Das ducks politics
On Friday, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das sidestepped any potential controversy, deftly avoiding questions about the potential shape of the new government and its fiscal strategy. When reporters pressed him for insights and expectations on the fiscal management strategy of the incoming government, Das firmly responded, “That is a question which falls in the realm of government, and I have nothing to comment on it.”
Das’s diplomatic evasion kept the focus firmly on his monetary policy, leaving the political speculations to others.
Naidu’s tech renaissance
Whispers in the corridors of power suggest that Chandrababu Naidu, the tech-savvy TDP chief and key NDA player, is gearing up to catapult Andhra Pradesh into the tech stratosphere once again. Insiders reveal that Naidu is eyeing the crucial IT Ministry portfolio for one of his party’s MPs, aiming to reignite the tech revolution he once spearheaded. Remember the days when Naidu as CM famously wielded a laptop, drawing global IT giants to Hyderabad?
Fast forward to today, and Artificial Intelligence is the new buzzword for Naidu. Speculation is rife that Andhra Pradesh could soon witness the establishment of major semiconductor or EV projects, backed by Central subsidies.
Rural distress
As the results of the Lok Sabha elections were being announced, a little bird said rural distress was one of the reasons for BJP’s problems. The bird wondered why the Narendra Modi Government failed to take note of reports by dailies such as businessline on the dropping storage levels in the country and parts of the country suffering from drought. An El Nino year is tough on any government and given the fact that the media reported that 25 per cent of the country has been hit by drought, the government should have acted. “Maybe, it could have provided additional relief through PM Kisan Samman Nidhi,” the bird said.
India Inc joins in
Following the recent poll results, top industry leaders of the country chose to remain silent and avoided immediate reactions.
The situation became tricky when a president of an apex industry chamber, who had scheduled multiple TV interviews for the evening of June 4, cancelled all interactions upon seeing the surprising election trends, where the ruling BJP fell short of the majority mark. Global leaders called Prime Minister Modi soon after the vote count, yet local industry leaders hesitated to respond.
However, congratulatory messages started flowing in from industry leaders after Prime Minister Modi took his oath of office.
These will surely continue after the portfolios of his Cabinet colleagues become clear.
Odisha win
The victory of Bharatiya Janata Party in the State has been quite openly attributed to the power wielded by IAS officer turned politician VK Pandian over chief minister Naveen Patnaik, creating ripples of discontent through the rank and file of Biju Janata Dal — with Pandian, an “outsider”, being seen as Patnaik’s heir apparent. BJP benefited from Pandian’s outsider tag. With Pandian announcing his retirement from politics, Patnaik’s challenge will lie in bringing the party top brass to the table and picking a worthy successor.
As BJP brought Patnaik’s 24-year tenure to an end with a comfortable win, the poll conducted in four phases was also believed to be a factor that helped bring about the change.