All
Politics
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Celebrities
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is so convinced that the BJP is in a position to defeat Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Bengal that he wants to concentrate more on the state than in Tamil Nadu. Once elections are over in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry on April 9, Shah will spend more than two weeks in Bengal. PM Modi is likely to address two rallies within a week. The BJP has pressed a battery of leaders into action, hoping to unseat the TMC government. “A number of our senior leaders are camping in the state, and more are set to join once the elections in Assam are over…” says a senior BJP leader. Work is being carried out in silos — at the level of both assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies. The BJP has divided West Bengal into nine zones, each zone is being handled by senior leaders, including ministers such as Dharmendra Pradhan, Nityanand Rai, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Sanjay Jaiswal, and Nishikant Dubey. Most of the leaders deployed so far are from Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, among others.”The fact that Amit Shah ji has himself announced that he will campaign and stay in West Bengal for 15 days shows the party’s commitment and seriousness,” a senior leader said. The BJP is also making sure to counter any ‘negative narrative’ by the TMC to ensure such a depiction does not affect its prospects. For instance, soon after Mamata Banerjee claimed that the BJP would ban fish, meat, and even eggs if it came to power, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar claimed that Bengal’s next CM from the BJP will be a ‘non-vegetarian’ when it comes to food habits. Shah has said, “I have a shortcut for bringing change to the state. Just make Suvendu Adhikari win from Bhabanipur (against Mamata), and the change is bound to happen.”
Raghav Chadha had been the AAP’s face on national media for years now, but recently the MP came into prominence for taking up “quality-of-life issues”, most of which largely concerned the middle- and upper-middle class. Each of his interventions in the Rajya Sabha was crisp in its own way. Chadha, a technocrat with good communication skills, knew exactly how to highlight them. He has 123 lakh followers on Instagram, and almost 10-lakh on X. He went on to become the Aam Aadmi Party’s leader of the House, and later the deputy with the return of senior colleague Sanjay Singh. It may seem odd that the AAP has stripped Chadha of his post as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha. It is being said that Arvind Kejriwal suspected that Chadha may shift to the BJP ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. Kejriwal noticed Chadha was not critical of PM Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah. He hasn’t been very vociferous on issues against the BJP. Besides he was found missing in action when AAP may have needed him most. Like when Kejriwal was arrested Chadha was in the UK for eye surgery. Chadha was also absent at the recent “Jan Sabha” at Jantar Mantar, which was Kejriwal’s first public address following his discharge, along with Delhi’s former deputy CM Manish Sisodia. But Chadha has been far from idle and was always present and voluble in Parliament. Chadha campaigned against high samosa-and-chai prices at the airport. Nobody likes paying Rs 350 for a samosa and Rs 150 for a cup of chai. It is an issue that affects at best 5% of people in India who can afford to travel by air. Yet oddly, the government began to work on Chadha’s ideas. Within weeks of his raising the issue, UDAN Yatri cafes opened at 17 airports which offered samosas and tea for Rs 20 and Rs 10, respectively.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) is experiencing extreme discomfort following its outgoing MP Priyanka Chaturvedi’s ‘courtesy’ call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Although she has declared that she will remain in the opposition, the praise heaped by her on Modi is viewed as a signal. Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray is already uneasy since two of his Lok Sabha members attended a reception hosted by Maharashtra’s deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s confidant Pratap Jadhav, MP, in the capital a couple of days ago. While Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut has been predicting that several MLAs from the NCP(Ajit) are planning to defect to the BJP in Maharashtra, he has avoided any comment on the two MPs meeting Jadhav. Significantly, this meeting happened soon after Shinde had visited the national capital. Thus, revival of the so-called ‘Operation Tiger’ is being discussed afresh. The two MPs are Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar (Hingoli) and Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim), who had attended Jadhav’s felicitation last year as well. Both have clarified that it was a friendly visit and that no politics should be searched about it. However, given the fluid phase in the state polity, their defence is taken with a pinch of salt. Newly-elected Sena (Shinde) Rajya Sabha member Jyoti Waghmare had indicated the possibility of some MPs crossing sides but she had not provided any details. As Priyanka Chaturvedi was in the news over the reported tiff in the Sena (UBT) over the denial of another Rajya Sabha term to her, the call on the PM by her is considered fraught with several possibilities.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar’s entry into the state legislative assembly will not happen ‘unopposed’ since the Congress party is seriously considering the option of jumping into the fray. Voting for the byelection for Baramati constituency, caused by the demise of deputy CM Ajit Pawar, will take place on 23 April. According to present indications, Sunetra will file her nomination on 6 April in presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Already a member of the Rajya Sabha, she will relinquish the Rajya Sabha seat after getting formally elected on 4 May. As Baramati is the stronghold of the NCP(Ajit), her victory is considered a foregone conclusion. Moreover, the NCP (SP) has pledged its support to her. Hence, any opposition to her will be a token gesture at best. Still, the Congress party has decided not to offer Sunetra a walkover. The Congress candidate will be announced in a day or two. Some fringe political elements have said that they will support the Congress. However, it will not make any difference. Thus, the precedent of not contesting a byelection against the family member of a deceased sitting member will thus be sidelined. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is yet to decide its strategy. The other assembly byelection in the state will be held for the Rahuri constituency, again a BJP stronghold. The ruling party has fielded Akshay Kardile, son of the late Shivaji Kardile. There is no worthwhile opposition to the scion of the former minister. Counting for both will be held on 4 May.
He is a veteran Parliamentarian who opens all the debates from the Treasury bench side. So, it was surprising to see this senior BJP leader, a four-time MP Nishikant Dubey stir a controversy by calling Biju Patnaik, a CIA agent. Dubey is not a loose cannon and this is why clued-in political analysts say it could be BJP’s strategy to assess Odia’s icon Biju Patnaik popularity today. It did backfire with people from within BJP taking strong exceptions to Dubey’s loose remarks. Some BJD leaders walked out of the Parliament to register their protest. Seeing the backlash, Dubey apologised on X saying “My thoughts on Nehruji were misconstrued as being about Biju Babu,” It is learnt that PM Modi has intervened to douse the fire. He wrote to Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi praising Biju babu as a symbol of Odisha’s strength and pride having commitment to nation building. Interpreting Modi’s recent praise for Biju babu, Odia’s are asking will Modi ever confer Bharat Ratna status to the late Biju Patnaik or is this just lip service praise to bring the temperature down?
Nayanthara, after marriage and two kids, is still the “Queen” of female leads in Kollywood. Not just her drop dead gorgeous looks, hit Telugu film directors and producers like Dil Raju and Vamshi Paidipally bet big on her charisma and acting …Nayanthara films have rarely failed and her fans love her regal presence, dignity and talent. Any wonder that this director-producer duo (with five consecutive Telugu hits ) have signed her to play the heroine to Salman Khan? Sixty-year old Salman needs a hit, badly as it’s a long time since Bhai danced to his jubilant fans drum beats. Especially Eid releases …this year he didn’t have much to celebrate. Also his already signed work-in-progress, Battle for Galwan is facing some roadblocks and delays. It has undergone a name change to Maatrubhumi directed by Apoorva Lakhia. Sallu needs that one incendiary hit to keep him going. A South team made Jawan with Nayanthara and Shah Rukh Khan unforgettable. Chiranjeevi, not exactly mothballed but not having frequent films had her as his lead in the recent ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’, an out and out entertainer. Two decades as a heroine, Nayan is not about to settle for a “blink and she is gone” role. The story with Salman is planned to be a solid plot to showcase two great talents. Pre-production work is almost done and shooting is to commence. The producers are all geared up for 2027 Eid release. Salman Khan is sure to celebrate this Eid with warm Mubarakaan from his huge legion of fans.
The time has arrived for those who missed the World Cup bus (ICC Men’s T20) to exhibit their wares in the shortest format of the sport — the Tata-IPL Season-19. India’s Test and one-day international captain Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant must have been hurt not making it to the showpiece event at home. The selectors provided a window for Gill to make an attempt and fit into the Twenty20 squad; they even made him the vice captain for the Asia Cup in the UAE. But to get the “balance of the team” right, they dropped him for one of the signature events of the ICC-19. The IPL has started with the likes of veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma flaying the bowling in their team’s opening matches. And young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi too has lashed out at the Chennai side. But the world would watch with keen interest the ability of Gill and Jaiswal, the men in blue team’s best opening pair in the Twenty20, but who had to make way for the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson. Rajasthan Royals’ Jaiswal used the IPL to force his way into the Indian team, but Gill and Pant came through the BCCI’s established domestic system. Gill is an IPL regular for eight seasons and scored 3866 (3626 as an opener) and will be in the running for the next World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2028, and so would be Jaiswal and Pant. While they would target the 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia next year, they would double down in the ongoing IPL and make the big splash in order to force their way for the bilateral matches.
It was 2019 when a Karnataka cadre cop waded into the murky waters of Tamil Nadu politics with a dream…to bring the BJP beacon to TN, to get its rightful recognition in this Dravidian stronghold, K Annamalai came in with a vision of Camelot…but today his political survival and special status in the BJP is under a big question mark. The very BJP which nurtured and applauded his strength, is ignoring him. What happened to all that mercurial charisma that made Annamalai, Modi’s favourite (remember he was perhaps the only BJP member who got a one-hour car ride with the PM when Modi drove to the Coimbatore airport). But recently, as the PM was on his way to Kerala, he stopped at Coimbatore airport where a 11-member team was waiting to receive him…BJP’s Women’s Wing leader, Vanathi Srinivasan sounded surprised that Annamalai was not there…did they know that the official list did not have his name! What a profile he had etched in TN… Annamalai was here, there and everywhere …he led padayatras, nursed his Coimbatore constituency and was the inevitable face of the BJP…but in his meteoric rise, he rose in strident speech too … making enemies of the established AIADMK and its chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. The internal warfare and jockeying were in full throttle. So when Annamalai lost the election in 2021, the AIADMK broke the BJP ties. Anticipating the need to keep the alliance going, Nainar Nagendran was made TN Chief. The BJP’s compulsion was to have a respectable presence in TN at any cost. Annamalai had to be downsized to please Edappadi. Now it is learnt BJP is making amends, TN in-charge Piyush Goyal has summoned Annamalai to party office to request him to enter the fray from a constituency of his choice. Will he? Annamalai is fired by the RSS ideology …this Knight is sure to find his place at the Round Table like Lancelot.
Trouble for the BJP-led Odisha government headed by Mohan Charan Majhi, in power for close to 21 months, never seems to be ending. The latest is the Opposition’s vociferous demand for the resignation of the state health minister over the death toll in the fire at SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack which rose to 13. Ten Opposition parties – Congress, BJD, CPI (M), All India Forward Block, NCP, RJD — and other regional outfits have come together in a rare display of unity against ruling BJP. Massive protest has been organised demanding resignation of Health Minister Nukesh Mahaling. The Majhi government has rejected the resignation demand of the health minister, even as it suspended four of its officials. Naveen Patnaik’s party, the BJD in alliance with the Congress, has made it clear that the protest and agitation are not being withdrawn until the health minister resigns on moral ground. Supporting its argument, BJD sighted the case of its Health Minister Atanu S Nayak who resigned over a similar tragedy in 2016 when BJD was in power. The BJP has turned the tables on BJD saying that because of lapses during their rule, of not making fire safety arrangements during their 24 years rule, the current accident took place.
This Assembly elections, the BJP has launched a focused outreach to women voters, crafting a candidate list featuring women activists and public figures to challenge West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s strong hold over the women vote bank. Over 15 years in power, Didi has built a strong rapport with women through welfare schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar and Kanyashree. Notably, ahead of the elections, the TMC government increased monthly assistance under Lakshmir Bhandar. In a strategic shift, the BJP has fielded candidates directly associated with protests against alleged violence or injustice, particularly in cases linked to individuals associated with the ruling TMC. Ratna Debnath, mother of the RG Kar Hospital rape victim, has been fielded from Panihati. Rekha Patra, a key figure in the 2024 Sandeshkhali protests will contest from Hingalganj. Tumpa Kayal, known for leading protests after the 2013 Kamduni rape and murder case in North 24 Parganas, has joined the BJP. Together, Ratna, Rekha and Tumpa represent the BJP’s effort to foreground real-life experiences of violence against women and are expected to campaign across the state, including Bhabanipur, where Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari is contesting against Mamata. The BJP has also fielded women candidates such as actors Roopa Ganguly, Sarbori Mukherjee, Papiya Adhikary, and advocate Priyanka Tibrewal, who contested against Didi in the 2021 Bhabanipur bypoll after her defeat in Nandigram. Meanwhile, TMC has raised concerns over a reported drop of nearly 57 lakh women voters after the SIR. It claims numbers rose from 3.59 crore (2021) to 3.73 crore (2024), before falling to 3.16 crore (2026), alleging many women were marked “under adjudication” due to marriage, address, or surname changes, effectively excluding them and weakening participation.
Republican leader Prakash Ambedkar keeps on shocking the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) by expressing his opinions right and left. His conditional willingness to go with the BJP has administered another jolt to the three-party coalition. Already under fire due to charges that he heads the BJP’s ‘B’ team, Ambedkar’s latest handshake with Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has generated many riddles in the state’s polity. On top of that, he has beckoned the BJP. Ambedkar told the media that the BJP would not be taboo for him ‘provided it burnt Manu Smruti.’ He also renewed his barbs against NCP president Sharad Pawar by charging that Pawar and BJP were hand in glove. Sena (U) MP Sanjay Raut and several NCP leaders had warned Ambedkar to be careful while talking about Pawar. However, he has not taken any cognisance of the disapproval. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole extricated his party from the simmering feud. He said Ambedkar has formed an alliance with the Sena (U) and MVA was not concerned with it. NCP leaders Jayant Patil and Sunil Tatkare have made it clear to Uddhav that the seat share for future elections will be limited to three MVP partners and if Ambedkar had to be accommodated, Uddhav will have to do it from his party’s quota. Ambedkar’s response to the developments is awaited with baited breath.
Controversial lawyer Gunaratna Sadavarte has alleged that NCP president Sharad Pawar was the mastermind behind the conspiracy to arrest the then leader of Opposition Devendra fadnavis. Sadavarte was arrested last year for leading a violent morcha to the residence of Sharad Pawar. He said, “I understood their design after my arrest.” Sadavarte described the details of his interrogation in police lock-up. More questions to him pertained to the RSS, the Right Wing, Nagpur and Fadnavis than the state transport employee strike for which he was arrested. The strikers had stormed Pawar’s house under Sadavarte’s leadership. The then government wanted to implicate the lawyer for the attack, he alleged. Fadnavis had made the grave charge while participating in a news channel event on Tuesday (Jan 24). The charge was refuted by former home minister Dilip Walse-Patil immediately. Sadavarte has reopened the issue with his allegations. Sadavarte said he possessed knowledge about a crucial meeting in which the conspiracy to trap Fadnavis was hatched, including its location. Some politicians and police officials were present, including then Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey. Claiming that a hard disc existed in a Mumbai police station containing sensitive information, Sadavarte demanded that certain footage from Kolhapur should be brought in so that the details about the conspiracy planning would become clear. The lawyer showered abuse on Pawar on some social issues as well.
The CPI(M) Government in Kerala has decided to reward a lateral entrant like former Union Minister KV Thomas who joined its ranks with a plum Delhi posting. Yes, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided to appoint Thomas as special representative of the state in New Delhi with a cabinet rank. Thomas was a former Union Minister of State (Independent charge) for Food & Civil Supplies in the Manmohan Singh government. A six term Lok Sabha MP and an MLA for two terms, Thomas was expelled from the Congress in May 2022 hours after he shared the stage with the Kerala Chief Minister in a by-poll meeting of the Left party-led front in Kochi. Once close to former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Thomas was first issued a show-cause notice for breaking party discipline as he attended a seminar organised by the CPM in Kannur, where he reportedly praised CM Pinarayi Vijayan. He was earlier denied permission to attend the meeting. In his reply to the panel, Thomas claimed that he had been the victim of ‘groupism’ of the Kerala unit, and he had been “discriminated against” by party leaders. The Congress had reportedly turned down his bid for candidature in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 2021 Assembly and Rajya Sabha elections. Since then, he has been cooperating with CPM. Of course in between he did try to explore his options with the BJP.
In a significant move, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi clarified that it was “erroneous and far-fetched” to infer that he had suggested changing the name of the state with his recent comments on “Tamizhagam”. In a statement, Ravi sought to end “Tamil Nadu versus Tamizhagam” debate saying that “an interpretation or inference that it was a suggestion to change the name of Tamil Nadu is erroneous and far-fetched”. He said he referred to the word “Tamizhagam” while speaking on the “historical cultural connect between the Tamil people and Kashi”. In those days, there was no Tamil Nadu, he said. “Hence, in the historical cultural context, I referred to the word Tamizhagam as a more appropriate expression,” he said. “Without understanding the basis of my speech, arguments that the Governor is against the word Tamil Nadu have become a topic of discussion. Hence, I am giving this clarification to put an end to it,” he added. It is important to note that the Governor’s clarification came a day after two-day BJP national executive in Delhi and also days after Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai had dubbed the remark as “unnecessary”. He had clarified that controversy over the name change was the “one without any productive outcome”. Clearly, the BJP leadership wants the focus of its work in Tamil Nadu to be on its party unit and state leadership, not on Raj Bhavan.
There were no surprises when Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that J P Nadda’s tenure as BJP national president was extended. “The tenure of JP Nadda as national president of the BJP has been extended till June 2024. Under JP Nadda’s leadership, we had the highest strike rate in Bihar. The NDA won a majority in Maharashtra, won in Uttar Pradesh, and our numbers increased in West Bengal. We also registered a landslide victory in Gujarat,” said Shah. He also hoped “under the leadership of Modi ji and with Nadda ji, we will win more seats than 2019 in the 2024 polls.” The BJP national executive meet, which extended Nadda’s presidency, will draw a roadmap for the upcoming crucial state polls that will set the tone for 2024 when PM Narendra Modi seeks a third straight term. Nadda started as the BJP working president in 2019 when then party chief Amit Shah became a Union minister. He took up the full-time party presidency on January 20, 2020 and will complete his one term in office next week. His extension as the national president was inevitable as he has a very good working relationship with both Modi and Shah. In an election year, there was no way Modi-Shah could have opted for a new leader when Nadda had ensured carrying PM’s message up to the booth-level.
Word has gone back to the BJP top brass that the ideological confrontations the Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi is getting into are not helping the party’s cause in the State. This is a time when there has been a bit of an upsurge in the party being led by former police officer K Annamalai to take on the Dravidian ruling party. The bit of salience achieved may be at risk if the Governor stays on the warpath on issues like religion and culture, which are very differently viewed in Tamil Nadu, a State known for religious diversity not causing any communal disturbances. The Governor seems to be intent on continuously raking up Sanatana dharma while putting down Tamil culture. It went to such an extent that he even tried to change the title of Tamil Nadu, which has constitutional ratification. This riled the chief minister who was keeping his cool on the issue while advising his party men not to make it personal though he may not have discouraged allies like VCK and even the PMK from taking on the Governor in a more direct manner. Stalin even called him with the disdainful Tamil pronoun of “Oruthan” in describing how “one person” was going around saying not to call the land Tamil Nadu. It would be the national party’s interest not to let this Governor needle the rulers and people of the State any further.
The Congress party in Maharashtra is preparing to face a major jolt following the sensational disclosure that former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s two MLA sons, Amit and Dheeraj, are likely to join the BJP. Deshmukh family’s generational foe and former minister, BJP MLA Sambhaji Nilangekar has leaked the possibility out at Latur, their home district. He warned that he would not allow their entry into the party. While Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has dismissed the likelihood as a rumour, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan refused to comment on it. State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule cryptically said, “Wait for the time and the place. The Congress is going to receive a solid blow.” Vilasrao was the face of the Congress party in Marathwada ever since his emergence in state politics in 1980. His rise was very fast with the blessings of another giant S B Chavan, former CM and Union home minister. Vilasrao had challenged the monopoly of veteran Shivajirao Nilangekar in Latur district. Sambhaji is his grandson, who has been engaged in establishing his hold in the district. Shivajirao and Chavan were bitter opponents of each other. For some time, Chavan’s son Ashok, former CM, is facing suspicion in the Congress owing to his absence at some crucial party meetings. At such a juncture, the news about Deshmukh siblings has rattled the Congress.
On January 5, DMK MP Kanimozhi turned 55 and the road to her Chennai residence was jam packed with birthday greeters and revelers indicating she is a force to reckon with in Tamil Nadu politics. The whole neighbourhood was festooned with DMK flags. Late Kalaignar’s favourite child Kanimozhi is chief minister M K Stalin’s half-sister. What is even more evident as she led a big crowd to her father’s resting place on the Marina beach was that she no longer appeared to be that tentative, hesitant and defensive politician who was incarcerated in the 2 G scam. Kani has parachuted out of that crisis, to become a significant power centre. Potential for an alternative to the first family’s dynastic culture, Kani was made deputy treasurer of DMK, a sop to keep her content against the rising son, claim party wags. Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi’s confrontational attitude towards his aunt has changed too, maybe in the interests of warding off rebellion. The DMK behemoth built by cadres and functionaries is definitely chafing at the dynastic moves. A recently charge-sheeted Youtuber and journalist voiced scathing opinions when comparing Udhayanidhi and Kani in terms of capability, political savvy and experience, groomed as she is by none other than Kalaignar. Suddenly, whispers are getting loud and overt. What if BJP uses her as a Trojan and a deserving family claimant to TN throne?
Keeping a hawk’s eye on upcoming panchayat polls, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has launched her maiden extensive digital campaign – ‘Didir Suraksha Kavach’ through Didir Doot’ (party cadres). The public outreach comes at a time when Didi’s party and government are battling scams including the recent protests at the panchayat level over irregularities in the allocation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, teachers’ recruitment. During the launch of the programme Didi said that this will be a medium where 3.5 lakh party leaders would reach every block and cover 2 crore families in 60 days, with workers staying in villages to understand the problems faced by locals. They will be also promoting 15 welfare schemes, covering various sectors such as food, housing, health, education, social security, income and employment through the newly developed app under the same name. Most importantly, post Lok Sabha Polls 2019 debacle where Didi lost several of LS seats to BJP, the saffron party launched an initiative called ‘Didi ke Balo’ which primarily opened the pandora’s box of the issues such as “cut money” and “syndicate raj”. According to party insiders, over 3343 gram panchayats are there in Bengal, but this new launch is not only eyeing the rural polls but also at the Lok Sabha Polls 2024. However, political analysts said that Didi has sent a strong message to party functionaries and leaders accused of corruption.
Opposition leader Ajit Pawar’s claim that a BJP ‘mastermind’ was behind the statewide agitation against him is the hot political topic now. His comment that “Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was Swarajya Rakshak and not Dharmaveer” is the focus of a BJP statewide agitation for the past three days. Pawar alleged at a media conference that the agitation was engineered by the BJP. “When I was speaking in the house, their mastermind was not present. Still, the protests against me are according to a plan.” Pawar claimed that various BJP leaders had been calling him up to tell that they were instructed to protest against him and send the clips to the party office. “Burn the picture of Ajit Pawar, hit it with shoes” they were instructed, he said. Certain names are being mentioned to pinpoint the so-called mastermind. Pawar’s assertion that he has been elected to the opposition leader’s post by NCP MLAs is also being debated since no major decision in that party is taken without the consent of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Pawar has been facing criticism that his stand vis a vis the Shinde-Fadnavis government is ‘mild.’ His detractors point out that he did not condemn the government when state NCP president Jayant Patil was suspended from the lower house. Pawar had invited snide remarks for not signing a no-confidence motion against assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar.
Small screen actor Urfi Javed’s attire is among the latest political battles being fought in Maharashtra. Charges are hurled against each other by women leaders from the opposing sides. Urfi, too, has jumped into the fray. BJP’s Maharashtra Mahila Morcha (Women’s Front) chief Chitra Wagh has warned Urfi that the actress would be dealt with severely if she continues to offend ‘sensibilities of Maharashtra’ by appearing in public in objectionable attire. Shiv Sena (Uddhav) firebrand deputy leader Sushama Andhare has questioned Wagh’s right to order anyone about what to wear or not. Urfi has charged that Wagh was at the forefront of a campaign to demand the resignation of then minister Sanjay Rathod in connection with a woman’s death. However, Wagh has been silent since the Shinde-Fadnavis government was formed and Rathod included in it, Urfi has said. Ridiculing Wagh, she said, “Even I am going to join the BJP. Then Wagh will be friends with me.” Wagh says there is no reason to object to anyone’s dressing up to meet the needs of a job or profession. However, it is necessary to be socially conscious while appearing in public. Andhare has demanded to know why there is silence on a statement by Baba Ramdev, who had said at a public function in Thane that women look good even when not wearing anything.
The hawkers in Mumbai are facing a strange dilemma. On the one hand, the government is wooing them by literally calling them to take bank loans of Rs 10,000 under the Pradhan Mantri Swa-Nidhi Yojana for self-employed professionals. Perceived as a strategy to woo the mainly North Indian hawkers’ community by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the wake of forthcoming Mumbai’s civic elections, the rules for domicile certification were recently withdrawn to widen the base of hawkers benefit from it. At the same time, hawkers continue to also face eviction from the streets of Mumbai. “It’s a strange situation. On the one hand, those 17,000 hawkers enlisted in the 2014 hawkers survey, receive calls from local ward offices to fill forms and take loans. But, while we get loans, we also continue to face evictions. Not yet being issued hawking licenses means that loans serve as no guarantee of livelihoods for us. How do we repay loans if we don’t hawk on the streets?” asks Jai Shankar Singh, general secretary of the Azad Hawkers Union. The BMC is forced to solicit hawkers for loans as civic officials were given an initial target to approve loans for one lakh hawkers. However, mid-way through their targets were doubled to two lakh hawkers till March 2023. So far the BMC has managed to approve loans for 92,000 hawkers.
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.
Looks like BJP is permanently on election mode and focussing on states where they have no big numbers. A case in point is Tamil Nadu. Recently, BJP President J P Nadda was on a two-day visit to Coimbatore along with Tamil Nadu’s top BJP leaders. Addressing a public meeting Nadda spared no punches. He asked the large crowd, “What does DMK stand for”? And then went on to decode it by saying “D is for dynasty, the first family of DMK. M is for Money. And K is for Katta Panchayat “. Katta Panchayat refers to winning battles and quelling revolt by strong arm politics through Kangaroo Courts. While BJP and Modi focussed only on the national good, DMK functioned only for the first family. The country is thus in safe hands, while TN is not in safe hands. Modi is for real Bharat unity whereas DMK and its ally, the Congress now busy walking for Bharat unity, have regularly trotted out the separatist slogan for revolt. It’s a moot point whether this direct didactic would shake 60-odd years of Dravidam complacency? Post his speech Nadda drove to Isha Foundation run by spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev who is currently mired in a controversy with environmentalists. Was Nadda’s overnight stay at Esha, a signal that BJP is putting its might behind the spiritual guru?
High drama prevailed at Howrah Station as a visibly annoyed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to come on stage from where the Vande Bharat express was being virtually flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following “Jai Shri Ram” chants by the BJP supporters present at the spot. Incidentally, both Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw requested her to join them on the stage. In a way, the controversy helped Didi not to share the stage with Suvendu Adhikari, her one-time aide. While Bengal cabinet minister Firhad Hakim and Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh termed this as misbehaviour and a purposeful act of insult to the state’s chief minister. Besides, Vande Bharat, PM also flagged off the inter-city metro service connecting the southern fringes of Kolkata. However, Mamata made it clear to PM Modi that not only Joka-Esplanade Metro services, but four out of five inaugurated projects were also her brainchild during her stint as Railway minister. Didi categorically voiced that her dream project – the Taratala to Joka Metro, which she laid the foundation stone with erstwhile President Pratibha Patil got inaugurated also. She also reminded that several project proposals during her tenure as Railway minister are now seeing the light of day. Adding to this, Bengal chief minister said that she was the one who earmarked 50 world-class stations across the country.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s clear signal about his future plans indicated by his visit to RSS headquarters at Nagpur on December 29 has turned volatile since the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) has criticised him with choicest words. Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis visited the Reshimbaug RSS complex. Shinde’s visit has assumed political overtones as it signifies his total alignment with the BJP. At Reshimbaug, Shinde paid respects to RSS founder Dr K B Hedgewar and second chief M S Golwalkar, known as Guruji. He said his party would be hand in hand with the BJP. This statement will force Maha Vikas Aghadi partners to rethink their strategy, especially in view of the BMC elections which are likely to take place in early 2023. Shinde recalled that he used to be a RSS worker in childhood. Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said, “Shinde’s mentality is dirty. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat should check if Shinde had gone there to claim that complex.” His remark was in reference to Shinde faction’s efforts to acquire various Sena offices in Mumbai and elsewhere as its own. Uddhav’s caustic remark has the backdrop of a whispering campaign that the Shinde faction could attempt to take over Shiv Sena Bhavan, the party’s Dadar headquarters in the near future. Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, “Let their father dare to touch Sena Bhavan, developed by Balasaheb. Such a talk can vitiate Maharashtra’s atmosphere.”
Uttarakhand may soon have an international airport. The state government is set to submit a proposal to the Union civil aviation ministry for setting up an international airport for which it has already identified two locations measuring 1,200 hectares and 1,100 hectares. A pre-feasibility for upgrading the Pantnagar airport, located near the Jim Corbett Park, to an international airport is also said to be ready. The BJP government is making a pitch that an international airport is needed in the state, considering its spiritual, historical and strategic importance. Better connectivity will boost tourism and bring in the revenue that the hill state needs.
State-owned Nandan movie theatre continues to be the most coveted halls for film release in Kolkata. Amid growing political heat in West Bengal due to upcoming panchayat polls, the Opposition has blamed the ruling Mamata Government for not giving permission to screen the Bengali film Prajapoti starring Dev and Mithun Chakraborty at Nandan theatre. Though Dev is Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, Mithun switched from TMC to BJP. Significantly, Dev is the producer of the movie which was released on December 23, along with two other Bengali films — Hatyapuri and Haami 2. And both got permission to screen at Nandan. Interestingly Dev’s official Facebook page read “Will Miss You Nandan this time. No Issue. Will meet again… End of Story.” The post had a caption saying “Only Legends can understand this.” The producers said that they were the first to submit the application for screening while TMC says that application for screening of the film came late. BJP National Vice President Dilip Ghosh took a jibe stating Dev was also forced to contest the election; he wasn’t willing to do the same and in Bengal, if one doesn’t support the TMC, the prestigious Nandan remains out of reach. But, the murmur is loud and clear, was this move of the ruling government a clear message to Ghatal MP that Mithun dada remains an opponent even in art.
Stars and singers from the Bengali film industry who have won the last Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections, across parties, have to come to terms that they are just symbolic leaders; don’t have much say as their constituencies are controlled by seasoned politicians. This seems more predominant in Trinamool Congress (TMC). Tollywood’s popular star ‘Dev’ Deepak Adhikari’s constituency is under the control of Midnapore strongman Manas Bhunia. Actress Mimi Chakraborty’s Jadavpur constituency is overseen by Didi’s close aide and cabinet minister Aroop Biswas. Nusrat Jahan’s constituency Basirhat is under several North 24 Parganas leaders taking all political decisions. Yesteryear’s noted actress Satabdi Roy, three-time MP from Birbhum, has no say. Her constituency is nursed by strongman Anubrata Mondal. Similarly, MLAs like renowned yesteryear actor Chiranjeet Chakraborty, TV star Arundhati Moitra and folk singer Aditi Munshi are voiceless with all decision making under the control of Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Rajya Sabha MP Subhashis Chakraborty and senior cabinet minister Sujit Bose respectively for the constituencies of Barasat, Sonarpur Dakshin and Rajarhat-Gopalpur. Noted singer, former BJP minister Babul Supriyo who switched to TMC camp is facing a similar predicament. Both Hooghly BJP MP Locket Chatterjee, and Asanaol South BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, both general secretaries are not treated in the same manner. Paul gets more importance as he is part of Suvendu Adhikari’s camp, while Chatterjee feels shortchanged as she is part of Dilip Ghosh camp.
Upping pressure on Rahul Gandhi to enforce Covid norms on Bharat Jodo Yatra, the BJP walked the talk by first enforcing Covid restrictions on itself. Yes, the party suspended its “Jan Aakrosh Yatra” that it had launched in Rajasthan on December 1 in view of a rising number of Coronavirus cases globally and in the state. In fact, masks made a comeback in the Parliament with presiding officers ensuring MPs wore masks. “The BJP has suspended Jan Aakrosh Yatra in Rajasthan in the wake of rising number of Covid-19 cases. For the BJP, people come first before politics. For us the safety of people, their health is priority,” announced BJP general secretary Arun Singh. He also described Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as a “morning and evening walk”. The yatra is about to enter Delhi on December 24. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi pointed out, “Both the chairs in the Parliament have requested the members to wear face masks during proceedings. But the leaders from the Opposition didn’t wear masks which shows their attitude towards Covid guidelines “On his part, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi dismissed Covid concerns flagged by the Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as BJPs’ new idea to stop his Yatra.”They are scared of India’s truth”. Against the global rise in Covid-19 cases, India has been reporting 153 new cases on an average every day.
The TN BJP chief K Annamalai is keen on his party taking its own direction in the state. He wants to test the waters in the Lok Sabha polls of 2024 to check what percentage of the votes the BJP can get in the state when standing on its own. Depending on the outcome, he would like the party to decide on the Assembly poll alliance for 2026. The party is impressed with the response Annamalai’s leadership is getting even if he himself is under pressure over the designer Rafale special edition watch, said to have been priced at Rs 5 lakh, that has been raked up after he targeted the DMK for corruption. The AIADMK, led by Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), is on tenterhooks regarding the outcome in the party case. The verdict is due on January 4 and his bargaining power on behalf of what is so far the official AIADMK could depend on where the judges go on the dispute with OPS’ wing of the same party. The BJP is playing a clever waiting game to see where the judgment takes the issue and if EPS comes off the worse in court, he could be in for a tough time. Meanwhile, there is talk of DMK joining the NDA fold but that is so much hot air at the moment even if in politics anything is possible.
Well known Odia star Anubhav Mohanty and youngest BJD MP is focusing on his first love — movies. It may be recalled that the Odia actor and his actress wife Varsha Priyadarshini made headlines when their marital discord became ugly. This popular star and sitting MP from Kendrapara, made a big splash two decades ago on the silver screen with his film “I Love You “. It was a super hit and made him a star overnight. Recently, the Odia star was seen in London shooting for his film Love In London. Film’s Director Tapas Sargharia who is also a well-known screenwriter and actor is thrilled that he was able to sign Anubhav for this project. “A large chunk of the film is shot at the iconic places – London Eye, London Bridge and Thames River”, said Sargharia. “It’s a love story with a difference,” he assures. Poulomi Das is the heroine. Anubhav revealed that the film’s climax is “unusual and the audience will have Goosebumps.” This love story is deep-rooted in the social values, culture and tradition of Odisha. Film will hit the big screen in 2023. “It’s a huge balancing act between the Parliament and dates to shoot,” says Anubhav. “But I never lose a single day in the Parliament”, he says. That’s work-life balance for him.
Much of the BJP losing Himachal Pradesh is being viewed through the prism of the party doing badly in I&B Minister Anurag Thakur’s Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency where the Congress won 12 of the 17 assembly seats; the BJP had 44 seats in the outgoing assembly. The BJP lost all the five seats in Hamirpur district and it is significant that the Congress picked Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu who is an MLA from Nadaun that falls in Hamirpur region. Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri is Haroli MLA from Una district that is also part of Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat. What does this mean for the BJP? Will a Congress win in 2022 make it difficult for Thakur to get re-elected from Hamirpur in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls? Himachal Congress leaders themselves admit that Thakur would face no threat for the Lok Sabha seat in spite of a strong Congress performance. “That is because assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections would be fought on different issues. Besides, remember an assembly seat like Sujanpur in Hamirpur was secured more by postal ballots than the EVM,” pointed out a Congress leader. Congress sources admit that though Thakur had campaigned aggressively, it was his father PK Dhumal’s laid back strategy that benefited Congress — yes they admit to have gained from the J P Nadda-Dhumal rift.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sunday visit to Nagpur is eagerly awaited as he is expected to becalm the tension between Maharashtra and Karnataka over their six-decade-old border dispute. As if impervious to the problems suffered by people from both sides, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has again tweeted that the matter is with the Supreme Court. “A meeting between Amit Shah and some Maharashtra MPs would not make any difference,” he has taunted. This stand has been condemned by opposition parties in Maharashtra. Maharashtra being the second largest state after Uttar Pradesh electorally, it occupies a crucial place for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for the BJP. Despite this, Bommai has been adding fuel to the fire by his various statements. Hence, BJP leaders in Maharashtra are caught in a delicate situation. Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have already appealed to the PM to intervene. Union home minister Amit Shah’s initiative to invite both chief ministers next week for talks to find a solution will take a specific direction after Modi’s Nagpur visit tomorrow to inaugurate the ambitious Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway’s first leg and other projects. But Bommai’s latest outburst has again created uncertainty. Modi is expected to advise both sides to exercise restraint till a solution satisfactory to will is formulated.
The Narendra Modi Government is believed to be going ahead with its move for a ‘one nation, one election’ plan. Though the plan has not found favour with the main opposition parties. The next Lok Sabha elections is expected to be simultaneously held along with 12 assembly elections. To accommodate this, the Election Commission will have to tweak the dates and even consider advancing the next Lok Sabha elections by a couple of months. The tentative period being considered is believed to be December-January 2023-24, according to informed sources. While the next Lok Sabha elections are due in April-May 2024, the assembly terms of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana will end by December 2023 and Mizoram by mid December 2023. The other states being roped in for the mega election plan are three non-NDA ruled states with BJP affinity — Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim. The term of these assemblies are scheduled to end by June 2024. And also in the mega election plan are two BJP ruled states, Haryana and Maharashtra, where the elections are due in November 2024. If mega election plan fructifies it will bring down the cost of holding elections across India. The cost of the last Lok Sabha elections was around $ 7 bn (approx. Rs 56,000 crore, up 40% from the previous election. The US spend for its Presidential and Congress elections is around $ 6.5 bn.
In the fiercely contested elections to Municipal Corporation of Delhi which saw the Aam Aadmi Party edge out the BJP after 15 years of presiding over the civic body by winning 134 out of 250 municipal wards, AAP supremo and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal came across as a humble man. Maybe the results had a sobering effect on him — for a party that had vowed to restrict BJP to 20 wards, AAP fared poorly in Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and his jailed minister Satyender Jain’s assembly segments. The BJP went on to secure 104 wards. “We need cooperation from all, especially the help and blessings of the Centre and PM to improve Delhi,” he said. For a start, these words may have been enough to soften bruised ego but the BJP is unlikely to fall for it. In fact it doesn’t view the civic poll results as a setback. “We wanted an honourable exit from the MCD. That is what we have got”, conceded a top BJP poll strategist. In fact the idea of getting high profile campaigners for street corner meetings was to ensure that the party has an adequate presence in the MCD. “If our senior leaders hadn’t made this effort, AAP could have restricted us to 50-60 wards. At least we managed to reach three-digit”, pointed out a leader.
There is a clear three-way divide in the West Bengal entertainment industry. While a section of the stars continue with their allegiance with the CPI (M), a majority of actors (TV and cinema) are with Trinamool Congress and some are with BJP. Significantly, the allegiance factor has hit the stars in the opposition camp real hard as no work comes their way. The change started when the West Bengal’s entertainment industry sided with the then Opposition leader Mamata Banerjee’s movement against Singur Land Acquisition and Nandigram massacre. The successful agitation saw Didi’s TMC dethroning the Left Front government and effectively, the entertainment industry changed its colour to green from red. With the entry of BJP into the state, some prominent stars embraced saffron and joined the BJP as allegations of corruption and “cut-money” plagued Didi’s party. But they had to pay a price. Noted actors like Mithun Chakraborty, Rudranil Ghosh, Rupa Ganguly, and Locket Chatterjee have been openly saying that the attitude of their industry colleagues have changed ever since they joined BJP. Rudranil claims he has been out of work for the last 18 months, while Mithun says he has been getting negative vibes. The heartthrob of Bengali films and TMC MP Dev however said, politics should never come in the way of personal ties and professional work. Dev’s latest film ‘Projapoti’ features Mithun.
As the campaign for December 4 elections to Municipal Corporation of Delhi peaked, frustration of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal became all too obvious. Not only was he forced to abandon his last-ditch campaign in Gujarat but he found in Delhi too the BJP has made a remarkable recovery on ground. Ideally, it should have been an AAP advantage as the BJP has been in power in the civic body for the past 15 years. However, the BJP recovered much of its lost ground by deploying its leaders and karyakartas in community specific areas. “We sent out leaders such as CM Pushkar Dhami and MP Ravi Kishen for a campaign to reach out to specific communities,” said a party source. BJP also reached out to Kejriwal’s vote bank of slum dwellers by showcasing houses built under PM’s housing scheme for urban poor in Kalkaji. Clearly upset with the BJP’s election strategy, a dejected Kejriwal lamented how the BJP had brought in CMs from other states and 17 Union ministers for the campaign. “There would have been no need to bring so many high-profile leaders if the MCD had done any work in the previous 15 years,”, Kejriwal lashed out at a public meeting. He blamed the BJP-led MCD for clogging the city’s sewers and for failing to resolve the problem of the overexploited landfills. Even as his government was caught in a liquor scam, he promised to make MCD corruption free within four months.
The age-old border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka has pitted BJP governments in both states against each other again. On the other hand, all political parties in Maharashtra have come together to oppose any move by the neighbouring state Karnataka in this direction. The dispute was born with the formation of Maharashtra and Karnataka (then Mysore) states on linguistic basis over 60 years ago. Several Marathi-speaking areas were included in Karnataka. Since then, the two states are at loggerheads even when both have had governments of the same parties, first the Congress and now the BJP. The dispute at present is before the Supreme Court. After an all-party meeting in Mumbai a couple of days ago decided to jointly fight the matter, Karnataka chief minister Basavraj Bommai has asserted that his government was considering a demand by 40 villages in Jath taluka of Sangli district along the border to merge them with his state since they were facing water scarcity. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the demand was made way back a decade ago. During his chief ministership, the problem of water shortages was handled by him. If the remedy is held up due to some reason, it will be implemented soon, he promised. Fadnavis has emphatically declared that not a single village from the state will go to Karnataka.
People are still shell shocked by the concentrated and concerted effort of the BJP’s Kasi Tamil Sangam show, presided over so eloquently as a hard sell by the PM, a month long event focussed on the Tamils. Thirteen religious heads of Mutts from Tamil Nadu are camping in Kashi, Uttar Pradesh, the PM’s much vaunted constituency. Maestro Ilayaraja and his group performed a mesmerising Shiva sthotram with the PM clapping in rhythm. A full trainload of religious Tamil Savants and assorted youth was seen off by no less than Governor of TN for back to back religious events and tours of Kasi .And oh! not to forget the 13 language translation and book release of the Thirukkural, a historic spiritual work of poet Thiruvalluvar, long hijacked by the Dravidian parties as their own. Topping this blitz cake was the PM’s address; he looked comfortable in a “Veshti and Angavastram”. Kashi is the second home for Tamils. Who scripted this eclectic show? When the PM’s chopper trip to Madurai airport was cancelled due to bad weather he took the road. And BJP’s Tamil Nadu K Annamalai was handpicked as a solo companion to accompany the PM on this hour-long drive. And the entire Kashi caper was scripted and presented to the PM. Kashi, the oldest city in the world is now the newest magnetic confluence of politics.
Even before AAP could make much headway in Gujarat, it has been caught into a trap of its own making in Delhi. Yes, the party that was founded by the Ghaziabad boys — Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia — and won its first election in 2013 on an anti-corruption plank has now lost its credibility over corruption charges. Allegations of selling tickets for the upcoming Delhi municipal corporation (MCD) elections are flying thick and fast and Kejriwal has no answers. Two videos purportedly shot by an ex-AAP member Bindu Sriram alleged that the AAP had sold tickets to candidates contesting the polls. Sriram claimed that she was asked to fork out Rs 80 lakh to get a party ticket from Rohini ward D. IIT-educated Kejriwal who won three back to back assembly elections (2013, 2015 & 2020) on power freebies, is a cornered man now. It appears he will not be able to easily wrest control of the MCD which has been with the BJP for 15 years. Besides, the AAP Government’s flawed liquor policy, and visuals of its jailed minister Satyendra Jain receiving massage from a rape accused Rinku in Tihar Jail have further dented Kejriwal’s image. On its part, the BJP has unleashed a mega campaign to reclaim the MCD. Senior leaders like Rajnath Singh, CMs of Haryana, Assam and Uttarakhand have all hit the road.
The Tamil Nadu branch of the Congress seems to be on a suicide mission. There is a rebellion against its chief KS Alagiri but then this is routine for a PCC that has a leader thrust on it from New Delhi. Worse is to come for the party as the DMK is on the road to forming a grand alliance against AIADMK and BJP and wants to corner as many of the TN (39)+ Puducherry (1) 40 seats as possible to take a leading hand in the government formation after 2024 polls. The DMK plan is to include PMK, DMDK and Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi besides old allies like VCK and MDMK in its coalition. The Congress share of seats may come down drastically from the 10 seats they had last time out. At best, DMK may allot 5 or 6 seats to the Congress as it must accommodate so many others. The DMK is also sweating after the new thrust of BJP under K Annamalai resulted in his being able to organise demonstrations against rising milk prices in as many as 1,200 places in the State with 25 to 1,000 workers at each spot. The AIADMK-BJP alliance is in trouble over unity issues in AIADMK that may lead to the Two Leaves symbol being frozen if Edappadi K Palaniswamy is not willing to compromise.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Shiv Sena (Uddhav) MP Sanjay Raut have given ample indications to signal a truce between the two parties following their open differences over some remarks by Rahul against Hindutva icon Vinayak Damodar Savarkar who is revered by the Sena. Raut himself has revealed that Rahul called up him to enquire about his health and express concern over ‘the crushing of dissent’ around the country. Raut said he was thankful to Rahul for showing such magnanimity in the present milieu of political hatred. Rahul had criticized Savarkar in the last leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra. Incensed at his remarks, Raut had threatened serious consequences for the Maha Vikas Aghadi for the ‘uncalled for’ utterances. Subsequently, Rahul totally skipped the subject of Savarkar at his Shegaon rally, which marked the conclusion of his march in Maharashtra. However, Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ did not spare him and lambasted the remarks in strong language. Raut made it a point that he was expressing the sentiments on behalf of Uddhav Thackeray. In a bid to prevent any further fallout after some Congress had maintained that their party had its own stand, Rahul called up Raut. Expressing gratitude, Raut said the call was like a breeze of fresh air whereas Sena’s former allies like the BJP and MNS had not bothered to find out how he was.
Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) is determined to fork out on his own path if the BJP pushes him too hard to take back OPS and Sasikala to make a united AIADMK. If push comes to shove, EPS will not hesitate to break the alliance with the BJP provided he is secure in the legal status quo of his heading the party with the Two Leaves symbol and the Lloyds Road HQ. The local BJP chief K Annamalai asserted recently that the BJP-AIADMK alliance is intact and that the AIADMK lead by EPS will lead that alliance into the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The national leadership seems, however, to favour a united AIADMK party along with the two politicians who are right now out in the cold – OPS and Sasikala. OPS made a show of going out to meet Amit Shah at the India Cements diamond jubilee celebrations but all he got was a perfunctory greeting from the Home Minister who later went into a huddle with his own party men in Chennai rather than invite allies over. The Prime Minister was in Tamil Nadu too but on a schedule in four states in two days too busy to pay much attention to Tamil Nadu politics.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is due to tour the prestigious Baramati Lok Sabha constituency soon, as part of the BJP’s mission ‘B for Baramati.’ She had visited Baramati in August this year. The BJP has decided to keep 16 LS constituencies in the state on its radar. All out efforts will be made to win them in 2024. While most are from the earlier Shiv Sena quota, NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s home constituency Baramati will be the focal point of this mission. Union minister of state Pralhad Singh Patel has been camping in Baramati to prepare for Nirmala’s visit, which is being finalised. Maharashtra with its 48 LS constituencies is the second largest electoral slice after Uttar Pradesh. As the BJP feels that it has little scope in expanding its winning spree in UP and Gujarat, it has decided to concentrate more on Maharashtra. Although the LS election is two years away, BJP leaders have decided to begin preparations well in advance. The electoral scenario in Baramati is expected to change in the days to come owing to Ajit Pawar’s intriguing moves over the past month. Though he has discounted all rumours of his parting ways with the NCP, the friendship between him and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is considered a decisive factor in future permutations and combinations. At present, all concerned have kept their fingers crossed.
With elections in Himachal Pradesh scheduled on November 12, PM Narendra Modi took permission from President Droupadi Murmu to skip the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on account of a hectic poll campaign. Amidst reports of rebels in as many 50% of the 68 assembly seats, Modi addressed rallies in Kangra and Sujanpur districts. Results for Himachal are to be declared along with Gujarat on December 8. In a direct appeal to people of Himachal, Modi urged them to shed their habit of not repeating a government. He pointed to how the people of Uttarakhand had changed the old tradition and made the BJP win. “In UP too, it has happened after 40 years when a party won again and came to government for the second time in a row with an absolute majority. In Manipur also the BJP government has come again. The condition of Congress is deteriorating day by day. The area which was once considered Congress’s stronghold, the party has been completely wiped out from there…It has only two states left, Rajasthan & Chhattisgarh, no news of development comes from these two states.” It is the tenacity of rebels like Kripal Parmar who have stayed on in the fray in Fatehpur seat even after Modi spoke to him that may worry the BJP. The alleged phone call with the PM had gone viral.
Relying on the strong rural connect CPM is going all out to seal the spot in Panchayat Elections to be held in West Bengal in 2023. Having returned empty-handed in the Lok Sabha Polls 2019 and State Assembly elections 2021, the CPM is clear that this Panchayat Election is a do-or-die situation for its political existence in the state. Incidentally, the CPM had to bite the dust in the wake of anti-land acquisition movements losing around 50% panchayat seats in 2008, leading to the fall of its citadel in 2011. It continued with Trinamool Congress going all guns out for an uncontested win in the 2018 polls. Sources said that the Left top brass believes that terming TMC as “B Team” of BJP led to the decline of their vote share, where anti-TMC votes translated into saffron share. Hence, the recent dictate from the party leadership is that no official or unofficial pact with the BJP in upcoming panchayat elections. Significantly, TMC’s corruption and a beleaguered BJP led to the increase of vote share of CPM in recent past. With vote share declining to 4.71% during 2021 Assembly polls held in March, CPM clawed back with 11.87% in Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls held in December same year. These numbers went up further to 14.2% and 16.75% respectively in the Municipal elections across Bengal held during February and March 2022.
Maharashtra agriculture minister Abdul Sattar’s objectionable comment about NCP MP Supriya Sule has ignited a conflagration in the state, once again bringing her cousin Ajit Pawar at the centrestage due to his continued silence. At the same time, BJP has reminded the opposition that it had remained mute when women were insulted by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. Known for his acidic tongue, Sattar has been getting embroiled into one controversy after another. A confidant of chief minister Eknath Shinde, the minister has issued an apology but maintained that he had not abused Supriya or women in general. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has attracted attention, again, due to his silence over the whole affair. He is said to be at his grandparents’ place. He has not written even a twitter message about the whole affair. State NCP president Jayant Patil has a hard time to rationalize Ajit’s silence. Without backing Sattar’s statement, BJP leader Chitra Wagh said the opposition was silent when slanderous words were used against Kangana Ranaut, Swapna Patkar or Ketki Chitale. Patkar was lambasted by Sanjay Raut using some unparliamentary words. Ketki was kept in custody for weeks just for forwarding a twitter post against NCP chief Sharad Pawar while Ranaut was at the receiving end for many of her utterances by the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders.
BJP MP Poonam Mahajan’s question, “Who was the mastermind behind killing my father Pramod Mahajan” has created a sensation in political circles since she has raised the question 16 years after the influential BJP leader was shot at by his own brother Pravin, who also is no more. Addressing a BJP rally in Mumbai on October 6, Poonam said everyone knows who killed Pramodji. “But who was the mastermind behind this dastardly act, why was he not found,” she has asked. “It was your government,” she remarked. However, instead of making any allegation against any individual or political party, Poonam came down heavily against Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of dividing society on lingual and religious issues. Poonam and BJP’s Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar, who also spoke, were addressing the party’s Jagar Yatra (Awakening March) at Bandra (East), the backyard of the Thackeray family residence Matoshri. Poonam lobbed a volley of questions at Uddhav. “If you were so keen on the 50:50 formula of power sharing, why was no BJP corporator allowed to become Mumbai’s mayor,” the two-term MP asked. Hard hitting at Uddhav for instigating the Marathi-Gujarati conflict, Poonam pointed out that the BJP Gujarat unit’s president was a Marathi Manoos. Are you not proud of this fact, she thundered.
In Odisha BJP finally managed to check BJD’s by-poll winning spree since 2019 by winning the prestigious Dhamnagar by-election. It won by a margin of 9,881 votes. Biju Janata Dal supremo Naveen Patnaik said he was not surprised by BJD’s loss. “I always respect the verdict of the people. We expected that BJP would win this by-election” said Patnaik. Why did BJD fail in Dhamnagar by-election when it was predicted to win by a margin of 30,000 votes? Analysts say, one, BJD’s strategy of playing women empowerment card, by fielding Abanti Das failed to counter BJP’s sympathy waves. BJP’s Suryabanshi managed to retain his father’s seat, though more women exercised their franchise this time. Two, possibly BJD’s women card failed to make an impact due to low voter turnout. Three, for BJD it was a self-goal, as it first promised former MLA Rajendra Das of a ticket then changed it at the last moment by nominating a new comer Abanti Das. This created internal dissension and mistrust. BJD also failed to prevail upon Rajendra Das to withdraw from the election race as an Independent. He polled 8,153 votes denting BJD’s vote share and finally making BJP win. Dhamnagar election debacle is a wakeup call for Naveen babu whether he should pursue experiments with women empowerment or rely on the tried and tested politicians to win the election race.
Kerala politician Thushar Vellappally is in the eye of the storm with Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) naming him as the kingpin behind BJP’s Operation Kamala to woo TRS MLAs for Rs 50 crore each. Son of SNDP leader Vellappally Nadesan, Thushar heads Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) and is State Convenor of NDA Kerala. BDJS has not really made any inroads in Kerala. But Home Minister Amit Shah has found Thushar very resourceful. He came close to Amit Shah because of an incident in UAE where he was arrested for defaulting on a payment of Rs 6 crore. Following his arrest, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was approached for help. But, since it was a country-to-country issue, the CM directly requested the Home Minister to intervene. Shah moved in quickly and UAE agreed to release Thushar provided that the overdue amount was deposited in a local bank. This condition put everyone in a spot. But Vijayan tapped his good friend, LuLu Group’s MA Yusuff Ali to do the needful which he duly obliged. Thushar was released, and all cases against him in the UAE withdrawn. The so-called Shah and Vijayan link ensures that the Congress-led UDF remains out of power in Kerala and the CPM remains BJP’s default team.
The by-election to the Adampur assembly constituency in Haryana on November 3 has become a prestige battle of sorts for the BJP and the Congress. It is a contest that is happening because sitting Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi resigned after he was blamed for the defeat of Congress Rajya Sabha nominee Ajay Maken in June 2022 when he allegedly cross-voted in favour of JJP-backed and BJP-supported Independent candidate, Kartikeya Sharma. Bishnoi was removed from all party posts including as special invitee to Congress Working Committee. On August 3, 2022, he resigned from the Haryana Legislative Assembly and joined the BJP. His son Bhavya Bishnoi is contesting on the BJP ticket; he is the grandson of former CM Bhajan Lal. Not wanting to leave anything to chance as it had lost two by-elections in two years – Baroda by-poll in 2020 and Ellenabad by-poll in 2021, the Haryana BJP has assigned senior leaders to campaign for the by-election. Senior leaders, including state president Om Prakash Dhankar, Ram Bilas Sharma, Capt Abhimanyu and Kamal Gupta have visited Adampur, says party sources. There has been a record of high profile campaigns for this seat by three CMs – Manohar Khattar (Haryana), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab) and Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi). Former CM Bhupendra Singh Hooda charged the Khattar Government of doing nothing except snipping the OBC quota and welfare schemes.
In an unusual move, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he shared a stage with him at ‘Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gatha’ at Mangadh Hill in Rajasthan’s Banswara on November 1. He talked about how Modi “receives great honour when he goes abroad. Because he is the PM of the nation of Gandhi, where democracy is deep-rooted. When the world realises this, they feel proud that the PM of that country is coming to them.” At a time, when the Congress is usually targeting the PM, it is interesting that Gehlot chose to lavish praise on him. These words of praise for Modi seem to be coming days before new party chief Mallikarjun Kharge is set to initiate disciplinary action against Rajasthan leaders for defying high command authority. As a shrewd political player Gehlot may have chosen a public forum to send a message to the AICC that he could be exploring other options. On his part, PM Modi reciprocated Gehlot’s gesture by recalling working together as CM and how “he is senior most in our lot of CMs”. Interestingly, Gehlot loyalists had recently opposed Sachin Pilot’s elevation as CM on the ground that he had hobnobbed with the BJP during the 2020 crisis. But then is it okay for Gehlot to warm up to Modi? Or BJP is merely a punching bag for the Congress?
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s right hand man Milind Narvekar continues to attract attention due to controversial statements made by the group led by chief minister Eknath Shinde. One such latest statement has been made by industry minister Uday Samant against the backdrop of the state’s decision to upgrade Narvekar’s security cover. So far, Narvekar has not reacted to any such statements. Considered quite close to the CM, Samant was among the very first batch of the Sena MLAs to leave Uddhav and rush to Guwahati along with Shinde. At present, Samant has been leading the assault against the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi regime over the flight of industrial investments from Maharashtra to other states, especially to Gujarat. In an interaction with the media, Samant said, “We shall remain behind Narvekar firmly if there is any threat to him. Narvekar will be welcomed if he wishes to join us.” Samant’s statement comes soon after Narvekar has been elected to the cash-rich Mumbai Cricket Association with the support of leaders like Sharad Pawar, Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis. In this regard, Samant has lauded Narvekar’s all-party cordial relationship. He revealed that when he decided to join the Shiv Sena by leaving the Nationalist Congress Party, it was Narvekar who took him to Uddhav Thackeray. “Some people feel jealous if Narvekar is praised,” Samant taunted.
The Munugode by-election is a barometer for the 2024 polls in Telangana. Tied in a three-way battle with the Congress and the BJP, it is prestigious for the ruling TRS of KCR. The BJP is fighting tooth and nail with KCR, drawing him out in a personal battle over his daughter they call ‘Liquor Rani’, to come up at least a close second to trigger a series of defections before the big event two years hence. The battle used to be between the Congress and the TDP in the constituency for decades before Telangana was formed and TRS came into the picture. But the Congress got so busy with the Bharat Jodo Yatra of its prince that it brought campaigning to a halt to go to the neighbouring district when barely days remained for the poll on November 3 (result on Nov 6). The BJP, already engaged in a large but shady campaign of wooing TRS MLAs over with inducements, is hoping to seriously challenge the TRS in Telangana in the coming Assembly elections. Surveys indicate a huge anti-incumbency building against TRS and KCR in India’s youngest state and BJP is aiming to not only take Telangana but also try to boost its tally of MPs from a non-BJP state in the south in 2024. It appears the Congress has willingly put itself in a third position where it should have been battling for a comeback.
With as many as 141 lives being lost, 180 people being rescued and innumerable people still feared missing after a British era bridge in Gujarat’s Morbi district collapsed on October 30, there has been a war of words between the BJP and AAP in the social media over an AAP MLA from Delhi Naresh Balyan predicting dhamaka in Gujarat two days in advance. Citing these tweets, the BJP alleged a conspiracy and leaders like Kapil Mishra called the Morbi tragedy a “bhayanak hatyakand” or conspiracy. While AAP leaders dismissed this as an attempt to “evade responsibility and digress from the terrible tragedy”, Balyan explained his tweet as a possibility of “many BJP leaders joining AAP in Gujarat.” Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh asked if it was an “act of God or an act of fraud”. Around 500 people were on the suspension bridge when the cables supporting it snapped, sending people crashing into the Machchhu river below. The bridge could take the weight of only about 125 people and had been shut for seven months for repairs; it was reopened to the public on October 26, the Gujarati New Year, without a fitness certificate from the civic authorities. The Morbi tragedy couldn’t have come at a worse time for the BJP in poll-bound Gujarat. PM Modi cancelled his road shows in Gujarat and is expected to be in Morbi on Tuesday.
It is daggers drawn in the West Bengal unit of BJP. According to party insiders, the state BJP President Sukanta Majumdar is likely to go; he may be replaced by the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. If this happens, Suvendu will resign from the post of LoP giving way to BJP MLA Manoj Tigga, chief whip of the state unit. These changes will be made once Panchayat Poll dates are announced. Majumdar is likely to get a shunting post of central secretary or any post in the parliamentary party. All these developments come against the backdrop of the party’s new state observer and All India General Secretary (Organization) BL Santosh’s discussions with the Bengal committee members following Majumdar’s failure to attack TMC over a series of issues. Besides, it is known that Suvendu even while at TMC had great acceptance, ground-level reach and connect. This will benefit BJP in the Panchayat Polls. However, both RSS and the old guards of the BJP are against Suvendu’s ascension as the next state president. They are rooting for National vice president and former state president Dilip Ghosh, a diehard RSS man. The state RSS and VHP members feel, if Suvendu becomes the state president, the power of the party will go into the hands of Trinamool turncoat which will tarnish the prospects of BJP in Panchayat polls.
Factional feud and infighting among senior leaders of Trinamool Congress (TMC), for the past few days, has made it split wide open ahead of the party’s Lok Sabha dream. While the BJP is trying desperately to regain its lost grounds in Bengal, the TMC infighting among the senior guards is adding fodder to saffron motive. Local MLA Tapas Roy took a jibe against party colleague and MP Sudip Banerjee of indulging in “anti-party” activity by “keeping a good rapport with BJP” as well as a “corrupt politician who has spent days in jail” for his involvement in a Ponzi scam 2017. Though Sudip did not make any counter claims but referred to the common saying “Hathi chale bazar…..”. Sudip is Didi’s representative in Delhi who has interacted with PM Narendra Modi several times on her behalf. In fact, Didi had invited Sudip and his wife, MLA Nayana Banerjee to a programme held in her constituency, making it clear about her support. Another local MLA Tapas Chatterjee expressed his dissatisfaction for not being invited to Didi’s event held at a venue situated within his constituency. In both incidents, senior party leaders, MP Sougata Roy and local MLA Madan Mitra came out in support of Roy and Chatterjee respectively. However, according to party insiders, on both occasions, Didi has expressed her anger with close circuit. She is quoted saying that Chatterjee could have spoken to her instead of going to the media.
In a day of fast developments, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has alleged that the BJP asked MNS leader Raj Thackeray to write a letter urging Devendra Fadnavis to withdraw from Andheri (east) assembly by-election since an internal BJP survey had shown that it would lose to Shiv Sena (Uddhav) candidate by about 45000 votes. “What Raj had written was according to a script prepared beforehand.” Raut told reporters at the session’s court where he was brought for a hearing. He was reacting to Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s announcement about the withdrawal by the BJP from the crucial fight. Similar theories abound about the chain of events that led to the final BJP decision to opt out. First, Raj wrote a letter to BJP. It was supported by NCP president Sharad Pawar and CM Eknath Shinde’s confidant Pratap Sarnaik, Thane MLA. Fadnavis declared that the BJP would give a serious consideration to it in view of the appeal that a deceased’s spouse should be allowed to get elected unopposed. The culmination was Bawankule’s endorsement. In a related development, Raj has written another letter to Fadnavis on Monday, thanking his ‘Dear Friend’ for showing the magnanimity to withdraw from the fray. However, BJP candidate Murji Patel’s supporters were not happy, they shouted slogans against Raj after their leader withdrew from the by-election. But Patel said he was a disciplined soldier of the BJP and hence withdrew the moment he was asked to.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) finally named Abanti Das to contest the Dhamnagar by-election to be held on November 3. Abanti Das, Mission Shakti specialist, is very actively involved with women Self Help Groups around Odisha. Political analysts say once again chief minister Naveen Patnaik has played his card well by focussing on women voters to win the prestigious seat left vacant with the untimely death of BJP MLA Bishnu Charan Sethi. BJD is positive of Abanti Das because she is a fresh face and that fits into BJD’s strategy of giving breaks to newcomers. Also, BJD did not want to repeat the mistake of fielding a candidate which would trigger internal fights and give advantage to BJP like it did in 2019. This explains why BJD did not opt for its former two MLA’s Rajendra Kumar Das and Muktakanta Mandal as they are constantly at loggerheads. But, Patnaik’s move has not gone well with the former BJD MLA Rajendra Das. He has defied BJD supremo by filing nomination as an independent candidate. Abanti Das is the chairperson of Tihidi block at Bhadrakh who has vast experience in Mission Shakti. BJD is counting on her vote mobilisation networking abilities to win the by-poll election. BJD sources say “winning this time is expected, since BJD has won all the by-polls conducted since 2019”.
After many twists and turns, the name of BJP sympathiser Amol Kale has been finalised by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and BJP leader Ashish Shelar for presidentship of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). Kale will be fighting against cricketer Sandip Patil. The election has been full of continuous suspense since several bigwigs are involved in the MCA which controls huge finances. The election will take place on 20 October. Initially, Pawar was said to be supporting Patil. However, following meetings between him and Shelar, the last day of filing of nominations witnessed a totally changed picture. Pawar and Shelar were together, isolating Patil. It appeared that Shelar and Patil will face each other. But even that scene changed. Shelar had filed nomination for the post of treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). As his is the sole candidature, he has been considered elected unopposed. Shelar persuaded Pawar to support Amol Kale, who has been vice president of MCA. Kale is said to be close to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Another prominent name is that of Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s trusted associate Milind Narvekar, who is with the Pawar-Shelar group. MCA elections have always been laced with political manoeuvrings. Party differences are obliterated to help each other. It has happened again.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Short Post Is Here To Stay…
Time, they say, flies—and how true that is. Here we are celebrating our 5th Anniversary. Five years ago, when Covid-19 was wreaking havoc across the globe, I took a leap of faith and launched Short Post, India’s first website for Authentic Gossip. That was on January 31, 2021. I was convinced there was a clear gap in the market for gossip that was credible, sharp, and impactful—especially if told in just 250 words.
In this, I was fortunate. Scores of senior editors across diverse verticals bought into the idea and, in the process, gave wings to my dream. Quite honestly, Short Post could not have crossed these milestones without the unflinching support of its contributing editors. Like all start-ups, we have seen our share of ups and downs, but these editors have stood by us like a rock. I take this opportunity to doff my hat to them.
Thanks to their commitment, we have published close to 5,000 stories spanning politics, business, entertainment, and sports. I say this with pride: we made our mark as people who matter read us. “Small packs, big impact” truly captures the essence of Short Post.
We all know that Covid-19 has reset businesses worldwide, and the media sector is no exception. In the post-Covid era, investors have become more cautious and selective—and advertisers too. To compound matters, the entry of AI has disrupted the media landscape in equal measure. So far, we have managed to hold our ground, hopeful that some angel investors will take a shine to us.
What gives me confidence is this: AI cannot smell news—especially the gossipy kind. In other words, AI cannot churn out Short Post-type stories, no matter the prompt. That puts us in a safe zone. As someone rightly said, “AI is a co-pilot, not a pilot.”