CM 'nataka', Bihar ballots, and Trump's trump card for BRICS

12-07-2025

Hello Readers,Welcome to another edition of DH's weekly Political Theatre, where we bring you the political highlights of the week, from India and beyond.This week, buzz about a leadership tussle in the Karnataka Congress dominated the political sphere, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, D K Shivakumar, supposedly at loggerheads over the top post in the state.Westwards, this week also saw the estranged Thackeray cousins—Uddhav and Raj—reunite after two decades, hinting at a broader alliance in Maharashtra for the upcoming civic body polls.Bihar, which is headed to polls later this year, also saw considerable political drama, with I.N.D.I.A. bloc members strongly opposing the electoral roll revision currently under way in the poll-bound state.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, continued his international outreach, with visits to Africa and South America, where he highlighted the 'double standards' that the Global South has had to endure.Beyond borders, mercurial billionaire Elon Musk announced the formation of his 'America Party' amid an ongoing spat with US President Donald Trump.Join us, as we take you through this week's developments..O captain, (not) my captain?.Buzz about a leadership change in the Congress government in Karnataka has been going on for several weeks now, but picked up this week in particular, with party troubleshooter Randeep Singh Surjewala flying down to Bengaluru to calm nerves.This week also saw CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy DKS seeking separate meetings with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, only to get turned down.Undeterred, however, Siddaramaiah announced that he would complete his full term in office, a statement which drew a slew of loyalists to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge—something that is being seen as a show of support for the current CM..Bihar ballotsPolitical drama erupted in Bihar amid the ongoing electoral roll revision exercise in the poll-bound state.After initial fury over the exercise, which the Opposition dubbed as an effort by the BJP to manipulate electoral outcomes, parties across ideological lines appeared to have a mood swing, with both the I.N.D.I.A. bloc and the NDA expressing satisfaction over the decision of the Supreme Court, which allowed the EC to carry on the exercise while asking the poll body to consider Aadhaar, PAN, and ration cards as ID proofs for the same..Come together, right now.Maharashtra witnessed high political drama this week, not for one, but several reasons.The much-anticipated coming together of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray left loyalists thrilled, as the estranged cousins not only shared a stage, but also hinted at a broader alliance in the state.In a victory celebration to mark the rescinding of government orders on a three-language policy, the estranged cousins joined hands to uphold the dignity of 'Marathi-manoos', and unequivocally declared, "One thing is clear, we have removed the distance between us…We have come together to stay together.".Tango and cashSeparately, a massive row erupted in the state after minister Sanjay Shirsat, following the receipt of an Income Tax notice, was allegedly caught on camera with a bag of cash. "Helplessness has another name: Fadnavis!," declared Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut sharing the video, and lamented how NDA leaders were tarnishing the reputation of the Chief Minister..The dog in the video, however, was spared of political lambasting, and appears to be a good boy, to the best of our knowledge..M(ad)NSWhile Raj Thackeray was in the news for his much-touted reunion, his party members made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.Amid the ongoing language row in the state, MNS workers assaulted a shopkeeper in Thane for not speaking in Marathi, triggering angry reactions from shopkeepers and a bandh in the area.Undeterred, MNS workers then proceeded to attack the office of investor and economist Sushil Kedia, who had challenged Raj on the Marathi issue.Days later, Raj issued an order to party members: none should interact with the media sans his approval. The reasons behind the same remain a mystery for now..Birds of a feather (don't always) flock togetherCongress MP Shashi Tharoor's comments on the Emergency, which he described as a dark chapter from which lessons are to be learnt, brought out the latent ornithologists in members of the grand old party, who threw a slew of avian metaphors to slam the Thiruvananthapuram MP..Seeing red over yellow (line)Bengaluru this week saw heated scenes as both the Congress and the BJP saw red over the delay in the operationalisation of the Namma Metro Yellow Line.Both parties took out parallel protests in Bengaluru this week, with the Congress accusing the BJP government at the Centre over the delay, and the BJP accusing the Congress government at the state level for the same.The impasse, perhaps predictably, remains unresolved..Mano-a-ManoIn a rather fresh twist to Indian politics, which generally involves verbal mudslinging, the country could soon be witness to a duel between feuding politicians.This week, AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel called out Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad for attacking a hostel canteen worker, but the Maharashtra politician was having none of it.Bemused, he threatened to thrash Jaleel as well, to which the AIMIM leader responded in a way reminiscent of high school brawls—name the time and place, Jaleel dared, and we're eagerly waiting for an update to what could eclipse Trump's plan to host a UFC night on the White House lawns..Between BRICS and a hard place.Ahead of India assuming presidency of BRICS next year, PM Modi asserted in this year's summit that New Delhi would adopt a 'humanity first' approach when it takes charge.Trump, however, did not find much joy in his dear friend meeting other members of the grouping, and promptly announced, "Anybody that's in BRICS is getting a 10 per cent charge pretty soon."In addition to attending the BRICS Summit, Modi also visited multiple nations, and, unsurprisingly, extended his tally of racking up their respective highest civilian honours..United States, divided leaders.Amid growing political fissures in the US, the brief camaraderie between Elon Musk and Donald Trump gave away this week, with the mercurial billionaire announcing the formation of his 'America Party'.Describing his party as tech-centric, budget-conscious, pro-energy, and centrist, Musk put on quite the social media show.In reality, however, the billionaire has a long way to go if he truly wishes to challenge the two-party system's grip on US elections.That about wraps up the major political updates from this week. With much political drama anticipated, catch us next week as we help you navigate these murky waters.Exit Stage Left,DH Newsletters Team

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BJP Registers Major Victory in Three-Tier Panchayat Elections

Hans India

11 minutes ago

Hans India

BJP Registers Major Victory in Three-Tier Panchayat Elections

The results of the recently concluded three-tier Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand are steadily being received. According to the latest updates, BJP-supported candidates have been declared victorious on 125 out of a total of 358 district panchayat seats. Meanwhile, Congress-backed candidates have secured 83 seats, receiving significant support from voters. In addition, 150 independent candidates have also emerged victorious in the elections. A majority of these independent winners are seen leaning towards the Bharatiya Janata Party, with several publicly announcing their support for the BJP. As a result, a large portion of the overall winning candidates are considered to be BJP-aligned. The vote-counting process is nearing completion, and the Election Commission is expected to release the final results soon. The electoral process across the state was conducted peacefully and in an orderly manner, with effective cooperation from the administrative and security agencies.

Jharkhand Assembly monsoon session begins with chaos over Bihar SIR

The Hindu

11 minutes ago

The Hindu

Jharkhand Assembly monsoon session begins with chaos over Bihar SIR

The five-day monsoon session of Jharkhand Assembly commenced on Friday. The house was adjourned till August 4 following the obituary references, however the issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar dominated outside the house. Ruling government has also decided to oppose SIR and pass a resolution against it. Chief Minister Hemant Soren strongly opposed the SIR saying that all parties of the alliance will oppose the SIR. Addressing the House, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto said the first supplementary budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year will be tabled, and some bills will also be presented during the five-day monsoon session. He also prayed for the good health of former Chief Minister Shibu Soren who is currently hospitalised in New Delhi. Rajesh Kachhap, Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Jharkhand Assembly, said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is supporting SIR to avoid its defeat in the Bihar Assembly election. Mr. Kachhap asked that when the Aadhaar card is valid everywhere, then why not in SIR. However, BJP MLA and former CM Champai Soren, called the SIR right, asserting that the voter list must be revised. Later meeting of the BJP Legislature Party was held under the chairmanship of State President and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi. Executive President Dr. Ravindra Kumar Rai, Organization General Secretary Karmaveer Singh, Chief Whip Naveen Jaiswal, MLA Neera Yadav and others were present in the meeting. Addressing the media after the meeting, Mr. Jaiswal alleged that the state government is focused on Madrasa to Teresa and has nothing to do with development of Jharkhand. Earlier in the day, Mr. Marandi termed the government's move to change the name of Atal Mohalla Clinic running in the state to Mother Teresa as political hooliganism. 'This is the height of appeasement that the state government could not tolerate even a small scheme running in the name of a leader like Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was the creator of Jharkhand,' Mr. Marandi said. Supporting Mr. Marandi's statement, Mr. Jaiswal asserted that the State Government could have started some other scheme in the name of Mother Teresa but this government is neck deep in appeasement. He further accused that by opposing voter revision, the Government wants to continue protecting Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslims. Asked about the issue which would be raised in the monsoon, the Chief Whip said that apart from name changing issue, the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and the increasing atrocities against women will also be raised in the house. Jharkhand Health Minister and Congress MLA Irfan Ansari termed the issue of Bangladeshi infiltration baseless stressing even during the Assembly elections in Jharkhand, BJP had raised this issue. He alleged that Election Commission of India (ECI) is conducting the SIR on the instruction of BJP government at the Centre because they want to snatch the right to vote from the common people.

Oppn uproar over Bihar SIR halts work in Rajya Sabha

Time of India

28 minutes ago

Time of India

Oppn uproar over Bihar SIR halts work in Rajya Sabha

The Opposition forced two adjournments in the Rajya Sabha on Friday on the issue of special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, with the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) members walking into the well of the House and shouting slogans. Deputy chairman Harivansh ruled out a discussion on the Bihar SIR , saying the matter was sub-judice. When the House met for the day, the deputy chairman announced that he had received 30 notices for suspension of listed work under Rule 267 to take up the SIR and other issues. He dismissed them on technical grounds but invited RJD member Manoj Jha , who had drawn the attention of the chair, to speak. When Jha tried to use this opportunity to speak on the SIR, the chair cut him short. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Data Analytics Degree healthcare CXO Data Science Healthcare Technology Finance Management MCA PGDM Others Operations Management Leadership Digital Marketing Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence others MBA Design Thinking Project Management Product Management Public Policy Skills you'll gain: Strategic Data-Analysis, including Data Mining & Preparation Predictive Modeling & Advanced Clustering Techniques Machine Learning Concepts & Regression Analysis Cutting-edge applications of AI, like NLP & Generative AI Duration: 8 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Interpretation Programming Proficiency Problem-Solving Skills Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT MSc in Data Science Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details AITC members trooped into the well of the House and shouted slogans to press for their demand for a discussion on the SIR. Members of the Congress and other Opposition parties were also on their feet and shouting slogans. Harivansh said the SIR was pending with the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India was dealing with the issue, hence it couldn't be taken up for discussion in the House. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Morocco: Unsold Sofas at Bargain Prices (Prices May Surprise You) Sofas | Search Ads Search Now Undo As the din continued, he adjourned the House till noon. Vice chairman Ghanshyam Tewari chaired the proceedings at noon which began with the members resuming their protest. He called Vivek Tankha (Congress) to ask his supplementary question but the member spoke on the SIR. Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tried to reply to the listed question but as the slogan shouting continued, Tewari adjourned the House till Monday. Live Events Earlier, the minister of state for parliamentary affairs L Murugan shared with the House the subjects agreed to in the Business Advisory Committee that would be taken up in the coming week. The bill to extend the President's rule in Manipur under Article 356, which has been passed by the Lok Sabha, will be taken up. Two hours have been allocated for discussion on the issue. The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025 will also be discussed. The government had issued an ordinance on it in June.