No Merger for NCP

The discussion on a “merger” of the official NCP and the original outfit is over for now. Claims that the late Ajit Pawar, who successfully broke from uncle Sharad Pawar to ally with BJP, was keen on a merger do not factor in the poor results in the Maharashtra urban local body elections in municipalities where the two NCPs allied. The NCP alliance received thumbs down in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad and BJP won the municipal polls last month. The move to “re-unite” for elections did not go down well with the voters. The reasons are not far to seek. Ajit Pawar’s electoral gains in the Maharashtra Assembly polls were due to his alliance with BJP, not the other way around. So, despite widespread public griping about civic amenities in Pune, the two NCPs failed to defeat BJP. Voters were unprepared to support the NCP factions and the political model they were seen to represent. After Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash, NCP leaders swiftly rallied around his wife Sunetra and ended any talk of a merger. The truth is that the experiment’s failure in the municipal elections was a stark reminder that there is no chemistry between the two NCPs. Now, the results of the Maharashtra zilla have re-confirmed the BJP-led alliance’s dominance and the irrelevance of other parties. BJP won 225 seats, NCP (Ajit Pawar) got 165 and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) 162. Of the remaining 179 seats, Congress won 55, Shiv Sena (UBT) got 43 and NCP (Sharad Pawar) just 26. There is now little chance of a merger, at least in the foreseeable future.

Parliamentary Duties

Popular figures like movie actors or sports persons who become MPs often do not have a great record of attendance or participation in Parliament. During his term as a nominated Rajya Sabha MP, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar’s attendance was less than 10 per cent and he barely raised any questions. On the other hand, the attendance of Bollywood actor and first-term MP Kangana Ranaut is 86 per cent. She has raised 135 questions and participated in 16 discussions. In contrast, former Bollywood star Hema Malini, in her third term, has an attendance of just 50 per cent in the 18th Lok Sabha. It is apparent that Ranaut is taking her parliamentary duties seriously apart from tending to her constituency of Mandi.

Mission Successful

The successful conclusion of the India-US trade talks soon after the new US ambassador Sergio Gor’s arrival in New Delhi is a major achievement for the envoy, known to be close to President Donald Trump. Gor had begun working on his assignment earlier and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2025. Trump claimed soon after that India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil. The truth of the matter was that India conveyed it would increase energy purchases from the US. But Gor’s interactions in New Delhi and messages he conveyed to Trump did help break the stalemate.

Point Man for Trade Deal

Over two action-packed weeks when the India-EU and India-US trade deals were concluded, union commerce minister Piyush Goyal has been at the centre of action. He has held press conferences where he explained in detail India’s trade negotiations and the gains for Indian businesses. He has been equally adept at addressing criticism about the impact of the deals on the farm sector. Along with senior officials, the minister shared reams of information that helped quell most doubts and convince commentators that India had indeed driven hard bargains.

Manipur Reset

The revival of a government in Manipur holds clear lessons for all political factions, including Kuki-Zo groups that have been demanding a separate administrative arrangement. The Centre has made it amply evident that there will be no sub-division of Manipur and all those concerned—Meiteis, Kukis and Nagas—would have to live together as neighbours. Some Kuki groups seem to have accepted the idea and this is a likely reason for the government, including a deputy chief minister from the community.

Money Matters

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to play India after all and the recall of the “political direction” it had been issued should not surprise anyone. Pakistan receives a reported $34 million from the International Cricket Council every year and boycotting matches during the T20 World Cup could have been costly. The money matters not only for the sport in Pakistan but also to administrators. Pakistan minister Mohsin Naqvi currently heads the cricket board which has also often been headed by retired generals. No one wants to kill the golden goose.

English Outreach

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the Indian community in Kuala Lumpur was almost entirely in English keeping in mind that many persons attending his interaction were of Tamil origin and not familiar with Hindi. Modi’s more than half-anhour-long speech might be one of the longest he has delivered in English barring hisaddresstotheUSCongress. The meeting and the message had an unsaid political relevance since many in the audience retain roots in Tamil Nadu where NDA hopes to upset the ruling DMK.