On 13 May 2026, 23-year-old Councillor Tushar Kumar was elected as the new Mayor of Elstree & Borehamwood, thus becoming the youngest ever Indian-origin Mayor in the history of the United Kingdom. His appointment was confirmed during the Council’s annual Mayor Making Ceremony, attended by councillors, civic leaders, faith representatives, community organisations, residents, friends, and family members. Mayor Kumar, who represents the Labour Party, has been widely praised for his dedication to public service and his strong commitment to supporting local residents and community initiatives. Seen by many as a youth icon and role model, he reflected on his political journey during the ceremony, recalling how he was first elected as a councillor at the age of 20 while studying Political Science at King’s College London. Speaking after his appointment, Mayor Kumar said he hoped his achievement would encourage more young people to take an active role in local democracy, community engagement, and public service. He emphasised that age should never be viewed as a barrier to creating positive change within society. His rise in local politics has also been inspired by his mother, Councillor Parveen Rani, a former Deputy Mayor, whom he described as his political mentor and greatest inspiration.

With West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari relinquishing his Nandigram seat and taking oath as the MLA from Bhawanipore seat, speculation has intensified who will hold the state’s most crucial portfolio, finance.  For quite some time in the social media the name of economist Sanjeev Sanyal has been doing the rounds. A member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Economic Advisory Council, Sanyal is widely known for his work in international economics and policy making. He has also been associated with global institutions and forums such as the G7 and the OECD. Party insiders claim that Sanyal’s name had earlier been discussed even for the CM’s post. However, the BJP’s central leadership ultimately chose Adhikari, citing his role as the face of the anti-Trinamool movement and his organisational influence in Bengal politics. If Sanyal is inducted into the cabinet, he would need to become an MLA and Nandigram seems the safe option. Currently serving as Chancellor of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in Pune, Sanyal previously worked with Deutsche Bank. After joining the Union Finance Ministry in 2017 as Principal Economic Adviser, he played a significant role in preparing several economic surveys and policy frameworks. He has consistently advocated industrial growth, infrastructure expansion, port-led development, urban modernisation, and ease of doing business reforms. A BJP-linked economist mentioned that Sanyal combines strong Bengali roots with a global economic outlook, where he could play a transformative role in Bengal’s revival through industrial growth. However, Sanyal remains a polarising figure, while supporters view him as a visionary reformer, critics have questioned some of his interpretations of history and his perceived ideological proximity to Hindutva narratives. Looks like the Modi government is looking for a figure capable of tackling Bengal’s long-period of industrial stagnation.

As May 30 nears, political activity in Maharashtra is bound to intensify over the issue of the 2026 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, especially against the backdrop of the assembly election in West Bengal. For a variety of reasons, Maharashtra ‘s electoral rolls have become a major point of political clash. BJP leaders in the state have been demanding SIR’s implementation “to clear up bogus voters” on the electoral rolls. On the other hand, major Opposition parties have expressed concerns about the process and its impact on their own vote banks. Trading allegations of manipulation ahead of upcoming elections is expected to begin any moment now that the EC has come out with its timetable. But it will have the imprint of the apprehensions raised by the so-called Bengal Model. For instance, the Maharashtra Congress has expressed concerns that the SIR, being implemented after 22 years, is a “hurried” attempt to follow the pattern in West Bengal, where millions of names were deleted, raising doubts about fairness of the process. Certain Opposition leaders have alleged that the revision is aimed at selectively removing voters from specific communities and constituencies, particularly in major cities. The state-wide exercise will deploy over 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs). There is unease since the logistical hurdles that can occur as it runs parallel with census work will have to be handled by the government. The SIR to take off on May 30 will conclude on October 14. This door-to-door verification aims to clean up the electoral rolls. The BLOs will conduct house-to-house visits between June 30 and July 29, 2026.

As the news of the likelihood of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)merging is gaining ground, the role of veteran leader Sharad Pawar has once again come into focus. Pawar had asserted after his nephew and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash that the talks for merger of the two sides had been blessed by Ajit. However, Ajit’s widow Sunetra soon thereafter joined the Mahayuti government led by CM Devendra Fadnavis. Expectedly, the issue was pushed to the backburner. However, over the past week, reports that Sunetra and her two sons, Jay and Parth, have concentrated all statutory powers of the NCP (Ajit) into their hands in submissions to the Election Commission have once again revived the power struggle. Both NCP (Ajit) senior leaders, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, have been totally sidelined by Sunetra. Tatkare’s sudden call on Sharad Pawar a couple of days ago after a gap of two years has added grist to the rumour mill. Interestingly, Pawar has once again thrown a rider with his support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for fuel economy. Many of his supporters recall how Pawar had responded to Modi’s appeal to play cymbals during the Covid-19 pandemic. Pawar’s unopposed recent re-election to the Rajya Sabha has only added another tangent to the intrigue. Hence, his next step is being watched with a baited breath by both sides.

Tamil Nadu’s new party in power and chief minister’s Joseph Vijay’s black dress code is much talked about. Coincidentally, Suriya’s 45th film titled Karuppu is in the news not for this colour or dress code but for several roadblocks that have made director RJ Balaji literally shed tears and producers S R Prabhu and Dream Warrior Pictures express deep concern about the film being leaked even before it’s formal release on May 14. CM Vijay even announced that two extra shows at 9 am could be screened as there was much excitement for Suriya’s screen presence after two years. Online and pre-bookings did brisk business. Imagine the sore disappointment when fans were told that Karuppu has been stalled. The usual carping that producer Prabhu had reneged on contract dues with financiers, that the KDM (key delivery message ) of Quebe Cinema had made some major mistakes …matters that defied fixing the blame on anyone. But troubles come bundled in jumbo packs …even as the team went into frenzied midnight huddles, news of Karuppu being screened in UP, Maharashtra and other markets sent shock waves …how could the film be released without its formal screening in Chennai? Was it a sabotage leak or a system failure …human error or digital outage? Director Balaji who had dedicated 32 trouble filled months in getting Karuppu with a budget of Rs 140 crore ready, broke down. A lot is riding on this film….Suriya, after the failure of Kanguva and tepid reception for Retro was hoping that Karuppu would break the jinx. Often insurmountable roadblocks are overcome by Divine grace. Even as Balaji apologised to the audience for the delay, he was optimistic about Karuppanna Sami’s compassion in rewarding those who worshipped him.

The Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan seems to be in deep trouble once again, following the cancellation of May 3 NEET-UG examination. The massive paper leak allegations have happened for the third time under his watch. At stake hangs the future of over 22 lakh NEET-UG 2026 medical doctor aspirants. The latest feedback as per the CBI report, is the alleged leaked paper was handwritten, scanned, converted into PDF files and then circulated among students at coaching centres in Rajasthan’s Sikar district for Rs 2-5 lakh. NEET-UG 2026 re-examination will be held on June 21. Congress leader Sachin Pilot, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik and student bodies have asked for a 360-degree review of the NEET-UG paper leak. They have also demanded Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, citing repeated exam irregularities- they have also asked for a JPC probe and judicial investigations. Arvind Kejriwal said this is not the first time the NEET paper has been leaked…it happened in 2017,2021,2024 and now in 2025. Anxious parents are now questioning Dharmendra Pradhan’s role and why he has been kept as Education Minister”? A senior politician from BJD took a swipe at Pradhan alleging that recurring NEET paper leaks shows Pradhan’s lack of focus; physically he is in Delhi but mind is in Odisha as he is nursing this ambition to become the Odisha CM. Even though Pradhan has this ambition of becoming CM but Modi has other plans for him at the Centre.

It may have taken Rahul Gandhi a good 10 days to finalise the name of V D Satheesan as Kerala CM but the fact that he managed to do so resisting the pressure to pick his close aide K C Venugopal is commendable. Satheesan’s elevation as CM is largely being viewed as succumbing to pressure from a key ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) with 22 MLAs. In view of IUML’s influence in the crucial Wayanad Lok Sabha seat held by Priyanka Gandhi, many in the Congress feel Rahul may have possibly rewarded the man who was the face of the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s emphatic victory. The UDF won 102 of the 140 seats in the assembly. Even on May 14, the day of announcement Venugopal was prevailing on his boss to rethink his decision. AICC in charge Deepa Dasmunsi apparently had to reschedule her flight to Thiruvananthapuram as Venugopal was playing his mind games. Meanwhile the BJP tried to drum up sympathy for Venugopal saying the Congress had succumbed to pressure of Muslim League. Party spokesperson Shehzad Jai Hind wrote on X that the Kerala CM face had been done under two pressures – pressure from Jamat/IUML, Muslim vote bank, and Priyanka Vadra who did not support Venugopal. But then what does it mean for thousands of Congress leaders who were hoping a Kerala win will take a manipulative Venugopal away from the AICC. A senior Congress leader from South remarked: “It is bad luck for us…we will have to learn to live with this. But the Congress will suffer because of him.  As for Venugopal, it is karma…payback time for him. He was denied a chance to be CM precisely for the torture he has put many Congress workers through.”  Venugopal who has played gatekeeper made Rahul Gandhi inaccessible to party leaders/workers. In sharp contrast, Satheesan is an accessible Congress leader.

For the first time in the last 15 years, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and her party face the toughest challenge after BJP’s landslide victory in the 2026 assembly polls. The setback was compounded by Mamata’s defeat in the Bhabanipur constituency, where she lost to former confidant-turned-BJP leader now chief minister Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of more than 13,000 votes. He defeated her in 2021 too from Nandigram constituency. The election outcome has sparked uncertainty over the future direction of the TMC. During the election, the party increasingly shaped by Didi’s nephew — National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee — had attempted to shift from a leadership model centred entirely around her to one driven by organisational performance and accountability. That strategy has failed as witnessed by the defeat of several senior TMC leaders in their home constituencies. Concerns over internal divisions have also intensified after at least 10 legislators reportedly stayed away from a post-election strategy meeting convened by the supremo in Kolkata. Factional tensions within the party have become increasingly visible, with sections of the leadership holding Abhishek and political consultancy firm I-PAC primarily responsible for the electoral debacle. The party is apprehensive about the possibility of heightened central agency scrutiny following the arrest of former minister Sujit Bose. According to sources, Mamata has advised legislators to strengthen their legal preparedness in case of any eventualities. It may be recalled that the ED had questioned Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira in connection with the coal smuggling case. Electorally, the TMC witnessed a dramatic decline in strength, with its Assembly tally dropping from 215 seats in 2021 to 80. In contrast, the BJP surged from 77 seats to 207, securing a vote share of 45.8%, ahead of the TMC’s 40.8%. Within the party, attention is now turning to the 2027 municipal elections and the...

The heat and dust of the shock electoral outcome of Tamil Nadu has hardly settled. The suspense, anticipation and uncertainty of C Joseph Vijay’s bid for chief ministership has still not abated. But Vijay has already issued an official order appointing and revoking astrologer Rickey Radan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special duty in the state. At the floor test all his allies criticised Vijay for appointing his personal astrologer as OSD. Vijay realised the damage done and so he revoked the appointment. Vettrivel is an astrologer in whom Vijay reposes unconditional faith…ever since the Panditji predicted way back in 2023 that 2026 would catapult him to the top pedestal of TN. Vijay who does not repose faith in anyone easily. But once convinced he is known to follow a person faithfully. Pandit Vettrivel was Jayalalithaa’s unfailing soothsayer, guiding her through the trying court case, later he predicted her death. Vijay now follows Panditji’s every advice…from when to go to a place, what to wear and what to avoid. Even after the Karur stampede deaths, the astrologer told Vijay “Just carry on. It’s not a serious impediment. But you should beat the May 14th date for taking charge as CM”. Almost coinciding with his Asthana astrologer appointment, Udhaynidhi Stalin, the default LoP in the TN Assembly spewed out his vituperative vicious rant about Sanathana Dharma and why it should be eradicated. Even as a Congress MP Shashikant Senthil rapped the astro’s OSD post on X. After all, Badshah’s like Akbar had poets, jesters and painters.

Radhan Pandit, a high-profile political astrologer, lasted as OSD to Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay for barely 24 hours — appointed on May 12, removed the following day. Yes he was removed from the office as soon as Vijay overwhelmingly won the confidence vote— with a thumping 144 votes way beyond the support of his 106 MLAs. So, what is it with Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as he calls himself these days that he dominated the TN confidence debate proceedings? Political analysts are surprised that DMDK leader V Premalatha who first flagged the issue of Pandit’s appointment, should call for vigil to maintain “scientific temperament”. Her call may not reflect popular belief in astrology that prevails in the state where annual or decadal planetary transits usually makes headlines. In fact, there are temples dedicated for various planets and people from North India specifically travel to these spots such as Shani Dev Temple in Thirunallar for “griha shanti”.  Is the call for rationalism, a plan to kill astro spiritual tourism of Tamil Nadu under the TVK regime? Is it the design of Christian church against Hindu temples? Once close to the late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, Radhan Pandit had to flee to Singapore to save himself from her wrath. He had predicted she would get relief in the Disproportionate Assets case. When she was convicted, Jayalalithaa was livid. It was at that point Vettrivel – then known as Erode Vettrivel—moved to Delhi and changed his name. He then tried to hoodwink BJP stalwart LK Advani by telling him that he would be next PM. It was Congress MP Karti Chidambaran who first questioned Raadan Pandit elevation with a subtle post on X “Caligula-Incitatus” referring to the 4th century Roman emperor Caligula’s affection for his favourite horse, Incitatus. Caligula had intended to make his horse consul.