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Chennai: Sri Lankan N Thangaraja carded five-under 67 and with a one-stroke lead at 16-under 200 emerged sole leader at the end of the third and penultimate round of the Chennai Open Golf here on Thursday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government refusing to blink, the stage is set for a further intensification of the feud between the two.

Political transition in Jammu & Kashmir has now a new twist. With Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) declaring to go solo in the next Vidhan Sabha Election whenever would be held, the unity demonstrated by the political parties of the state has started falling apart, the indication of which has been emanating for the last few months. Though it is not a surprise for the people who are privy to the politics of the state, the beginning of the crumbling down of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) so soon is certainly a surprise providing an opportunity for great delight to BJP and its supporters.

Ashok Gehlot is a magician. His father was also a magician. Tricks are part of Gehlot growing up. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi believes Gehlot will make a great Congress president if Rahul Gandhi declines. Gehlot himself is playing decoy, insisting rank and file will revolt if Rahul refuses to be Congress president.

Three years after the virtual abrogation of Article 370 and nullification of the special status on August 5, 2019, the Modi government is continuing its efforts to reorder the electoral system in Jammu & Kashmir to suit its interests by disempowering the Muslim majority population.

Under the RSS-BJP rule the office of governors is becoming more and more undemocratic and conspiratorial. The meaning and spirit of federalism is routinely violated by these governors’ office in many parts of the country. Uninterrupted functioning of the state governments is hindered by the unjustifiable interventions of the governors. The Constitution discusses about the powers and duties of the governor elaborately. From Article 153 several provisions are incorporated by the framers of the Constitution with the proclaimed purpose of a healthy Centre-State relation. However, many a time the political agenda of those who run the show at the Centre have undermined the novel scriptures attached to the governors’ office. The tendency of powers to centralise everything, often try to make the governor as an instrument to impose its wishes.

Big tech companies running large social media platforms prefer engaging with governments, particularly in developing countries, behind closed doors. It is rare to see them openly confronting governments in courts. However, there comes a point when pacifist posturing contradicts the core values which a company purports to uphold. An inability to stand up leads to the kind of situation Facebook finds itself in with respect to hate speech globally.

Ruling BJP and other major political parties are busy in building up the organisationsin Uttar Pradesh to face crucial Lok Sabha polls scheduled in 2024.

Things stirred in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Tuesday. Some movement forward happened. Uddhav Thackeray, who seldom ventured out of home, i.e., Matoshree or Official residence Varsha, when he was Chief Minister, and which was a major complaint against him, went to the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha, and there "chaired" a meeting of the MVA, which established the fact that the Shiv Sena President continued to be at the top of the MVA even if he hasn't been at the top of his game for months!

Spate of serial slaughter of the opposition governments by the ruling BJP has of course slowed down but the operation lotus continues to dictate the saffron establishment. Hemant Soren led coalition government in Jharkhand which barely a month back was the prime target for the serial slaughter once again features on the agenda. The only difference is the buying price for a law maker which was then around Rs 10crore has shot to Rs 20 crore. The bidders are frantically trying to break the JMM rank with no shortage of ill-gotten money at their command.