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When the Rajya Savha reassembles for the monsoon session, it will be with new equations with a change in the composition of the house. It will see a shrunken opposition and an improved NDA. The BJP is inching towards a majority after this week’s biennial polls to Rajya Sabha. The NDA has crossed the 100 mark though it may take a while to reach the magic number of 123 for majority in the house of 245. The BJP alone has 86 seats, a vast improvement from its 2014 tally of just 43 members. Over the next four years till March 2024, over a 100 MPs are retiring and the BJP is likely to improve further. Elections will be held, 8 each in 2021 and 2023, 77 in 2022 and 4 in 2024 before the Lok Sabha polls.

WASHINGTON—From eradication of poverty, an end to U.S. racism, to dismantling the war machine and creating a Green New Deal with thousands of well-paying jobs—especially union jobs—hundreds of thousands of people demanded a complete reversal and creation of a better society in three virtual mass marches on D.C. the weekend of June 20-21.

BHOPAL: After election to Rajya Sabha, both the Congress and the BJP have turned their respective attention to the by-elections to 24 seats in the state Vidhan Sabha. The outcome of these by-elections will decide the fate of the state ministry. Never in the history of the state such a large number of by-elections has been held. M.P. Vidhan Sabha’s strength is 230. At present, the Congress has 92 members. It requires a total of 116 members to recapture power. Thus to regain majority it should register victory in all the 24 assembly seats which will go to poll.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The United Democratic Front (UDF)’s attempt to wrest the political initiative has suffered a setback with Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran soring a political self-goal.

Bravado of Rahul Gandhi has neither helped boost his own personal stock and image nor instil confidence in the rank and file. Undeniably Rahul through his incisive questions has put Narendra Modi in an awkward situation on many occasions and forced him to look helpless but his winning the bout has certainly not made the people lose trust in Modi. He still continues to be indispensable.

The unlocking of the economy from the beginning of June following more than two months of complete lockdown in the country, has started showing some positive results in improving the employment rate in the country compared to the lockdown period. By June 22, most of the migrant workers impacted by the loss of jobs in their workplaces after March 25, have gone back to their respective villages but the unlocking process and the fact that there is possibility of little availability of commensurate work in their villages, have forced many of them to start coming back to their old workplaces which have opened. The Prime Minister's new scheme for the migrant workers totalling Rs. 50,000 crore promising jobs for 125 days in places near the villages, may not meet the requirements of those migrant labour who used to get much higher amount in their earlier jobs. But still, this scheme of PM, if properly implemented, will give temporary relief to multitude of labour who will like to work near their homes, even with lower income.

Nothing is pariah in politics for Narendra Modi. For him having complete control over the political system and apparatus is more important and precious than caring for the people and honouring their sentiment and feeling. And if resorting to lies is the cozy and convenient mechanism to achieve this goal, there is no harm for him to practice in full public view.

The recent escalation of tension between India and China started with two incidents in the border. On May 10, at Naku La in Sikkim, the Chinese troops crossed into what India considers to be indisputably Indian territory. No firearms were used. It was a hand-to-hand fighting which left many injured on both sides. About the same time, the Chinese objected to India’s construction of a strategically important border road in the Galwan Valley. Apparently, there was no cause of objection as the Indian side said the road was eight kilometers west of the border.

The Supreme Court has its image progressively being sullied for some years now. Things were never as bad as they have been during the tenures of three chief justices, including the incumbent.

About a year ago, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said that “we are getting to know who our friends really are”. He was speaking in the context of the criticism which the government was facing because of the crackdown in Kashmir, agitations against the enacted and proposed citizenship initiatives and the Delhi riots. Since then, the number of India’s friends has become less.