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The humiliating defeat of Trinamool Congress in the Assembly polls is seeing the party head for a split. It has also given rise to the role and future position of 29 MPs in the Lok Sabha. Senior TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar triggered speculations when she wrote on X that “Do you think a four-time MP from a political family, who has stood beside Mamata Banerjee and fought against authoritarian systems for four decades, would think only of personal interests? This is actually a verdict against the failure of policy and governance.” Dastidar did not mention any individual or issue directly but her message was loud and clear. Dastidar, an influential figure within the Trinamool, has been a close associate of Mamata Banerjee. Until recently, she served as the party’s Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha. However, she was replaced in that role by Kalyan Banerjee, a development that many political analysts believe marked the beginning of growing distance between her and the party leadership. Subsequently, Dastidar publicly criticised political consultancy firm I-PAC, alleging that its activities had harmed the party. She later resigned from various organizational posts within the TMC. Political speculation intensified further when the Union government enhanced her security cover shortly after her resignations. According to sources, around 20 Trinamool MPs may hold a crucial meeting in the coming days. Reports suggest that a letter could subsequently be submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking changes in the parliamentary party leadership. Speculation is rife that Dastidar’s name could be proposed as an alternative to current parliamentary leader Abhishek Banerjee.
The election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council is becoming more and more intriguing with one sensational disclosure after another by rival political parties. As expected, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut lobbed the first salvo. He alleged that Rs 150 crore had been spent by the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit). It was his angry reaction to the humiliating show put out by the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), of which his leader Uddhav Thackeray is a major policy maker. Raut was immediately ridiculed since Uddhav’s confidant Bal Mane had withdrawn his nomination without giving a faintest hint to his leader. Moreover, Mane has returned to the BJP, which he had left some years ago. In all, the Congress and Sena (UBT) have been finding it most embarrassing as the Mahayuti is set to win almost each of the 17 seats for which election is being held. Developments in some legislative council constituencies have made the opposition leadership speechless since those withdrawing nominations did not even bother to formally convey their decisions. In most cases, the leaders learnt from TV channels of their candidates running away from the contest. Interestingly, Raut has been challenged by the BJP to announce why he failed to field a candidate of his party from Nasik, the district of which the MP is party’s organizational in charge. Has Raut accepted money for not contesting, the BJP has asked. More skeletons are expected to tumble out of the cupboard over the next few days.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar gave his consent and NCP (Ajit) candidate for the legislative council, Vikram Kakade’s election for the upper house became a mere formality. The reason stated to be instrumental was a telephone call Vikram’s father Sanjay, former BJP MP, had made to Pawar, urging him to clear the path for his son. Although from the rival faction, Pawar graciously gave a nod. Sanjay, it is learnt, had obliged Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party nearly 15 years ago in a local election. As Pawar is blessed with an elephant’s memory, he paid back the obligation by ensuring Vikram’s election unopposed. But there is one more connection with the Pawar family and this election. Vikram had ‘advanced’ Rs.10 crore to Parth Pawar, son of deceased deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar, who is occupying the deputy CM’s post now. Vikram has clarified that the payment was against the purchase of a plot of land, which was in the name of Ajit Pawar. In faraway Vidarbha, the BJP’s candidate Arun Lakhani was elected unopposed to the upper house since Maha Vikas Aghadi failed to challenge him. A successful businessman and an ardent RSS worker, Lakhani’s son is slated to marry NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule’s daughter. The would-be couple and their parents recently called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to formally invite him for the wedding, the date for which is yet to be announced. While political party workers keep fighting on roads, no such bitter sentiment is seen in the upper echelons.
So far, Vedanta’s operations in Odisha remain completely unaffected by recent ongoing investigations, scrutiny with regard to FEMA probe, ED raid, search operations on the group’s founder Anil Agarwal after his conflict with Adani over the Jaypee deal. The Odisha state government in dealing with Anil Agarwal has kept its slate clear with regard to Vedanta’s local violations. Vedanta, it may be recalled, was penalized Rs 233.11 crore and Rs 71.16 crore for illegal water extraction and unauthorised hazardous fly ash dumping in Odisha state. Political observers say, “At the moment, Odisha government’s singular focus is ensuring Vedanta’s timely project completion of the project amidst continuous tribal complaints for encroaching on forest reserves. It may be recalled that Vedanta Group did throw a hat in the ring to acquire the debt-ridden Jaiprakash Associates. But the lenders ultimately favoured a lower bid from Adani Enterprises. Anil Agarwal tweeted about this development. This is why political analysts interpret the recent FEMA and ED probe as a veiled warning to Anil Agarwal not to cross swords with Adani Group. Vedanta Group is a global natural resources and technology conglomerate. Over the last four decades, founder-chairman Anil Agarwal transformed a small, failing scrap-metal business into one of the world’s leading diversified mining, metals, and hydrocarbons corporations.
Maharashtra’s ongoing scrutiny of beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (CM’s My Favorite Sister Scheme) reportedly identified nearly 80 lakh ineligible women who enjoyed monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 since the scheme’s launch in 2024. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ruled out recovering payouts already made to them. The government’s lenient approach towards women beneficiaries, however, will not extend to the 14,000 men who allegedly secured benefits under the women-centric welfare scheme through fraudulent declarations. Officials involved in the verification exercise indicated that these beneficiaries would face recovery proceedings and could also be exposed to criminal action. At Rs 1,500 per month, the payments made to the male beneficiaries are estimated at Rs 50 crore. Preliminary findings suggest that several applications contained discrepancies in Aadhaar-linked records, while some beneficiaries were identified as ‘male’ during KYC verification despite having submitted details portraying themselves as eligible women. The scrutiny process also reportedly uncovered over five lakh women government employees who availed the benefit despite their annual incomes exceeding the scheme’s eligibility threshold of Rs 2.5 lakh. A senior official associated with the verification drive recalled that in an earlier instance, an individual was jailed for submitting multiple applications and claiming financial assistance under government schemes despite being ineligible. Similar recommendations for recovery and punitive action are expected in cases involving deliberate misrepresentation by men. Political observers believe the decision not to recover funds from the 80 lakh ineligible women reflects both economic and electoral considerations. With rural Maharashtra continuing to experience financial stress, the government appears reluctant to reclaim benefits already disbursed, including non-deserving women, a move that...
The Congress has nominated party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party spokesperson Pawan Khera who was known for taking on Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from Karnataka. The party opted to give the sole Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh to Meenakshi Natrajan. A committed no-nonsense Congress leader, she had impressed Rahul Gandhi with her simple lifestyle. Party sources said most of the Rajya Sabha picks were personally cleared by Rahul Gandhi. Former CM Digvijay Singh who retired as MP refused to seek another term and made it possible for Meenakshi Natrajan. The Congress has just three sitting MPs who are retiring and if the elections goes as per party strength, the party is likely to get seven lawmakers, provided the JMM offers the second seat which the I.N.D.I.A Bloc can win to Congress in Jharkhand. Besides, Pawan Khera, another person who handles media for the Congress, Pranav Jha is also being nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand. The party also nominated Mansoor Ali Khan, son of former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Rahman Khan from Karnataka. Meanwhile in the BJP, there was a bloodbath of sorts as incumbent Union ministers George Kurian and Ravneet Singh Bittu did not find their names in the list from Madhya Pradesh. While Bittu may still be contesting the forthcoming Punjab assembly elections, tears are not being shed for Kurian as he had lost in Kerala assembly elections. An old BJP hand, he was apparently seen as not endearing himself or the party to the community. Kurian was not liked very much by the community even though he handled minority affairs.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai may have the satisfaction of dominating national media discussions for a day about his possible exit from the BJP. However, after camping in Delhi for three days and even spending his birthday (June 4) by holding out a resignation threat, one hears he has still not put in his resignation. His media antics were not well-received in the PMO. In fact, as news channels obsessed about his meetings with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief Nitin Nabin, eyebrows were raised at the highest level at the kind of level a malcontent from South was allowed to manage media coverage in Delhi. It is precisely for this reason that the former IPS officer failed to secure even a birthday wish from PM Modi or Shah. When Annamalai explained his need to float new forum to mobilise youth in Tamil Nadu, Shah told him that there was no need for it. He was told that the party would always stand with him. It is being felt Annamalai’s talk of a separate morcha to take on the TVK under Vijay could all be an idea that is being pushed probably by the DMK. The DMK needs a credible, clean face to mobilise youth against CM Vijay. It is here that Annamalai fits the bill. Annamalai had extended his stay hoping to meet with PM Modi who was tied up with the visit of Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. It is learnt the BJP did not bargain with Annamalai. A section of the RSS suggested that talks be held with him which is why Amit Shah and Nitin Nabin met with him. Meanwhile, BJP TN president Nainar Nagendran had fixed up a meeting with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Nainar’s visit to Delhi was portrayed as if he was being summoned by party bosses at Annamalai’s behest.
Contrary to speculation, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the new political party led by actor Vijay that has just come to power in Tamil Nadu, apparently is not bothered about getting a foothold in Delhi. That is why the party did not hesitate in allotting Rajya Sabha seat from TN to its coalition partner, the Congress party, ahead of the biennial elections scheduled for June 18. In a statement, the TVK announced that the seat – vacated by AIADMK leader C V Shanmugam that is set to be filled through the Rajya Sabha election has been allocated to the Congress as part of the seat-sharing arrangement. AICC Tamil Nadu In-charge Girish Chodankar had met CM Joseph Vijay earlier in the day. “I met the chief minister, and requested him that this seat should be allocated to us by them and then it will also help us in the Rajya Sabha,” he said. Chodankar feels the Congress has every reason to feel thrilled with TVK’s gesture as it will now have three Rajya Sabha MPs from the state. At present the Congress has former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Christopher Tilak (AICC secretary) who was elected to the Rajya Sabha in March 2026 with the support of the DMK. Praveen Chakravarty, a close Rahul Gandhi aide, who TN CM Vijay publicly addressed as a friend for batting for TVK-Cong alliance, will be the other PC, who is most likely to get elected from the state. “Apparently, the basis for the Congress joining the TVK Govt was the scope for improving its presence in Parliament,” says a Congress source.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made the big splash in Twenty20 cricket, but the corridors of power in the BCCI feel that the time has arrived to groom the left hander from Bihar and Rajasthan Royals for the 50-over World Cup and the World Twenty20. The 15-year-old put to sword some of the top notch fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the recent Tata-IPL-19. He is yet to get a call for the national Twenty20 team — it’s an event that will happen imminently. Maybe during India’s white ball series in Ireland and England in June-July. India will play two Twenty20 matches at Belfast and then five Twenty20 and three ODIs in England. He has not been picked in the team that will play the three home ODIs against Afghanistan, but vacancy could arise should Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya do not clear the fitness test. Sooryavanshi has not played in the UK where auditions could happen for the Men in Blue team’s preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. The ICC would be happy to see Sooryavanshi being promoted as a big brand for the next two events — the 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia-New Zealand. With so much uncertainty about Suryakumar Yadav to last till 2028, there is a possibility of Sooryavanshi’s career receiving a big push in both white-ball formats. The rationale for the left-hander’s inclusion is based on the big question of whether such a fantastic talent can be wrapped in a cotton wool for a long time. India’s Twenty20 openers are Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson and it’s Rohit and Shubman Gill in ODI’s …but things could clear up soon for Sooryavanshi in both formats.
Political turbulence within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has intensified in the aftermath of the West Bengal Assembly election results, with the party expelling two legislators amid a controversy over alleged forged signatures and growing speculation of internal dissent. MLAs Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay and Sandipan Saha were expelled after reports emerged that they had lodged a police complaint over an alleged signature forgery incident. Their expulsion has reduced the TMC’s strength in the West Bengal Assembly from 80 to 78 MLAs. Since the election results, several senior leaders have publicly expressed differences. Some of the party leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee had to face the ire of public anger; they were booed, heckled and names called. Now, speculations are rife about a possible split of the party. It is learnt that a significant number of legislators could leave the party and form a new outfit led by expelled MLAs, including Bandyopadhyay and Saha. Speculation intensified after a meeting convened by Didi reportedly had attendance from only 20 of the party’s 80 MLAs, leading to its cancellation. Observers believe any large-scale defection could alter the balance of power in the Assembly and challenge the TMC’s position as the principal opposition party. Comparisons are being drawn with Maharashtra, where the split in the Nationalist Congress Party saw the founder Sharad Pawar losing control. Likewise, a rebellion within Shiv Sena resulted in Uddhav Thackeray losing control of the party organisation and election symbols. Expelled TMC leader Bandyopadhyay says he is prepared to provide authorities with information regarding alleged corruption within the party and government. Addressing supporters through a Facebook Live session, Mamata accused the BJP of attempting to engineer defections.
The BJP appointed a 6-member Coordination Committee to run its party unit in Tamil Nadu, in the absence of state president K Annamalai who left for the United Kingdom on a three-month sabbatical. Veteran leader and former MLA, H Raja was made Convenor of the Committee. State vice-presidents M Chakravarthy, P Kanagasabapathi, State general secretaries M Muruganandam, Raama Sreenivasan and State treasurer SR Sekhar “will be the members of the committee,” said a circular. For the next three months (Sep to Nov), H Raja-led 6 member panel would run the party, after consulting the State Core Committee. The party also made it clear that the committee will hold discussion with the “State Core Committee and take decisions about party activities.” Party sources said with this H Raja, the former MLA and NEC member had once again returned to the limelight after a decade. The current re-entry of H Raja is due to his closeness with Annamalai. “H Raja, who was almost sidelined in the party, has now got due recognition. It was Raja who tried hard to become the state president and governor. Although he is the Convenor of the Coordination Committee, Raja will only listen to Annamalai and take decisions. Annamalai hopes that by appointing H Raja as convenor who is a hardliner, he can overcome the crisis of other leaders including Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan who are against him in the party. It will be interesting to see how ties between BJP and the DMK pan out. Like Annamalai, H Raja too is known to play a straight bat.
The Maharashtra poll battle has reached criticality of purpose with both the MVA (Congress, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, UBT Sena) and Mahayuti (BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP) alliances fine tuning their seat sharing plans. The BJP has resorted to a party cadre-based assessment over professional surveys this time, and feels assured of breaching the 100 benchmark for a record third consecutive time. The party intends to field at least 135 candidates but is negotiating hard to increase this number to 160, the Shiv Sena led by Shinde may have to accept around 70 seats while the NCP will need to be satisfied with 45 odd seats in its kitty. On the other hand, the Congress, using a survey, has pitched for 160 seats while expecting Sharad Pawar to accept around 70 seats with the remainder for Uddhav Thackeray. UBT spokesman MP Sanjay Raut had stated earlier that the party was scrutinizing 126 assembly constituencies followed by his Chief Thackeray calling upon the Congress high command in Delhi that has apparently come to naught. Thackeray may still bag maximum seats in Mumbai and Thane. In the 2019 assembly elections the Sena that fought 126 seats, emerged victorious in 56 may likely feel slighted by Congress’ discrimination. CM Shinde also may demand a higher than 70 allocation for the assembly polls while Ajit Pawar eyes more in Western Maharashtra. Meanwhile, BJP in Delhi quietly celebrates its Rajya Sabha victories (11 out of 12 seats) and will improve its majority in the upper house of Parliament through four more President Draupadi Murmu nominated MPs soon. This political gambit was reported by the Short Post recently.
Even before the dates for the Maharashtra assembly election are finalised, strategies to discredit each other and spread confusing information to hurt the other side are gaining speed. Although the exact electoral adjustment plans of MNS leader Raj Thackeray, Republican leader Prakash Ambedkar and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi are unclear, there is no dearth of speculation about which way they can go. To cash in on this suspense, NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s nephew Rohit Pawar has made a prediction that is bound to confound the picture. Rohit has claimed that the BJP bigwigs have hatched a plan to create a third front in the state to ensure that the opposition votes are splintered among several candidates. Rohit says that his uncle Ajit Pawar will be a major factor of this so-called formation and even Raj Thackeray could join it. Rohit has emerged as Pawar’s chief spokesman ever since Ajit broke away from the parent NCP. Rohit’s prediction comes after Ajit expressed regret over the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja’s statue at Malvan in the Konkan a few days ago. Mahayuti, the three-party alliance government led by Eknath Shinde has been under fire for this serious mishap. Against this backdrop, Ajit’s unilateral decision to undergo penance has been interpreted variously. The damage control efforts of the alliance are said to be underway, sensing the potential of the stature mishap.
Is Ram Madhav being readied to take over the role of the next BJP national president? His recent appointment, along with Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, as overseers of political affairs for the forthcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections to 87 constituencies is a silent indicator in this regard. While general knowledge about Madhav’s last assignment in India’s forehead region state of J&K painted him in bad colours, the truth is farther from the apparent facts. “Back then, information was muddled over apparent issues relating to his unsolicited interest in an Indian corporate’s foray in J&K, which could not be further than the truth. On the contrary, Ram Madhav, had actually been tasked with making quick inroads with the Mufti Mohammed led PDP and he succeeded in his assignment. The BJP formed a government with PDP as a result, albeit a short tenured one,” says senior BJP leader Mahendra Jain. Following this Madhav was tasked with another important assignment that took him to foreign shores, including Iran, where he was entrusted with the task of fostering better ties abroad. During his foreign assignment, Madhav, who was presumed to have been relegated to the backwaters of BJP politics, was actually interacting with international scholars, RSS functionaries and meeting up with offshoots of the Sangh Parivar there particularly, in Islamic nations. His mission was accorded the tag of having been a ‘good show’ in terms of achieved results as a BJP asset deployed abroad. The buzz in BJP circles, in the wake of Madhav’s appointment to oversee the J&K assembly elections is that he is being primed up for the top post as National BJP president to replace JP Nadda, who has been inducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi into his Union Cabinet of Ministers.
Maratha caste reservation demand’s chief proponent Manoj Jarange Patil has now decided to wage a battle to ensure that loans of the farmers in the state are written off. Already hitting headlines for his various announcements about fielding candidates in most assembly constituencies in the state, Jarange has now announced that he will tour Maharashtra to mobilise support for securing support for the new demand. The stand taken by Jarange before the Lok Sabha election earlier this year had cost several seats to the ruling Mahayuti. Ever since, leaders of all political parties are treating every statement by Jarange with caution. In recent weeks, two former Maharashtra CMs called on Jarange “to enquire after his health.” While Ashok Chavan has recently joined the BJP, his successor CM Prithviraj Chavan is seen becoming active. His supporters feel that in case Maha Vikas Aghadi has a majority after the election, he can emerge as a consensus candidate. Though belonging to the Group– 23 earlier, Prithviraj has mended his fences with the Congress high command after Mallikarjun Kharge took over as AICC president. Though Jarange’s demand for the Maratha reservation is still entangled in a judicial battle, Jarange is becoming more and more intransigent by the day, sensing the political uncertainty. His next plan of action will be declared on 5 September.
Opposition political formations especially, the INDIA Bloc, are euphoric after the prompt formation of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for consultations, legislative progress on the Waqf Board reforms bill introduced by PM Narendra Modi’s government. They bask in political glory having forced the government to backpedal and JPC scrutiny. BJP strategically exhibited due alacrity in JPC formation, keen to fast track, re–introduce bill before parliament again. “The bill seeks reforms including inclusion of non–Muslims in the appellate tribunal regarding Waqf Board issues ushering transparency into the functioning of the board. The draft bill was circulated over a month back so, the sudden furore is surprising,” a senior BJP leader says adding that opposition’s predilection with proposed bill on Waqf Board, the largest land holder in India after Indian Railways, and defence allowed BJP to bring in another amendment related to the CAA Bill as well as focus on forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections for 12 MP scheduled in the first week of September. “The BJP expects to grow the number of Rajya Sabha MPs to around eight out of the 12 seats to be filled up including presidential nominees. Misplaced focus of opposition formations out–of–sync with India’s changed political template under Modi means they have missed the boat, so to speak,” the leader noted. With effected amendment in 2024 to the already legislated CAA Bill of 2019, the Union government has removed stringent requirements of banking account details, (Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Afghanistani) passports among other prerequisites for persecuted Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Christians to now simply enrol for Indian citizenship. The murderous coup in Bangladesh followed the amendment earlier this year for compassionately absorbing persecuted minorities there into India.
Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, a Hindu holy figure, has unintentionally triggered a war of words between the BJP and the NCP(Ajit) over his certain controversial remarks about another religion. The Mahant’s purported statement had led to a serious law and order situation in Nasik in north Maharashtra. While a few criminal cases have been filed against him, spokesmen of NCP(Ajit) and the BJP have added fuel to the fire by their respective utterances. Pawar’s confidant Amol Mitkari, MLA, has made certain objectionable comparisons of the Mahant while advising him caution. The use of the word dog in that comparison has enraged the Mahant’s followers. BJP legislator Ram Satpute has asked Mitkari not to forget that his party, the NCP(Ajit), is a constituent of the Mahayuti. Alleging that Mitkari has had an aversion against Hindutva, Satpute said, “Commercial thinkers like Mitkari have no business to tell Hindu religious leaders on what position to take about such matters.” Even as the duel was raging, a BJP demonstration against deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in Pune district has provided another pointed angle to the Mahayuti equation. Maharashtra NCP (Ajit) president Sunil Tatkare has angrily asked the BJP protestors not to do something that could sour the relationship between the two parties. The BJP workers were upset since only Pawar’s image was flashed at an official event’s venue, ignoring CM Eknath Shinde and DCM Devendra Fadnavis.
You can’t keep an ambitious and feisty woman out of power and profile in politics. BJP leader Khushbu Sundar has proved yet again that she is a woman of substance and stature. She had resigned from NCW in July, but her resignation was accepted only on August 14. It is said that certain high powered BJP leaders were on her side to speed up her resignation acceptance. A sparkling, animated and emotional Khushbu sashayed into the BJP TN HQ Kamalalayam on August 15, after one and half years of Vanvas. Khushbu is known to have fought her way through many political upheavals and frustrations, the best recalled ones about her party hopping and stormy encounters with TN heavyweights. Her talent as a brand ambassador is unique…and her fans have built a temple in her name. Her cinematic and small screen status is as intact as her self–confidence. Even today, she commands Rs 10 lakhs per day. But there are personal undercurrents to Khushbu turning Na Khush at this point. Even as she was almost being erased from popular memory, Radhika, her contemporary, had climbed several steps up the BJP pecking order, along with hubby Sarathkumar. Khushbu was acutely aware that her lost public ratings had quickly found a new lady brand in Radhika. At a recent Tiruppur event, Saratkumar was given pride of place on the BJP dais, an event where Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan was not invited. Time for intervention. Like Mamata, Khushbu challenged. Now the game starts. Khela Hobe?
A Times-Matrize pre-poll survey has predicted a hung assembly in Maharashtra while forecasting about 100 seats for the BJP, to emerge as the single largest party. According to the survey, neither the ruling Mahayuti alliance nor the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will be able to win a majority. The Congress, it says, will be the largest partner within MVA. Between Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray, more respondents (27%) have preferred the incumbent CM than the former CM (23%). The forecast says the saffron Mahayuti will be able to garner around 130 seats against 110 by MVA out of the total 288 seat. This means, nearly 40 seats will be out of reach of either side. In other words, the key to power will be controlled by unattached or independent MLAs in the next house. The MVA is hoping to win at least 160 seats, based on its performance in the Lok Sabha election. Mahayuti leaders are confident that they will be able to turn the tide by convincing the electorate that it had been duped with the help of a fake narrative by MVA leaders. The Election Commission’s position about Maharashtra is interpreted to mean that the assembly election will be held in December and not in October, when it should be due. Although the survey has not evoked much political debate in the state, both sides have intensified their campaigning.
Uddhav Thackeray’s insistence on declaring the CM’s candidate is not going well within his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners. Uddhav’s Shiv Sena is insisting that the MVA finalise a CM face before polls. His logic — a similar strategy with his then alliance partner, the BJP, had backfired badly. This had led to coalition partners working against candidates of their own alliance partner, to bag the CM’s chair, he says. Clearly, the Congress, which netted the highest tally of 14 seats among their allies, in the recent Parliamentary polls, remains unimpressed. Then there is also the whispered rift between the Uddhav Sena and senior Pawar over the Adani issue, at play here. Uddhav’s strong outbursts against favouritism in land allotments to the Adani group, across Mumbai City, for Dharavi redevelopment, has not gone down well with the Pawar, known to be close to the Adani group. Recently, Sharad Pawar made an unexplained visit to CM Eknath Shinde at his official residence, where Adani officials were believed to have made a PowerPoint Presentation ostensibly on the Dharavi issue. Uddhav is known to be friendly with the Mukesh Ambani family and his younger son Tejas Thackeray was seen dancing in the Ambani marriage function. Not surprisingly, Uddhav Thackeray doesn’t want to take chances about who will get the CM’s post.
The rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata has sparked unprecedented protests across West Bengal and the country and in the process pushed the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee into a corner. Citizens and political parties, including the CPI(M) and BJP, have taken to the streets, criticizing the state government for its handling of the case. In an uncharacteristically defensive stance, Didi lashed out at her political rivals, accusing them of exploiting the tragedy for “cheap politics” where instead of standing with the family, they think they can do “a Bangladesh” here and even spreading fake information about the case using artificial intelligence (AI). Interestingly, she has refrained from directly attacking the Congress, even after Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi voiced their concerns over the incident. The controversy took a new turn when the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the case bypassing the state police. While a section of the ruling TMC sees this as a potential “relief” from the escalating crisis, others within the party view it as a clear sign of dissatisfaction with the state police’s role in the investigation. In a bid to downplay the CBI’s involvement, TMC leaders have questioned the agency’s track record, citing past failures such as the unsolved cases of Taapsee Malik’s rape and murder, the death of Rizwanur Rahman, and the theft of Rabindranath Tagore’s Nobel Prize. As doctors strike continue it’s the patients across the state who are suffering from a lack of medical care. Political experts are asking whether Didi, known for her ability to turn adversity into advantage, will be successful this time around.
Controversy seems to be the middle name of VK Pandian, ex-private secretary of former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. After a big setback to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Pandian had gone under the radar. But he is not lucky. BJP is hell bent on exposing his abuse, misuse and misappropriation of state machinery, public money and power. According to the BJP, Pandian has taken advantage of Patnaik’s failing health and is seeking a probe. It seems Pandian used the State helicopter services round-the-year — to visit 147 constituencies during elections. He is not entitled to such a facility going by the protocol. Former chief minister Patnaik defended his “helicopter ride” saying he had asked Pandian to visit the people at their doorsteps and understand their grievances. “There was no misuse of public money on Pandian’s helicopter ride as the state spent Rs 1-1.5 crore per month on chopper rides all through the year,” said Patnaik. But, this number contradicts with former BJD’s minister Tukuni Sahu’s figure of Rs 10-12 crore on an average spent in a year. Congress seems to have welcomed BJP’s move to investigate Pandian’s expensive tours. According to current Odisha’s Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena as per the government rules, the Governor, Ministers, Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, MLA’s, Development Commissioner, Deputy Chairperson of State Planning Board and Chief Justice of Odisha High Court are authorised to use helicopters for official duty. This apart, CM can also give special approval to any other person on merit. Strangely, even after filing RTI, no data has been made available of the expenses incurred by Pandian on his chopper tours. There is speculation mining companies may have funded Pandian’s helicopter election tour.
This is a story that must be told at least a day ahead of PM Modi’s visit to Wayanad. It is about his Minister of State from Kerala George Kurian and BJP leader who was put to work on the day of landslides itself. Yes, he was woken up by a phone call from the PM’s office at 3 am on July 30. With instructions to go to Wayanad and oversee rescue operations. He flew to Bengaluru by the 6 am flight, then to Kozhikode by army copter. From there to the landslide affected area by road .From the morning of July 30 till August 4, just a few hours after the landslides, this man has been walking and working nonstop in the affected areas. Traversing risky roads with the army and rescue teams, making arrangements for rescue operations, the Bailey bridge, lending an ear, a shoulder, a helping hand to the affected. Also coordinating with the central government. He has been operating below the radar without giving a media byte or addressing the media. The Kerala press has also ignored his work as he hasn’t highlighted his work via FB posts. His down to earth work was briefly noticed when there were memes during the visit of Gandhi siblings to Wayanad.
CPI(M), once a dominant force in West Bengal, is finding it increasingly difficult to connect with the masses in the current political landscape. After the party’s significant loss in the 2011 state elections, the presence of veteran leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at rallies and public gatherings continued to provide a semblance of continuity. However, as Bhattacharjee’s health began to fail, the CPI(M) had to adapt modern ways to send out his messages. During the recent Lok Sabha election 2024 campaigns, the party relied on his video statements and even experimented with AI-based videos to keep his message alive. It may be recalled that Bhattacharjee’s controversial land acquisition policies in Singur (Hooghly district) and Nandigram (Purba Medinipur district) remain a significant blot on his legacy. These events, which led to widespread protests and violent clashes, symbolized the disconnect between his vision for industrial development and the concerns of the rural populace. Ironically, the same party that once criticized Bhattacharjee for his “perform or perish” attitude and his opposition to the bandh culture promoted by the Left’s trade union wing, CITU, has repeatedly turned to him in times of crisis. His televised video and audio addresses to the masses, particularly his call for a judicious decision to defeat the “undemocratic” Trinamool Congress and the “communal” BJP in the 2021 assembly elections, were seen as efforts to resurrect the party’s dwindling influence. As the CPI(M) navigates a rapidly changing political environment, the challenge of connecting with the masses without the charismatic presence of Bhattacharjee looms large after his death on August 8.
With Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning and fleeing the country, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee finds herself in a tough spot. Known for her sympathetic stance towards refugees, Mamata is now confronted with the daunting challenge of managing the influx of people. Hasina’s departure has thrown Bangladesh into a state of uncertainty, prompting many to seek refuge in West Bengal. This surge in refugees could disrupt the state’s already fragile demographic balance. It may be noted that during the Annual Martyr’s Day Rally on July 21, Didi had declared that she will welcome any person coming from Bangladesh due to the ongoing turmoil. Her announcement was not only criticised by the Central government, but even the erstwhile Hasina government as they felt it was sending the wrong signal to Bangladeshis. Mamata has been facing the heat from BJP about sheltering illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and giving them official recognition in order to increase her minority vote bank. However, deviating from her soft stance, Didi has sent out a strict directive to her party leaders to not make any provocative statements on the Bangladesh crisis. Political observers state that if Didi is not careful about the influx of refugees, it is likely to disturb the delicate balance of religious diversity of the state, which has a Muslim population of 27%. BJP leader and LoP in Bengal Suvendu Adhikari is claiming that the state is set to witness the entry of 1 crore Bangladeshi Hindus who are likely to face discrimination and hostility in the Muslim dominant districts of Bengal.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is among the frontrunners to don the mantle of the president of the BJP. Sitting president J P Nadda’s term will soon come to an end. When Nadda was inducted in the Modi 3.0 team, it was obvious that the party will start looking for its new president. Besides giants like Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Dharmendra Pradhan, the name of Fadnavis is making rounds of the political grapevine in the national capital. However, the state assembly election being slated for October this year, some rethink about the schedule of his installation at the BJP headquarters could take place. BJP top brass has not given any indication either way but whispers are seeping out about the party machine’s overhaul. Owing to the disappointing show of the party in the Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to be more malleable now towards RSS suggestions. In such a scenario, Fadnavis will fit the bill perfectly as he is close to both, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Modi. If and when Fadnavis is elevated, the thorny issue of selecting the next chief minister of Maharashtra will automatically get resolved as present incumbent Eknath Shinde or another DCM, Ajit Pawar, will be asked to run the show provided the NDA wins a majority. Fadnavis has time and again expressed his desire to devote to the party work.
There are persistent allegations of corruption within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) where the party supremo Mamata Banerjee, once celebrated as one of the most honest chief ministers, has found herself at the centre of the Opposition attacks. For a considerable period, Banerjee seemed to dismiss the corruption allegations, often asserting, “In a big party, one or two people may be corrupt, but that does not make the whole party bad.” Despite her statements, the recent electoral setbacks, particularly in Kolkata, where the TMC is trailing in wards that were previously strongholds, have forced a re-evaluation of the party’s stance. The decline in urban voter support is largely attributed to the perceived corruption and misrule within the TMC. The party is trailing in crucial wards, including those of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, signalling a significant shift in voter sentiment. In response, Didi and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, the second-in-command of the party have made clear their intentions to rectify the situation with an eye on the 2026 Assembly elections. However, reports indicate internal differences between the two leaders regarding the reshuffling of party functionaries. Interestingly, party sources said that while Abhishek advocates for comprehensive changes in areas where the TMC is trailing with respect to all opposition parties, Didi favours making changes in areas where the party has a significant loss to BJP. A senior party member revealed that Didi is considering a 30-40% change, contingent upon discussions with other senior members. Also, it is learnt that several members who allegedly collaborated with the BJP during the Lok Sabha polls are under scrutiny, with reports being submitted to Abhishek’s office.
Name calling, jibes, taunts, dares have become a daily TV routine in Maharashtra in the run-up to the 2024 state polls. Leading the pack has been the estranged partners — BJP and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena — whose leaders have been warning of finishing each other politically. Chief minister Eknath Shinde gets criticised for ‘stealing’ a political party complete with name, symbol, ideology and even a father. Raj Thackeray gets mocked for waking up late, Ajit Pawar faces jokes over his pink jackets as much as for his corruption scandals, while Uddhav Thackeray faces jibes for operating from his home as a chief ministerial stint. His son Tejas Thackeray too does not get spared for dancing at the Ambani wedding. Uddhav pointsman Sanjay Raut gets called morning siren for his daily morning press briefings that lambast all his opponents. The BJP too has set up Nitesh Rane specifically to counter him who gives it back in equally colourful language even as it has allocated daily briefings to counter the daily tirade of allegations and counter-allegations. The name calling also got personal at times like when NCP spokesperson Vidya Chavan put out call recordings in a press conference showing how BJP leader Chitra Wagh tried to incite her daughter-in-law to take to the press against her party leadership. Not surprisingly, those with ears to the ground believe that the pot has been kept boiling deliberately as a smokescreen to avoid focus and questions on ground reality that could prove difficult for all. Considering that all parties have been partners or opponents at some point or the other, too many questions could get uncomfortably closer home for almost every party or combination.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah who is battling charges of land allotments to his wife Parvati by Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) way back in 2006, has reportedly unleashed media war via advertorials to counter political charges against him. These advertorials in local media which first appeared on July 20 are apparently being released back to back on a weekly basis. The CM insists that MUDA had legally allotted 14 residential sites to his wife, Parvathi, in lieu of illegally acquiring her land. The authority had accepted its ‘mistake’, and a MUDA committee comprising members of BJP, JD(S) and Congress had allotted alternative sites in 2021 during the tenure of the BJP government. Siddaramaiah’s opponents including Union Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy feel details of the CM’s land allotments made their way into public domain courtesy his deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar. To counter allegations by the BJP and JD(S), Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh released a list of beneficiaries that included Kumaraswamy and some JD(S) MLAs. Responding to the charges levelled against him by Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy said he was yet to receive the site allocated to him in Mysore. “I was the CM in 2006. Had I wished to misuse my power, I could have registered that site in my name back then. But unlike CM Siddaramaiah, I did not misuse my authority.” He added that the investigation into this site has been ongoing since the time of late CM Ramakrishna Hegde.”In 2012, I wrote to MUDA for allocation of the site. I wrote another letter in 2017. Unlike CM Siddaramaiah, I never misused my authority. They are not giving me this site out of charity. I paid Rs 34,000, and it’s been 40 years,” said Kumaraswamy.
The maiden budget presented by the BJP-run Odisha government recently seems to have come in for harsh criticism from the intelligentsia and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The general feeling is that the BJP chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has done a cut and paste job of his predecessor Patnaik’s popular programmes. Analysts pointed out that it was a rehash of most schemes implemented by Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal; the only difference being it was rechristened. On the social media questions were asked “Is CM Majhi running a name changing government or a game changing one?”. For instance, Patnaik’s ‘Mission Shakti’ programme has been renamed as Subhadra Yojana 2024 by the BJP. Similarly, BJD’s ‘Make in Odisha’ was changed to Utkarsh Utkal, ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ renamed Vikasit Gaon Vikasit Odisha, ‘Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana’ rechristened Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana. Looks like the BJP government in Odisha liked the content of BJD’s various schemes but not its name. Not to lose an opportunity Patnaik joined by the Congress blasted the Majhi’s government saying, “There is nothing new in the budget…more than 40 BJD’s government schemes were renamed by the Majhi government”. This renaming of these many schemes cannot be a coincidence. CM Majhi stated that the budget has taken inspiration from PM Modi’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikash’ vision. Besides cut-and-paste job, Majhi’s budget focussed on welfare of farmers and women as it was an election promise. Besides, it also saw prudence in funding Naveen Patnaik’s Metro Railway project at Bhubaneswar.
The Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections due in October/November 2024 has the BJP recalibrating its poll plans in the wake of the setback it suffered in the state at the recent hustings for the Lok Sabha. A revitalized and wiser BJP deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to stake a claim to contest 130 to 135 state assembly seats out of the 288 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra. At the recently held party conclave in Pune last week the BJP’s face for Maharashtra, shedding his inaccessibility tag, exhorted party men to desire and deserve party candidatures for the state assemblies with the only proviso that they consciously refrain from indulging in controversial public speaking. “The BJP has always performed well when a triangular political fight took place in Maharashtra, as in 2014 and 2019 securing when it won 122 seats and 105 seats respectively. The party is backing up DCM Ajit Pawar wholeheartedly to ensure a repeat in their poll fortunes in the state of Maharashtra,” BJP’s Maharashtra Executive Committee member Mahendra Jain avers dismissing talks of imminent plans to eject the Maratha leader as just idle chatter. All the same, loud rumblings abound of possible plans by the prodigal nephew of Sharad Pawar to reinvent his political positioning in Maharashtra. The BJP’s desperation for Maharashtra is undeniable, considering it lost the state in 1999 under then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure and again in 2019 under PM Modi, when the MVA alliance trumped BJP prospects in the state and, is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to rule the state. The poll efforts of the BJP are easier said than done what with the tallest Maratha leader in Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray of the original Shiv Sena busy garnering a double sympathy wave for their respective political formations once again in tandem with the Congress. Only time will tell for whom the political bells toll?
Punjab Congress leaders were quite surprised by the manner in which former Punjab chief minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi came out openly in support of the controversial Khadoor Sahib MP, Amritpal Singh. Channi triggered a political uproar of sorts after he claimed that the BJP-led Central government had curbed the freedom of speech of Amritpal by continuing to hold him in NSA custody in an Assam jail. Reacting to the remark, BJP MP and Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu had a heated exchange with him in the Lok Sabha as he felt Channi was behaving like a traitor. “A former CM is behaving like a traitor and is misleading the entire country through the House.” Channi coming out in support of Amritpal did not go down well with the Punjab Congress. Party sources said Channi, a Dalit leader, had set a dangerous precedent of speaking up for a Khalistani leader in his pursuit for Jat votes. It may be recalled that the Congress and the country had lost Indira Gandhi to Khalistani assassins. In the Lok Sabha, LoP Rahul Gandhi got party MPs to heckle Bittu when he started countering Channi. Bittu had left the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha poll and joined the BJP and became a minister. Channi kickstarted the spat with Bittu by saying the BJP was like the East India Company, which had taken over trade to rule the country. Bittu got up to say something after which Channi reminded him, “Your grandfather (former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh) was a Shaheed (martyr)….” Bittu retorted, “My grandfather laid down his life for the country and not for the Congress.”
The Budget blues are being felt all over the country save for Bihar and Andhra which got the most favourable allocations. While it is natural that the BJP, fast learning coalition dharma, gave away dollops of financing to keep the two most important allies in good humour, it offended too many states, including those ruled by the party itself, in skewed distribution of funds. Nowhere was the antipathy towards differential treatment of friends and foes felt more than in Tamil Nadu. Crying hoarse over funds needed to mitigate the misery caused by unprecedented flooding in Chennai at the hands of Cyclone Michaung and five southernmost districts that were hit by extraordinary amount of rain in 2023, Tamil Nadu saw a measly Rs 500 crore paid before the cyclone hit as woefully inadequate to relieve the flood-hit. Doles were paid out by the government of at least Rs 1,000 per family, but everything came from state funds rather than the Centre. No wonder the ruling DMK decided to take to the streets to point out the huge prejudices in the BJP that has earmarked Tamil Nadu as the most rebellious state and fiercest critic of the Narendra Modi government. While Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Pune are to get flood relief funds, there is zilch for Chennai, the worst hit of them all last year.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman strongly responded to Opposition criticisms that she had only picked two states — Andhra and Bihar — that are ruled by NDA allies for special attention in the Union Budget. Responding to Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge’s charge that the BJP-led government had unfairly prioritised Bihar and Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget for 2024-25 and it was a “kursi-bachao” document, suggesting that it was designed to preserve the government’s power rather than serve the nation’s needs , Sitharaman noted that the absence of specific state names in her speech did not mean those states were ignored. Sitharaman pointed to Maharashtra as an example, where despite not being mentioned, the state had recently received approval for a Rs 76,000-crore port project at Vadhavan ,Dahanu. “From the time of the interim budget till now.” If the speech does not mention the name of a particular state, does it mean that the schemes of the Government of India, the programmes of the Government of India, the externally-aided assistance which we obtain from the World Bank, ADB, AIIB and institutions like that do not go to these states? They go as per a routine,” Sitharaman remarked. Kharge said states where people have rejected BJP, those states got nothing from this budget! ” Everyone’s plate is empty, and in the plate of two states there are Pakora and Jalebi. This budget has been brought only to save his chair.” Attacking Bihar for Rs 26000cr infrastructure funds got so personal with JD(U) MP Dinesh Chandra Yadav protesting Chennai MP Dayanidhi Maran for linking collapse of 15 bridges recently to the release of Central funds.” Our state bears the brunt of flood waters from the Himalayas, something no one will know.” Vishakhapatnam MP M Sribharat of the TDP also highlighted the importance of Centre’s role in rebuilding his state.
Delimitation of state assembly constituencies executed for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir dealt a severe blow to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Akhand Bharat perspective through skewed voter dynamics, erstwhile state’s incremental geo-political representation. Senior BJP leader, Mahendra Jain says, “New assembly constituencies were carved out prematurely using antiquated 2011 census data assessing population figures arriving at a faulty delimitation process.” Jain insists the delimitation exercise was flawed over outdated data relied upon to incrementally create 43 assembly constituencies (in Jammu) and 46 in Kashmir. Effectively hereon, portions of Jammu region (Pir Panjal) encompassing Poonch and Rajouri districts got partitioned away to political space now Anantnag seat in Kashmir occupies. Shia-dominated regions from Srinagar Parliamentary constituency were also given away to Baramulla constituency similarly, using 20-year-old statistics. The recent Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla saw independent candidate Abdul Rasheed Sheikh, currently incarcerated for espousing separatism for Kashmir, being elected to parliament as an independent candidate. An election department official says, “Census taking exercise in large states like Maharashtra can simply be accomplished within six months. J&K and Ladakh UTs’ census exercises will require far shorter timelines.” While the delimitation commission set up in March 2020 looked at the entire J&K UT as one political region, a more discriminated effort, armed with real time data may have prevented Jammu region shedding literal political space. The recent uptick in unheard of terrorism activity in Jammu region over the last couple of months has further antagonized the polity of the region. Will Jammu recover from back-to-back onslaughts by politics and new found terrorism? Only time will tell! For the moment innocent pilgrims are prime targets in Bharat’s paradise.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has given a clarion call to the BJP rank and file. “Do not wait for a directive, jump into the ring,” he told a BJP conclave held in Pune to strategize for the upcoming assembly election in the state. Always lauded for his measured words and restraint, Fadnavis has surprised even his disciple by ordering the party organisation to become aggressive. Repeatedly castigating the so-called ‘Fake Narrative’ used by the opposition to spread disinformation about the BJP for the parliamentary election, Fadnavis lamented the fact that even the BJP’s elected representatives were reticent on this count. “Our workers await directives. I now ask you to start batting in full swing,” he said amidst great cheers. Pune is the BJP stronghold as well as that of NCP leader Sharad Pawar. In this connection, he rationalised the alliance with rival NCP’s Ajit Pawar. Following the BJP’s poor show in the election, many party functionaries and even RSS mouthpieces have started questioning the justification for taking Ajit along. Fadnavis said on some occasions, it becomes necessary to retreat a couple of paces to attain the objective. The saffron party is known to operate according to the directives (Aadesh) received from the top. The fiat issued by Fadnavis is seen as a signal to the BJP workers to show initiative at local levels and deal accordingly with the opposition.
All eyes are on the BJP government in Odisha as it presents its maiden Budget on July 25. BJP’s national president JP Nadda was on a two-day visit to review the party’s overall plan and budget allocation under the leadership of chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. All signals indicate that BJP will bite the welfare bullet albeit with pragmatism. BJP’s immediate objective is simple. It wants to meet the aspirations of the people and keep its poll promises. It is understood that Odisha budget outlay for 2024-2025 is likely to be around Rs 3 lakh crore — an increase of around Rs 40,000-50,000 crore over BJD’s earlier budget, say sources. To push welfarism, Majhi’s government has already made provision in the budget. Majhi plans to increase MSP of paddy to Rs 3,100 per quintal to meet its Samrudhi Krushak Yojana plan. To empower women, BJP had promised to pay Rs 50,000 per woman through its ambitious Subhadra Yojana Scheme which will be launched some time in September to coincide with the PM’s birthday. Sources say to cover 2 crore women beneficiaries the state government would require a budget provision of Rs 80,000 crore and it is expecting help from the Centre to partially fund this scheme. It will implement Ayushman Bharat Arogya Yojana as well as replace BJD’s KALIA cash incentive scheme. However, BJP sees wisdom in Naveen Patnaik’s Aahar scheme, the subsidised cooked meal scheme of rice and dal in 2015 to provide meals at Rs 5. This will be continued. However, BJP’s Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra hinted that the KALIA scheme will be renamed. Like all other BJP ruled states, the party is saying cheers to welfarism in Odisha too.
Amidst reports of strained relations between the RSS and the ruling BJP, the Centre in a notification last week allowed government employees to take part in RSS’s activities. The notification rolled back a 1966 ban on government employees joining the RSS. The renewed push to the Sangh membership, coming a year ahead of Sangh’s centenary year in 2025 was seen by the Congress as a peace overture by the Modi Government – a gesture by top BJP leadership to pacify the Sangh ahead next round of assembly elections. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge went on to charge that since the BJP couldn’t get a majority on its own and change the Constitution, it was getting RSS workers via back door to capture government machinery. RSS leaders however felt the Centre’s action may have come a little too late. “The 1966 order should have been withdrawn in 2014 itself, when PM Modi had secured the mandate. That is if a RSS pracharak can be Prime Minister of the country, why should there be any restriction on government employees becoming members of the Sangh,” pointed out a senior former Sangh functionary. He also highlighted that long before the Centre withdrew the 1966 ban order, several BJP ruled states like Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh had made it possible for the employees to attend the RSS meetings. In its first reaction to the decision, the RSS said the Congress Government in the 60s had baselessly banned government employees from participating in the activities of a “constructive organization like the Sangh”, to cater to its political interests. “RSS has been continuously involved in the nation’s reconstruction and service to society for the last 99 years,” said Sunil Ambekar, RSS’s publicity chief and described the Modi government’s decision as appropriate.
The meeting of Chhagan Bhujbal with his ex-mentor Sharad Pawar, has set the tongues wagging about the formation of a third front in the state. The presence of the Uddhav Thackeray aide Milind Narvekar in the meeting also meant that the Shiv Sena chief too has been kept in the loop about developments. Bhujbal, who heads the Samata Parishad, an Other Backward Class (OBC) platform, has been talking strongly against reservations being granted for the blood relatives of the Maratha community. While Bhujbal is unlikely to join hands with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), there is a buzz about senior Pawar pushing Bhujbal to put up a fight as a separate entity. Bhujbal could prove to be the strong counterfoil against the BJP by attracting the strong OBC vote bank, the mainstay of the BJP. Bhujbal who is part of the Ajit Pawar faction of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is increasingly feeling cornered within the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. Ajit Pawar is also under pressure following a campaign launched against him by the BJP labelling him as a liability in their alliance. Ajit Pawar’s recent strong stance of visiting Vishalgad fort personally and offering monetary compensation to those whose structures were demolished, mainly from the minority community, is being viewed as an independent step in that direction. This front led by Ajit Pawar, expected to fight polls on a secular plank, is expected to attract a lot of rebels including from the BJP. There is a strong buzz that the party might change almost 78 of its 105 legislators including many of the established faces in the state election.
AIADMK chief and former Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) is a troubled man after the rout of his party in the Lok Sabha election. His stubborn resolve to “no alliance” with BJP is being blamed by many of his apparatchiks, and with the imminent run up to the 2026 Assembly elections, EPS is now tailgated and pressurised to take back the prodigals O Panneerselvam and VK Sasikala (Chinnamma). A chintan baithak held for brainstorming brought this demand to the fore. According to OS Manian, former party minister, the most crucial strategy is to knit a strong alliance under the AIADMK leadership like the DMK alliance. Leaks of unhappiness from VCK and Marxist Communist in the DMK combine are evident …why not break this bond? The Muukkulathor community in the southern districts form a big block of voters and they think Sasikala with 33 years of association with J Jayalalithaa will revive the charisma. OPS surprisingly won 3 lakh votes in his alliance perch with the BJP. So voices are now vehement about uniting the party to its old glory. EPS has a strong “No” to OPS but is silent on Chinammaa’s entry. With such overpowering arguments for and against restoring the status quo ante, no wonder EPS is confused and confounded. Sasikala who had announced in 2021 she was taking a political Sanyas has suddenly abandoned her sanyasi garb, put on her political makeup and announced a tour of TN in the holy month of Aadi.
A significant rift within the Bengal BJP has surfaced, highlighted by recent statements from top party functionaries during the ongoing assessment of the Lok Sabha and Assembly bypoll election results in West Bengal. Union Minister and Bengal BJP President, Sukanta Majumdar, advised party workers against relying on actions by the CBI and ED to secure election victories. Instead, he urged them to focus on strengthening the party organization. This remark is widely interpreted as an indirect jibe at Suvendu Adhikari, BJP’s Leader of the Opposition for referencing dates of central agency raids against TMC leaders. This exchange has further fuelled tensions within the party, with Adhikari controversially suggesting that the BJP should abandon Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inclusive slogan, “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas,” and do away with its minority wing. He proposed a new slogan: “Jo humare saath, hum unke saath.” Majumdar quickly distanced the party from Adhikari’s statement, labelling it as a personal view. Under pressure from the BJP high command in Delhi, Adhikari later issued a social media statement claiming his comments were taken out of context. The BJP’s failure to meet its target of 25 seats in the recent Lok Sabha polls, securing only 12 compared to 18 in 2019, and losing three of its four seats in the Assembly bypolls, reducing its tally from 77 to 71, has intensified internal blame-game. Political observers see these exchanges as indicative of deepening internal conflicts within the state BJP leadership.
Why the high profile Prasad Lad did not file a nomination for the election to the post of president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) remains a mystery. The 53-year-old MLC of the BJP, who could pull strings with the state deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, announced that he would “100 %” file nomination, but according to the grapevine, was stopped from “entering the fray” upon instructions from the party bosses in New Delhi. What gives credence to this development is that another BJP big shot, Ashish Shelar — the Bandra boy is the president of Mumbai BJP — had already named the MCA vice-president Sanjay Naik as a potential successor to Amol Kale, who passed away in New York on June 10. Shelar pointed out at Kale’s condolence meeting that Sanjay had sportingly withdrawn in favour of Kale in the MCA election of October 2022. With Kale — who owed his position in the MCA to Fadnavis — at the helm, Lad could not have considered seriously engaging with the association. Lad’s backtracking will likely see the incumbent secretary, Ajinkya Naik, lock horns with the incumbent vice-president, Sanjay. Looks like they are daggers drawn and ready for the big fight! Should there be no withdrawal on July 16, the election will occur on July 23. The loser will retain his position, though (as secretary or vice-president), so both could get a toe-hold some 15 months before next year’s election to the full Apex Council. Lad may throw his hat in the ring next year if the BJP-Shiv Sena of Eknath Shinde and NCP of Ajit Pawar win the assembly elections in October-November.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin is basking in the success of his party candidate in the bypoll in Vikravandi, which came despite the government facing the heat in the aftermath of hooch deaths near the constituency. He knew it was important to get this endorsement of Dravidian rule because the ruling DMK was up against the candidate from the PMK that was part of BJP+ and testing the waters in a virtual straight contest in the absence of AIADMK. From the voting counts of 2021 and 2024 it was clear that the AIADMK cadre chose to vote for DMK rather than PMK, which vote would have been taken as one for the BJP that has been desperately seeking a break in the state. While the PMK got 32,198 votes in the Vikravandi segment in the Lok Sabha polls this year, its candidate got 56,026 votes in the assembly bypoll. While that could be taken as an indicator of the current mood and the dynamics of a straight contest, DMK’s Anniyur Siva got 1.25 lakh votes, a big swing from when the DMK won the seat only by a margin of 9,500 in 2021. AIADMK voters have chosen to go against its former ally BJP, now a bitter rival in 3-way poll politics in Tamil Nadu. The anticipated big breakthrough for BJP in the south, specifically Tamil Nadu, may take a lot more time to come.
The Odisha Governor Raghubir Das is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Reportedly, his son Lalit Kumar beat Raj Bhavan staffer Baikuntha Pradhan black and blue on July 7. The trigger apparently was Pradhan, Assistant Section Officer at Raj Bhavan, sent a Maruti car to fetch the Governor’s son from Puri Railway station. This enraged Lalit Kumar as he was expecting a luxury car. Feeling slighted the Governor’s son and his friends slapped and kicked the Raj Bhavan staffer. Looks like the VVIP culture and sense of entitlement seems to be endemic across political parties. The explanation given by Pradhan for sending a small car is that there was no other vehicles available as the President of India Droupadi Murmu was officially visiting Raj Bhavan and all vehicles were pressed into her service. Pradhan has filed a formal complaint with the Governor’s Principal Secretary while his wife Sayoji has filed a complaint at Sea Beach police station at Puri seeking justice for her husband. The Opposition parties — BJD and Congress – is not letting go of this opportunity to embarrass the BJP ruled state. It’s seeking action against the Governor’s son.
With BJP firmly in the driver’s seat in Odisha now all eyes are on the chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi to deliver the poll promise. Doubting Thomases are already asking whether he can transform Odisha, create over 3.5 lakh new jobs, attract investments in the industrial and agriculture sectors? The world will get a whiff of his roadmap when Majihi presents the state’s budget on July 24. So far, Majhi has successfully opened up the four gates of Sri Jagannath Temple besides creating a corpus fund of Rs 500 crore for safety, security and beautification of the iconic temple. Majhi’s cabinet has also decided to formulate a policy for farmers within 100 days to increase MSP of paddy to Rs 3,100 per quintal. Sources say the chief minister faces huge challenges from providing drinking water, to quality school, to filling teachers’ posts lying vacant to scant irrigation facilities. Meanwhile, the new government is already facing criticism for announcing two big ticket projects without doing feasibility studies. Well known political commentator Ruben Banerjee has questioned the viability of such projects. In the case of Subhadra Jojana (earlier Mission Shakti) the state will spend Rs 50,000 crore to cover one crore women who will get a voucher of Rs 50,000 in two years. In the case of Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project, the government plans to invest Rs 6,000 crore. And this project will run into losses, says Banerjee. He is just over a month into his new role and it is unfair to compare him with the former legendary chief minister Naveen Patnaik who ran Odisha for over two decades.
Assembly by-elections are usually won by the party in power. That is why it came as a surprise for the BJP that it failed to retain Badrinath assembly seat and was defeated in Manglaur in Uttarakhand by a margin of 422 votes. While the Congress has been claiming victory in Badrinath as a natural corollary to INDIA Bloc win in Faizabad Lok Sabha seat that hosts Ayodhya and the Ram Mandir, the BJP may have much to mull about its performance. Defeat of BJP candidate Rajendra Singh Bhandari in Badrinath assembly seat may not be so much a comment on chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami but it could still be an eye-opener for the party. The seat fell vacant as Bhandari had quit the Congress as an MLA during 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He joined the BJP supporting its Garhwal Lok Sabha candidate Anil Baluni. The BJP had fielded him in the by-election hoping his connection with local public would carry him through. What the party did not factor in was lack of enthusiasm among its cadres to the Congress turncoat. “More than BJP cadres letting Bhandari down, Badrinath seat was mainly lost because there was simmering anger among residents of Joshimath over delay in resettlement and relocating them,” pointed out senior Congress leader Prakash Joshi. This was an area which has always given BJP the lead. Joshimath has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone since 2022 and people still have to deal with it. The second seat Manglaur had always seen a proxy battle between the Congress and the BSP. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh however insisted that the Uttarakhand results “reflect the changing political climate in the country.”
After four decades, Ratna Bhandar, the fabulous treasury of Puri’s famed Sri Jagannath Temple will be opened. It was BJP’s poll promise. According to the rules and practices, gold, silver, jewels etc offered to Sri Jagannath Mahaprabhu are to be stored in this Ratna Bhandar. This fabulous Treasury of the Jagannath Temple has been enriched by the contribution and donations offered by the devotees from all over the world. The decision to open the treasure trove has been taken by the 16-member Ratna Bhandar Committee headed by Justice Biswanath Rath. The previous Biju Janata Dal government headed by Naveen Patnaik has been dragging its feet to open Lord Jagannath’s treasure trove saying its original keys were lost. During the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections campaign, the BJP leaders including PM Narendra Modi had made Ratna Bhandar inventory and missing keys a major poll issue. The Ratna Bhandar committee has prepared a draft SOP of how the inspection of the inventory will be conducted. A source from the committee said that “The audit process will be detailed and lengthy” since it was last audited in 1978 when Janata Party’s Nilamani Routroy was Odisha CM. The auditing of Ratna Bhandar will not clash with normal darshan of the devotees. Experts have been roped in to classify the jewellery and give its valuation. And this report will be made public as per BJP’s poll promise.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde is emerging as an independent leader which even the might of the BJP has acceded to. Soon after Shinde assumed power two years back on June 30, 2022, it was largely believed that the Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena would eventually be made to merge with the BJP and the name and symbol would be wiped out. However, far from being wiped out, Shinde has kept the Sena flag so strong that the BJP has officially announced that Shinde would be leading the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance into the polls. Meanwhile, both his deputies — Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar — are busy struggling to retain their base within their own parties as they face power struggles from within. Fadnavis’ stature has witnessed sharp climb down post-Lok Sabha debacle while Ajit Pawar support base is being debilitated by an astute Sharad Pawar. The Manoj Jarange Patil-led Maratha agitation has further consolidated his position; any attempt to dislodge this Maratha CM would not be acceptable to the Maratha community. The BJP which suffered strong backlash from the Maratha community in the Lok Sabha poll would not want to antagonise Marathas at this stage. Shinde is also working on crafting his own individual brand. His strategy of tagging chief minister to the monthly stipend for women scheme — Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana — has resonated well with rural women who are flocking to government offices in large numbers. He also got the winning Indian Cricket team to visit the Maharashtra assembly, the posters for which bore the CM’s face along with his two deputies, rather than the faces of the popular cricketers.
West Bengal BJP has begun to feel the burden of having a former bureaucrat CV Ananda Bose in Raj Bhavan. He poses no problem for the TMC regime but remains out of bounds for them. Bengal BJP leaders find that they are never able to access him. Half the time, much harassed Bose is always catching a flight to Delhi to fill the ears of central leadership. They feel Kolkata Raj Bhavan should have a politically savvy governor like Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan or Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi who keeps local governments on toes. Party sources feel with assembly elections in 2026, there must be an effective, political governor who will be able to keep chief minister Mamata Banerjee on her toes. Instead, they find Governor Bose is embroiled and immersed in fighting his own personal battles. Two years after he took charge as governor, Mamata pinned him down with one of the Raj Bhavan staff alleging inappropriate conduct in May 2024. The TMC supremo who is buffeted by corruption allegations and scams, tried using allegations made by a contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan to put the Governor on the defensive. Didi made it such a political issue that even her two MLAs — Rayat Hossain Sarkar and Sayantika Banerjee — elected in the bypolls recently, refused to go to the Raj Bhavan to be sworn-in. They were sworn in by the Speaker at a special session of the Assembly on July 5. Bose has filed a defamation suit against Mamata after she remarked that “women are afraid to visit Raj Bhavan due to recent incidents”. Meanwhile, hunt is on for new Bengal BJP chief as Dr Sukanta Majumdar is a Union Minister now.
Maharashtra legislative council’s leader of the opposition (LoP) Ambadas Danve’s five-day suspension from the house is unprecedented in the state’s history. The fact that Danve used swear words denigrating womanhood while challenging a BJP member on the floor of the house has proved more shocking. Realising the gravity of his offence, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray has apologised, though conditionally. Danve was engaged in a verbal battle with BJP’s Prasad Lad when the reprehensible language was used by him. When a resolution to suspend Danve for five days came up, the opposition demanded discussion on the motion. However, quoting precedents, deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe declined it. Uddhav later regretted the utterances of his party leader. However, Danve was unrepentant. He used threatening language against Lad once more. Moreover, he said that the BJP had no right to teach him democratic norms as it had suspended 150 members from the Lok Sabha. The conflict began when Lad made some statement pointing a finger at Danve, who vehemently objected and at one point was seen advancing menacingly towards Lad. The swear words used during this exchange stunned both sides of the house. The unsavoury incident is bound to impact electioneering for the assembly as the level to which elected representatives can stoop will create an impression among the rank and file about to take any liberties they wish.
The latest news that Tamil Nadu’s BJP chief K Annamalai has been chosen to study International Politics at the Oxford University for three months is making waves both in the Tamil Nadu BJP and the DMK circles. Many are reading between the lines of his study assignment as he goes in September and will be back only in the New Year. Reportedly, many within the BJP are eyeing his seat albeit even if it’s a short reign. Ah, the Teacher’s pet is going away, with any number of carpetbaggers of the club sashaying in to lead the charge of the fight brigade. Annamalai is truly maha kicked by such an honour to be one among 12 international people to be invited by Chevening Gurukul Fellowship for Leadership and Excellence programme. He is also going away as the big bang state Assembly election will be in 2026. Now with the BJP tasting blood in the Lok Sabha polls, and TN promises to be the coveted catch if it happens in 2026 – a BJP win will reset Dravidian politics. For the two well entrenched Dravidian parties fending off the major offensive led by Annamalai will be the real challenge.
The leadership of Ajit Pawar faces its most critical litmus test as he gears up to lead his faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to fight not just his uncle Sharad Pawar but some disgruntled leaders within his own party, besides, facing hostile vibes from his alliance partners — BJP and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde). This attack from multiple fronts is on account of the poor show of his party in the Lok Sabha polls; it bagged just one of the four seats. Even RSS openly expressed its displeasure of BJP entering into an alliance with Ajit Pawar in view of his blemished track record. Luckily, he has got a big relief; BJP has sent out a message that it will fight the forthcoming Assembly polls together. The other problem he is facing is poaching. Srom some of his own ex-party colleagues now in Sharad Pawar’s camp are trying to woo leaders from his camp. There have been constant claims in the media about how 10-12 of his legislators are in touch with the Sharad Pawar’s faction and may cross over. Some of the senior leaders within his own party are not particularly happy about his unilateral decision to nominate his wife Sunetra Pawar who lost the Lok Sabha battle to Supriya Sule, to Rajya Sabha. It is learnt that strong leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal have already begun strengthening his Samata Parishad platform, through which he has been very vocal in supporting the OBC agitation. Whether Ajit Pawar is able to retain his flock, put up a strong fight and bounce back, now remains to be seen.
In the earlier regime, the mindless interference by Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary VK Pandian upset not only the bureaucrats but even politicians across the party lines. Putting an end to that unilateral style of management the new BJP government in Odisha headed by Mohan Charan Majhi is ensuring a high degree of professionalism. For starters it has started making changes at the top by appointing Manoj Ahuja, a 1990 batch Odisha cadre IAS officer, as the Chief Secretary. Sources say that Ahuja has been selected because leadership at the highest level have reposed faith in him for his administrative acumen and rich experience across the departments. He was the former Secretary of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Secretary of Steel & Mines, Food, Supplies & Consumer Welfare and Commissioner of Commercial taxes. All these experiences will help him to fast track numerous administrative issues, and ensure that the common man can feel the difference. It may be recalled that the PM in his election campaign has promised to make Odisha No 1 state and Ahuja needs to ensure the entire bureaucracy is in sync to work towards that goal. Now, with absolute majority, BJP cannot pin blame on BJD. Ahuja will retire on December 31, 2024 and there are strong indications that he, like the former two secretaries, will get an extension.
In a recent state cabinet meeting, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her frustration with several ministers and leaders over allegations of corruption and non-performance. Giving stern warning to her cabinet, she has made it clear that she will not tolerate any lapses in governance, particularly in addressing civic issues and ensuring the general functioning of the government. It is speculated that her dissatisfaction with her ministers stems from a deeper analysis of the Lok Sabha election results. Despite the TMC securing a decisive victory by winning 29 out of Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats, a closer examination reveals underlying vulnerabilities in the party’s standing. While the TMC won both parliamentary seats in Kolkata, the party’s performance in the city’s municipal wards indicated a less dominant position. The TMC led in 93 wards under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, but the BJP’s significant presence, leading in 48 wards, highlighted growing opposition strength in urban areas. The BJP’s lead extended beyond Kolkata, with notable inroads in several civic bodies across the state. Didi’s displeasure is rooted in reports of corruption, inefficiency, and lack of responsiveness by local leaders. Such issues have eroded public trust and provided the BJP with an opportunity to gain ground. The CM’s stern reaction towards her ministers appears to be linked to her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee’s, critical assessment of the government’s performance. As the party’s national general secretary, Abhishek has been vocal about issues like corruption and inefficiency within the administration.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra is finding itself in a similar situation, faced by the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Both sides are engaged in concealing the fissures within. Leaders from both camps keep claiming that several MLAs from the opposite side are on their way to their fold. The simmering unrest came to the fore when Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut set off a fierce debate in the MVA by obliquely suggesting that Uddhav Thackeray should be the CM face of the Aghadi for the coming assembly election. State Congress president Nana Patole has discounted the demand by merely remarking that his party has decided not to comment on any of Raut’s statements. Incidentally, the Congress has won the largest number of LS seats in the state. Jayant Patil, leader of the third partner, the NCP (Sharad Pawar), says that the priority for now is to concentrate on winning the election unitedly. Conversely, the Mahayuti is in the same boat. Though ruling, its three partners are not on the same page over several issues. Already, sections of the BJP and Sena (Shinde) have started blaming the NCP faction led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar for the Mahayuti’s Lok Sabha debacle. Some local units have gone to the extent of demanding removal of the NCP(A) from the Yuti. Countering statements against each other are becoming common for the Mahayuti, posing a challenge for the leadership.
Maharashtra’s BJP deputy chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis offered to resign over the 2024 Maha Lok Sabha debacle the party suffered but the high command rejected it. Then the social media faux pas happened, when BJP’s Maharashtra IT cell head Shweta Shalini sued well known Marathi journalist Bhau Torsekar who in his Youtube show Pratipaksha equated Shweta with south Indian actor and party counterpart ‘Ramya’ who cost the party badly down south India some years ago. Fadnavis’ outreach to Bhau met with the latter’s follow-up parody episode further impacting the deputy CM’s public persona. Consequent social media outburst from party insiders exposed all the Fadnavis men for mismanagement of Rs 550 crore party funds during Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra. Sources say, one close confidant of Fadnavis is accused of usurping Rs 25 crore to purchase a high-end apartment in tony Malabar Hill, and also renting a plush office in Mumbai at Rs 10 lakh a month. Likewise another confidant from Nagpur is believed to have secured plum posting in MSEB. BJP’s Lok Sabha debacle in Maharashtra is being attributed to wrong selection of candidates, conceding more Mumbai seats to CM Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and disconnect with BJP cadres. Will Fadnavis mend the tear, put his house in order in time to face state assemblies? Time will tell, even as BJP additionally invests ‘Tan, Man & Dhan’ upon Fadnavis’ NCP counterpart Ajit Pawar for edge in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections of 2024.
With no consensus between the ruling NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc over Lok Sabha Speaker post and the deadline for the nominations nearing, the two alliances have separately fielded their candidates. This is the first election for Lok Sabha Speaker since Independence. On June 26, as the Lok Sabha convenes, the legislators will vote to elect the next Speaker, choosing between the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Om Birla as NDA candidate and Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh as the Opposition nomination. Om Birla, a three-time MP from Kota, and longest-serving Lok Sabha MP from Kerala K Suresh have filed their nominations for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker. A Lok Sabha Speaker is elected by a simple majority. More than half of the 543 members present in the Lok Sabha vote for a particular candidate to become the Speaker of Lok Sabha. The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority. The Opposition bloc has 234 legislators in the lower House of Parliament. Apparently many Opposition parties like the TMC and even NCP (Sharad Pawar) are not happy with the decision to go for a contest. TMC felt the Congress took a unilateral decision to contest the Speaker’s post without consulting other parties. With numbers in favour of the NDA, Om Birla is set to become the Lok Sabha Speaker for a second term. INDIA bloc said it was willing to support the NDA candidate but only if the deputy Speaker post is given to the Opposition. Clearly, the government did not wish a trade-off over the Deputy Speaker’s post. The Deputy Speaker’s post would probably go to one of its allies, the TDP.
Verbal War Between Uddhav Sena And BJP Over Kangana Ranaut’s Visit To Maharashtra Sadan In New Delhi
Newly elected BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s visit to Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi a couple of days ago has set afire a verbal war between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the BJP. News reports that Kangana had demanded the CM’s reserved suite in the state guest house and their subsequent refute by the Sadan officials have stoked bout of invectives. Sena MP Sanjay Raut has ridiculed Kangana’s reported demand and advised the Himachal Pradesh government to allot the suite reserved for that state’s CM in Himachal Bhawan to her. He has made some other remarks, too, against her. Taking on his old adversary, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane has rushed to challenge Raut by firing several questions at him. Rane has reminded his bete noire that Kangana is an elected MP and not “a backdoor MP” like him, referring to Raut’s third Rajya Sabha term. Attacking Raut’s criticism of the screen heroine, Rane has asked him, “Should it be made known about the stay of a Bollywood actress at the house you occupy?” To rub in the assault, Rane has dared Raut to seek an answer from Uddhav Thackeray about controversial police officer Sachin Vaze’s visits to the CM’s residence when he was holding the post. Raut had roasted the Maharashtra government about the latest drug racket bust in Pune. Responding in the same vein, Rane has asked him to clarify what steps the state had taken under Uddhav against the drug menace. Enough indications suggest that the two sides will become more virulent.
Even as all political parties in Maharashtra gear up for the forthcoming assembly polls scheduled around October, a sharp split between the Marathas and the Other Backward Class (OBC) community threatens to distort the political atmosphere of Maharashtra. Bandhs, highway blockages, stone throwings, tyre burnings fuelled by vitriolic statements from new leaders emerging from hunger strike agitations have become the order of the day. The consolidation of the Maratha vote bank which began with the successful agitation by Manoj Jarange Patil and subsequently led to the defeat of leading OBC leaders in the recent Lok Sabha, has sparked a sharp reaction from the OBC community which is feeling threatened. The OBC community views the consolidation of Maratha vote bank as an attempt to gnaw into their reservations and political strength. The OBC leadership across many political parties is also consolidating itself with leaders like Pankaja Munde from the BJP, Dhananjay Munde and Chhagan Bhujbal from the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP with support offered by Vijay Waddetiwar, leader of opposition in assembly from the Congress and even Prakash Ambedkar from the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) finding a common cause. The BJP, which suffered the most due to the Maratha consolidation in the LS elections, has now thrown in its weight behind the OBC plank, mulling Rajya Sabha berth to Pankaja Munde, reclaiming Eknath Khadse and even offering encouraging signals to Chhagan Bhujbal. The BJP is now on a sticky wicket as it struggles to do a balancing act to not antagonise the Maratha vote bank while retaining support of the OBC.
After yet another disappointing performance in West Bengal, the state BJP’s post-poll analysis has underscored the pivotal role of women voters and the influence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee. The BJP believes that schemes like Lakshmi Bhandar have further solidified the allegiance of women voters to Didi, making it challenging for the BJP to make inroads in the state. A section of BJP leaders has acknowledged that Banerjee’s targeted social schemes — such as the Widow Pension, Swasthya Sathi, Kanyashree, and Roopashree — have resonated strongly with the female electorate. The BJP’s internal dynamics are also set for a change, where current state president, Sukanta Majumdar, who is also the MP for Balurghat, has been inducted into the Modi government as a junior minister. This development has spurred discussions about his successor, especially since the central leadership has expressed dissatisfaction with the results under Majumdar’s leadership. With the West Bengal State Election slated for 2026, the BJP is keenly aware that winning over women voters is crucial to reversing its fortunes. Speculations are rife that the BJP may appoint a woman as the state president to counter Banerjee’s influence effectively. Names like Locket Chatterjee, Agnimitra Paul, Debasree Chaudhuri, and Malti Rava Roy are being considered, with former Hooghly MP Locket Chatterjee emerging as the frontrunner. However, the race for the state presidency is not limited to female leaders. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and former state president Dilip Ghosh are also in contention.
After Mamata Banerjee dealt a body blow to West Bengal PCC chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury by getting him defeated in Berhampore Lok Sabha by fielding cricketer Yusuf Pathan from Gujarat, a whole lot of possibilities seems to have opened up for the Congressman. Adhir is quite upset with the Congress leadership that did not pitch in any help during Bengal polls. In fact, post-defeat, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called him up and urged him not to vacate his Lutyens’s bungalow and promised to find something for him. To media queries about his switch to the BJP, Adhir has neither confirmed nor denied it. Yes, Modi-Shah are thinking of fielding Adhir as a Rajya Sabha candidate from Tripura in place of former CM Biplab Deb who has got elected to the Lok Sabha. The buzz is Adhir could be eventually inducted as a central minister and deployed to work in Bengal. Under Suvendu Adhikari’s leadership, the BJP in Bengal has been struggling. Apart from traditional leaders such as Dilip Ghosh who can take on Mamata, there are only a handful of leaders in the BJP who can take on the Trinamool. Of course, if Adhir joins the BJP he could prove to be a major irritant for Mamata. That means, for the TMC leader, getting Adhir defeated in Lok Sabha may not have been a wise move at all.
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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.
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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.
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