Raghav Chadha & Punjab SIR

By Insaf

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Punjab should make BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha feel the pinch of “the shoe being on the other foot”. His name is missing from the State’s draft electoral rolls, prompting him to allege “political vendetta” by AAP government. Chadha, however, was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab as an AAP nominee in 2022, before switching to the BJP earlier this year. Chadha maintains his voter registration is in Mohali and questions why he has been classified as “shifted”. AAP rejects his charge, pointing SIR is conducted by the ECI and Punjab Government has “no role” in it. Chadha is among the 20.66 lakh voters, 9.7% of Punjab’s pre-SIR electorate, whose names have been deleted. Those excluded can file claims and objections until September 12, with the final rolls to be out on October 12. Chadha says he is availing himself of the prescribed remedies and will ensure the “wrongful classification” is corrected. Yet, it may not be that straightforward. AAP says it’s a matter of public record that Chadha has been living in Delhi, not Punjab. The irony is hard to miss. Just before 2025 Delhi Assembly polls, Chadha, then an AAP MP, had himself alleged an “organised and large-scale voter fraud conspiracy” in Kejriwal’s New Delhi constituency, calling it a deliberate attempt to manipulate the electoral outcome. Now, the SIR spotlight has turned on him!

Progressive Keralam

Three cheers to Keralam Chief Minister Satheesan for supporting Muslim women’s freedom, rejecting influential cleric Kanthapuram’s(Aboobacker Musliyar) regressive stand, and risking friction with partner IUML. After last week’s Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrations, Kanthapuram issued a written directive declaring women appearing in public and among unrelated men un-Islamic, asserting the Quran teaches women to remain confined to their homes and warning of “great destruction” if they enter the public arena.Community leaders and scholars, including some opposed to him, criticised the stand, as did several Muslim women on social media. Congress too disapproved, while IUML backed him. Satheesan, however, was unequivocal: “Such a thing should be stated in the 19th century, not in this 21st century.We have a progressive stand on this…” Women, he said, must participate fully in mainstream society, adding the Quran was being misinterpreted. Indeed, God’s Own Country has its own way of championing women’s rights!

TN PM NomineeTussle

Tamil Nadu is in the throes of a bizarre tussle of who will be the Prime Ministerial candidate in 2029 poll battle. Newly elected MLAs of the ruling TVK are batting for Chief Minister Vijay, while alliance partner Congress remains firm that Rahul Gandhi is its undisputed candidate. The war of words between both camps is intriguing. Says TVK MLA Kanimozhi Santosh “Delhi will not decide who becomes PM. Tamil Nadu will.’ Plus, “Vijay will usher in a huge change in the national politicsand Rahul himself would support him for the Prime Ministership…” Congress leaders on Wednesday, dismissed the pitch as “fan mindset”insisting “there’s no confusion within our party or the broader alliance over its official position…Vijay himself had acknowledged Rahul as the alliance’s intended candidate.” So far, neither TVK party headquarters nor Vijay has commented. Perhaps silence is the better part of valour. After all, Congress support, along with other allies, helped Vijay get the kursi (chief ministership). Three years is a long timein politicsand, as the maxim goes.”There are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests.”Worth a close watch.

Cross Over Begins in UP

High voltage preparations are already underway for Uttar Pradesh polls early next year and the season for changing sides has begun. Asaduddin Owaisi’s outfitAIMIM has received its first jolt. Its national spokesperson Syed Asim Waqar and close aide joined the Congress on Wednesday.The move has raised hopes in the opposition camp, seeking to dislodge the BJP-Yogi regime. More than a defection, it’s a political message: Waqar’s charge that AIMIM talks of defeating the BJP but ends up fighting Congress and SP reinforces the Opposition’s long-standing accusation that AIMIM’s presence splits anti-BJP Muslim votes. The timing should hurt Owaisi as he steps up AIMIM’s campaign in Muslim-heavy western UP, where the crowds and aggressive speeches raised concerns in SP camp. Recall, in 2022, AIMIM’s 0.49% statewide vote share translated into 5,000–25,000 votes in several targeted seats and exceeded SP’s losing margin in 7–8 constituencies. In other words, had AIMIM not contested those seats, or had some of its votes gone to SP, the party could have won several of these closely fought contests. Even without winning seats, AIMIM can therefore influence outcomes. Waqar has made the first move, will others follow?

TMC-BJP Slugfest

West Bengal’s TMC-BJP political slugfest shows no sign of ending. The latest episode has s TMC National General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee accusing BJP men of vandalising party’s Camac Street office in Kolkata on Thursday, damaging property and stealing workers mobiles. BJP denies, saying, ‘no party worker was involved’ and ‘it was staged by TMC to remain in political spotlight.’ Banerjee, however, posted CCTV footage on X and questioned whether there was any rule of law, asking if Governor, Union home minister and PMO would ‘act or continue to look the other way.’ He also targeted Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari asking why he’s “so scared” of TMC and him. Warning that violence, vandalism and intimidation could rob the government of its “moral authority”, he demanded Adhikari’s resignation. He added a veiled warning that every attack would be remembered and “nothing will be forgotten”. Apparently, the row stems from last week’s dispute between Kolkata Municipal Corporation and TMC over an ‘illegal’ billboard at that office, whose removal was stopped by TMC cadres. But has he also forgotten TMC’s record of violence against BJP cadres? A classic case of the kettle calling the pot black!

Sikkim On Alert

Sikkim and New Delhi need to be on high alert. Of the 40 high-hazard glacial lakesin the eastern Himalayan state, 16have been classified as being at ‘highest risk’ of catastrophic outbursts which could threaten downstream settlements.A warning, not to be ignored in the backdrop of the recent flash flood in Nepal, triggered by a glacial collapse which left a brutal trail of destruction with over a thousand dead and thousands missing.Though the catastrophe was not linked to a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, it has highlighted a broader transformation across the Himalayas as glaciers retreat, new lakes are forming in their place, while existing ones are expanding.On Thursday, the Prem Singh Tamanggovernment said remote sensing and satellite imagery were being used to monitor changes in glacial lakes.This apart, the state is also working towards what could be the country’s first dedicated GLOF Risk Mitigation Protocol, ‘aimed at creating a standardised scientific framework for assessing, preparing for and mitigating glacial flood risks.’The priority now must be to ensure that early warnings translate into timely evacuation, robust infrastructure and coordinated disaster preparedness. For Sikkim, this is not a distant climate threat; it is a clear and present risk. — INFA