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

Deccan Herald

17 hours ago

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