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Book Ringside Seats For May 15 Post Poll Poker In Bengaluru

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Book Ringside Seats For May 15 Post Poll Poker In Bengaluru

~By Saeed Naqvi

On May 15, when the Karnataka election results are announced, and the Congress, BJP and Deve Gowda’s JDS find themselves in an almighty scrum bargaining for power, a certain mysterious lady will be watching the proceedings from her suite in the country’s most luxurious, seven star Leela hotel on Bengaluru’s old airport road.

The hijab clad, 45 year old, Nowhera Shaik, President of the All India Mahila (Women’s) Empowerment Party (MEP) is fielding candidates in all the 224 assembly seats. It is a mistake to regard MEP as a woman only party. “A woman has a brother, father, son”, she says. Moreover, there is no taboo on men seeking MEP tickets.

Her hijab is a far cry from a docile acceptance of male oppression. It is an assertion of feminine independence. She is CEO of Hyderabad based Heera Group of companies, dealing with a wide range of commodities across the globe – building material, gold and diamond. The last mentioned, happens to be something of an obsession with her. Heera, name of her company, means diamond. Her election symbol is Diamond. Who knows her name Nowhera may be a contortion of Nav Heera, which means “novel diamond”.

In the Sherlock Holmes classic, mystery deepens when the dog “does not” bark. In Ms. Shaik’s case the deathly silence of politicians and the media at the high voltage election debut is as intriguing.

Book Ringside Seats For May 15 Post Poll Poker In Bengaluru

There are all sorts of ironies involved. The latest congress policy towards Muslims is based on the appraisal that the BJP’s shrill allegation, that the party appeases Muslims, has begun to affect the majority community. The Hindu increasingly sees the Congress as a “Muslim Party”. How should a party which is greedy for Hindu as well as Muslim votes, cope with the predicament.

It was to meet this situation that the new “cloak and dagger” policy towards Muslims was enunciated. The party will distance itself from Muslims to prevent a hemorrhage of Hindu votes. But by hint and gesture the Muslim voter will be persuaded that this “distancing” is only a tactic in the Muslim interest. The Muslim must not leap into the Congress lap in full public view, but, with expert slyness, sneak towards the Congress polling agent.

The game acquires a touch of situation comedy when an audacious, hijab wearing lady, with wealth beyond measure, a credible image of a philanthropist, jumps into the electoral fray. The Congress cannot throw up its hands and scream, “Help, help, she is nibbling away at Muslim pockets in a close election where even a few hundred votes matter.”

Nor can the BJP be ecstatic: “Welcome dear Begum Sahiba; go, damage the Congress.”

Unobtrusively, she just may end up marginally harming the Congress. If each one of her 224 candidates is pillowed with cash, the law of averages may return two, three or five winners. This may give her a hand to play in post poll poker. Her ambitions for 2019 leave one gasping.

If the Congress loses the Karnataka election, it will be difficult for the party to escape the label the opposition is in gleeful readiness to paste on the Congress forehead: P2, a party confined to Punjab and Pondicherry.

While nobody is conceding outright victory to the Congress, punters are willing to give it the largest single party status and therefore hope for coming state elections.

A representative group of eight senior journalists and political activists (including two having deep links with Communists and RSS) pondered over the election scene in my Bengaluru drawing room. There was no great difference of opinion on the way the cookie was expected to crumble on May 15. Congress, BJP and Deve Gowda led (JDS) Janata Dal Secular were expected to poll 95 to 100, 85 to 95 and 35 to 40 seats respectively. A hung house will enable the JDS to play a leading role in the post poll poker.

Let us pick up the narrative in 2010 when Siddaramaiah, then in the opposition, chastised the infamous Reddy Brothers (more popularly known in Karnataka as the Bellary mining mafia) on the floor of the state assembly.

The Reddy’s promptly dared him to repeat his charges in Bellary where, they threatened, he “would be finished”. Siddaramaiah took up the challenge. He undertook a 200 mile padyatra to Bellary. The voter, desperately searching for something he can respect, spotted a touch of heroism in “Siddaramaiah”.

There are now three principal caste groups (hundreds of smaller ones) in the contest:

Siddaramaiah with his diligently consolidated Kuruba caste; Deve Gowda, something of a Vokkaliga stalwart and B.S. Yedurappa the tallest Lingayat who had almost been ruled out by the BJP because of a jail term for massive corruption. His powerful caste Lingayat, has trumped all negative considerations.

Siddaramaiah is not a classical Congressman. Rather, his background should be a cause for concern for the Congress: there is in his DNA a trace of Lohia Socialist. This is what kept him in the JDS for 35 years. But his parting with Deve Gowda was so bitter that theirs is now a blood feud. Deve Gowda would rather jump in front of a train than allow Siddaramaiah a second term in Bengaluru.

Yedurappa poses the Lingayat challenge. This has propelled Siddaramaiah towards an audacious gamble. An old demand by a section of Lingayats seeking a status outside the Hindu structure has been dusted up by him. Yes, he says, Lingayats will be outside the Hindu fold. This is far reaching, tearing into Veer Shaivaite  Lingayat divide.

Trust a Lohiaite to have played this hand. There are echoes of V.P. Singh’s implementation of the Mandal Commission report. V.P. Singh himself was not a beneficiary of his machinations. But the post Mandal tumult brought to the fore Mayawati, Mulayam Singh, Lalu Prasad, Rath yatra to Ayodhya and so much mayhem. Let’s see how Siddaramaiah’s gamble plays itself out.

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PM Modi won’t attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, confirms Kremlin

Instead, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India at the commemorative events marking the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.

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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced on Wednesday, April 30, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the 80th anniversary celebrations of Victory Day in Moscow next month.

Instead, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India at the commemorative events marking the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.

“India will be represented by Defence Minister Singh, not at the highest level,” Peskov stated, confirming that India had informed Russia of the decision well in advance. A source elaborated, “An invitation was extended to Prime Minister Modi for the Victory Day Parade in Moscow, but we conveyed that Minister Singh would attend on India’s behalf.”

Modi, who visited Russia twice in 2024 for an annual summit with President Vladimir Putin and the BRICS Summit in Kazan, is not expected to travel for the May 9 event. Meanwhile, Putin is slated to visit India later this year for the annual India-Russia summit, maintaining the tradition of high-level bilateral engagements.

The Moscow parade, held annually at Red Square, will see significant international participation, with Chinese President Xi Jinping confirming his attendance. Russia is preparing to host around 20 foreign leaders for the milestone anniversary.

In a statement reported by Russia’s state-run news agency on Tuesday, Putin reflected on the historical significance of the occasion: “On the Volga’s banks, our forces stopped and defeated the enemy, dealing a critical blow to the Nazi war machine. This turning point paved the way to Berlin and the Great Victory, which we will honor solemnly on May 9.”

Russia has also declared a ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8 to 10 to observe Victory Day, a gesture underscoring the event’s importance. The Victory Day celebrations, a major national event, commemorate the Soviet Union’s pivotal role in defeating Nazi Germany, culminating in the surrender on May 9, 1945.

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Mark Carney’s win sparks hope for India-Canada relations reset

Mark Carney’s rise as Canada’s Prime Minister brings a renewed focus on repairing ties with India, as both countries seek cooperation in trade, education, and diplomacy.

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Mark Carney’s ascension to the role of Canada’s Prime Minister has brought renewed optimism for a diplomatic thaw between New Delhi and Ottawa, a relationship that faced serious setbacks under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Carney, a former central banker and political novice, made it clear during his campaign that rebuilding bilateral ties with India would be among his foreign policy priorities.

Carney signals intent to revive ties

In his pre-election statements, Carney emphasised Canada’s need to diversify trade partnerships with nations that share democratic values—explicitly naming India. He said, “There are opportunities to rebuild the relationship with India. If I am Prime Minister, I look forward to the opportunity to build that.”

This approach marks a significant departure from the Trudeau administration’s strained relations with India, especially following the high-profile controversy in 2023 involving the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The diplomatic crisis escalated with the expulsion of six Indian diplomats and reciprocal steps from India, effectively freezing high-level exchanges and trade talks.

The road to reconciliation

Under Trudeau, India frequently accused Canada of harbouring extremist elements within its Sikh diaspora. The Indian government viewed this as a threat to its sovereignty, particularly amid rising incidents of pro-Khalistan demonstrations abroad.

Mark Carney, however, has taken a more pragmatic view, underlining the importance of restoring diplomatic balance and mutual respect. His vision of Canadian sovereignty also extends to redefining international alliances, with a push toward reducing dependency on its largest neighbour—the United States—and strengthening partnerships like the one with India.

Economic and educational prospects

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two nations, stalled due to the diplomatic fallout, may see a revival under Carney’s leadership. In 2023, services trade between India and Canada was valued at CAD 13.49 billion. Both countries had been exploring collaboration in emerging sectors like AI, green energy, and education.

India continues to be one of the largest contributors to Canada’s immigrant population, with nearly 2.8 million people of Indian origin living in the country. Carney is likely to continue the liberal immigration policies, particularly benefiting Indian students and professionals. Over 427,000 Indian students currently study in Canada, playing a crucial role in its economy and labour force.

A cautious but hopeful turn

Carney’s victory offers both countries a diplomatic opportunity to reset a troubled chapter. With mutual interests in economic growth, technological advancement, and geopolitical balance, the groundwork is being laid for a more collaborative future.

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Several killed after car drives into street festival in Canada’s Vancouver

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A horrific incident unfolded at the Lapu Lapu ’25 Block Party in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday, April 26, when a black SUV plowed into a crowd, leaving multiple people dead and several others injured, according to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD). The attack occurred just after 8 p.m. local time at the intersection of East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, where hundreds had gathered to celebrate Filipino culture and honor Datu Lapu-Lapu, the Philippines’ first national hero, who famously defeated Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the 1521 Battle of Mactan.

The VPD confirmed the driver, a 30-year-old Vancouver man, was taken into custody at the scene, though the exact number of casualties remains undisclosed as emergency services continue to respond. “A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured,” the VPD stated on X, adding, “We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds.” Social media footage captured the chaotic aftermath, showing a black SUV with a crumpled hood and deployed airbags, surrounded by motionless victims and frantic bystanders. Some videos depicted first responders and civilians tending to the injured, while others showed bloodied individuals lying on the street, underscoring the scale of the tragedy.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim expressed profound grief, calling the incident “horrific.” “We are shocked and saddened by what happened at the Lapu Lapu Day event. Police have confirmed multiple fatalities and injuries, and our thoughts are with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this devastating time,” Sim said in a statement. New Democratic Party MP Don Davies, describing the event as a “horrendous attack,” took to X to offer prayers for the victims and their families, reflecting the community’s anguish.

The Lapu Lapu Day Block Party, in its second year, is a vibrant celebration of Filipino heritage, recognized by British Columbia since 2023 as a day to honor Lapu-Lapu’s legacy of resistance against colonial oppression. The festival, featuring food trucks, performers, and cultural displays, drew a large crowd to Vancouver’s Sunset neighborhood, making the sudden violence all the more shocking.

As the investigation continues, authorities have not disclosed a motive or confirmed whether the act was intentional. The VPD’s major crime unit is leading the probe, and police are urging witnesses to come forward with information. The incident has cast a pall over Vancouver, prompting an outpouring of condolences from leaders like Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Columbia Premier David Eby, who vowed support for the affected community. For now, the Filipino community and the city at large mourn, grappling with the senseless loss at what was meant to be a joyous celebration.

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