PM Narendra Modi’s 35-minute phone call with the U.S. President Donald Trump since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack was clearly aimed at sorting out misgivings back home. He told firmly that no mediation or trade deal led to cessation of hostilities with Pakistan. The highlight of the phone call was when Prez Trump asked PM Modi if he could visit the U.S. on his return from Canada. PM Modi politely declined the offer citing his prior engagement of visiting Croatia. But, interestingly, Prez Trump has accepted PM Modi’s to visit India for the QUAD meeting later this year. As per Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri read out of the phone chat, “PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this entire series of incidents, never was talks held at any level on India-America trade deal and mediation between India and Pakistan by America. The talks regarding cessation of military action was held directly between India and Pakistan under the existing channels established between both militaries, it was done at Pakistan’s request…” He shared that the phone-call overtly clarified that India, “has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it. There is complete political unanimity in India on this issue.” Meanwhile Congress leader Jairam Ramesh was dismissive about Misri’s statement. He said “Understand the ‘triple jhatka’ that the Indian foreign policy and diplomacy has received. Today Field Marshal Asim Munir whose provocative, incendiary, inflammatory comments are directly linked to the Pahalgam terror attacks…is invited for a one-on-one special lunch with President Trump.…” BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya hit back calling Jairam “a congenital liar — much like Rahul Gandhi. He is now peddling yet another falsehood, claiming that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s statement doesn’t match the U.S. readout — while dramatically waving his phone around. ” But here is the catch: the readout he is citing...

In an unprecedented step, the Election Commission has castigated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for once again raising suspicions about the Maharashtra assembly elections held late last year. The Congress and the INDIA bloc under its leadership had fared miserably in the election that had given a thumping mandate to the Mahayuti under the BJP. “Unsubstantiated allegations raised against the EC’s conduct of the elections are an affront to the law. All these facts were brought out in EC’s reply to the Congress party on 24th December 2024 itself,” the EC has said. At the same time, the political battle over the allegations has caught Rahul in a tight corner. BJP leader Amit Malviya and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis have ridiculed these charges. Moreover, Rahul has warned of similar tactics being used in the upcoming Bihar polls. “This means Rahul has already accepted defeat in Bihar,” Fadnavis has said. Accusing Rahul of undermining public trust in democratic institutions and the electoral process, Malviya has reiterated his allegation of a link between Rahul and U.S. billionaire George Soros. Malviya in his X said, “This is straight out of George Soros’ playbook – systematically erodes people’s faith in their own institutions, so they can be cracked open from within for political gains.” The Congress in the state is in a paralysed condition, lacking a focus or leadership. Hence, Rahul’s attack is not taken seriously by prominent leaders, but for making fun of him.

With just a year left for the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Bengal BJP is under pressure to finalise its new state president. Internal dynamics, however, have delayed the decision, pushing the central leadership to shift its approach — from finding a consensus candidate to identifying one without strong opposition. The central leadership recently met senior Bengal BJP leaders to discuss party programmes and key organizational issues. According to party sources, central observers Mangal Pandey and Amit Malviya also held one-on-one talks with leaders like Sukanta Majumdar, Suvendu Adhikari, Shantanu Thakur, five general secretaries, two organisation secretaries, Debasree Chaudhuri, Nisith Pramanik, Soumitra Khan, Manoj Tigga and Shamik Bhattacharya regarding the state leadership. Currently, the Bengal BJP suffers from multiple power centres — Majumdar, Adhikari, former president Dilip Ghosh, and two senior organizational figures — making it hard to present a unified front. Despite occasional friction, Majumdar and Adhikari have maintained a functional partnership for over three years, ensuring some organizational stability — something the central leadership values and is hesitant to disrupt. While Majumdar’s term is still ongoing, his induction into the Union Cabinet complicates matters due to the BJP’s “one person, one post” policy. Adhikari, being the Leader of the Opposition and not from the RSS, also presents a conflict. Various names have been proposed, including one from the RSS Bengal unit. Some Delhi-based leaders have preferences, but no clear consensus has emerged. Meanwhile, political survey agencies are influencing decisions, with a Karnataka firm submitting a unified leadership blueprint directly to Modi’s core team.

By inaugurating the magnificent Jagannath Dham temple in the tourist town of Digha on the auspicious Akshya Trithiya, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has completely stunned state BJP leaders. Many BJP leaders who attacked her for not visiting Murshidabad where Hindus were victims in violence unleashed by Muslims over Waqf Bill wonder if Digha Dham is a ploy to placate the majority community. The lone leader questioning the project is LoP Suvendu Adhikari. He insists that Hindu temples can’t be a state project and talks of his own efforts to restore temples in Murshidabad. The Digha consecration ceremony was held with great grandeur, with sacred water from various pilgrimage sites brought to the temple for the rituals. Several celebrities and prominent figures from West Bengal’s music and film industry, along with political leaders, were present. Constructed in the traditional Kalinga architectural style, the grand structure, developed by the state government at a cost of Rs 250 crore, the dham is expected to emerge as a major centre for pilgrimage and tourism. Mirroring the design of the original Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Digha Dham is spread across 20 acres. BJP sources admit no one wants to criticise the project as Digha is a popular sea resort for Bengalis from Kolkata, especially those who can’t afford time or money to go to Puri. Hitting out at Mamata, BJP leader Amit Malviya posted on X, “This is how Mamata Banerjee appeared at the inauguration of the Jagannath Cultural Centre in Digha. There is no sign of devotional enthusiasm—only a sinister political calculation aimed at salvaging her reputation as an anti-Hindu leader”.  In social media, Didi is already being hailed as the second Bengali Woman after Rani Rashmoni–who had built Dakshineswar Temple associated with Ramakrishna Paramahans–to establish a historic Hindu Temple in Bengal.

There has always been a great race among the Indian States to attract investors – global and local. So, it was not surprising to see West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee going all out to woo investors for the Bengal Global Business Summit held on February 5-6. Full page ads were splashed across all mainline and financial dailies for several days. With who’s who of the corporate world gracing the occasion, the Bengal government said it has signed investment proposals worth Rs 440,595 crore. Marketing maven Suhel Seth, tweeted, “you may disagree with her politics but no Chief Minister has tried so hard to garner investments into West Bengal as she has.” But BJP’s IT Head Amit Malviya was not so charitable. He wrote on X, Mamata Banerjee and her advisor, Dr. Amit Mitra, have once again launched their elaborate sham—the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS). This grand spectacle, filled with lofty claims and fraudulent promises, is designed to deceive Bengal’s population into believing in an illusion of economic revival. It is a mirage of prosperity, fuelled by exaggerated yet hollow proclamations of astronomical investments.” He asked: Why, despite promises of Rs 3.42 lakh crore in 2022 and Rs 3.76 lakh crore in 2023, have 98.82% and 97.21% of these investments, respectively, failed to materialize? Why is there a glaring absence of verifiable official data to substantiate the claims of a 50.27% implementation rate of investment proposals and the creation of 28 lakh jobs between 2015 and 2019? Why has Bengal received only 0.7% of the total FDI inflows—amounting to just ₹12,827 crore between October 2019 and June 2024…while Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka command 16%, 31%, and 21% of FDIs, respectively?

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi’s social media message to Congress leaders denouncing Smriti Irani ever since she lost Amethi Lok Sabha elections on June 12 came as a bit of surprise. Posted on X, Rahul generally made it clear “winning and losing happen in life” and urged everyone to refrain from using “derogatory language” and being nasty towards” Smriti Irani or any other leader for that matter.” Many wondered if the tweet itself was a diversion. Was the “generous message” deliberately put out by his social media managers as they didn’t want anyone to know Rahul’s travel plans? Party sources said the LoP who had travelled extensively within India during the Parliament break — from Manipur to his constituency Rae Bareli— has apparently taken a two day break. Yes, he is making a very short foreign trip.  Party sources said he must have decided to travel abroad just ahead of the monsoon session next week. No one in the Congress knows where he was headed. In his message, Rahul made it clear “humiliating and insulting people” was a sign of weakness, not strength. The BJP of course hasn’t taken such a condescending message lightly. “This is the most disingenuous message ever. After unleashing Congress leaders, like a pack of wolves, on the woman who defeated him in Amethi and smashed his arrogance to smithereens, this is rich. All this gibberish doesn’t take away from the fact that Smriti Irani forced Balak Buddhi to abandon Amethi”, countered BJP I-T Cell head Amit Malviya.

When Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was announced Lok Sabha candidate from Wayanad in Kerala by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, replacing her brother Rahul there was a lot of speculation about the timing of the announcement. Why did the Congress pick a festival day for the Muslims — Bakri Eid — to make the announcement? Is it because Muslims constitute the majority of the voters in Wayanad? Party sources also confirmed that the Indian Union Muslim League was consulted about Priyanka entering the fray. Though Priyanka has worked in both Amethi and Rae Bareli since 1999, for some reason her brother Rahul was reluctant to let her enter the fray. In fact many Priyanka loyalists in the party were disappointed that she did not get an opportunity to contest from Uttar Pradesh. For some reason Rahul did not want to pit Priyanka against Smriti Irani in Amethi, though later he bragged that his sister could have easily defeated PM Modi in Varanasi.  It is being said because Rahul Gandhi wanted to take the credit of bringing down Modi’s numbers in UP. He was aware that he could do it only because of the unstinted support of the Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav and the web of lies spread by the Congress. Congress sources insist that Priyanka would focus on the organisation and leave Parliament leadership to her brother. Of course, if she were to take an active role in the Lok Sabha, PM Modi and his team may find it hard to counter her. The BJP insisted that Priyanka should have been fielded from Rae Bareli if the Congress had to prove its resurgence, “instead of running away like a coward” tweeted BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya.

At PM Modi’s rally in Mayurbhanj, Odisha while his speech was underway, a journalist fainted. Known for his eye for detail, PM Modi saw him fainting from the stage. He stopped his speech and asked his medical team to attend to him at the earliest. It was ensured that the journo got prompt medical attention and was subsequently shifted to the district hospital. PM Modi who has been speaking to TV journalists from Delhi while campaigning in Varanasi and Kolkata has apparently had a record interaction with a variety of journalists across platforms from all over the country since the Lok Sabha elections were announced. While BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya acknowledges that PM Modi had spoken to “71 different sets of journalists, from editors to beat reporters”, party sources say media interactions could be a record of sorts. Something like upwards of 125. Sources say Modi has been liberal with media interactions this election season. He had even sought out beat journos from media groups who he was familiar with, raising quite a few eyebrows in media houses, like seeking out one or two senior editors he had known. At the same time, Modi has been wary of owners doubling up as editors that he refused to share space with them at the roundtable space along with the beat journos. It is another matter he did  generously pose for post-interview pictures with them. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi, opposition’s Prime Ministerial candidate, didn’t give a single media interview this election. The Congress leader has maintained that the media is biased against him.

The I-T department has seized ‘unaccounted’ cash amounting to upwards of Rs 300 crore in multiple raids across Odisha and Jharkhand reportedly linked to Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu. Even while the department has apparently been still trying to get more counting machines to record its haul, the Congress has been battling to disown any connection with Sahu’s cash hoarding. In fact even before I-T put a final figure to Sahu’s cash stash, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh pontificated about how ”only the MP can and should explain” how the huge amounts of cash that “have been reportedly unearthed by the I-T authorities from his properties”. He clarified that the Congress had nothing to do with Sahu’s business. But then images of cash bundles stock-piled in Dhiraj’s home got BJP leader Amit Malviya to post a video linking Dhiraj with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, dubbing it a journey to connect “the thieves of India”. Malviya captioned the video “Congress is CorruptionKiDukan”. “Nearly Rs 300 crore recovered from the premises of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu in Jharkhand is a living proof of this.” Meanwhile, Sahu’s colleagues are surprised how he managed so many terms in the Parliament without substantially participating in the proceedings. “He hardly opened his mouth in the House. The raids now reveal his real clout in the party,” recalled an old timer.

The recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, Bengal Observer Sunil Bhansal, Amit Malviya and others with the Bengal BJP unit in New Delhi was nothing less than a clear revolt on the part of state leaders against the top three functionaries. Party sources said that several MPs and MLAs have directly blamed the factionalism and dictatorship of top three leaders — National Vice President Dilip Ghosh, Bengal President Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. They have also briefed that if the situation continues that state BJP will fail to retain the Lok Sabha seats in 2024 Lok Sabha Polls. It was reported that one of the MPs has cited that there is no coordination between the MPs and MLAs. On several occasions party leaders are openly giving statements against each other. The leaders have also informed Nadda that the state unit will not be able to put up candidates in several gram panchayats. Hence they have also suggested that it would be advisable to support those candidates who would be opposing Trinamool Congress candidates. Besides this, BJP leaders are also mulling the idea that those winning on other party symbols at panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads could be given the option of switching camps. Several MPs have also given proposals to contest rural polls as independent candidates.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Samadhi stirred the social media more for what he was wearing in Delhi’s biting cold than he sought to convey. Rahul was spotted in his trademark Bharat Jodo Yatra T-shirt at various VVIP samadhis. He offered his tributes at Sadaiv Atal, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat and also at memorials for Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The BJP dismissed Rahul’s trip to former PMs’ samadhis as “part of a makeover exercise,” for the nth time that was meant strictly “for the shutterbugs and chattering elites”. The party wondered if Rahul Gandhi was sincere,” he would have visited former PM, P V Narasimha Rao’s samadhi in Hyderabad too. “He didn’t, even though it was on his way…” pointed out Amit Malviya in a tweet. On the other hand, Congress media chief Jairam Ramesh said Rahul’s visit to Vajapayee’s samadhi was an acknowledgment of  the first BJP PM’s contribution to the nation. He said “Rahulji’s visit to the samadhi would have reminded PM Modi about the rajdharma lessons that Atalji had sought to give him in 2002. Rahulji today showed how politics is done with a big heart. This is what he has achieved by visiting samadhi.” This is a bit rich for the  Congress as a day earlier a party coordinator Gaurav Pandhi had dubbed Atalji as a  British stooge.

If there was one candidate that the Gandhis were really worried about — it was former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijay Singh. His entry enthused party cadres in north India. Many partymen were hoping Singh would move in as party chief and energise the moribund organisation. It was in this backdrop that the Gandhis adopted a strategy to stop Singh from filing his papers. They endorsed 80-year old Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit leader from North Karnataka, as their candidate. After a late-night meeting, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal conveyed to Kharge that the party leadership wanted him to contest.  Entry of Kharge was enough to persuade Singh to withdraw from the fray. It is significant that Sonia Gandhi did not opt for younger Dalit leaders such as Kumari Selja or Mukul Wasnik who are in their 60s. Besides, Sonia opted to endorse Kharge on the day Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Karnataka. Immediately BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya tweeted that Kharge at 80 is an inspiring choice to be party chief…He should just pick Dr Manmohan Singh’s manual on “Living by the Remote Control” and it is all sorted”. Was Kharge chosen because the Karnataka assembly elections are scheduled early next year?  Possibly. Kharge will resign as LoP in Rajya Sabha. Will Divijay Singh succeed him?  Shashi Tharoor files his papers, vows to remain in fray but party hopes he may finally withdraw.