POLITICS

Former Kerala DGP to be Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram

Former Director General of Police Kerala R. Sreelekha,  who won the Sasthamangalam ward in Thiruvananthapuram on BJP ticket, will be the Mayor now. She is a former 1987 batch IPS officer.

Manish Tewari isolated in Congress, Gains Cross-Party support for Whip Reform Bill seeking independence for MPs?

Congress MP Manish Tewari appears increasingly isolated within his party after introducing a private member’s bill seeking a major overhaul of the whip system in Parliament. The bill, which challenges the long-standing practice of binding MPs to the party line on most votes, has reportedly irked sections of the Congress leadership. However, Tewari’s proposal has drawn an unexpected wave of support cutting across party lines, with several MPs from both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc privately endorsing the need for reform. Many lawmakers see the move as a step toward restoring greater legislative independence and improving the quality of parliamentary debate. While the Congress top brass views the initiative as politically inconvenient, the cross-party backing underlines a growing unease among parliamentarians over centralized party control, especially on issues where conscience and constituency interests conflict with the whip’s dictates.

The BJP’s unexpected success in the Kerala municipal elections is being widely interpreted as an outcome of a growing understanding between the state BJP leadership and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Political circles in Thiruvananthapuram are abuzz with speculation that informal coordination or silent backing between the two camps may have helped the BJP make inroads in traditionally Congress-dominated areas. Tharoor’s relatively accommodative stance towards the BJP on certain issues has further fueled such talk. While the Congress leadership remains cautious, this evolving equation has stirred fresh debates about shifting political alignments and emerging power blocs in Kerala.

BJP issues 3 Line whip to MPs in Lok Sabha, as speculations rise! (UPDATED)

BJP has issued a three-line whip directing all its Lok Sabha MPs to remain present in the House until December 19, 2025, during the Winter Session's concluding phase, sparking widespread speculation of major legislative moves. The government eyes introducing the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, or VB-G RAM G Bill, to replace MGNREGA with a revamped rural jobs scheme offering 125 guaranteed workdays focused on water security and livelihoods, already cleared by President Murmu. Additional bills like the SHANTI Bill for nuclear energy advancement, Supplementary Demands for Grants, and Appropriation Bills are on the agenda amid opposition disruptions. This ensures BJP's numerical strength for potential guillotining of debates and passage before session end, underscoring priority on economic reforms despite political tensions.