Addressing the issue
With only days left for the enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, even the most reluctant residents appear to be taking the exercise seriously. In Vellore, a man who had been dodging a corporation employee, currently doubling as a Booth Level Officer, finally took an unexpected route. He rang the officer while the latter was heading home and asked for his residential address so he could hand over the form. The bewildered BLO replied, “How can I give my home address?”, clearly worried his house might soon become an unofficial SIR submission counter.
Dheepthi OJ
Strategy in retreat
Ministers and sitting MLAs in Tamil Nadu were, until recently, busy hiring independent ‘political strategists’ to chart constituency-level plans for the 2026 Assembly elections. Ticket aspirants, too, had enlisted these consultants to present themselves as winnable options for their parties. That momentum has stalled after Prashant Kishor, the country’s most recognisable strategist, despite his protests, suffered a sweeping defeat in Bihar. The setback has triggered doubts about the very idea of outsourced political wisdom. What was a thriving market only weeks ago has turned jittery, with self-styled strategists now struggling to retain clients, let alone sign new ones.
S Kumaresan
Flooded by irony
The Greater Chennai Corporation recently whisked journalists across the city for a guided tour of its pond restoration works, timed neatly after the heavy rains. The schedule felt hurried, yet officials were keen to showcase the newly brimming ponds as proof of progress. The narrative, however, faltered at Kadapakkam lake, a flagship project touted for reducing local flooding. While officers spoke of its role in mitigation, the surrounding neighbourhoods, including nearby farmland, lay deep under water. The unexpected sight forced officials to point fingers at a breached bund in an adjoining panchayat that feeds into the lake.
Praveena SA