Author: Rahul M

As the Bihar Assembly poll battleground heats up, Urdu dailies have stepped up their coverage of the state elections which would have a crucial bearing on national politics. Besides tracking the crisis gripping the Opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance, the dailies also contemplated the future of the 74-year-old nine-time Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar who, grappling with health issues, may be contesting his last elections. Flagging the rumblings within the NDA over its chief ministerial face, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its October 19 editorial, says that while the ruling coalition, led by the BJP and the JD(U), have sealed their…

Days after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw had a heated exchange over the state of roads in Bengaluru city, the duo held a brief meeting at the former’s residence on Tuesday. According to sources, Shaw met Shivakumar to extend an invitation to her relative’s wedding. Shivakumar shared a photo of the meeting on X, saying that the two “had an engaging discussion on Bengaluru’s growth, innovation, and the path ahead for Karnataka’s growth story”. It was a pleasure to meet Ms. @kiranshaw, entrepreneur and Founder of Biocon, at my residence today. We…

Show Quick Read Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of intimidating Jan Suraaj Party candidates ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections, claiming that three of his party’s nominees were coerced into withdrawing their nominations. In an interview with NDTV, Kishor said he would raise the issue with the Election Commission, though he expressed scepticism about the poll body’s response. “What will the Election Commission do? It will do what the government wants,” he remarked. ‘BJP terrified of Jan Suraaj’ Kishor alleged that the BJP was “terrified”…

Ashwin Kannan, the brother of Aravind K, the Ola Electric engineer who killed himself last month alleging workplace harassment, said the 38-year-old had opened up to him about the toxic work culture at the EV manufacturing company. “It looks like he had already decided to kill himself as he had placed an early lunch order for our parents on the day he died,” Ashwin said, recalling the fateful day.On September 28, Aravind K, a homologation engineer at Ola Electric since 2022, died by suicide, leaving behind a 28-page death note in which he raised allegations of harassment and toxic work…

With clarity still awaited on the Mahagathbandhan’s seat-sharing formula for the coming Bihar Assembly polls, as the clock winds down to two days to go for the final withdrawal of nominations, CPI (M-L) Liberation’s general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya speaks to The Indian Express over the confusion, politics of doles and the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of poll rolls by the Election Commission. Excerpts: Yes, and it is a bigger coalition this time with the inclusion of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and I P Gupta’s Indian Inclusive Party. There have been some hiccups but we have navigated them well…

20th Century Fox Television Most people know about “M*A*S*H,” the immensely popular war comedy that racked up 109 Primetime Emmy nominations and 14 Emmys during its 11-season run. But unless you were at home watching primetime television in the early to mid-1980s, you might not realize that “M*A*S*H” had a spin-off medical procedural drama series called “Trapper John, M.D.” that dealt with one character’s life after leaving the Korean War.  The series follows Dr. “Trapper” John McIntyre (Pernell Roberts), the deadpan MASH doc played by Wayne Rogers (who sadly passed away…

From RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav promising one government job for every family to the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led NDA government’s Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana to grant 75 lakh women entrepreneurs Rs 10,000 each, youth and women remain the focus of Bihar elections.But, as an analysis of past election manifestos shows, this is not new. Women Last month Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar disbursed the first instalment under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana of Rs 10,000 each to 75 lakh “women entrepreneurs”, for a total outlay of Rs 7,500 crore. Under the scheme, the state government has promised to…

The Karnataka High Court last week directed the police not to harass Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal and other company officials during the investigation of an abetment to suicide case following the death of an engineer working at the firm. A bench of Justice Mohammad Nawaz on October 17 issued notice seeking a response from the police, and said, “The police who are investigating into the case registered in…..Subramanyapura police station, Bengaluru City, shall not harass the petitioners in the guise of investigation.” The court was hearing a petition filed by Aggarwal, Ola employee Subrat Kumar Dash, and Ola Electric Technologies.…

Shortly after reports emerged last week of Infosys founder and billionaire N R Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha Murty, a Rajya Sabha MP, opting out of the ongoing Karnataka caste survey, the state’s Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, put out a social media post on his participation in the exercise.“This survey is not limited to any one caste; it is a scientific effort to shed light on the lives of every individual in the state. Providing information in the survey will definitely not lead to the misuse of your personal information. Set aside your concerns and confidently share your information with…

Shortly after reports emerged last week of Infosys founder and billionaire N R Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha Murty, a Rajya Sabha MP, opting out of the ongoing Karnataka caste survey, the state’s Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, put out a social media post on his participation in the exercise.“This survey is not limited to any one caste; it is a scientific effort to shed light on the lives of every individual in the state. Providing information in the survey will definitely not lead to the misuse of your personal information. Set aside your concerns and confidently share your information with…