prove embarrassing for the Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai. The Supreme Court had nudged ECI to take the call within 10 days and the EC came up with the permissions needed for EPS to be recognized as the general Secretary of AIADMK and while also granting his faction the right to use the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol. Word on the ground as a tiff was developing between EPS and Annamalai was that the BJP was not happy about a Gounder (caste) taking on a Gounder, which is why it appeared there was a chance that the party might press for O Panneerselvam’s faction so the party could bring the dominant caste Thevars to support them. All that proved to be just speculation, which was fuelled some more by the Prime Minister not meeting EPS or OPS on his Chennai visit. Meanwhile, Annamalai, who is busy taking up corruption issues against the top DMK leaders, played an audio tape reportedly containing finance minister P Thiaga Rajan’s (PTR) alleged admission that the CM’s son Udhayanidhi and son-in-law Sabareesh were collecting Rs 10 to Rs 20 crore a day and that they may have amassed Rs 30,000 crore so far. Indeed, these are interesting times in Tamil Nadu where alone the central agencies like ED and CBI are not seen to be that busy.
The political uncertainty playing out in Maharashtra has led to the emergence of Sanjay Raut as a unique polarising factor in Maharashtra politics. Be it during the split of the Shiv Sena, when Eknath Shinde legislators blamed him for the split or now during the almost-split of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Raut’s claim in his political column about Sharad Pawar admission of factions within his party set to join the BJP, had clearly rankled Ajit Pawar, who saw it as Raut’s meddling in his party’s affairs. Earlier, Raut had similarly rankled the Bharatiya Janata party Party (BJP), which blamed him particularly his editorials in Saamna for creating rifts in the SS- BJP’s alliance. Raut has clearly emerged as a unique player in Maharashtra politics way beyond his position as editor of the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamna or even as his party’s spokesperson. He is now the most vociferous proponent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) –Maharashtra’s experiment of an anti-BJP front. Though Sharad Pawar is the architect of the MVA, it was Raut, who has successfully advocated it before the media and the people. Enforcement agencies and even 100 days in jail have failed to tame his sharp-tongue. As political uncertainty lingers on over the forthcoming Supreme Court verdict on the fate of the Eknath Shinde’s legislators and his government, Raut’s role is only set to get more prominent.
Thursday (Apr 20) was a day of mixed news for the Gandhi siblings from the courts and this brought some cheer to the Congress. While Surat sessions court refused to stay his conviction in the defamation case for Rahul Gandhi, Haryana revenue officials brought some cheer by giving a clean chit to transfer of land by Robert Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality to the DLF in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. This came nearly five years after an FIR was registered against former chief minister Bhupinder Hooda and others for cheating and other offences at Gurugram. It is not clear if Vadra got the clean chit as an unintended consequence of the Khattar government’s efforts to bail out its ally — the Chauthalas. As for as the Vadra-DLF land transfer matter, the affidavit said: “It was reported by tehsildar, Manesar, Gurugram, that Skylight Hospitality sold 3.5 acres to DLF Universal Limited on September 18, 2019, and no regulation/rules have been violated in the said transaction. As per the report received from tehsildar, Wazirabad, Gurugram, it was clearly stated that the land in question has not been found in the name of DLF Universal Ltd and the land still exists in the name of HSVP/HSIIDC, Haryana”.
Netflix, the California-based OTT player, is rejigging its business strategy. To start with it has done away with its initial business of mail order DVDs. The DVD postal service was launched as an alternative to DVD rental stores. This business generates only $ 126 mn of Netlfix’s annual turnover of $ 31.6 bn. Besides, it is also aggressively cracking down on free password sharing among its subscribers. Recently it launched a new password sharing policy in the U.S. which includes paid sharing. This policy is being introduced to all its 231 mn paid subscribers across 190 countries. Also, on the anvil are more streams, like subscription only and ad driven streams. In the first quarter of 2023 Netflix added 1.75 mn new customers as against 7.66 million customers last quarter. Though the customer additions look lower, it is considered a significant turnaround as it had lost 200,000 customers in the first quarter of 2022. Netflix’s India business too is looking up with engagement growing nearly 30 % in the first quarter of 2023 vis a vis last year. This follows lowering of prices by 20% to 60 % in December 2021, leading to deepening the penetration of the market. This also led to a revenue growth of 24% in 2022 as against 19% in 2021. Netflix now plans to replicate the India model to 116 other countries.
Arjun Tendulkar has bowled the first over of the powerplay, and thereby the first over of the match itself, and the last over (40th) of an IPL match. Both tough overs when the batsmen throw their wrists to get going, especially in the first six overs when only two fielders are allowed outside the inner circle. Son of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, Arjun has been in the news ever since the five-time winner of the league Mumbai Indians made a successful bid for him at Rs 30 lakhs at the player auction in February last. The 23 year old is a left arm seamer who has played a few matches in the BCCI’s domestic tournaments for Mumbai and Goa. He has also played two Under-19 Test matches for India. He was often seen at the MI nets before the franchise chose him for the 2021 IPL season. The inability of left arm seamer Arshad Khan to make a big impact in the first three matches may have hastened Arjun’s IPL debut against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede. Arjun gave just five runs in the first over and when given the last (death) over against the Sunrisers Hyderabad — when he had 19 to defend — he bowled to the field and took his first IPL wicket too. In two matches Arjun has held his own!
Karnataka PCC chief D K Shivkumar’s last minute gamble to get his brother and the lone Congress Lok Sabha MP D K Suresh to file papers as his cover candidate from Kanakapura assembly seat has not gone down well with state Congress cadres. It was felt such a move could send out a message of uncertainty about the Congress. While officially the Congress explained the need for a cover candidate for Shivkumar — who was hoping to be CM — as a technical necessity. Party sources said Shivkumar had moved his brother to Kanakapura only as a back-up plan. “Having a cover candidate is necessary; he has to be there in the fray only till the time of withdrawal of nominations,” explained an AICC manager. But then why is the PCC chief suddenly preparing for the worst and worrying about rejection of his papers? Hasn’t Shivkumar been winning the Kanakapura assembly seat since 2008? Or has the entry of a senior BJP minister and prominent Vokkaliga face R Ashoka from Kanakapura queered the pitch for him? Meanwhile, Shivkumar’s attempts to consolidate the star power of Vokkaligas are showing results. He got former Lok Sabha MP and actor Divya Sapandana aka Ramya back as star campaigner. Ramya had also joined Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state. Shivkumar was also hoping to get Mandya MP and actor Sumalatha Ambareesh to contest on Congress ticket. She opted out.
Efforts by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya Sule and the party’s top leader Ajit Pawar to lift the veil of suspense have only added to the uncertainty hanging over Maharashtra’s political future. On the one hand, Maha Vikas Aghadi’s principal partner, the NCP, is seen fighting the lone battle to ward off the cloud of intrigue over it. On the other hand, studied silence by the top guns of the BJP and chief minister Eknath Shinde over several recent developments is considered a lull before the storm. On Tuesday (Apr 18), Ajit Pawar made a spirited denial about the possibility of his crossing over to the BJP along with his supporter MLAs. The Congress and the Sena under Uddhav Thackeray have made little effort to dismiss the rumours surrounding Ajit’s likely jump into the saffron camp. Ever since Sena MP Sanjay Raut flashed Sharad Pawar’s purported admission before Uddhav that his party MLAs were targeted by the BJP to join it, a sense of unease is felt in Maharashtra’s polity. As if to add to the mystery, Supriya has predicted that two explosions will take place within the next 15 days, one in Mumbai and the other in Delhi. But she did not specifically mention the Supreme Court’s expected verdict which will determine the direction of future equations.
The ruling national party BJP is facing the biggest challenge nine years after coming to power at the Centre. It has lost assembly elections before but never been beaten out of sight. Such a prospect is in the offing in Karnataka unless its lead campaigner and charismatic leader Narendra Modi can pull a rabbit out of a hat again. The word on the ground is the Congress is in for a big shot at revival in Karnataka even as the BJP campaign has hit solid roadblocks. Lingayat leaders have been deserting the BJP and without their backing it would struggle to win enough seats for a majority though the JD(S) is expected to lose ground. The distribution of tickets is always tricky business. The BJP’s cleaning up campaign to deny seats to incumbents whose image may have taken a hit has not been popular with those who have been left out. This is the first time that whispers on the ground are suggesting that even local BJP leaders are inclined to accept that the tide is turning against them and the sympathy factor when JD(S) was up to its old tricks has dried up. Karnataka, important for a BJP footprint in the south, might slip away unless Modi can convince the voters that he can control local leaders whose corrupt ways have led to this.
While the BCCI has created a lot of goodwill by raising the monthly gratis for the retired Test and first class cricketers and recently increased the prize money for different tournaments in the domestic circuit for men and women, the State associations are reluctant to engage cricketers on an annual retainership. A few years ago the Ranji Trophy winning Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel stated that the time was ripe for the State associations, which take part in the BCCI tournaments, to award annual retainership in order to bring succour to its regular players and provide security. This sentiment is very strong among the domestic first class cricketers of the country, but the State associations whose activities are largely funded by the BCCI grants — from its media rights and other streams of income — have unfortunately not demonstrated the sagacity to improve the lot of its cricketers. Many uncapped cricketers receive decent money from their IPL franchises, but they still need to be supported by their home associations which receive substantial money from the BCCI on an annual basis. The BCCI has 26 players on annual retainership with category A+ players receiving Rs 7 crore, category A: Rs 5 crore, category B: Rs 3 crore and category C: Rs 1 crore. The State associations’ outgo will be much less and there is no reason for it to dilly dally to award retainership to its uncapped players on a performance-linked basis.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched his campaign in Karnataka from Kolar from the very spot where his August 2019 speech cost him membership of the Lok Sabha. Accused of “insulting” OBCs as he had mocked Modi surname in a defamation case, Rahul decided to take on the government on the caste question. Rahul urged PM Modi to release the findings of what the Congress-led UPA regime had compiled — the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) in 2011. He reminded the government that reports from the census have been published except that of the caste data. In urging release of caste census data Rahul may be pushing the case of a lot of Centrist parties from the Hindi heartland like the RJD and JD (U) for a caste-based census. Rahul also exuded confidence about coming to power in Karnataka. He also indicated as to who his choice of chief minister would be: PCC chief D K Shivkumar is clearly a front runner. AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge is also backing DKS. Rahul is gung ho about his “government” that he made it clear that his team would implement its freebie promises in the first Cabinet meeting itself. Meanwhile, one hears senior leader Siddaramaiah has begun to sulk being denied an opportunity to contest from Kolar. The Kolar rally was such a double whammy for the Kuruba leader he was even asked to cut his speech short.
High-profile last-minute imports from BJP into the Congress like Jagdish Shettar and Laxman Savadi — one an ex-CM and another a deputy CM — are apparently not enough to convince Karnataka Congressmen that their party will return to power on May 13. Sources say both the Lingayat leaders are no last-minute imports; they were actually negotiating with the Congress leadership as a back-up option as they were aware they would be denied tickets. That is why the delay by the BJP to declare its list of Karnataka candidates had quite upset the Congress. But even the arrival of Shettar and Savadi, who were once close to B S Yediyurappa, is not cheering the Congress cadres mainly because they are not being viewed as an asset. Congress sources say if these leaders did not make the grade in PM Narendra Modi-Amit Shah’s list, in all possibility, voters may also ignore them. At best desertions can create a political mood against the BJP but then the ruling party managed to beat incumbency by fielding fresh candidates, avoiding fielding more than one person from a family and also getting rid of deadwood. This BJP approach has unsettled the Congress. While BJP has opted for going for fresh faces, the Congress has stuck to the groove –re-nominating the 92-year old sitting MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa from Davangere South.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.