Nitish Kumar, Susashan Babu era ends :::: 'originally a non-BJP' Samrat Choudhary to be Bihar's first BJP Chief Minister

Samrat Choudhary to be Bihar's first BJP Chief Minister.

Nitish Kumar era ends

Choudhary expressed his gratitude to the party for bestowing faith in him and the opportunity to "serve the people". 

Finally, its Team Modi-Shah's endorsement. BJP gets its first chief minister in Bihar. 

In Assam, first BJP chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal was imported from AGP. Present incumbent Himanta Biswa Sarma is a former Congressman. 

In all likelihood, the Lotus party may get its first CM in West Bengal after May 4th in the form of Suvendu Adhikari, also an import from TMC. 

In all probability, the BJP karyakartas in Bihar will today remember Late Sushil Kumar Modi, a former BJP icon in the state and also an ex deputy CM under Nitish Kumar for years.  

“This is not merely a position for me, but a sacred opportunity to serve the people of Bihar, to fulfill their trust and dreams. I pledge to live up to the expectations of one and all with complete dedication, commitment, and integrity,” Samrat Chaudhary said. 

Choudhary belongs to Koeri Kushwaha caste and he has been the OBC face of the BJP for a long time.

He was born on 16 November 1968 in Lakhanpur village of Munger. His mother's name is Parvati Devi and father's name is Shakuni Choudhary. His ancestral village is in Lakhanpur in Tarapur block of Munger district. Samrat belongs to a family of top politicians. 

His father, Shakuni Choudhary has been an MLA and MP seven times and mother Parvati Devi has been an MLA from Tarapur constituency.  

Before joining BJP Samrat was associated with Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal as well as Janata Dal (United) of Nitish Kumar.  

In March 2023, soon after Chaudhary became the head of state wing of BJP, posters were raised by a group of BJP political workers in Patna, equating Chaudhary to Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. 

The JD-U alleged BJP was avoiding latter's long time faithful party leaders and promoting someone, who was an outsider to party, sometimes before.[32]

Chaudhary continued to attack Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav, both inside and outside of Bihar Legislative Assembly.

He became vocal in asking for resignation of Tejaswi Yadav, after chargesheet was filed against Yadav in connection with 'Land For Job' scheme, a scheme in which appropriation of land from people was done, in lieu of giving them job, in the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav. 

Chaudhary was also engaged in 'politics of symbolism' ; he wore a turban on his head with the resolve to remove it on the day, Nitish Kumar leaves the premiership of the state of Bihar.   

Nitish Kumar on Tuesday announced his resignation, marking the end of a long and consequential tenure that began with the formation of the first NDA government in the state on November 24, 2005.

In a statement posted on X after a cabinet meeting, Kumar said he had met the Governor Syed Ata Hasnain to formally submit his resignation, adding that a new government would now take charge. “We have served the people of Bihar continuously for many years. It is now time to step aside,” he said, while assuring full support and guidance to the incoming administration.

Kumar, now a Rajya Sabha MP, used the moment to underline what he described as the core achievements of his tenure—restoring the rule of law and driving broad-based development across communities. 

He said that since 2005, Bihar has witnessed governance focused on all sections, including Hindus, Muslims, upper castes, backward classes, extremely backward classes, Dalits and Mahadalits.

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One voice missive said “Tomorrow, we must prepare to attack police" :::: Noida protest ... linked to anti-Yogi agenda and 2027 elections :::: Tech-driven operation no spontaneous outburst, 400 arrested

 WhatsApp groups, QR codes, call centre-like ops: How Noida protests were planned
According to Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh, the pattern points to a systematic and tech-driven operation rather than a spontaneous outburst, as the police arrested around 400 so far.  

Before Noida protests, 50 plus fake handles created in 24 hours to spread rumour

"There is an organised group who are instigating the workers and systematically pushing things forward. In the past few days, just three to four days, numerous fake Twitter handles and other social media accounts have been created," Noida police commissioner said.  

“This indicates that someone may be operating a call centre-like setup or using technology in a coordinated manner to incite unrest,” the Commissioner noted.

In one such instance, an audio clip circulated on WhatsApp allegedly urged crowds to assemble and target police personnel. 

The voice message said, 

“Tomorrow, we must be prepared to attack the police. A lathi charge shall be carried out against them. Everyone is required to gather in the morning.”

The Noida Police has identified over 50 bot handles created in the run-up to the workers’ protest and used to spread rumour. 

“More than 50 such ‘bot handles’ have been identified. Created within the last 24 hours, these handles are engaged in a concerted effort to spread rumours and fabricate misleading narratives regarding issues concerning laborers in Noida,” said officials.

“Prima facie, this points towards an organised conspiracy. A detailed investigation into the digital trails of all the aforementioned handles will be conducted by the Uttar Pradesh STF. 

Strict legal action will be ensured against all such handles that attempt to disrupt law and order through the dissemination of rumors and malicious propaganda. 

Analysts say some of these violence could be linked to 2027 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP under Yogi Adityanth as CM is in power since 2017 March.

The 2022 assembly election outcome threw up an interesting set of data.

Despite general perception that Muslims are against the BJP, the Lotus party won over a percentage of the Muslim votes in the 2022 Assembly elections. 

The CSDS-Lokniti studies claimed at least eight per cent of the Muslim votes went to the BJP.

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A lethal clash erupted along Indo-Myanmar border, resulting in deaths of four armed cadres ::::: Why Manipur challenges are more than just Complex for BJP and especially for CM Khemchand

A lethal clash erupted on the morning of April 13, 2026, along the Indo-Myanmar border, resulting in the deaths of four armed cadres near the Wangli-Namli area between Ashang Khullen KAKA in Kamjong District and Phaiyang village in Myanmar at the Indo-Myanmar Border. 

The gunfight, which took place between  9 and 10  AM, reportedly involved the NSCN-IM launching an attack on a Kuki militant unit positioned between Ashang Khullen and Phaiyang village. 

Reports identified the deceased as members of the Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B), subsequent accounts suggest they were cadres of the Kuki Defence Forces (KDF). 

Following the shootout, NSCN-IM operatives reportedly recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition from the site. The incident has placed border villages—including Namlee, Wanglee, and Choro—on high alert as local authorities monitor for further volatility along the international boundary.

Ashang Khullen is a Tangkhul Naga village. The NSCN-IM’s presence and "area domination" are much more established here, making it the more logical site for them to intercept Kuki-affiliated groups (KNA-B/KDF) moving through the sector.  

Several villages in Kamjong District, including Namlee, Wanglee, Ashang Khullen, Choro, and others, share a border with Myanmar.

Reports also suggest that the individuals killed were 'out collecting firewood'. But these ought to be confirmed. It is also assessed that a combined team of NSCN-IM and Meilhei Thingnoi (local) were present in the area. 

This forested region remains a confronted frontline zone with the presence of pro and anti junta elements, an informed source said in Delhi. 

Politicians do make ambitious promises about restoring the rule of law in Manipur and importantly repair relations between Kukis and Meiteis.

In the meantime, problems have surfaced between Nagas and Kukis and amongst Nagas; there have a serious problem within the NSCN-IM between Hebron and the Eastern Flank camps.

For Khemchand, the promises will also be extraordinarily difficult to fulfil. 

The Chief Minister has constitutional power but there is less of political authority.

The matter of fact is Khemchand has not inherited a normal state. 

He faces severe governance issues, economic pressures, immense public expectations and 'opposition from the BJP insiders'.

Apparently, it is given to understand that some BJP leaders in Manipur continue to retain extensive informal power.  

The 'Ukhrul Times' wrote an angry editorial.

"There is no end to the unrest in Manipur, a multi-ethnic state with an estimated population of 3.79 million. 

While the recent conflicts in the hill districts of Ukhrul and Kamjong had yet to die down, fresh violence erupted in the valley area at Tronglaobi, Bishnupur district. 

"As violence continues to smother the state, is the government looking to stem the root cause of the continuing violence in the state? Is the state looking for possibilities?"  

These questions are not without basis and are timely. 

On the other hand, all the good reputation earned by the BJP and the state of Manipur as a whole since 2017 (when N Biren Singh) became chief minister) is lost. 

The pre-2023 normal situation and a number of industrial and development friendly moves are now a thing of the past in Manipur. 

A year long President's Rule has not been able to do much even as Home Minister Amit Shah has deputed a former 'trusted babu' in the Home Ministry as the Governor.  

When power shifted to Khemchand 'officially' but lacked politically 

Meanwhile, the new terminal building at Imphal International Airport currently under construction being undertaken by the Yashnand Engineers and Contractors Pvt. Ltd. is set to significantly enhance airport operations and passenger experience. 

Once completed, it will enable round-the-clock operations, extending airport functioning hours from the current 12–14 hours to 24 hours a day.

The upgraded facility will also boost passenger handling capacity substantially, increasing it from 1.39 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 5 MPPA. In addition, parking infrastructure will see a major expansion, with capacity growing from just 100 cars at present to 1,089 cars in the new integrated terminal complex. 

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'Rhythmic heartbeat' of Bengali Culture -- It's Secular, it's Universal :::: The tapestry of identity

 West Bengal is certainly an Indian state but when it comes 'Bengali culture' - it is more than a community and more than a country. 

Certain aspects of a 'larger Bengali culture' starting from red-bordered-white (or cream) sari, Shakha Pola (a set of white-red bangles) and celebration of 'Bangali bhoj (cuisine) on occasions like Poila Baishakh (first day of Bengali year) stand out as unique but 'rhythmic heartbeat' of a group of people who refuse to give up their roots.  

Festivals like 'Poila Baishakh (first day of Vaishakh month)' is universal for all Bengalis including Muslims and Hindus. The rituals may appear typical Hinduized; but Bengali Muslims have also followed as well as cherished them.

In Bangladesh the Poila Baishakh is a "secular holiday" that brings together the rural farmer and the urban artist, a homemaker and an educated elite weaving a tapestry of identity. 

In Bangladesh, Muslims loosely and rather easily use phrases such as 'Shonir Dasha' (it is linked to Hindu deity Shani; but Muslims also care to take note that the deity is angry - the fallout could be adverse). Post-partition; both the Hindus and the Muslims had reconciled to the reality of Partition and started living peacefully with harmony in West Bengal, Assam or any other place including foreign countries and cities such as London. 

For long the common word used for London was 'beelet (meaning foreign land).  

Old timers know it pretty well that problems started in Indian state of West Bengal when 'appeasement' of Muslims garnered votes. People (Muslims) started relishing the so-called appeasement and more they started rooting for parties such as CPI-M. 

A typical example of appeasement and without any basis has been glorification of Urdu language. This has nothing to do with Bengali Muslims and whatever they have today is only distorted version. 

  

The debate about Bengali culture should not be mixed or confused with national interests of both the nations - India and Bangladesh. But deliberately a twist is given to the real issue.  

Left to common people cultural symbolism has universal and secular appeal and importance. 

Thus, 'alpona strokes' (like Rangoli done during Diwali in north India) to melodies under the banyan tree and Baul songs or Rabindra Sangeet have secular appeal. Bengali women including young girls use rice paste for creating the decoration on house floors, pooja mandaps and courtyards as symbols of good omen.

Having said these; we cannot, however, justify that people from Bangladesh and chiefly Muslims should be provided with illegal facilities and identities to exercise their franchise in Indian elections. In all these comes political hypocrisy. 

Mamata Banerjee had herself flagged the issue of illegal immigration rather angrily in Lok Sabha during UPA-I tenure. But today, she denies any Bangladeshi has been staying and voting in her state. 

The bitter truth is after her party's poll debacle in 2004 Lok Sabha polls; she realised (and was even advised by a few senior journalists) that to come to power in Bengal; she would have to defeat the Marxists and that was not possible without Muslim votes. 

So slowly; she parted ways from the BJP. One may call sheer opportunism and selfishness; many intellectuals in Bengal called it Pragmatism.    

"Walking through the streets of Dhaka on Boishakh morning is like witnessing a sea of red and white. Historically, the red-bordered white saree represented a balance with white for the purity of a new beginning and red for the energy and fertility of the earth". - read the above quote minutely. 

It's not from any propaganda toolkit of the BJP. The fact is the brief para is an extract from an article published in Dhaka's 'Daily Star'.  

'Baul music' in northern part of West Bengal represents a particular type of folk song, carrying influences of Hindu bhakti movements as well as the shuphi, a form of Sufi song. Songs are also used by the spiritual leader to instruct disciples in Baul philosophy, and are transmitted orally.  

Baul songs (Baul Gaan) frequently incorporate Krishna bhakti by blending Vaisnava philosophy.   

“In our time, a simple cotton taant saree with a thick red border was enough to feel the spirit,” says Jahanara Begum, 72, a retired schoolteacher (as reported in 'Daily Star')  

“I wear red and white because it makes me feel connected to my mother,” shares Rubaba Haque (also quoted in Daily Star)  

During my visit to Dhaka in December 2017 when a hotel staff (and a Muslim) came to know of my Sylhet-based ancestors; he started addressing me as "desher manush sir (a man from my own country)". These are not mere 'exceptions'. 

Pointers:  

Bengali culture, rooted in the Bengal region, is defined by shared language (Bangla), literature, and arts rather than just nationality. 

While sharing a common ancestry, distinctions exist between Indian Bengalis (mostly Hindu) and Bangladeshis (mostly Muslim), heavily influenced by regional accents, religious demographics, and the 1947 partition.

** West Bengal Bengalis (or Bengalis in Assam, Tripura or other states in India) are Hindu-majority, using Sanskritized words like jal (water) and mashi (aunt).

But in modern times;  Bangladeshis are Muslim-majority, using words of Persian/Arabic origin like paani and khala.  

Bangladeshi culture has a strong focus on Islamic traditions integrated with language-focused pride and a pride for Banglaesh as a nation. And rightly so -- especially post 1947, post-1971 and even more post-voting out of the Yunus regime (which was extensively pro-Islamabad).

In contrast, Indian Bengalis often lean toward academics, arts, and literature, while leaning towards Hindu rituals and poojas but maintaining a secular, even Leftist, or politically intense cultural atmosphere.  

A glimpse of Street Alpona Festival in Dhaka 

Fact Sheet:

Syama Prasad Mookerjee (1901–1953) - founder of Jan Sangh party - viewed Bengali culture as deeply intertwined with Hindu spirituality, education, and national integrity. 

He advocated for the "protection of Bengali Hindu identity", serving as the creator of West Bengal by opposing its inclusion into East Pakistan.

ends 

India’s own opposition led by Congress was inclined to garland Pakistan with peace flowers ::::: Islamabad Talks Fiasco

Why India’s Restraint Was the Right Call 

Islamabad Talks Fiasco:

Modi the hawkish pragmatist, Trump the gimmick star, 

and Pakistan’s impossible diplomatic assignment — making sense of a disorderly 2026  

Nirendra Dev  

Nothing could be more fallacious than to judge Pakistan by Indian or even European standards. Donald Trump went that route — and the much-hyped Islamabad Talks came a cropper.

JD Vance tried his best to offer consoling words — to Pakistan, to himself, and presumably to Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. But no amount of diplomatic language could paper over the April 11-12 fiasco. 

Pakistan could not fairly be blamed for it. 

What happened was that a nation was made to attempt something well beyond the size of its shoes. Only Trump, as US President, could have ordered Islamabad to host such a venture — and only Pakistan, in its current condition of strategic dependence on Washington, could have so readily agreed. 

There was no diplomatic originality, no strategic imagination. General Asim Munir, PM Shehbaz Sharif and their team simply did what they were told. Islamabad is not in a position to say no to Washington.

The domestic backdrop makes this more pitiful. Pakistan today operates under a hybrid governance model — a military-controlled civilian government — that is an unedifying spectacle of misrule. Its economy is in shambles. It faces insurgencies, a hostile Afghanistan, and a permanently strained relationship with India. 

On April 11, even as Pakistan hosted the first US-Iran high-level talks since 1979, it was simultaneously dispatching a warship to Saudi Arabia — not to send flowers to Tehran, but to fight it. The contradiction could not have been more stark.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor captured the absurdity with characteristic precision: “There have been some allegations that Washington wrote that tweet for the Pakistani PM, because it had the heading ‘Draft for Pakistan PM’. 

The language used was Washington’s language. Some phrases were similar to those used by Trump a few hours ago. Only Pakistan can play the kind of role it has played with Washington.”

And yet, parts of India’s own opposition — led by Congress and its fellow travellers — seemed inclined to garland Islamabad with peace flowers. Nothing was more fallacious. 

Rahul Gandhi and his intellectual associates appeared to inhabit a different strategic universe altogether. 

Fanatical optimism, as ever, disobeys unambiguous evidence.  

Indian leadership and the foreign policy engine room — under PM Narendra Modi — did well to stay away from the illusory peace theatre between Americans and Iranians. More so at a time when a wholly unpredictable character occupies the White House. 

The way to counter a war-loving gimmick star like Trump is not to attempt something silly, as Munir’s team was forced into. The Persian DNA has made the battlefield murkier than it was before February 28.

The international community must now think structurally. India and its BRICS partners — especially the big three of Brazil, Russia and China — should draw the US into a more open diplomatic arena. The focused demand must be UN reform. The RIC triangle — Russia, India, China — offers a credible pathway to hedge against adverse outcomes from India’s partnership with the United States. 

Though technically dormant since 2020 due to border tensions, the RIC trilateral must be revived, driven by shared interests in economic sovereignty, trade route development and non-Western financial architecture. 

At the G20 summit in 2019, China had proposed a 5G partnership with Russia and India — a direct challenge to US interests and a signal of what multilateral leverage could look like.

As for Modi himself: since 2014, the tag of “soft nation” does him little justice. Domestically polarising, internationally pragmatic — he carries, in the words of foreign policy observers, “the image of a hawkish but seasoned and time-tested operator.” 

He has protected India against myriad external pressures across twelve years as PM and thirteen before that as Gujarat chief minister. 

The moment now demands a more decisive role in international polity. The lesson from Islamabad is clear: do not burn fingers by doing Washington’s bidding beyond your capacity.

Unreason is fighting Reason in 2026. 

The wound that never heals is vengeance left unchecked. The new geopolitical chemistry must work with the old arithmetic of power. 

The global community is unravelling as old borders blur — and in that disorder, strategic restraint may be the most powerful card of all.

(courtesy - The Raisina Hills) 

Blogger 

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NIA arrests two Congress leaders over Malda gherao incident ::: Congress candidate 'released' after interrogation ::::: “What happened in Malda is an example of maha jungleraj

 NIA arrests two Congress leaders over Malda gherao incident

The agency also detained Sayan Chowdhury, the Congress candidate from Mothabari, and reportedly seized his mobile for further investigation. He was later released after interrogation.  

The National Investigating Agency (NIA) arrested two Congress leaders allegedly involved in the gherao of judicial officers by locals protesting against the deletion of voter names in the Special Intensive Resivision (SIR) in Malda.

Two local leaders, Shahdat Hossain and Asif Sheikh were arrested in connection with the gherao of seven judicial officers (JOs) in Malda district's Kaliachak block on April 1.

Earlier, the NIA had arrested several persons, including an Indian Secular Front (ISF) candidate in connection with the incident.

The agency also detained Sayan Chowdhury, Congress-nominated candidate from Mothabari assembly constituency in Malda on Sunday and reportedly seized his mobile for further investigation. He was later released after a prolonged interrogation. "It is a well-planned political conspiracy to detain me for long hours amidst election campaigns,” Chowdhury told reporters on Monday.

Sources said that during the interrogation, the NIA team found discrepancies in the statements of Hossain and Sheikh.

Earlier on April 3, the West Bengal CID arrested advocate AIMIM leader Mofakkarul Islam, an alleged mastermind behind the incident, from Bagdogra airport in north Bengal, while he was allegedly trying to flee.  

Expressing serious concern over such incidents, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar had held an emergency meeting through video conferencing with the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal, state chief secretary Dushyant Nariala, home secretary, director general of police, Kolkata police commissioner, district magistrates and superintendents of police. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on April 5 alleged that the gherao of the seven JOs in Kaliachak II was not only lawlessness but also a planned maha jungleraj of Trinamool Congress in the State.

“Just a few days ago, the entire nation witnessed judicial officers being held hostage in Malda. What kind of government is this where even judges and the constitutional procedures are not safe? We cannot expect such a government to keep the people of Bengal safe” the PM said.  “What happened in Malda is an example of maha jungleraj of Trinamool Congress in Bengal,” he said 

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There's a RISK of the 'war spiralling' ::::: 'Foolhardy' Trump has created the 'world' he wanted .. Chaotic in full !!! 'J stands for jinx in JD Vance' :::::: Looming shortage of medicines and fertiliser is only going to get worse with the latest US blockade

 The Miracle of a man is in how Magnificently he has risen ... and never in how far he has sunk.  

Donald Trump-led US begins blockade of all Iranian ports in Strait of Hormuz, risking wider war !!

The blockade may put pressure on Iran, but it also risks unsettling global markets and pulling the US deeper into a conflict.

China has already warned the US and Iran has shown no willingness to concede on nuclear enrichment and control of Hormuz.

Iran mocked the US, asking whether Washington and its allies could "endure three months" of blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. 

In the meantime Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said  that the US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad did not just collapse but "exploded," blaming Washington’s response to what it saw as Iranian violations of ceasefire terms.

Netanyahu told his cabinet he had spoken with US Vice President JD Vance, who briefed him from his plane while returning from Pakistan after the talks ended without agreement.

"I spoke yesterday with Vice President JD Vance. He reported to me in detail about the development of the negotiations." 

According to him, the explosion originated on the American side after it concluded that Iran had failed to meet a major condition tied to the ceasefire -- reopening access through the Strait of Hormuz.

It’s still not everyone's war. Downing Street has ruled out sending warships to join Trump’s new naval blockade of Iran, which aims to play the Iranians at their own game.

But the US President’s decision once again to escalate rather than negotiate when thwarted turns this into everyone’s problem, whether we like it or not.

With oil prices rising and stocks falling as soon as markets reopened after the weekend, the long-planned IMF meeting in Washington had morphed into a crisis summit.

With hopes fading of an early end to this conflict, global growth forecasts are already being gloomily revised down in expectation of a prolonged energy shock.   

In the messy situation; a senior Chinese official has warned the United States against imposing a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and cautioned it not to interfere in China’s bilateral relations with Iran. 

Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun's warning coincided with the start of the US naval blockade at 7:30 pm IST on Monday.

"We have trade and energy agreements with Iran; we expect others not to interfere in our affairs," Jun said, adding that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for China.  

The waterway is crucial for Beijing as it supplies nearly 40 per cent of its oil and at least 30 per cent of its LNG needs. 

Hence, China has been pushing for a ceasefire to secure the critical waterway in the Gulf.  

Trump’s threats to stop tankers reaching Iranian ports and seize any ship paying Iran a toll for safe passage, risks the war spiralling. 

This directly puts the US into conflict with countries whose ships have enjoyed free passage through the strait of late, including China.

Talk of Regime Change in the US ::: Shocker ??

Ex-CIA director calls for ousting Trump: ‘25th amendment was written with him in mind’  

John Brennan says Trump who made volatile remarks about destroying Iranian civilization ‘is clearly unhinged’.  

The former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan has added his name to growing calls for the president to be ousted on grounds that he is unfit for the job, arguing that the US constitution’s 25th amendment addressing involuntary removal from office was “written with Donald Trump in mind”.

Brennan, who served as head of the spy agency during Barack Obama’s presidency, told MS Now on Saturday that Trump’s recent volatile remarks about destroying Iranian civilization and the danger he posed to so many lives merited his removal from the Oval Office.  

“This person is clearly unhinged,” he said. “I think the 25th amendment was written with Donald Trump in mind.”

The Twenty-fifth Amendment (Amendment XXV) to the United States Constitution addresses issues related to presidential succession and disability.

It clarifies that the vice president becomes president if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office by impeachment. It also establishes the procedure for filling a vacancy in the office of the vice president.

The amendment provides for the temporary transfer of the president's powers and duties to the vice president, either on 

-- the President's initiative alone or 

--- on the initiative of the vice president, together with a majority of the president's cabinet.

'J stands for jinx in JD Vance': 

Internet mocks Trump's 'cursed' Vice President as Iran talks fail and also Orban loses in Hungary elections  

Hungary’s long-time Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been voted out after 16 years in power, marking a major political shift in Hungary. Often seen as an ally of Donald Trump and criticized for his stance on Ukraine, Orbán’s defeat signals changing voter sentiment.

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"In Bengali, "Kiney De Reshmi Churi" remained a beloved staple :::: For 1980 blockbuster 'Shaan', Asha Bhole delivered the disco-tinged "Pyar Karne Waale Pyaar Karte Hain ...." featuring Parveen Babi

 In Bengali, Kiney De Reshmi Churi from 1977 remained a beloved staple well into the mid-1980s. For the 1980 blockbuster Shaan, she delivered the disco-tinged Pyar Karne Waale Pyaar Karte Hain  

Nirendra Dev 

Asha Bhosle began her journey in 1943 with her first film song — four years before India’s independence — and never truly stopped. 

In Bengali, 'Kiney De Reshmi Churi' from 1977 remained a beloved staple well into the mid-1980s. 

For the 1980 blockbuster Shaan, she delivered the disco-tinged Pyar Karne Waale Pyaar Karte Hain alongside Jaanu Meri Jaan, both composed by Burman with lyrics by Anand Bakshi. 

She even sang the devotional Sancha Naam Tera in Julie (1975) as a duet with her sister Usha Mangeshkar.

The Voice That Refused to Stand Still

From dance numbers for Helen to ghazals for Gulzar — and a “good laugh” with Lata Mangeshkar about their so-called sister-rivalry — Asha Bhosle was always more than Bollywood’s second sister.   

She was never meant to be anyone’s footnote. And she never was.

Asha Bhosle, who passed away on Sunday, at the age of 92 in Mumbai, defied every label that Bollywood tried to fix on her — the dance-number specialist, the sister in Lata’s shadow, the voice too versatile to be pinned down. Over seven decades and more than 12,000 songs across 20 languages, she simply outlasted every category and outlived every era.

The vintage playback singing club — Rafi, Mukesh, Lata, Kishore Kumar and Asha — is now complete in its silence. Theirs was an era that will never return.

The Dance Floor Was Just the Beginning

Any major film with a song picturised on Helen, and it was Asha’s voice behind it. Piya Tu Ab To Aa Ja from Caravan, Ye Mera Dil from Don, Dum Maaro Dum from Hare Rama Hare Krishna — she owned the dance number genre in Bollywood for over two decades. But to reduce her to that would be the gravest injustice. She constantly evolved — into ghazals, into classical-adjacent compositions, into regional music, into duets that became national memories. Her two National Film Awards tell the story best: one for the seductive restraint of Dil Cheez Kya Hai from Umrao Jaan, another for the quietly devastating Mera Kuch Saman from Ijaazat. Two poles apart. Both unmistakably Asha.

The Voice That Adjusted to a 15-Year-Old

In 1984, when she was 51, she was asked to lend her voice to Neelam — a teenage actress born in 1969 — for Tu Rutha To Main Ro Doongi in the film Jawaani. Industry insiders wondered whether a woman of her age could convincingly carry the timbre of a college-going girl. The song became a hit. The question was never asked again.

Her duets with Kishore Kumar were a universe unto themselves — from the playful banter of Haal Kaisa Hai Janab Ka in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi to the breeziness of Aaj Rapat Jayein To in Namak Halaal. Each one felt effortless, which is the ultimate illusion of craft.  

No account of Asha Bhosle is complete without R.D. Burman — Pancham — whom she married and with whom she created some of Hindi cinema’s most enduring music. Burman, who composed scores for 331 films between the 1960s and 1990s and collaborated with lyricists Majrooh Sultanpuri, Anand Bakshi and Gulzar, found in Asha a voice that could match the restless ambition of his compositions. The RD-Asha partnership was not just a marriage; it was arguably the most consequential creative alliance in the history of Bollywood music.

She began her journey in 1943 with her first film song — four years before India’s independence — and never truly stopped. In Bengali, Kiney De Reshmi Churi from 1977 remained a beloved staple well into the mid-1980s. 

For the 1980 blockbuster Shaan, she delivered the disco-tinged Pyar Karne Waale Pyaar Karte Hain alongside Jaanu Meri Jaan, both composed by Burman with lyrics by Anand Bakshi. She even sang the devotional Sancha Naam Tera in Julie (1975) as a duet with her sister Usha Mangeshkar.

On Lata, on Rivalry, on the Good Laugh

The so-called sibling rivalry between Asha and Lata Mangeshkar was Bollywood’s most durable piece of gossip — and by Asha’s own account, mostly fiction. She once spoke about it with characteristic candour: “People did carry tales and try to create trouble, but blood is thicker than water. I remember, sometimes both of us would be at a function and some industry types would ignore me and interact only with her, as if to prove their loyalty. Later, didi and I would have a good laugh.”

In 2023, speaking to the Hindustan Times, she admitted she had stopped listening to contemporary music entirely. “If I have to listen to songs, I hear Bhimsen Joshi’s songs, classical songs and ghazals — I get to learn and simultaneously polish and practice my singing through that.”

Dubai and the Bitter Pill

There is also a lesser-known Asha — the citizen, the Mumbaikar, the woman with opinions. During my years with PTI in Mumbai, a colleague and I — both Asha fans — had to file a story that gave us pause. Asha Bhosle, despite being a Marathi, had publicly voiced her protests over the Pedder Road flyover project and its disruption of local life. 

She had threatened to move out of Mumbai to “some other country… maybe Dubai.” 

As my colleague Jacinta D’Souza whispered with a soft smile: “Bitter pills have to be swallowed.” That is both the beauty of journalism and of life — even your heroes can surprise you.  

She received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008. In 1997, British band Cornershop released Brimful of Asha — which topped the UK Singles Chart in 1998 — a tribute from an entirely different musical world to a voice that had crossed every border it encountered.

The surname Bhosle came from her first marriage to Ganpatrao Bhosle. The legend, she built herself.

She is gone. The songs are not.

ends