Hyderabad, Political blogs, TelanganaLeave a comment

Father-in-law vs son-in-law for Congress ticket

Uma Sudhir

Politicians lobbying for tickets for their kith and kin is nothing new in Indian politics. One has seen it in several elections, including the latest round of state elections in five states. But what is happening within the Congress for the party ticket to the Secunderabad Cantonment constituency is something rather new. A father-in-law is lobbying for a ticket, asking the party to deny it to his son-in-law.   With his work on the ground in the last three years and an active participant in the agitation for Telangana before that, M Krishank, an Osmania University student leader who joined … Continue reading Father-in-law vs son-in-law for Congress ticket

Karnataka & Tamilnadu, Political blogsLeave a comment

The Tipu divide in Karnataka

Uma Sudhir

By T S Sudhir   Since Siddaramaiah as chief minister in 2015 started celebrating the birth anniversay of Tipu Sultan as Tipu Jayanti in November every year, it has been an occasion for the Congress and the BJP to spar and cross swords over whether the king known as the `Tiger of Mysore’ was a patriot or a bigot and a murderer. Under Siddaramaiah’s stewardship, Tipu Jayanti was an integral part of the government calendar of events and with a Congress-JD(S) regime in Karnataka, it was expected that the tradition will be continued.   On 10 November it was, but … Continue reading The Tipu divide in Karnataka

Films, Karnataka & Tamilnadu, Political blogsLeave a comment

Has `Sarkar’ made the Tamil Nadu sarkar the new censor board?

Uma Sudhir

By T S Sudhir   Vijay announces himself as a “corporate criminal” in `Sarkar’. However, the real sarkar (government) in Tamil Nadu saw him as a political aspirant, calling his latest release an act of “sedition”.   It was a day of high drama on Thursday. Two senior ministers threatened the actor with legal action and on cue, the AIADMK cadre went on the offensive in different towns of Tamil Nadu, forcing theatres to cancel shows. A team of Chennai police landed up at the residence of director AR Murugadoss late at night and Sun TV (whose group company Sun … Continue reading Has `Sarkar’ made the Tamil Nadu sarkar the new censor board?

Chandrababu Naidu, Political blogsLeave a comment

Deja vu as Chandrababu, Deve Gowda look to repeat ’96

Uma Sudhir

By T S Sudhir   It must have been a sense of deja vu for HD Deve Gowda when Chandrababu Naidu came calling on him on Thursday afternoon. For a much younger Naidu had played a crucial part in the “humble farmer from Karnataka” becoming the Prime minister of India in 1996. Naidu was then the Convenor of the United Front. Twenty two years later, several political U-turns later, Naidu and Gowda find themselves on the same page and political corner. Wearing anti-Modism on their sleeve, their sights are set on doing a ’96 all over again.   Yes 96 … Continue reading Deja vu as Chandrababu, Deve Gowda look to repeat ’96

Films, Karnataka & Tamilnadu, Political blogsLeave a comment

Why the AIADMK sarkar is angry with `Sarkar’

Uma Sudhir

By T S Sudhir   For Tamil actor Vijay, it would be a sense of deja vu. Last year’s Deepavali release `Mersal’ ran into a spot of bother with the BJP objecting to a dialogue in the film that was critical of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and a reference to the Gorakhpur hospital tragedy in which several infants died. The state unit of the BJP ran a campaign against Vijay, asking for the dialogue’s removal from the film. It ended up having the unintended effect of converting the movie into a superhit, with the curiosity factor driving the audience … Continue reading Why the AIADMK sarkar is angry with `Sarkar’

UncategorizedLeave a comment

Ravi’s Book of Intrigue (RBI) : Don’t Tell The Governor

Uma Sudhir

By T S Sudhir   `Don’t Tell the Governor’ is easily Ravi Subramanian’s most `real’ work. So real that like in his previous thriller `In the Name of God’ that was based around the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, Subramanian has put out an author’s note right at the beginning of the book claiming the book is “entirely fictional” and “is not intended to be a depiction of individuals who, in real life occupy these exalted positions that their titles suggest”.    Ravi needed to put that because everyone down from the Prime Minister, Finance minister, Home minister, RBI … Continue reading Ravi’s Book of Intrigue (RBI) : Don’t Tell The Governor

Karnataka & Tamilnadu, Political blogsLeave a comment

Ten takeaways of the 4-1 verdict in Karnataka

Uma Sudhir

So now we know how the people of Karnataka in five constituencies – three Lok Sabha and two Vidhan Sabha – have spoken. The five seats were from the Old Mysuru region (Ramanagara assembly and Mandya LS), central Karnataka (Shivamogga), Mumbai-Karnataka (Jamkhandi) and Hyderabad-Karnataka (Ballari LS). (Note : Some analysts would put Ballari in central Karnataka as well). So they give a fair sense of the mood of the state six months after it threw up a fractured verdict to the Vidhana Soudha, resulting in the Congress and the JD(S) coming together to keep the BJP out of power.    … Continue reading Ten takeaways of the 4-1 verdict in Karnataka

Andhra Pradesh, Political blogs5 Comments

Decoding Pawan Kalyan’s political strategy

Uma Sudhir

By T S Sudhir   Let it be said loud and clear. Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jaganmohan Reddy can ignore Pawan Kalyan at their own peril. It will be easy to dis Pawan’s political moves as filmy antics or make unflattering comparisons with his elder brother Chiranjeevi who entered politics with high aspirations in 2008 but has now returned to the world of greasepaint and glamour. If the optics of the reception the Jana Sena founder is getting is anything to go by, he has emerged as the third axis of Andhra politics.    Critics of this theory will say … Continue reading Decoding Pawan Kalyan’s political strategy