West Bengal’s election season has begun with a familiar mix of suspicion and supervision. The Election Commission’s decision to appoint central observers for objections raised hackles in the ruling TMC, which wondered aloud why Bengal was being singled out. The ECI’s response was characteristically dry: it can appoint observers from anywhere, and often does. The real story, though, lies beneath the protest. According to ECI, Bengal has deputed relatively junior officials as Electoral Registration Officers and Assistant EROs, unlike other states. Managing voter rolls is no training exercise, and the ECI thinks experience matters. A case of the referee trying to stay close to get the job done. Just to be safe.
Tamil pride, perfectly timed
With Tamil Nadu elections just three months away, Tamil culture is suddenly everywhere. Pongal celebrations have become a political itinerary highlight, with Prime Minister Modi in Delhi, ministers dropping by festive gatherings, and senior leaders making careful linguistic forays into Tamil. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been especially busy, celebrating Pongal at IIT Madras, attending Tughlaq magazine’s anniversary, speaking Tamil at Kashi Sangamam in Rameswaram, and releasing a Braille edition of the Thirukkural. It’s a full-blown Tamil renaissance, warmly packaged and widely shared. Admirers see respect for language and heritage. Cynics see impeccable timing. Either way, culture has become campaign shorthand, and Tamil pride is clearly having its moment in the political spotlight.
Space, shrinking roles not included
As ministries migrate from Shastri Bhawan to the sleek new Common Central Secretariat, not everyone is celebrating the move. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is packing up, but the Press Information Bureau finds itself without a dedicated home. A new policy envisions just one Chief of Media Communication per ministry, absorbing what was once PIB’s domain. PIB officers, however, argue their role goes far beyond issuing press notes. They handle operations, coordination, and administration, work that doesn’t vanish with a name change. Now, they may have to borrow space at the National Media Centre when needed. It’s a familiar bureaucratic paradox: responsibilities remain intact, but the space to perform them quietly disappears.
A Slovak accent in fluent Hindi
Diplomats who speak local languages are rare enough to be memorable, and rarer still when they speak them well. Slovak Ambassador Robert Maxian’s fluent Hindi has earned him admiration in Delhi’s diplomatic and social circles. In India since March 2022, but connected to the country for nearly fifteen years, Maxian studied international trade at IIFT and previously served in the Slovak Embassy’s commercial wing. Hindi speeches at national day events and New Year messages come naturally to him, not as token gestures. He often calls India his second home, and it shows. In a profession built on protocol, his comfort with language stands out, quietly proving that diplomacy works best when it listens, learns, and speaks back.
Advani-Joshi’s ballot blocker
If the BJP holds its full-time national president election on January 20, veterans Lal Kishan Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi may miss the voting drama. Not age, not health, but paperwork trips them. Both sit on the BJP Council from Delhi, yet the state unit’s election isn’t finished. So, Delhi’s National Council nominees remain unelected, keeping the duo out of the Electoral College. If the working president, Nitin Nabin, cruises to an uncontested victory, no vote is needed. But a contest would silence the founders. Both currently sit on the party’s advisory board. It is an awkward twist, quietly buzzing through Lutyens’ corridors.