Anand Mishra

1 week ago | frontline.thehindu.com | Anand Mishra |Meena Kandasamy |Vaishna Roy

Dear readers,Signs of an internal rift have emerged within the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over the contentious Waqf Bill. The party’s MPs voted differently in the Rajya Sabha: Sasmit Patra supported the Bill, Muzibulla Khan opposed it, and Debashish Samantaray abstained. Party patriarch Naveen Patnaik was reportedly caught unawares. This split voting pattern was unusual for the BJD, which has long functioned under Patnaik’s firm command and earned a reputation for party discipline.

2 weeks ago | frontline.thehindu.com | Anand Mishra |Divya Gandhi |Vaishna Roy

Dear readers,Three days ago, when Shashi Tharoor—Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram since 2009—once again praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this time for the government’s COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy, the social media rumour mill spun into overdrive. Was the four-term MP finally ready to jump ship and join the BJP? Then came Thursday.

3 weeks ago | frontline.thehindu.com | Anand Mishra |Divya Gandhi |Vaishna Roy

Facing mounting criticism from minority communities over the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill being pushed by the Centre, the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) partners in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh now find themselves entangled in yet another controversy—this time over the Uttar Pradesh administration’s order prohibiting namaz on roads and rooftops. The pressure is palpable.

3 weeks ago | frontline.thehindu.com | Anand Mishra |Divya Gandhi |Vaishna Roy

Dear readers,Shuffling through the headlines this week, two items caught my attention. One was the Centre’s notification of a 25 per cent hike in salaries and pensions for Members of Parliament. The other? A viral video of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attempting to strike up a conversation—and making some inexplicable hand gestures—while the national anthem was being played.

3 weeks ago | frontline.thehindu.com | Anand Mishra |Divya Gandhi |Vaishna Roy

In the Union Budget 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that the corridor in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, would be developed into a world-class pilgrimage and tourism site, modelled on the Kashi Vishwanath temple corridor of Varanasi.