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Eknath Devendra_002

Shinde-Fadnavis Come Under Fire Over Shooting Incidents, Opposition Alleges Goonda Raj

Shooting incidents in Maharashtra have brought the Maharashtra government under fire and raised a chorus for the resignation of home minister Devendra Fadnavis. The killing of close aide of Uddhav Thackeray, Abhishek Ghosalkar during a Facebook live as also the shooting in a Ulhasnagar police station by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator have raised questions of the law and order situation in the state. Parallels are being drawn with Bihar and the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government has come under fire especially from Uddhav Thackeray’s firebrand Sanjay Raut who has demanded implementation of President’s rule in the state. Raut has also been vocal against his bete noire chief minister Eknath Shinde for ‘goonda raj’ and ‘mafia raj’ in Maharashtra. He supported his claims by releasing pictures of gangsters along with Shinde at the state secretariat. The Uddhav faction of the Sena, which is under fire from various agencies, has upped the ante against Shinde and Fadnavis, who it believes are leading the charge to poach their legislators with threats of cases and other means to get them into the ruling alliance. A BJP internal survey in Maharashtra has been unflattering for the party; hence the overdrive to poach political support from other parties. These rising incidents of violence needs to be viewed from the lens of the escalating political tensions amidst the coerced realignments resulting in bitter local equations in the run-up to the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
modi patnaik_002

Rahul Gandhi Slams BJD-BJP ‘Informal Alliance’ Ahead Of General Elections

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections the political temperature in Odisha is rising with possible alliance talks going on between various political parties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s who was in Odisha recently at a public gathering called Naveen ji as “mitra” openly and this seems to have embarrassed the local BJP unit. It is public knowledge that both Modi and Patnaik have great equations. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who just finished his last leg of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra campaigning in Odisha seems to be upset with the BJP-BJD informal alliance. With a view to energize Odisha’s Congress cadres, Rahul has cautioned Odia people saying Odisha is a partnership government of Naveen Patnaik and Narendra Modi wherein Patnaik is helping Modi in Delhi, while Modi helps Naveen in Odisha. Adding further he said that if BJP comes to power even Navratna NALCO will be sold off to private players. Former bureaucrat VK Pandian, Patnaik’s right hand man acknowledged through podcast that lot of things have been ironed out between BJP and BJD saying that Patnaik has it made clear long ago that BJD will have constructive cooperation with the Centre reiterating that the chief minister is not here to fight BJP or Congress. What is important according to Pandian is “covering Odisha’s interest”. For BJP it has no option but a tactical alliance considering the fact Patnaik’s popularity continues to rise and BJP overall has not been able to penetrate the state save for Western Odisha.
IndVEng test

Photo : BCCI

Can India's Batters Avoid The Airy-Fairy Shots?

Can some of the frontline batters of the Indian cricket team eschew playing the aerial shots in the remaining three Tests of the series against England? The ill-timed shots have caused their doom in recent times. There is no gainsaying the fact that the days of stonewalling are a thing of the past, one that would bring boredom during the six-hour action every day causing drawn results. The scoring rate, even on the not-so-perfect batting strips, has risen with England’s batters averaging 3.92 an over in the first two Tests in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam as against India’s 3.27 an over. Thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 209 India reached 396 in the first innings of the second Test in Visakhapatnam; a score 40 runs short of the first innings In Hyderabad where the total was 436 but which could have been upwards of 550 if only India’s top five were thoughtful in shot selection.  Both Test matches did not go beyond the fourth day and hopefully, India’s batters will respond appropriately to Head Coach Rahul Dravid’s observation that decision-making on the issue of shot selection is crucial to piling up runs, especially in the first innings. So can the big batters of India’s top and middle order cut out the frills of hitting airy-fairy shots that they did in the first innings in Hyderabad?  Ground shots yield good returns, food for thought for the lines of Sharma & company.
tamilisai nirmala

As Tamilisai Eyes Puducherry Seat For Lok Sabha Polls, Nirmala Sitharaman May Opt For Tiruchy

It appears Tamilisai Soundarrajan, currently Governor of Telangana and Puducherry, is preparing to come back into active politics. She has been pressing for the Union Territory (UT) seat, which Rangasamy’s party that heads the alliance, has marked for the BJP. With her term as Governor coming to an end, she was looking for an MP seat to contest after her unsuccessful foray in 2019 when she lost to Kanimozhi in the Lok Sabha polls. As she is a favoured candidate in a winnable seat in the UT, it seems Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has had to strike off one of the seats she was aiming at in Tamil Nadu where she must stand for the polls as BJP has decided to field all its ministers and senior leaders in elective seats. The current FM had been eyeing the Puducherry as well as the South Chennai seats. But Kamal Hasaan will be a high-profile candidate for the DMK+ front in South Chennai and the finance minister may have to move further south to seek a suitable seat. She might now pick the Tiruchirapalli constituency since she had gone to college and graduated from there. Kamal favours South Chennai for his foray into Lok Sabha polls as Coimbatore, from where he fought the last assembly elections, has been marked for Mahendran of DMK.
koel anand amruta sankarshan

Koyel Bhattacharya, Pt Anand Bhate, Sankarshan Karhade and Amruta Deshmukh

Unusual Trend Of Indian Performing Artists Flocking To The UK In Winter

Braving all odds, chilled weather, cold and snow Indian performing artists especially those from Maharashtra are flocking to the UK. Usually, the influx begins after spring sets in, and Indian performing arts events are showcased till summer ends. But this year the month of January witnessed vocalists, and dramatists performing in the UK. Also, most of them are coming directly from India. Disciple of late Ustad Rashid Khan, eminent vocalist Koyel Bhattacharya from Kolkata,  accompanied by her husband Kuntal Das, a tabla player disciple of the late Shubhankar Banerjee arrived here in London to perform at the Royal Albert Hall on January 15 for the prestigious Saudha Arts. The husband-wife duo will present their repertoire of ghazals, thumris, dadras and classical songs for SAJDA – Festival Of South Asian Performing Arts. Close on their heels the renowned 54-year-old Marathi vocalist Pt Anand Bhate from the Kirana gharana will perform in March in the cities of Leicester, London, and Edinburgh. Bhate will enthral audiences with his mixed bag of classical, light vocal and devotional songs. The UK audience will also enjoy the comedy Marathi drama  Niyam Va Ati Laagoo presented by the young poet, writer, singer, and dramatist Sankarshan Karhade who will be accompanied by the comedian-actor Prasad Barwe and Amruta Deshmukh who was seen on Marathi Big Boss 4. Powered By: IDFC FIRST BANK
Shivsena ES

India Today Survey Predicts Major Upsets For NDA In Maharashtra

A Mood Of the Nation pre-election survey carried out by India Today and C-Voter has predicted that the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) consisting Uddhav-led Shiv Sena, the Congress and the NCP under Sharad Pawar will bag 26 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra while the ruling alliance of the Sena under CM Eknath Shinde as well as the two DCMs, Devendra Fadanvis and Ajit Pawar only 22. In 2019, the BJP-Sena alliance had won 41 seats. It is generally expected that it would repeat the performance, especially since Ajit Pawar teamed up with the saffron alliance. Buoyed up by the forecast, the Opposition in the state has started making claims that its Lok Sabha tally would exceed 35. Maharashtra’s LS tally is only second to Uttar Pradesh with 80 seats. Hence, Maharashtra occupies a crucial place in the BJP’s electoral calculation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s frequent visits to the state are interpreted as a sign of nervousness on the part of the ruling side. He is slated to pay his next visit on February 19 to launch some mega infra projects. According to the survey, the Congress will win 12 seats while the Sena (Uddhav) and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar would capture 14 seats together, leaving 22 for the NDA.  The MVA is feeling more confident ever since Republican leader Prakash Ambedkar has agreed to enter the LS fray under its banner. In 2019, the united Sena had won 19 seats, along with the BJP’s 21. The united NCP had four while the Congress and the AIMIM could win one seat each. The survey findings are rather surprising since it has predicted a BJP sweep in several major states, including UP, MP, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
JP Nadda_001

Of Revolving Doors And Fleeing AIADMK Senior Leaders

Electoral alliance plans are evolving fast, even as party doors are kept revolving.  So when the Home Minister Amit Shah in his interview to ‘Daily Thanthi’ said, “Our doors are open for anyone to come and join us”.  D Jayakumar, AIADMK heavyweight reacted, “BJP doors may be open, but we have shut the doors for BJP, put a big lock too”. Perhaps defying him, 15 former AIADMK legislators and former MP walked in to the BJP, and were given a warm welcome by BJP president JP Nadda, Union ministers Rajeev Chandrasekhar, L Murugan and Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai. With so many AIADMK leaders crossing over to BJP where was AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS)? EPS it is learnt had just worshipped at the Bhadra Kaali Amman temple when the media encircled him to get his views. His bland response was “I have not seen the newspapers this morning. I can clarify only after reading the news”. Was EPS trying hard to save his face? Or was he really unaware of his brood’s cross over? Even as a former Congress leader’s  son, well respected and considered a quiet achiever was said to be negotiating a truce and face saving retreat, things were playing out without a script. The modus operandi advised by brokering political strategists ….”Sap bhi mare aur lathi bhi na toote”.
altigreen

David Versus Goliath In Hybrid Vehicles And Electric Propulsion

  Many companies who have got into the electrical vehicle (EV) manufacturing space are looking forward to the music of their cash registers ringing since the government announced its renewed push for such engines. Adding to the euphoria has been the report released in end-January by HSBC Global Research that hybrid vehicles are a practical midterm solution on the decarbonisation road. The smaller players like the Bengaluru-headquartered Altigreen Propulsion Labs, which was a pioneer in hybrids and has announced plans to move towards 100% EVs, is however being cautious in view of the biggies that are already in the field, like Mahindra, Bajaj, Piaggio and TVS. This David is trying to establish its footing in the last-mile transportation space, for electrically-operated cargo as well as passenger delivery vans. Along the way, the company raised Series A funding, which it says is the largest fund-raise from Indian venture and corporate investors by an electric 3W startup. The first investment into the Indian EV sector for all five funders – Sixth Sense, Xponentia, Reliance New Energy, Accurant USA and Momentum Singapore — is a reflection that EVs and last-mile transport have come into their own and are being studied, and investors are willing to take sizeable and long-term bets on them. Of these, Accurant — the investment venture of Bahman of Open Systems International, Inc. — is making its first India investment and promises to be a big player in EV charging infrastructure. As the government moves towards achieving its target of ‘only electric vehicles’ by 2030, will David beat Goliath again as in the original story?
esha deol

Photo :@Esha_Deol

Incompatibility Or The ‘Woh’ Factor: Why Do Some Star Marriages Fail?

In the last few years, several star marriages have turned sour. Many of them opted for a divorce/separation. A few got remarried – Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. And some like Karishma Kapoor, Pooja Bhatt and Sohail Khan prefer to remain single again. The latest separation announcement came from Esha Deol — Hema Malini-Dharmendra’s eldest daughter. She is the first person from Deol family to separate from her husband Bharat Takhtani after 12 years of marriage. Reason: she could not come to terms with various restrictions imposed by her hubby like wearing shorts at home. The first star marriage that turned rocky and hit national headlines was that of superstar Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia. The reason given was Kaka’s numerous affairs. But, most Bollywood marriages have not worked out primarily because of the ‘other’ girl/boy in their partner’s life. Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora separated after reports about her affair with Arjun Kapoor came out in the open. He recently married Raveena Tandon’s stylist Shura Khan. Some stars did not call off their marriages because of sheer societal pressure and kept it under wraps. A case in point is Sunny Deol inspite of his proximity with Dimple has managed to keep his married life intact. In some cases, it has been the substance abuse. Aamir Khan divorced twice is married for the third time. Model turned actor Arjun Rampal separated from super model Mehr Jessia after 21 years of marriage and is now living with Gabriellia Demetriades. Most marriages in Bollywood have turned sour largely because of “torrid affairs”.
karnataka cong protest

Poll Promises Force Karnataka Cong To Fake A Fund Battle With Delhi

Ahead of what seems like a concerted move by southern states like Karnataka and Kerala for a sit-in protest about “lack of funds from Centre” in Delhi, PM Modi slammed the politics over the “north-south fund fight” fuelled by the Congress. He made it clear that there could be no divisive politics over government funds. “Divisive politics over national resources is dangerous. We cannot see state funds in a narrow prism,” he said speaking on the Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha. It was a day when Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his team landed in Delhi to do a brief sit-in protest over lack of funds. The Congress government in Karnataka is struggling to fulfil the six guarantees it had promised while coming to power in May 2023. CPI(M) in Kerala may not have a freebie burden like the Congress in Karnataka but the growing  traction of PM Modi and BJP in the state has got a worried Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan to do a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar. Flaying the Opposition CMs, PM Modi questioned the tone and tenor of the Karnataka leaders.“Humara tax, humara money; ye kaisi bhasha boli ja rahi hai? Charging the Congress of trying to divide the country over funds, Modi reminded the Southern states that the eastern states had mobilized oxygen supply during Covid or the way they keep up supply of coal, it would be short-sighted to underestimate the importance of any region in the country. “Mera desh Bangalore, Chennai, Telangana, Puri sab jagah hai. I don’t discriminate against states,” he said.
Modi_TV

Modi Picks Up From Where Mamata Left, Says Will Pray Cong Gets 40 Seats

Is West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s jibe about Congress not in a position to cross 40 Lok Sabha seats in 2024 proving too costly for the Grand Old Party (GOP)? Upset with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passing through her state, the TMC supremo had challenged the Congress to take on the BJP in the Hindi heartland states. She was upset that the yatra had traversed through Bengal’s six districts and compared it to a “mere photo opportunity” for “migratory birds” as she felt its aim was only to disturb Muslim votes. Citing the challenge posed by an I.N.D.I.A partner like the TMC, PM Narendra Modi — speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Motion of Thanks to the President– decided to play on the number challenge for the Congress.  “A challenge has been posed before you from West Bengal that the Congress will not be able to cross 40 seats in Lok Sabha. I pray that you can secure 40,” he said. Modi also referred to Rahul as “yuvraj” saying that he was presented as a “start-up” but turned out to be a “non-starter”. Indulging in some banter with LoP Mallikarjun Kharge, Modi wondered how he had managed to give a long speech in the House.”Then, I realised that the two commandos who are usually here were not present. Kharge ji, after realising there were no umpires or commandos, kept hitting 4s and 6s,” he said referring to the absence of Rahul and Jairam Ramesh in Delhi. Attacking the Congress for being outdated, Modi felt it had also outsourced its work.
Rahul cpi

Congress, CPI (M) Join Hands In West Bengal To Contest Lok Sabha Polls

Congress and CPI(M) seems to have once again struck a chord with each other after West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee made it categorical that her party will contest the Lok Sabha elections in all constituencies in the state. Interestingly, Congress scion and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi who was in Bengal with his Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra found support from CPI(M) at a time when Didi expressed her displeasure that she remained uninformed about Gandhi’s programme in her state. Senior CPI(M) leaders including state secretary Mohammad Salim, state committee member Sujan Chakraborty met Rahul during his tour in Murshidabad. Significantly, the Left leaders not only joined Rahul but also held a closed-door meeting, where Salim has been categorical in stating that they are in support of Rahul’s programme. Congress sources confirmed that Pradesh Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has been behind this meeting since Adhir is known to be a close-aide of Rahul. Following this meeting, the Congress has once again shown its trust in Adhir by appointing him as chairman of the party’s Pradesh Election Committee.  The 24-member committee includes ex-MP Pradip Bhattacharya, CWC member Deepa Dasmunsi, DP Roy and others. Further, Bengal Congress chief has not lost a Lok Sabha election since 1999 and will be able to negotiate seat-sharing talks with CPI(M) since the TMC has blamed him for the seat-sharing debacle in the state.
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Photo : @actorvijay

Superstar Vijay’s Political Party’s Name Confuses And Confounds Tamil Nadu

Hot on the heels of his crack of dawn powwow with his party lieutenants, Tamil film superstar Vijay finally announced the name of his party — Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (Vetri is Tamil for Vijay). As expected it was received with oodles of enthusiasm from his devoted fans and open criticisms from other political outfits. AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami says Vijay is being backed by BJP. Superstar Vijay is following the path already trekked by MGR, J Jayalalithaa, Vijayakanth, Sarathkumar and Kamal Haasan. Looks like politics is going to be his full time job as he will give up acting after his 69th film is released. But, one thing is clear: his party TVK is not contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha polls; they will be contesting only the 2026 Assembly elections in TN. Well known film director Ameer has tried to decode Vijay’s strategy. “No one would have raised questions if he had announced it after the Lok Sabha elections. He must be the only aspirant who neither met the people nor the media. Whoever advised him has misled him.” The claim that his official astrologer chose the auspicious date (Feb 2) and time for announcing his grand entry made for more spice. The addendum …though Vijay is a Christian by faith, he believes in astrology and all the attendant superstitions of the land. An experienced commentator demystifies. Vijay has cannily entered the political arena and set the cat among the pigeons. Right now Vijay is a Ghilli –a blockbuster he starred in 2004.
Naveen odia

Odisha Chief Minister Plays The Language Card

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s recent inauguration of ‘Akshar Bhumi’ (Odia language park, a walk through museum which traces the history of Odia language) followed by World Odia Language Conference Feb 3-5 at Bhubanewar’s Janata Maidan, attracting 10,000 visitors from India and overseas is making headlines in Odisha dailies. This mega event had the presence of international and national scholars including winners of Jnanpith, Padma and Sahitya Akademi awardees and recipients of Kabir Samman. Political observers say Patnaik is now promoting Odiya language and culture as a political weapon. Towards this the Odisha government and JNU, New Delhi have signed a MoU for establishing Biju Patnaik Special Centre for Odia Studies at JNU for research in Odia language. Patnaik, who knows the pulse of his people, is instilling pride at home and overseas by promoting Odia race, culture, language and literature. In doing so he is silencing critics who criticized him for not knowing his own mother tongue well. Opposition leaders in Odisha are referring to this event as “political gaslighting”. With general elections just a couple of months away, Patnaik is sending a clear message to his critics that language does play a significant role in political propaganda.
eknath ajit

Maharashtra CM, DCM Cornered Over Photographs With Mafia Dons

Meetings between public figures and underworld elements are no novelty but when they happen one after another and a chief minister or deputy chief minister (DCM) are in the picture, literally, eyebrows are bound to raise. Photographs of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s son Dr Shrikant, MP, and DCM Ajit Pawar himself, besides his son Parth, receiving mafia members have gone viral over the past few days, igniting a political inferno. Coincidentally, this is happening when the state is rocked on account of indiscriminate firing by BJP’s Kalyan (East) MLA Ganpat Gaikwad at his foes inside a police station. Gaikwad had made serious allegations against Shinde and Shrikant. The CM’s supporters have taken objection to it and demanded BJP’s action against Gaikwad. Amidst all this, the first shock was notorious muscle man Gajaa Marane’s meeting with Parth in the latter’s Pune residence. Ajit later said it should not have happened and admonished his son. Within a few days, the CM was cornered when his son Shrikant received good wishes from Hemant Dabhekar, a known criminal from Pune, at ‘Varsha,’ official residence of the CM. The occasion was Shrikant’s birthday. Even before the dust was settling, Pimpri-Chinchwad’s don Asif Mohamed Iqbal Shaikh alias Asif Dadhi met Ajit Pawar. The purpose of the meeting is not known but it is believed that Asif is desirous of entering politics. The Opposition parties in Maharashtra have found ready-made cannon fodder and are making full use of the opportunity.
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Photo : BCCI

Rahul Dravid Hits The Nail On Its Head!

  Rahul Dravid hit the nail on its head while saying that “reading the game and game situation” is paramount in cricket, in particular Test cricket. The most famous “Wall” of Indian cricket, whose cautious, mentality was recently acknowledged by the former South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, had without pointing fingers at any individual, said that India was short by 70 odd runs in the first innings of the first Test in Hyderabad, and again after the 106 run win in the second Test in Visakhapatnam, he pointed out that India’s first innings score was under par and that the score, instead of 396 should have been 450-475, especially with Yashasvi Jaiswal getting 209. The former England captain Michael Atherton, the Chief Cricket Correspondent of ‘The Times’ wrote that the top and middle order Indian batters were careless in the first innings in Hyderabad. He did not name individuals, but he was referring to the careless shots played by Rohit Sharma, Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. India’s head coach m said that it’s all about understanding that (reading the situation)and knowing that they are making the right decision to put them (the opponent) under pressure or recognise that this is the moment to soak in the pressure and be a little bit more conservative rather than attack. India lost the first Test partially because it was not able to score 500 plus in the first innings. 
modi lok sabha

PM Modi Takes Congress To The Cleaners

In his last ‘Motion of Thanks’ reply to President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the Parliament, PM Narendra Modi exuded super confidence about returning to office for a third term with at least 370 seats for the BJP and 400 seats for the NDA. He taunted the Opposition for losing “the courage to contest elections”. In an obvious reference to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s plans to shift to the Rajya Sabha, Modi said “Some seats were changed last time too…I have also heard that many people now want to go to Rajya Sabha instead of Lok Sabha.” Sonia Gandhi walked out half way through his speech. He asserted that the “third term of our government is not very far now. Only 100-125 days remain to go.” Modi promised that India would become the third-largest economic power in the world in his third term and expressed confidence that his next term would see some “very big decisions”. Modi was in form as he took the Congress to the cleaners for not finding its mojo in its decade in the Opposition and attacked it for squandering its time in launching-relaunching the same product — a veiled reference to Rahul Gandhi. Quoting a 1959 speech of Jawaharlal Nehru, Modi showed how the first PM felt that the “Indians were lazy”. Showcasing his own government’s work of building 4 crore houses for the poor, Modi said if his government were to work at the speed of Congress “it would have taken 100 years to do this work. Five generations would have passed by then.”
ganpat gaikwad

Firing BJP MLA’s Serious Allegations Against CM Shinde, Son Shrikant

BJP Kalyan (East) MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, who fired several bullets at his arch enemies inside a police station, has made several sensational allegations against Maharashtra’s chief minister Eknath Shinde and his son Shrikant, MP. The matter is likely to snowball into a major political storm as this is the first incident of its kind in Maharashtra. According to Gaikwad, a property dispute at Ulhasnagar near Kalyan was at the root of the shocking incident. He has alleged that the father-son duo had been fostering goondaism in the area. Gaikwad has been representing the Kalyan (East) constituency for nearly two decades, becoming a thorn in the side of the Shinde faction. The critically injured Mahesh Gaikwad and Rahul Patil are said to be staunch followers of Shinde and Shrikant. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who handles the home department, however, has become the whipping boy for the Opposition. NCP MP Supriya Sule and state Congress president Nana Patole led the demand brigade seeking Fadnavis’ resignation immediately after the news of the firing spread like wildfire. On the other hand, OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal (Ajit Pawar faction) has ridiculed the demand asking “Did Fadnavis ask the MLA to fire?” A home minister would have to resign a hundred times a day if he is demanded to quit after each criminal incident. But Sharad Pawar has remarked that the incident shows in which direction the state is moving.
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Bonhomie In Parliament As Kharge Endorses BJP Tagline Of 400 Seats

For once Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge must be happy with the kind of impact his Rajya Sabha speech is making. For reasons best known to him, he used a BJP campaign tagline and got the ruling party to make it go viral. Kharge’s remarks that the BJP would be getting “abki paar, 400 paar” — video clip — was posted on BJP’s X handle. It was all the attention that he could ask for. Since he spoke in motion of thanks to the President’s address, PM Narendra Modi was present in the House. In his speech, Kharge was heard saying, “You have a majority, with 330-334 seats. This time it will be above 400,” evoking laughter from the PM and all senior ministers. Kharge’s remarks indicated that he had come a long way since the time he had complained about how I.N.D.I.A bloc CMs like Mamata Banerjee or Nitish Kumar before he joined the NDA were not taking his calls. The BJP could not have been more happy that Kharge, a Dalit leader of the Congress from Karnataka, had endorsed a big win for the party. The Congress leader’s clip with an imaginary header from PM Modi “I need new haters, the old ones have become my fans” was naturally on its social media post. Meanwhile, aiming to surpass its 2019 performance of 303 seats, the party recently launched its campaign theme song “Sapne Nahi Haqeeqat Bunte Hai, Tabhi Toh Sab Modi Ko Chunte Hain (we do not spin dreams, but weave reality, which is why people choose Modi)”.
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With General Elections Few Months Away Political Temperature In Odisha Hots Up

With the general elections a few months away, the political temperature in Odisha seems to be rising. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with senior BJP leaders will be visiting  Sambalpur on February 3. Political watchers interpret  Modi’s Sambalpur visit  to create “hawa and mahol” of election mood, apart from launching news projects worth Rs 69000-crore. Besides inaugurating IIM-Sambalpur, Modi is also endorsing Dharmendra Pradhan who will be contesting the Lok Sabha election from Sambalpur constituency. Even though PM Modi and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik are good friends, yet Modi is leaving no stones unturned to ensure a big win for BJP. Energized by BJP’s recent win in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh, the general thinking among BJP leaders in Odisha is, “If North East and Chattisgarh could be won by BJP, why not Odisha ”? Poll pundits say Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) immense penetration at Panchayat and booth levels will ensure its eventual victory.  BJP does not have alternative programmes at the state level that can challenge BJD seriously. Surprisingly, BJP’s constant accusation of BJD’s corruption has neither dented Patnaik’s image nor decreased his party’s popularity. The general feeling among people of Odisha is that Naveen babu has delivered.
Ramadoss abumanu

PMK May Choose To Go With BJP In Lok Sabha Polls

While Tamil Nadu was agog with the excitement of Vijay stepping into politics to keep up a film star tradition, the older parties may be putting on their thinking caps to see what effect this will have on the polity. Of course, Vijay’s party will be a player only in the 2026 Assembly elections. TN parties are now busy pulling out their calculators for forging alliances. It is all but confirmed that the PMK — led by founder S Ramadoss and son Anbumani — one of the first as a caste party to gain prominence in the avowed “casteless’ Dravidian society, will go with the BJP’s offer of seven seats in the Lok Sabha polls. Having toyed with joining DMK, the Vanniyar party has few options but to go with BJP as it cannot mix with a front in which the VCK, another caste outfit, is an ally. It appears senior AIADMK leaders have told Eddapadi K Palanswami not to entertain the PMK. Besides the PMK, the BJP front might have the DMDK in its fold as Premalatha might throw in her lot with Modi’s party as her late husband Vijayakanth was a great fan of the Prime Minister and canvassed for him and his party from 2014 onwards. Tamil Maanila Congress, without a great vote share or presence, is yet to make its choice clear. The three-way battle will be on with the DMK-Congress-MDMK-VCK combine against the BJP- front while AIADMK will go in without any major allies.
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Photo : X

It's Tom Hartley In Hyderabad, Will Shoaib Bashir Follow Suit In Vizag?

The story of the India versus England Test series so far has been the champion Indian batters being foxed by a tyro orthodox left-arm spinner in Tom Hartley in the first Test. Handed over the Test cap by former England captain Michael Atherton — both from Lancashire — the 24-year-old spinner was carted by Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first innings, but without showing any feelings of being embarrassed, Hartley, 6.4 ft in his socks, ran amok taking seven wickets in the second innings and inflicted a shocking defeat on India. The right-hand wrist spinner Rehan Ahmed turned out to be ordinary though. Now in the second Test, England which created a ruckus about Shoaib Bashir not being given the entry permit on time has included the off-spinner in the XI for the second Test. England which has been advertising the aggressive brand of cricket to sustain interest in the multi-day Test cricket has taken outrageous calls while choosing personnel, it has been peculiar for the five-Test series in India.  It may have erred in choosing its most experienced left-arm spinner, Jack Leach because of his hamstring and knee-related ailments, but Bashir was not available for selection because he did not have the Indian visa in Abu Dhabi where England ran the preparatory camp for 10 days.  But Hartley grabbed the opportunity and stunned the home team that was supposed to outplay the spinners. Bashir will be keen to make the ball obey his whims. The outcome of the second Test will indicate as to which team is likely to win the series.
Pratibha rohit pawar

Pratibha Pawar’s Rare Public Appearance To Support Grandson Rohit, Outside Ed Office

NCP president Sharad Pawar’s wife Pratibha appeared at the ED Mumbai office on February 1, surprising most of his supporters and the media, too. Married to the legendary leader over six decades ago, Pratibha rarely makes a public appearance. The only recent time she was seen in a crowd was when Pawar announced his resignation as party president last year. Before that, she was present when Pawar was felicitated at an all-party function after he turned 75. Daughter of a cricketer, Sadu Shinde, the lady has never dabbled in politics or public affairs. Hence, seeing her alighting from her car, NCP protestors started shouting anti-government slogans with renewed energy. They had gathered to condemn the ED’s summons to Pawar’s grandson, Rohit Pawar, a NCP MLA from Jamkhed in western Maharashtra. As Pawar himself was not present, Pratibha decided to lend moral support to Rohit, who is a successful businessman. She was accompanied by Revati Sule, Supriya Sule’s daughter. Rohit has emerged as the spokesman of the Pawar faction of the NCP. He is viewed as Pawar’s political heir for the state politics while Supriya continues to be the party face in the national affairs. Rohit has advised his followers to maintain calm since he feels the ED’s action is taken in view of the impending elections and hence will not transpire anything against him.
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Photo : @AnilKapoor

Anil Kapoor: An Actor For All Seasons

After Dev Anand one can safely call the 67-year old Anil ‘Jhakas’ Kapoor, Bollywood’s Evergreen hero. He has constantly reinvented himself. The Woh Saat Din actor has come a long way. In a career spanning over 40 years, Anil who is recognised for playing all kinds of roles has acted in over 100 films.  He is identified for some of the interesting roles he essayed in Hindi films like Mr India, Mashaal, Tezaab, Ram Lakhan, Nayak, Welcome, English movie Slumdog Millionaire and English TV serial 24. And in recent times, he has managed to give two consecutive superhits – Animal and Fighter.  So be it TV, OTT or big screen, his works have always been noteworthy. The Night Manager on OTT has always been the talk of the town and his portrayal of a shrewd, cunning businessman was well received. With Fighter he has reached an altogether different zone. According to Trade Analyst Girish Wankhede, his energy and intensity are palpable, we can see Anil Kapoor 2.0 or 3.0 because of his versatility and his understanding of each medium. The fitness freak has consciously kept out of controversy or linked up with his female co-stars. Like Big B, Anil too is very disciplined and professional. He never went out of circulation like many stars of his time and who are desperately trying to make a comeback. His career graph, like Dharmendra, Jeetendra, has been steady. Clearly, Anil is a smart actor who can easily write a book, ‘How To Stay Relevant’ all the time.
mamata rahul

Cong In A Bind As Mamata Won't Give A Free Run To Rahul Gandhi's Yatra

West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is clearly upset with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra making its way into her state. She is so miffed with the Congress action that she feels the entire yatra is a bid to revive the Left Parties in the state — a battle she had fought hard to eliminate. She feels any softness on the yatra at this stage could allow the Left Parties to make a comeback in Bengal. It is felt that the idea of yatra in Bengal itself was something that CPI(M)boss Sitaram Yechury perhaps worked out with Rahul .That’s perhaps why Didi has given instructions up to the district level not to cooperate with Congress functionaries. Bengal Congress leaders are finding district officials so paranoid that they are finding it difficult to make even basic travel arrangements for Rahul Gandhi. This at a time when the yatra is about to re-enter the state for a second phase on January 31. Interestingly, in the first phase when Rahul Gandhi entered Bengal he was greeted with posters of “Didi for PM”. Mamata, who has announced she will go alone for 2024 is apparently determined to take on the BJP, win on her own at least 40 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats. She also wants to vanquish Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Choudhury from his Berhampore Lok Sabha seat. The only concession for the Congress that she is willing to make is Malda Dakshin seat and that too for the sake of Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, as he is a kin of  the late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, an old colleague.
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Milind Deora Tipped For Rajya Sabha From Maharashtra, Statistics Favourable For 3-Party Alliance

Former Union minister Milind Deora is emerging as a frontrunner for one of the Rajya Sabha seats which is among the six that are falling vacant from the state next month. According to the present statistics, all but one seat can be bagged by the three-party ruling alliance. The sixth seat can be won by the Congress party easily as it has the requisite vote quota, which is 42, to win the election. The Congress has 44 members in the lower house of Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar have around 16 MLAs in their camps. Thus, even if they join hands for the election which is held in the open, they will have little chance of any victory. Moreover, the state assembly speaker, Rahul Narwekar, has ruled that the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde is the real party. Hence, its whip will be binding on Uddhav’s supporter MLAs. Likewise, a hearing is going on about the disqualification or otherwise of the MLAs with Pawar. If the speaker’s ruling goes in favour of Ajit Pawar, the MLAs will have to obey the whip of the breakaway NCP. In that situation, the Congress will be the only opposition party left in the field. Deora has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Given his proximity with Shinde, the hopefuls in that camp will find it prudent to support the former South Mumbai MP.
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Reservation Storm Building Up Around Bhujbal, Asked To Observe Restraint

Senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal is becoming the central point in the whirlwind scenario that is building up in Maharashtra over the state government’s decision to grant reservations to the Maratha caste due to his aggressive stance for protecting the OBC reservations. Chief minister Eknath Shinde and his two DCMs, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have advised Bhujbal to ‘understand’ the government’s notification in this regard first before making any public statement. In retaliation for some Maratha leaders’ comments, Bhujbal has declared in front of his supporters that he will not hanker for a ministership if there is a choice between his post and his demand. In a bid to reinforce the BJP’s commitment towards the OBCs, Fadnavis has issued a veiled warning.  He said he would approach the party leadership if an eventuality to threaten the OBC reservations ever arose. When Fadnavis was asked about Bhujbal’s statements, he merely said that Bhujbal needs to maintain restraint. He can discuss the matter in detail after both meet. Ajit Pawar, likewise, said it would be necessary to know Bhujbal’s exact grievance and what the government had offered. Perhaps unsettled after several quarters have alerted the Maratha community about the difficulties in the way of securing the reservations, the agitation leader, Manoj Jarange Patil has reiterated his determination to fight out till it is achieved. Both camps are finalising their strategy and are unrelenting about their stands.
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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....
MS Subbulakshmi

From Tirupati to Ayodhya, Bharat Ratna MS's Golden Voice Resonates

At Tirupati, if it is rendering of Bharat Ratna MS Subbulakshmi’s Sri Venkatesa Suprabhatham that invokes Lord Venkatesa every morning, it is interesting that in Ayodhya too MS’s invocation to Sri Krishna made it to the playlist with the nadaswaram playing her Tamil song during the pran pratishtha ceremony. It was the rendition of her hugely popular Tamil devotional song Kurai ondrum illai — a song set in Carnatic music — in praise of Sri Krishna/ Lord Venkatesa that was written by veteran Congress freedom fighter and former governor general of India CR Rajagoplachari. Of course, there were many South connections and contributions to the making of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.  Most important of course is the beautiful idol of Ram Lalla sculpted by Arun Yogiraj from the unique Krishna Shila stone found in Mysuru. But the “mangal dhwani” that resonated during the consecration ceremony certainly makes for interesting details in its composition. Apparently over 50 exquisite instruments came from 18 different states for this auspicious occasion and resonated for nearly two hours. Asked to comment on the selection of MS’s song at the ceremony, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai linked it with the coincidence of PM Modi listening to rendering of Carnatic music by Sikkil Gurucharan, who is supposed to be related to MS, sitting in Kambar Mandapam at Srirangam temple, near Trichy. It was a musical rendering of Kamba Ramayanam. The BJP leader also shared how his state had hugely contributed for the temple cause, including a single person donating as much Rs 25 cr by cheque.
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For Bihar CM ‘Ram Nam’ Spells Political Survival, Lucky CM Nitish Kumar Wins Yet Another Duel

Ninth-time lucky Bihar CM Nitish Kumar defied all political odds of survival commencing another stint as CM, after junking the Mahagatbandhan with RJD-Congress yet again. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused Kumar of practising the ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ brand of political opportunism, others tagged the sobriquet of ‘Paltu Ram’. These commonly used phrases do harsh injustice to Lord Rama’s name, suffixed with negative connotations like transferred epithets. A BJP leader says, “Pejorative terminologies for Lord Rama, preached through conscious Leftist narratives, are deliberately being contextually misplaced. Regional political player Nitish Kumar (staved off the 2014 BJP wave to return as CM in 2015) is the Indian political chess board’s survival specialist. Nitsh, holding charge of home department in 2017, dissolved alliance with RJD-Congress first (after intelligence revealed imminent plans by Lalu Prasad Yadav to break bad and install son Tejaswi as CM) still completing full tenure. It is true that post 2020 state assemblies, Kumar with 43 MLAs (BJP elected 75 MLAs) had fought in alliance with BJP, was assured full tenure as CM but still broke our alliance.” CM Kumar’s helmsmanship plans for I.N.D.I.A. and national politics went awry thereafter and the Tejaswi threat loomed once again, probably forcing his hand for yet another political play for Bihar. Turn around another negatively used phrase, “Ram Bharose Hindu Hotel” positively to more accurately show Kumar seeking refuge in Lord Rama (saffron front) in his hour of political crisis to succeed and complete full tenure as CM yet again.
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Can Ranbir Kapoor Emerge As The Next Superstar?

Looks like the 41-year old actor Ranbir Kapoor is on a roll. He returns to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s camp after a gap of 23 years with his wife Alia Bhatt signed up as the leading lady for Love and War. Ranbir was launched by Bhansali in Saawariya. The subject of the new movie seems to be a love triangle and Vicky Kaushal too is part of the cast. Besides, Ranbir will start shooting for Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayan in March with south heroine Sai Pallavi. Meanwhile, the actor is getting trolled for being a meat eater and criticized for playing Ram. To top it all his successful film like Animal has got extreme reactions from the feminist group. But that has not stopped filmmakers from casting him in their films. Film Trade Analyst Girish Wankhede says, “Ranbir Kapoor is on a roll because he has given one of the biggest hits of last year and the entire trade and filmgoers think that it was a long due from a Superstar like Ranbir.” He has been in the industry for more than a decade but was not able to deliver the blockbusters, but with Animal he has proved that he is a bankable star. Ranbir is slated to do the sequel of Animal. Ranbir who has acted in 38 films in the last 23 years charges around Rs 30 crore for a film. Today, he is one the most sought after actors. Going by this trend Ranbir could well emerge as the next Superstar.
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Post Ayodhya, Are South Filmmakers Betting Big On Mythology?

Contemporary South cinema is now exploring an age old theme with the newest of technology and marketing missiles. Kollywood, Tollywood and Kannada cinemas are cannily exploiting ancient mythology themes with gusto. On Makar Sankranti day, Telugu film director Prasanth Varma’s Hanu Man was released and the promo promised that every Rs 5 from a ticket would be contributed to the Ram Mandir construction in Ayodhya. And he was not wrong with his brand equity math – he donated Rs 2.6 crore to Sri Ram Mandir. Hot on the heels of Hanu Man, Varma proclaimed Jai Hanuman, the sequel/prequel on January 22 with a devotional pooja organised at the Hyderabad Hanuman mandir. Varma’s soon to be shot script features a fantasy world of superhuman beings and incidents from the Aadi Kaavyam with never before explored events to be woven into the film. Kannada filmmaker Suresh Arts Productions announced Sri Rama, Jai Hanuman on the same Prana Prathistha day, planning a unique story telling in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and English. Ramanand Sagar had set a benchmark viewership record when his Ramayan made television history in 1987-88, when traffic countrywide would come to a standstill every Sunday.  A new age revival of Hindu mythology and stories that have stood the test of centuries is about to happen. The cinema factory has an instinct for super profitable panorama. Are you ready to be enchanted and entranced?
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It’s Advantage Shinde Post Maratha Agitation

The adept handling of the Manoj Jarange Patil-led Maratha agitation not only consolidates the position of chief minister Eknath Shinde but also marks the emergence of Shinde as the dark horse of Maharashtra politics. Shinde, who himself is a Maratha, could also benefit electorally from the politically strong Maratha vote bank, that has been the mainstay of the Pawars — both uncle Sharad and his nephew Ajit — as also the Congress. By successfully containing the agitation on the outskirts of Mumbai, the CM now finds himself one-up over his deputies, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, both of whom nurse ambitions to upstage him. And the backlash is already showing up. Fadnavis has already clarified that police cases will continue against arsonists who indulged in violence against policemen specifying that only courts were authorised to withdraw cases. Shinde had promised withdrawal of all police cases against Maratha activists. Fadnavis supporter advocate Gunaratne Sadavarte has also threatened to challenge the government reservation order in the courts. Chhagan Bhujbal from the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP has also criticised the draft notification from Shinde government terming the reservation as an eyewash that will not stand up to legal scrutiny. The agitation has successfully helped divert attention from Shinde and his team of 39 legislators being called as ‘traitors’ by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena that kept Shinde on the defensive and threatened his electoral stakes. The agitation also helped divert attention from the negative effect of breaking two popular political parties — Shiv Sena and NCP for the BJP.
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Is Sonia Gandhi Going To Take The Rajya Sabha Route To Parliament?

From all indications, it is becoming clear that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi will not be contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli — a seat that she has represented since 2004 for four terms. As such she has not visited her constituency or has been taking any interest in her voters. Perhaps this was one of the reasons that she did not attend the pran pratishtha ceremony. Congress sources say she would prefer to be a Rajya Sabha MP and is actually looking to get elected from Himachal when the vacancy rises early April. It will be a seat vacated by BJP chief JP Nadda. With daughter Priyanka Vadra having a house in Shimla, the Gandhi family feels Himachal is their second home. Sonia has been telling Congress leaders how Himachal has been close to Indira Gandhi. Though she is an outsider, Sonia will not be the first outsider MP for the state. Sources point out that post Emergency there was Mohinder Kaur (1978-84) — mother of now BJP leader and former Punjab CM, Capt Amarinder Singh — who had got elected as RS MP for one term. As for Rae Bareli — a seat once represented by Indira Gandhi and considered to be family turf — there is a buzz that it may go to the next generation. With the Samajwadi Party featuring Rae Bareli among the 11 seats where it is willing to back the Congress, looks like it could  soften the  electoral battle if either Priyanka Vadra or Rahul Gandhi wish to enter the fray from UP.
ollie pope

@OPope32

Ollie Pope Leads "Bazball" Rough Up On India

Call it “Bazball” or whatever that is supposed to convey playing a brand of cricket to take the rival head-on and thereby entertain the paying spectator, England has sent across a message to India in no uncertain terms that its batters from 1 to 11 will go after its bowlers. In two opening stands in the first Test at the Uppal venue in Hyderabad, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett swung their bats without fear of getting out to rattle up 55 and 45 runs before the first wicket went down. Clearly the camp the team held in Abu Dhabi to prepare for the five-Test series has yielded results. England made only 246 in the first innings and trailed the home team by 190 runs, but not perturbed by a daunting task, it roughed up the bowlers with the brilliant Ollie Pope collaring the spinners to make a near double century, though he was let off at 110 by Axar Patel and 186 by KL Rahul. From a clear first-innings setback England gave it a chance to cause a turnaround in the first Test and in the event of India going down will give plenty of thought for the national selectors to look at options in the bowling department. Moreover, questions will be asked about the attitude of the batters in offering catches when set. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul will do well to introspect.  All said and done the “Bazball” style has made an impact in India.
Nitish Kumar_003

Why Did BJP Take Back Nitish: Return Of Jungle Raj Under Tejashwi

It was the ninth time that Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar CM on January 28 evening with the support of the BJP. He has been backed by the BJP six times as CM. It may be recalled that Nitish had walked out of the NDA Government in Bihar in August 2022 to form the Mahagatbandhan Government along with the RJD and the Congress. He had then charged the BJP of engineering a split in his party, Janata Dal (United). He had won the state assembly elections along with the BJP in 2020. Then what made the BJP accept him back? Why has the BJP with 79 MLAs acquiesced to backing Nitish on his terms? Only that he doesn’t get Sushil Modi as deputy CM. The BJP got two deputy CMs — an OBC and a forward caste leader. Before re-admitting Nitish, the BJP central leadership did hold wide consultations with its allies before taking a view on his return. BJP sources said it was the horror of the return of jungle raj with the elevation of Tejashwi Yadav as deputy CM. In fact Nitish himself was experiencing the rough side of the RJD; he was under pressure to hand over power to the RJD leader by Holi. “We did not want Bihar to slip into jungle raj like Bengal,” said a BJP leader. Nitish has seen what going alone in Lok Sabha elections had cost him. In 2014, Nitish got two seats and lost deposits in 36 seats. In 2019, when he fought along with the BJP, he got 16 seats. He used the opportunity of Bharat Ratna for his mentor Karpoori Thakur to get out of RJD stranglehold.
JSW

JSW’s Big Plan For Odisha, To Invest Rs 40,000 Crore In EV Projects

The $ 23 billion JSW Group headed by Sajjan Jindal is making headlines in Odisha for its Rs 40,000 crore investment plans. The Group which has strong presence in Steel, Energy, Infrastructure, Cement, Paints, and Sports is setting up the world’s largest single location electric vehicle and EV battery plant, including component manufacturing to be located between Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur in Odisha. It is learnt that the Odisha government headed by Naveen Patnaik has approved a special incentive package for Jindal Group. Sajjan Jindal who has 35% JV stake in SAIC MG Motor India is likely to increase his stake to 51% stake since Chinese company SAIC MG cannot raise resources and scale operations due to regulatory restrictions imposed by India following strained relationship with China. SAIC MG has signed a JV with JSW to expand India operations. This explains why JSW plans to increase its stake to 51% stake in SAIC MG. Through advance planning and identifying initiatives backed by capital infusion, Jindal is keen to transform MG Motor India operations. JSW Group is spread across India, USA, Europe and Africa, employs nearly 40,000 people.
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Nutty Issue: Illegal Imports From Myanmar Hit India Areca Nut Growers Hard

One has heard of gold being smuggled, and diamonds too, and drugs, and contrabands, and cough syrups even, but one must be completely nutty to even imagine smuggling nuts into the country. Yes, the Indian authorities are today faced with the daunting task of stopping areca nuts being smuggled into India, through the Indo-Myanmar border. No paan, gutkha or paan masala is complete without the supari — the areca nut or betel nut. The current areca nut market size in India is estimated at $ 0.92 bn, and is expected to touch $ 1.16 bn by 2029. Areca nut is mainly grown in Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Mizoram and Manipur. For areca nut growers it is their only means of survival. Now, the illegal smuggling of the nuts from Myanmar has hit them hard. The reason for it being smuggled is the 100% import duty. And this illegal smuggling has crashed the local market. Earlier, a 50-60 kg bag of fresh areca nuts sold for Rs2,500-2800. Now, it is being sold at Rs 1,085. Complicating the problem is the fact that there is no way to distinguish the Indian nuts from the smuggled ones, in fact there is no competent authority which can differentiate the Indian nuts from the Myanmar-ese ones. And so, while the authorities chew on this nutty issue, the nut growers in India particularly those in Manipur and Mizoram are a distressed lot.
MA Alagappan

No Gender Bias At The Murugappa Group

Much water has flown under the bridge since Valli Arunachalam stirred a hornet’s nest when she alleged gender discrimination to board positions at the Murugappa group. After a unilateral public spat, the daughter of late MV Murugappan (who was the chairman of CUMI) smoked a peace pipe with her family members to finally go her separate way after legal negotiations. Is there a gender bias at the Murugappa group? Not really if one were to go by the presentation made by MA Alagappan, chairman of AMM Foundation, which is a corporate social responsibility wing of the Chennai-based Murugappa group. Top women members of the family were prominently featured on the audio-visual which articulated the work of the foundation, which is celebrating its centenary. Each one of the women spoke with passion and in eloquent English. Insiders aver that the ladies at the group are intensely involved in the not-for-profit activities that directly touch upon the lives of the downtrodden. Be it in running hospitals or schools, the women folk in the family are right up there to provide the hand-holding.  “We would like to be felt and not heard,” said Alagappan, pointing to the works of the foundation over the last 100 years. Established in 1924, the foundation manages five hospitals and an equal number of educational institutions. Behind the successful running of the foundation are these ladies who quietly carry on the Good Samaritan work at the Murugappa group.
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CPI (M) To Play Safe In West Bengal, May Contest Few Lok Sabha Seats In 2024

The CPI(M) which has been out of power for over a decade in West Bengal and reduced to zero seats in both the Lok Sabha and the Assembly, is contemplating contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha election only in constituencies where it feels confident of doing well. In other words, it will contest only from a few constituencies. According to CPI(M) sources, the Left party is keen on contesting from Murshidabad, Maldah North, Krishnanagar, and Raiganj. There were also talks that if the tripartite alliance with Congress and ISF works out it would give up seats like Diamond Harbour, Uluberia, and Sreerampore to ISF and the Basirhat seat to sole ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui, if its partner CPI agrees. Interestingly, CPI(M) is optimistic about the Krishnanagar seat owing to its vote percentage in the 2021 State Assembly election and 2022 panchayat poll. The party’s vote percentage was more than 30% in several areas including Nakashipara, Palashipara, Tehatta and Krishnanagar, won by TMC’s Mahua Moitra in 2019. It may be noted that CPI(M)’s last representation in Lok Sabha was in 2014 where two seats of Raiganj and Murshidabad were won by Mohammad Salim and Badruddoza Khan respectively. But, in 2019, Congress refused to let go of these two seats thus helping TMC to gain Murshidabad seat and Raiganj to BJP.  However, Congress blamed CPI(M) for announcing the candidate list unilaterally which led to the calling of the alliance. However, the CPM state secretariat is still not sure what will be the final understanding with the Congress.
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Now, Bengali Filmmakers Eye Pan-India Market Via Dubbed Versions

Bengali filmmakers have begun dubbing their movies in other languages to reach the pan-India audience. By dubbing their films, Bengali filmmakers are able to break the language barrier and appeal to moviegoers who may not understand Bengali but are interested in the content and storytelling. Interestingly, Tollywood superstar turned producer Jeet Madnani began by breaking into the pan-India mould by releasing his movies in Hindi too. His first one was the blockbuster commercial flick Chengiz. Jeet feels that not only as an actor but as a producer he must take Bengali cinema to a whole new level making it the next big film industry like Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. His recent release an action drama Manush: Child of Destiny was dubbed in Hindi. Not only Jeet, Superstar Dev, one of the most successful actor-producers, released the biopic on Freedom Fighter Bagha Jatin in Bengali and Hindi. But the most talked about attempt has been from director-duo Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee whose Raktabeej became the first Bengali film to be released in four languages — Bengali, Assamese, Hindi and Oriya. Shibu, as commonly called, feels that these eastern regions have a good market for Bengali films since many Bengalis hail from these states too and those natives do have keen interest in Bengali content. POWERED BY:  IDFC FIRST BANK
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@manojjarange_

Granting Maratha Reservations Would Not End The Scuffle In Maharashtra

The Maratha caste’s demand for reservations, although granted by the Maharashtra government, will continue to dominate the state political scene for more time as two major issues are still unresolved. Firstly, there is a Supreme Court petition concerning the demand. The last hearing took place on 24 January but the outcome is yet not known. Perhaps more hearings could be needed. The fate of the reservations would be clear only after the Apex Court declares its verdict. Secondly, agitation leader Manoj Jarange Patil has been firm on his demand that all cases filed by the police in connection with the protest actions must be withdrawn forthwith. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadanvis has made it clear that it will not be possible due to legalities involved. Offences like setting houses afire with family members inside, mounting attacks against the police or torching public property can’t be withdrawn unless permitted by court. But Fadnavis clarified that all other cases will be dropped, as promised by chief minister Eknath Shinde to Jarange. Meanwhile, certain experts have started criticising the CM, suggesting that he has taken the agitators for a ride as the state government is not empowered to give such a reservation at all. To complicate the matter, Jarange has threatened to start another fast unto death if the reservations do not materialise. The ruling side’s insistence that the OBC reservations would not be touched to accommodate the Maratha caste will pose new problems for the government, it is felt.
nitish rane

Nitesh Rane: BJP's Young Turk Ratchets Up

The political age for young Turks is being reemphasized in Maharashtra again with pole positioning currently underway for suitable appointments to the state council of ministers once general elections conclude in April 2024. Union Minister for micro, small and medium enterprises Narayan Rane’s MLA son Nitesh Rane has consciously donned the saffron robes of Hindutva (over love and land jehad) while stridently ratcheting up his rhetoric by a few notches against the Thackeray Khandaan simultaneously. According to a BJP leader, “When Eknath Shinde was installed as CM, the BJP high command’s diktat was induction of new faces in the state council of ministers that was not done although 20 cabinet berths were filled up. The political debacle in Bihar back then saw the Modi-Shah leadership letting it slide rather than risk political instability in Maharashtra, however, repeatedly rebuffed subsequent attempts at cabinet expansion.” In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi consciously grafted the old crop BJP leadership from Maharashtra into his Union cabinet of ministers, clearing the field for the young Turks in Maharashtra following which Devendra Fadnavis became CM. Vinod Tawde, Sudhir Mungantiwar also became ministers.” Post Lok Sabha elections, young Turks including Nitesh Rane, Gopichand Padalkar, Prasad Lad, Yogesh Sagar and others from the BJP hope to find a berth in the state cabinet of ministers in the run up to the state assemblies in November 2024, unless the BJP high command holds simultaneous polls.
prakash ambedkar

Congress Yet To Forgive Ambedkar For Its 2019 Rout

Prakash Ambedkar’s persistence for over a year may have finally got him space within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra but he continues to find himself out of the I.N.D.I.A front, thanks to cold-shouldering from the Congress. The Congress has not forgiven Prakash Ambedkar for his role in their rout in the 2019 Maharashtra Lok Sabha polls when it got reduced to just one seat here. Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) 14 % vote share contributed in a big way for the defeat of 11 Congress and NCP candidates including the likes of former chief ministers Ashok Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde. Though VBA failed to win any seats in the state, it split the secular votes thereby helping the BJP and earning the tag of being the B team of the BJP. In the wake of this background, Ambedkar continues to be viewed with much scepticism within the MVA and it has taken much pushing from Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar to get him space on the seat-sharing table. Despite being known for his unpredictability and sharp tongue, he is being sought to avoid a split in the Dalit vote bank. No Dalit candidate won from Maharashtra in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, save for the sole seat reserved for the Scheduled Caste in Latur. At a stage when Maharashtra politics is witnessing peak mobilisation of the Maratha vote bank courtesy Manoj Jarange Patil’s agitation, Congress can least afford to let go a chunk of the 10% Dalit electorate from its alliance.
Sekhar Babu MK

After Image Hits, Lok Sabha Polls Will Be DMK’s Sternest Test

Just a few months ago the DMK was confident of delivering close to 39 seats for the I.N.D.I.A bloc. Such a haul would have represented the second biggest after the Congress. Now, months away from the Lok Sabha polls, DMK is not so sure. Its image has taken a deep hit after Cyclone Michaung dumped huge amounts of water on four districts around the capital Chennai and the monsoon pelted more places in the south. The 10 constituencies where the government seemed helpless in dealing with flooding may be a litmus test of the ruling party’s popularity. There was another major image hit in the Supreme Court rapping the TN government over handling of the Ram temple consecration, which a few temples wanted to share with their devotees by putting it on LED screens within their premises. Party insiders are squarely blaming the HR&CE minister Sekar Babu for misguiding the chief minister into trying to control the event through the police. They believe the event would have passed without much of an impact if the government had quietly allowed the devout to view the consecration. In his bid to please the master, the minister may have needlessly invited trouble and harsh words from the top court. Throw in the corruption drama around the first DMK minister being convicted and the overall image of the DMK is not what it may have been after three years in the saddle.
Vijay Thalapathy

Is Tamil Superstar Vijay Getting Ready To Take A Political Plunge?

On January 25, the 49-year old Tamil superstar Vijay who has been nursing political ambition secretly called about 150 party apparatchiks to his Paniyur party office in Chennai at 5.30 am. This early morning exercise was done to stave off media glare and also collect affidavit signatures to register his party with the Election Commission of India. Sources say, his loyal soldiers arrived quietly from districts the previous night, it was followed by brainstorming over possible party names.  The fans-cum-party cadres were treated to a rousing motivational speech by Vijay also known as Thalapathy.  Even with so much beehive activity, Vijay and his fans converted to party cadres ensured no info leaks to the media. So when asked for Kazhagam (party) name all that the media scouts got …”you have it….Kazhagam”. Ok the teaser trailer is out. Now for the main feature! Is Vijay yet another Tamil film actor wanting to cash in on his filmi star status?  Earlier, it was MGR, Jayalalithaa who became TN chief ministers. Is Vijay crowding the already crowded political scene or are his ground preparations and calculations aimed at making a real difference to the people of Tamil Nadu who have invested their faith in him? The cat will be out of the bag soon. Vijay is the highest paid actor who has played lead roles in 67 films and has significant fan following. In X it is nearly 5 million. POWERED BY: ICICI LOMBARD
Vaishali patil

London-Based Filmmaker Vaishalli Paatil Ropes In AR Rahman’s Daughter For ‘Lioness’

London-based filmmaker Vaishalli Paatil is moving in the fast lane. Vaishalli, founder of Photo Stories, is promoting Marathi cinema in the UK in a big way. This former dentist and associate producer of London Misal has roped in AR Rahman’s daughter Khatija Rahman to sing and score music  for Lioness, the first official Indo-U.K. co-production being made under the 2008 bilateral treaty.  Directed by Kajri Babbar Lioness is the story of two women who lived a century apart. The first story revolves around the suffragette Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, the granddaughter of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the god-daughter of Queen Victoria, The second story introduces a fictional character, Simranjeet Kaur, living in London’s Southall Asian suburb in the early 1990s. Lioness is backed by India’s National Film Development Corporation and the British Film Institute. Over the last six years, Vaishalli has been involved in 10 films either as an associate, executive producer or producer. Her odyssey in Marathi movies began as production head for 36 Gunn. Later worked as an assistant director in movies like Bandh Nylon Che, Manjha, Ti and Ti, and Well Done Baby. Her initiative to promote Marathi cinema in the UK is seeing Marathi filmmakers based in Maharashtra reaching out to her. She fills the gap for those who have budget constraints, and also, finding Marathi speaking talent with a skill set in London.  According to her, Marathi producers from India prefer to shoot in the UK. POWERED BY : IDFC FIRST BANK
marathwada auto cluster

Growth Comes Rapidly To Maharashtra’s Erstwhile Backward Regions

Interesting things have been happening in Marathwada, one of the erstwhile backward regions of Maharashtra. Industry took hesitant steps into the region’s capital city five decades ago to take advantage of the state government’s concessions for setting up manufacturing units in the backward area, led by Bajaj Auto which set up a full-fledged scooter manufacturing plant. The first problem it faced was getting executives to work in the plant – they needed homes, which it was simple enough to build. But they also had to have good schools in which their children could study. The Marathwada Industries Association – which morphed into the Chamber of Marathwada Industries & Agriculture – was established, and began to take steps to solve these problems. There were a couple of missionary schools, but the newcomers wanted their children to imbibe not just learning but the culture of the country to which they belong. The head honchos of Bajaj, electronics major Videocon, non-stick cookware pioneer Nirlep and paper manufacturer Nath group joined hands to set up what has evolved into a world-class residential school: the Nath Valley School. This was followed by a number of colleges: there are now 22 for engineering alone in Aurangabad and other parts of Marathwada. Along the way came the Marathwada Auto Cluster to cater to the training needs of the host of automotive and automotive companies and their ancillaries that came up in the area. More than 1,000 customers have used the organisation’s facilities to train their workers and students.
Ben stokes_002

benstokes38

Ben Stokes To Reach A 100 Tests For England, Very Soon!

Ben Stokes is all set to join the elite group of English cricketers who have played a century of Test matches and more. The ongoing Test match at Uppal here is his 98th which means the third Test at Rajkot will be his 100th. Previously 15 cricketers have played 100 Tests and more for England with the expert manipulator of the seam, Jimmy Anderson turning out in 183 Tests starting from 2003. Without a doubt the New Zealand-born Stokes who bats left-handed and bowls with his right hand has made a phenomenal contribution to England’s fortunes for 11 years, scoring 6117 runs, taking 197 wickets and 102 catches. On Friday, he gave an exhibition of top class batsmanship excelling in defense and attack, one that enabled his team to put up a competitive total on the board. Stokes bats at No 5/6 where he has scored 5449 runs before the start of the Test here. His highest scores in these two positions are 176 and 258. He has led England in 31 Tests and from mid 2022 has formed a successful combination with former New Zealand batter Brendon McCullum winning 13 Tests quickly adapting to aggressive ways of wielding the willow. In the last Ashes series he was close to the spectacular making 405 runs in nine innings and thwarting Australia from winning the series. His knock of 70 on Friday indicated that he could prove to be a long thorn in India’s flesh in the five Test series.
maratha morcha

Maratha Morcha Approaching Mumbai, Acid Test For Government

Countdown has begun to handle the situation arising in Mumbai with regard to the massive morcha which is entering the commercial capital of India to demand reservations for the influential Maratha caste. Lakhs of supporters under the leadership of Manoj Jarange Patil have expressed determination to secure reservation. On the other hand, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde has once again appealed to the morcha organisers to wait for a Maratha caste census report that is being prepared now. After receiving the findings, the matter will be discussed in the state legislature in February to fulfil the assurance to grant the reservation, he has reiterated. While the morcha has been peaceful, the unprecedented response it has been receiving along the way is astounding. Thousands of bhakris and tonnes of rice and vegetables are prepared by many families voluntarily to feed the marchers. On the outskirts of Mumbai, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee has reserved its sprawling premises in Navi Mumbai by keeping its operations closed for Thursday and Friday to accommodate the gathering. Huge police deployments along the route and in Mumbai have been posted to handle the large crowds. The Republic Day celebrations all over will be taking place below the shadow of the morcha. Alarmed by the prospect of taking a slice out of its reservation quota, the OBC community has started gathering its forces to counter the Maratha show of strength. Their next move is awaited.
Tata ipl_002

Tata Group, All Set To Make The Big Splash!

That the IPLTwenty20 is a veritable cash cow was proved once again with the Tata Group not batting an eyelid to retain the title sponsorship of the popular franchise-based league. Two years ago Tatas had replaced the Chinese company Vivo as the title sponsor at a cost of Rs 370 crore. In the latest piece of action though, the Tata Group has chosen to shell out Rs 2500 crore for a five-year season from 2024 to 2028. Just come to think of it, the real estate giant DLF — not able to get a team – got the title sponsorship at Rs 40 crore a season in 2008. In that context, the Rs 500 crore average for one season after 16 years, has to be put down as a mind-boggling sum. No wonder the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and the IPL Chairman, Arun Singh Dhumal have expressed delight at the final sum of Rs 2500 crore, well in excess of the base price of Rs 1750 crore. The IPL has seen a number of title sponsors including DLF, Pepsi, Dream11, Vivo and then the Tata Group. The Tata Group has a massive connect with cricket, especially in the inter-office tournaments in Mumbai. It had given employment to hundreds of cricketers and the likes of Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri and Sourav Ganguly were on its payroll.  The Tata Group has been a late entrant into the IPL bandwagon; it bagged the Women’s Premier League last year and for the second year running the Tata Group is all set to make the big splash! 

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.