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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.

Latest world news

Trump says Iran agrees to never have nuclear weapons, rejects $300 billion fund claim

Donald Trump said Iran has agreed to never possess nuclear weapons under a proposed framework, while dismissing reports that the US would provide Tehran with a $300 billion reconstruction fund.

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Donald Trump statement

US President Donald Trump has said that Iran has agreed to a commitment that it will never develop or possess nuclear weapons, describing it as a central element of a proposed understanding between Washington and Tehran.

Speaking about the ongoing diplomatic efforts, Trump also rejected reports suggesting that the United States planned to provide Iran with a reconstruction or investment package worth $300 billion. He described such claims as false and said no such arrangement had been agreed.

The remarks come as discussions continue over a broader framework aimed at easing tensions between the two countries. According to Trump, the understanding would ensure that Iran remains without nuclear weapons while opening the door for future engagement if the terms are respected.

Questions remain over final agreement details

Despite Trump’s comments, several aspects of the proposed arrangement remain unclear because the full text of the agreement has not yet been made public.

Reports indicate that negotiations have involved discussions on sanctions relief, access to frozen assets and potential economic measures linked to Iran’s compliance with future commitments. However, the exact scope of these provisions has not been officially confirmed.

Another key issue is how compliance would be monitored. Details regarding inspections, verification mechanisms and the handling of Iran’s existing nuclear materials have yet to be fully explained.

Further negotiations expected

Officials have suggested that discussions on technical nuclear matters could continue even after the signing of an initial memorandum of understanding. Such talks would likely focus on implementation and verification measures.

The proposed framework is being closely watched internationally, as any agreement between the United States and Iran could have significant implications for regional stability and global non-proliferation efforts.

For now, Trump has maintained that the core objective remains clear: ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon while denying reports that Washington has committed to a multibillion-dollar reconstruction fund.

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LATEST SPORTS NEWS

USA start FIFA World Cup 2026 with dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay

The USA opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 journey with a dominant 4-1 victory against Paraguay, earning three valuable points in Group D.

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The United States kicked off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in impressive fashion, securing a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their Group D opener at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Playing in front of a passionate home crowd, the hosts delivered an attacking display to collect all three points and make an early statement in the tournament. The match also marked a significant occasion as the USA hosted part of the World Cup opening festivities before turning attention to the action on the pitch.

The Americans took control early and maintained pressure on Paraguay throughout the contest. Their attacking movement and clinical finishing helped them establish a comfortable lead, while Paraguay struggled to contain the hosts’ pace and creativity in the final third.

USA seize control after fast start

The United States settled quickly and found success going forward, creating several opportunities through quick passing and aggressive pressing. Their attacking approach paid off as they built momentum and gradually stretched Paraguay’s defence.

Paraguay attempted to respond and managed to get on the scoresheet, but the South American side found it difficult to match the intensity shown by the hosts. The USA continued to create chances and added further goals to put the result beyond doubt.

With the victory, the United States moved to the top section of Group D and gained an important boost in confidence ahead of their upcoming fixtures in the tournament.

Strong opening result for hosts

A winning start is particularly important in a World Cup campaign, and the USA achieved exactly that with a comprehensive performance. The result gives the hosts valuable momentum as they prepare for the next stage of group play.

For Paraguay, the defeat means they will need a strong response in their remaining group matches to keep their hopes of progressing to the knockout rounds alive.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the tournament featuring an expanded format and more participating teams than previous editions.

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Latest world news

Jaishankar raises deaths of three Indian sailors with Marco Rubio, lodges strong protest

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conveyed India’s strong protest to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over an attack that killed three Indian sailors, stressing that lethal action against commercial shipping is unjustified.

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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday spoke with Marco Rubio and conveyed India’s strong protest over recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf that resulted in the deaths of three Indian sailors.

According to reports, Jaishankar told Rubio that the use of lethal force against commercial shipping was not justified and underlined India’s serious concerns regarding the safety of civilian seafarers operating in the region. The conversation came days after three Indian mariners were killed in an attack on the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello near the Oman coast.

The incident has triggered diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Washington. India had earlier summoned a senior US diplomat to register its concerns and seek accountability following the attack. The Ministry of External Affairs has emphasized that actions endangering civilian shipping undermine maritime safety and stability in a strategically important region.

India reiterates concern over maritime safety

India has stressed the importance of protecting civilian seafarers and ensuring the security of international maritime commerce. Officials have expressed concern over multiple incidents involving Indian crew members in West Asian waters in recent days.

The deaths of the three sailors have also sparked calls within India for stronger diplomatic efforts to safeguard Indian nationals working aboard commercial vessels in conflict-affected maritime zones.

Background of the incident

The attack involved the tanker Settebello, which was operating near Oman when it was struck during ongoing tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran and maritime operations in the Gulf region. Initial reports indicated that Indian crew members were among those affected, and later confirmations established that three Indian sailors had died in the incident.

India has maintained that civilian shipping should not become a target and has continued diplomatic outreach to ensure the safety and welfare of Indian seafarers working across global shipping routes.

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