I.N.D.I.A stages grand show in Mumbai; China's map shenanigans stir row

Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves for another show, wrapping up all the political spectacle this week!

Our spotlight shines on the I.N.D.I.A bloc meet in Mumbai, which solidified its pitch against the BJP, even as the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre called a special session of the Parliament and renewed its push for 'One Nation, One Election' by constituting a panel to probe the idea, sparking speculation about the possibility of early Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, the Cauvery water war continued to roil Karnataka, with farmers taking to the streets and declaring their resolve to safeguard the water, even if it came at the cost of their lives.

So, fasten your seatbelts as we pull the curtains up!

I.N.D.I.A's grand Mumbai show

The I.N.D.I.A bloc, formed to take on the BJP, convened for their third meeting in Mumbai and pledged to contest Lok Sabha polls together "as far as possible" and kick-start their seat sharing talks in states at the earliest.

A Coordination Committee of 14 members was also formed. Picture this: K C Venugopal, Sharad Pawar, M K Stalin, Tejashwi Yadav, Hemant Soren, Sanjay Raut, Raghav Chadha, and Abhishek Banerjee, all under one political umbrella.

However, while forging a never-before-seen unity among Opposition parties, the bloc also kept one eye on potential future skirmishes/discord in this volatile world of politics.

The parties' declaration that they would jointly fight polls "as far as possible" appeared to be an admission on their part that there could be trouble in states like Bengal and Kerala.

China's map shenanigans stir row

Days ahead of the upcoming G20 Summit in New Delhi, Beijing sparked controversy by releasing a new 'standard' map that lay claim on Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh.

India hit back, with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar retorting, "Making absurd claims doesn't make others' territories yours."

This also prompted a reaction from the Congress, with Rahul Gandhi nudging PM Modi to share his thoughts on the issue. Manish Tewari too jumped into the ring, suggesting the government might want to rethink rolling out the red carpet for Chinese President Xi Jinping. “The Modi government must introspect on whether to accord importance to Xi Jinping in Delhi, as he is in illegal occupation of Indian territory,” he noted.

Amid this, reports suggested that China’s Xi Jinping might be a no-show at the G20 Summit.

Not one to back down, China has, meanwhile, stood by its map, calling it an "exercise of sovereignty in accordance with law”.

LPG price slash fuels the flames

Amid rising inflation, the Centre slashed the price of a 14.2 kg cooking gas cylinder by Rs 200, dubbing it a "gift from Modi to the women of the country". While this certainly brought some respite to consumers, the move ruffled a few feathers among the members of the Opposition.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal wondered if this would be classified as “revri” culture, a term popularised by PM Modi himself to refer to the culture of doling out freebies.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared the move to be a response to “the impact of the I.N.D.I.A bloc”.

NCP leader Supriya Sule questioned the “jumla” government what difference the slashing of Rs 200 would make. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge equated the move to the doling out of "electoral lollipops".

Cauvery water released to Tamil Nadu; ripples felt in Karnataka

The sharing of the waters of the Cauvery River between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has always been a bone of contention between the neighbouring states. The issue has raised its head again.

Karnataka has begun releasing water from its reservoirs to Tamil Nadu in compliance with the directives issued by the Cauvery Water Management Authority.

This prompted a protest from farmers' organisations which took to the streets in Srirangapatna taluk in Mandya in the Cauvery belt. "Ready to sacrifice our lives, but won't give Cauvery water," some said, as sentiments ran high. Others said they felt neglected by the Karnataka government.

Former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai too entered the fray and called for the immediate halt of the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, advocating for a legal fight. He also trained his guns at the Congress-led state government and accused it of “failing farmers' interests” and neglecting the drinking water needs of the state's people.

Amid the din over the issue, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar flew to Delhi, and later announced that the state would present the "exact ground situation" to the authorities that be before approaching the Supreme Court.

Kejriwal's PM prospects

Even before the I.N.D.I.A bloc decided to set into motion some sort of seat sharing arrangement, two AAP leaders stirred the political pot by pitching Arvind Kejriwal as the prime ministerial candidate for the alliance. The comments were later contradicted by Delhi minister Atishi, who clarified that the Delhi CM harboured no such aspirations.

To recall, AAP's senior leader Manish Sisodia too had pitched for Kejriwal as prime minister. "'Ek Mauka Kejriwal Ko' (One chance to Kejriwal) has become a national level talk... People see Kejriwal as an alternative to (Narendra) Modi in 2024 because he talks about health, education and employment," he had said.

Hindenburg 2.0?

The Adani Group once again finds itself in the limelight after Hindenburg's explosive allegations in January accused the conglomerate of "brazen stock manipulation", which subsequently wiped off $150 billion from its listed stocks and $60 billion off Adani’s own net worth at one point.

A recent report claiming that millions of dollars were invested in some publicly traded stocks of the Adani Group via "opaque" Mauritius funds has prompted a pushback from the Opposition.

Latching on to the claims, the Congress targeted the government and said "corruption" in shell companies linked to the conglomerate is getting stronger and only a joint parliamentary committee probe can uncover the truth. At a press briefing, Rahul Gandhi echoed a similar stance and attacked Modi over the issue. “When you touch Adani, the Prime Minister becomes uncomfortable," he declared.

The CPI(M) too levelled pointed accusations, alleging the Adani Group's connections with PM Modi have shielded it from facing any repercussions for its alleged transgressions.

In response, the BJP played it safe, saying agencies and institutions that deal with such allegations will do their work, but not before suggesting that the growing stature of India has become an "eyesore" for many people.

In other news...

'Well aware of the protocol, sir'

As BJP leaders cried protocol violation upon the arrival of PM Modi in Bengaluru to address ISRO scientists, Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar set the record straight, saying they had been ready to welcome the PM, but had received an official communication from the PMO instructing them not to be present at the airport to receive him.

What’s on the agenda?

In an unexpected announcement, the Centre has called for a "special session of Parliament" starting September 18, but has thus far been mum about the agenda.

Given the silence, some reports put forward the possibility of this being the last session of the current Parliament, amid buzz that the Centre may bring forward the Lok Sabha polls that are otherwise slated for April-May next year.

Reports have also suggested that the Centre might be looking to introduce bills on 'One Nation, One Election', Uniform Civil Code and women's reservation during the session.

The Centre, in the meantime, has constituted a committee headed by ex-President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of unified elections across the country.

While the leaders of the cadre welcomed the Centre's push, the Congress termed it as a "gimmick" to divert people's attention.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the country is already one and no one is questioning that.

Poll fever

With elections in several states rapidly approaching, BJP chief J P Nadda held a meeting with the saffron party's national general secretaries and took stock of preparations for upcoming polls. Meanwhile, a meeting of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Nadda in Delhi renewed buzz over a possible alliance between the two parties, with the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections on the horizon.

Rahul rakes up border issue in Ladakh

In Ladakh, Rahul claimed that Modi's assertion that not an inch of land was taken away by China was “absolutely false”. 

Taking a shot at Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Gandhi also said, “Some are speaking what is in their heart but I came here to know what is in your heart.”

Congress unimpressed by GDP numbers 

Unimpressed by GDP numbers which showed an economic growth rate of 7.8 per cent in the first quarter, the Congress reminded the Centre the only growth the people of India are concerned about is the growth in prices, unemployment, and income inequalities.

Another feather in the Karnataka govt’s cap

In Karnataka, the Congress government delivered on yet another key pre-poll promise, launching the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme to provide a monthly assistance package of Rs 2,000 to about 1.1 crore women who are heads of their households.

Putin no-show at G20 Summit

Putin confirmed his absence at the G20 summit to Modi in a phone call, while the PM expressed “understanding” for his decision.

Putin was also absent at the BRICS Summit in the wake of the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court for allegedly scheming to deport Ukrainian children to Russia.

However, it should be noted that India, unlike South Africa, is not a signatory of the 'Rome Statute' and hence, would have been under no obligation to execute the arrest warrant even if Putin showed up in New Delhi.

Let's globe-trot!

In the aftermath of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's death in a plane crash, officials from the UK and the US maintained that his death was an "assassination" approved by Putin himself.

In the meantime, the curtains fell on the mystery surrounding Wagner chief's death, with the mercenary group finally confirming their boss had been buried.

In Gabon, a central African nation, the military seized power after President Ali Bongo's re-election, nullifying results, closing borders, and dissolving institutions.

Indian-American US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy recently termed his colleague and fellow US presidential hopeful Donald Trump as the “best President of the 21st century”, which invited praise from Trump who said Ramaswamy would make a “very good” Vice President.

As camaraderie between the two made headlines, Ramaswamy was asked if a Trump-Ramaswamy administration was on the cards.

Brushing off the idea, he in an interview with Bloomberg News said, “I think he [Trump] and I share something in common, which is that neither of us make a very good number two.”

On the other side of the world, Indian-origin economist and former Singapore minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam beat two Chinese-origin candidates to become President in the first contested presidential poll in the city-state since 2011.

Finally, in neighbouring Pakistan, already in the throes of a crippling economic crisis, fuel prices crossed the Rs 300-mark for the first time in the nation's history.

And with this, the curtains come down on this week’s political theatre. Stay tuned for next week's edition, for along with 'One Nation, One Election', comes one big drama.

Exit stage left,