With the DMK's resounding electoral victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, Stalin has cemented, firmly, his place as the party leader.

Thalapathy (commander) as he is popularly known among DMK carders, who bequeathed enormous responsibility from his father who died in August 2018, proved his mettle and made the detractors, who questioned his leadership style over the past few months, eat their own words.&nbsp;

The DMK-led alliance routed rival BJP-AIADMK in the state winning 37 out of 38&nbsp;Lok Sabha seats that went to the polls.&nbsp;

Karunanidhi, fondly called Kalaignar by his party cadres, was rather reluctant to pass the baton to Stalin who was the youth wing secretary of the party for 34 years until the age of 63.&nbsp;

Stalin succeeded and was made the party president only after Karunanidhi's death.&nbsp;

With the remarkable victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Stalin has finally emerged from his father and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s long shadow.

Though the opposition parties across the country wanted to oust Modi, neither was there unity among them nor were they ready to accommodate other like-minded parties opposed to BJP into their fold which resulted in advantage BJP.

When everyone from Mamata Banerjee to Mayawati exercised politics of greed and lust for power, Stalin, perhaps the only opposition leader, who was not only magnanimous and accommodated both Congress and the Communist parties in the alliance and set aside a respectable number of seats to both the parties.&nbsp;

Stalin also openly endorsed Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of 'Mahagathbandhan'. While everyone else failed to stop Modi, Stalin remains one of the few anti-BJP politicians who have managed to buck the national trend and halted BJP's juggernaut in Tamil Nadu. DMK-Congress sustained the campaign against the BJP was the main reason for the DMK-led alliance's victory.

From the Thoothukudi killings that followed anti-Sterlite protests to Gaja cyclone and Cauvery river and NEET issue, the general mood of Tamil Nadu was against Modi-led BJP regime at the Centre. And, AIADMK shot themselves on the foot when they tied up with the BJP which resulted in the Dravidian party losing any slim chance they had to win a few seats in the state.

DMK's coalition with Congress also helped in minority vote consolidation. &nbsp;

The minority vote consolidation in favour of DMK-led alliance wouldn`t have happened if the Congress was not part of the alliance or Gandhi was not announced as Prime Ministerial candidate which led to DMK's massive victory.

Stalin may not have succeeded in his mission to see Congress president Rahul Gandhi as country's prime minister but he had dealt an embarrassing blow to BJP's ambition to breach the Dravidian citadel by partnering with AIADMK. &nbsp;

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

With the DMK's resounding electoral victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, Stalin has cemented, firmly, his place as the party leader. Thalapathy (commander) as he is popularly known among DMK carders, who bequeathed enormous responsibility from his father who died in August 2018, proved his mettle and made the detractors, who questioned his leadership style over the past few months, eat their own words.

With the DMK's resounding electoral victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, Stalin has cemented, firmly, his place as the party leader. Thalapathy (commander) as he is popularly known among DMK carders, who bequeathed enormous responsibility from his father who died in August 2018, proved his mettle and made the detractors, who questioned his leadership style over the past few months, eat their own words. The DMK-led alliance routed rival BJP-AIADMK in the state winning 37 out of 38 Lok Sabha seats that went to the polls. Karunanidhi, fondly called Kalaignar by his party cadres, was rather reluctant to pass the baton to Stalin who was the youth wing secretary of the party for 34 years until the age of 63. Stalin succeeded and was made the party president only after Karunanidhi's death. With the remarkable victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Stalin has finally emerged from his father and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s long shadow. Though the opposition parties across the country wanted to oust Modi, neither was there unity among them nor were they ready to accommodate other like-minded parties opposed to BJP into their fold which resulted in advantage BJP. When everyone from Mamata Banerjee to Mayawati exercised politics of greed and lust for power, Stalin, perhaps the only opposition leader, who was not only magnanimous and accommodated both Congress and the Communist parties in the alliance and set aside a respectable number of seats to both the parties. Stalin also openly endorsed Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of 'Mahagathbandhan'. While everyone else failed to stop Modi, Stalin remains one of the few anti-BJP politicians who have managed to buck the national trend and halted BJP's juggernaut in Tamil Nadu. DMK-Congress sustained the campaign against the BJP was the main reason for the DMK-led alliance's victory. From the Thoothukudi killings that followed anti-Sterlite protests to Gaja cyclone and Cauvery river and NEET issue, the general mood of Tamil Nadu was against Modi-led BJP regime at the Centre. And, AIADMK shot themselves on the foot when they tied up with the BJP which resulted in the Dravidian party losing any slim chance they had to win a few seats in the state. DMK's coalition with Congress also helped in minority vote consolidation. The minority vote consolidation in favour of DMK-led alliance wouldn`t have happened if the Congress was not part of the alliance or Gandhi was not announced as Prime Ministerial candidate which led to DMK's massive victory. Stalin may not have succeeded in his mission to see Congress president Rahul Gandhi as country's prime minister but he had dealt an embarrassing blow to BJP's ambition to breach the Dravidian citadel by partnering with AIADMK. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

M K Stalin's magnanimity ensured BJP-AIADMK rout in Tamil Nadu

"KCR will continue to be chief minister, but play a national role," said parliamentarian and K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha hours after Telangana Rashtra Samithi trounced Congress-led Mahakutami (Grand Alliance) in the Telangana Assembly elections.

"We will go wider, we will go to national politics. Tomorrow, we will certainly declare a national agenda and there is a need for a national alternative," Kavitha said.

KCR has often talked about his national ambitions and how both the BJP and Congress-led alliances have undermined the rights of states by wresting all powers with the Centre.

Rao's decision to dissolve the House in September, several months before its tenure was to end, and go for an early election&nbsp;is being seen as a masterstroke, but what kind of role KCR &nbsp;will play in uniting the anti-Congress, anti-BJP forces ahead of parliamentary elections in 2019?

While the TDP chief and KCR's Andhra Pradesh counterpart, Chandrababu Naidu, has been playing a key role in finding a common ground among the opposition forces and unifying the anti-BJP parties, including the Congress, ahead of parliamentary polls, KCR's stand has always been about creating an anti-Congress and anti-BJP coalition government at the Centre by uniting all the regional parties.

Naidu was crisscrossing the country trying to stitch together a Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance). Now, various political leaders who got pictures taken at the 'Naidu-sponsored' Opposition meet will not be keen to be seen with him. With Naidu’s embarrassing defeat in KCR's home-turf, whether the Andhra CM can continue to be the same unifying force that he was a few days ago is doubtful. &nbsp;

On the other hand, with Telangana firmly under his belt, KCR could very well seek greater space for himself in national politics should a non-BJP, non-Congress front materialise amid growing aspirations of regional parties eyeing a piece of New Delhi's power pie.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

"KCR will continue to be chief minister, but play a national role," said parliamentarian and K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha hours after Telangana Rashtra Samithi trounced Congress-led Mahakutami (Grand Alliance) in the Telangana Assembly elections.

"KCR will continue to be chief minister, but play a national role," said parliamentarian and K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha hours after Telangana Rashtra Samithi trounced Congress-led Mahakutami (Grand Alliance) in the Telangana Assembly elections. "We will go wider, we will go to national politics. Tomorrow, we will certainly declare a national agenda and there is a need for a national alternative," Kavitha said. KCR has often talked about his national ambitions and how both the BJP and Congress-led alliances have undermined the rights of states by wresting all powers with the Centre. Rao's decision to dissolve the House in September, several months before its tenure was to end, and go for an early election is being seen as a masterstroke, but what kind of role KCR will play in uniting the anti-Congress, anti-BJP forces ahead of parliamentary elections in 2019? While the TDP chief and KCR's Andhra Pradesh counterpart, Chandrababu Naidu, has been playing a key role in finding a common ground among the opposition forces and unifying the anti-BJP parties, including the Congress, ahead of parliamentary polls, KCR's stand has always been about creating an anti-Congress and anti-BJP coalition government at the Centre by uniting all the regional parties. Naidu was crisscrossing the country trying to stitch together a Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance). Now, various political leaders who got pictures taken at the 'Naidu-sponsored' Opposition meet will not be keen to be seen with him. With Naidu’s embarrassing defeat in KCR's home-turf, whether the Andhra CM can continue to be the same unifying force that he was a few days ago is doubtful. On the other hand, with Telangana firmly under his belt, KCR could very well seek greater space for himself in national politics should a non-BJP, non-Congress front materialise amid growing aspirations of regional parties eyeing a piece of New Delhi's power pie. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Assembly election results 2018: KCR 2.0 and his national ambitions

Telangana caretaker chief minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao stormed to power in 2014 -- albeit with a simple majority -- riding on the back of strong &nbsp;Telangana statehood emotion.

Four years after the bifurcation that sentiment has waned. KCR's attempt to rake up the Telangana sentiment by calling TDP an "Andhra party" and its chief&nbsp; "Telangana drohi"&nbsp;in the run-up to this election has failed to strike a chord with the voters who expected him to seek vote based on his record as chief minister of the state.&nbsp;

In the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/from-strong-to-sticky-wicket-why-retaining-power-in-telangana-wont-be-a-cakewalk-for-kcr-179734">first part of the article</a>, we discussed about how KCR was caught off guard by the coming together of arch rivals Congress and TDP in the state while in this part, let's look at how strong the leadership of KCR is and how several welfare schemes implemented by him such as round-the-clock power supply to households, free power to farmers, financial support schemes such as Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bhima for farmers, KCR Kits and increased pensions for old age, widows, single women and toddy tappers, weavers would work in his favour and spur the voters to rally behind him.

The aforementioned and several other welfare schemes which covered almost each and every community and household in the state may give an edge to TRS over Congress-TDP alliance.&nbsp;

The TRS chief has sweating it out on the electoral battleground and has been attending four to eight meetings every day since Election Commission declared polls.&nbsp;

However, the lofty promises he made in 2014 and his failure to deliver on those promises may come back to haunt him as he seeks reelection.&nbsp;

Incomplete irrigation projects, reneging on his promise to make a Dalit the first CM of Telangana state, failure to sanction and construct 1 lakh 2BHK houses for homeless people, failure to meet the deadline of piped drinking water supply to every household through Mission Bhagiratha project, alleged corruption in thousands of crores in Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya projects and the&nbsp;unviability of Kaleshwaram irrigation project in the name of redesigning are some of the things may work against KCR who also so far failed to convince the people why he dissolved the assembly six months prior to the end of his term.&nbsp;

The TRS chief, who a journalist friend in Telangana calls a modern Hitler, &nbsp;has also been often accused of nepotism and promoting ''family rule'' where five members -- KCR, his son and IT Minister KTR, daughter and Nizamabad MP Kavitha, nephew and Irrigation Minister Harish Rao and another nephew Santhosh Kumar -- called the shots.&nbsp;

Even Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked KCR on ''family rule'' by saying that the TRS Government is working for realising the dreams of one person by trampling on the rights of all other people on land, waters and other resources.&nbsp;

While KCR poured crores on sops but failed to create jobs for the unemployed youth, says another journalist friend from the state. KCR also did not induct any woman legislator into his cabinet.

In the ongoing campaign, TRS MLAs are questioned by people on their failure to deliver on promises made in 2014. According to the vox populi, lions' share of the electorate is not happy with the TRS rule, especially in rural Telangana.&nbsp;

KCR also failed on his 12 per cent reservation to the Muslims.

Strong believer of numerology and superstitions, KCR also ignored families of true statehood martyrs and soldiers. Brazen dereliction on the part of KCR on building the memorials to honour the martyrs and statehood fighters as he promised during the last polls has angered several people in the state.&nbsp;

Several strong leaders from TRS including the sitting MLAs like BC leader Konda Sureka, SC leader Bodige Shobha who were denied the tickets, defected to the Congress. There is a potential splitting of the pro-TRS vote bank by rebels and dissidents who sought tickets but were denied. &nbsp;There is also a strong anti-incumbency wave among farmers due to forceful land acquisition.&nbsp;

A win in his own constituency, Gajwel, may not be a cakewalk for the TRS chief who won the seat in 2014 from Vanteru Pratap Reddy of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), who has since joined the Congress, by about 20,000 votes. 
 
(This is the second part of the three-part analysis on Telangana election. The final part will be published on December 12)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

Telangana caretaker chief minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao stormed to power in 2014 -- albeit with a simple majority -- riding on the back of strong Telangana statehood emotion.

Telangana caretaker chief minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao stormed to power in 2014 -- albeit with a simple majority -- riding on the back of strong Telangana statehood emotion. Four years after the bifurcation that sentiment has waned. KCR's attempt to rake up the Telangana sentiment by calling TDP an "Andhra party" and its chief "Telangana drohi" in the run-up to this election has failed to strike a chord with the voters who expected him to seek vote based on his record as chief minister of the state. In the first part of the article, we discussed about how KCR was caught off guard by the coming together of arch rivals Congress and TDP in the state while in this part, let's look at how strong the leadership of KCR is and how several welfare schemes implemented by him such as round-the-clock power supply to households, free power to farmers, financial support schemes such as Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bhima for farmers, KCR Kits and increased pensions for old age, widows, single women and toddy tappers, weavers would work in his favour and spur the voters to rally behind him. The aforementioned and several other welfare schemes which covered almost each and every community and household in the state may give an edge to TRS over Congress-TDP alliance. The TRS chief has sweating it out on the electoral battleground and has been attending four to eight meetings every day since Election Commission declared polls. However, the lofty promises he made in 2014 and his failure to deliver on those promises may come back to haunt him as he seeks reelection. Incomplete irrigation projects, reneging on his promise to make a Dalit the first CM of Telangana state, failure to sanction and construct 1 lakh 2BHK houses for homeless people, failure to meet the deadline of piped drinking water supply to every household through Mission Bhagiratha project, alleged corruption in thousands of crores in Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya projects and the unviability of Kaleshwaram irrigation project in the name of redesigning are some of the things may work against KCR who also so far failed to convince the people why he dissolved the assembly six months prior to the end of his term. The TRS chief, who a journalist friend in Telangana calls a modern Hitler, has also been often accused of nepotism and promoting ''family rule'' where five members -- KCR, his son and IT Minister KTR, daughter and Nizamabad MP Kavitha, nephew and Irrigation Minister Harish Rao and another nephew Santhosh Kumar -- called the shots. Even Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked KCR on ''family rule'' by saying that the TRS Government is working for realising the dreams of one person by trampling on the rights of all other people on land, waters and other resources. While KCR poured crores on sops but failed to create jobs for the unemployed youth, says another journalist friend from the state. KCR also did not induct any woman legislator into his cabinet. In the ongoing campaign, TRS MLAs are questioned by people on their failure to deliver on promises made in 2014. According to the vox populi, lions' share of the electorate is not happy with the TRS rule, especially in rural Telangana. KCR also failed on his 12 per cent reservation to the Muslims. Strong believer of numerology and superstitions, KCR also ignored families of true statehood martyrs and soldiers. Brazen dereliction on the part of KCR on building the memorials to honour the martyrs and statehood fighters as he promised during the last polls has angered several people in the state. Several strong leaders from TRS including the sitting MLAs like BC leader Konda Sureka, SC leader Bodige Shobha who were denied the tickets, defected to the Congress. There is a potential splitting of the pro-TRS vote bank by rebels and dissidents who sought tickets but were denied. There is also a strong anti-incumbency wave among farmers due to forceful land acquisition. A win in his own constituency, Gajwel, may not be a cakewalk for the TRS chief who won the seat in 2014 from Vanteru Pratap Reddy of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), who has since joined the Congress, by about 20,000 votes. (This is the second part of the three-part analysis on Telangana election. The final part will be published on December 12) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Assembly elections 2018: KCR's failure to honour his promises could prove costly

Call it hubris or overconfidence, Telangana caretaker chief minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao pulled no punches when he dissolved the state Legislative Assembly on September 6 and set the stage for polls in the state carved out of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014.&nbsp;

On the day he dissolved the assembly, KCR, as he is fondly called, declared 105 candidates in the same breath, taking the Opposition leaders by surprise.&nbsp;

From the time KCR dissolved the assembly to now, it appears that the wheel of fortune has turned. KCR's display of chest-thumping triumphalism of winning 100-plus seats in a 119-member House has been replaced by rousing Telangana pride and invoking celestial blessings.

Two months ago political observers were declaring KCR’s return to power a foregone conclusion, but now with coming together of Opposition parties — Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Jana Samithi and the Communist Party of India — to form Mahakutumi (grand alliance), looks like this election is after all not a cakewalk for the ruling TRS.&nbsp;

KCR expected the Election Commission to hold the polls in a month after he dissolved the assembly but the three-month time between the dissolution of the assembly and the polls, have helped the Opposition to gets its act together and put up a united face against the ruling party. &nbsp;

TRS supremo could not offer a reasonable explanation why he dissolved the assembly. KCR sounded the poll bugle on a strong wicket but his confidence has waned and his nervousness has come to the fore of late.&nbsp;

In his first phase of campaigning, KCR tried to ambush the Mahakutami headed by the Congress party by showing the TDP in a bad light by saying things like TDP was the main obstacle in Telangana State formation and is a bad omen to the Telangana people and tried to instil Telangana sentiment among the people.&nbsp;

KCR's attempt gaslight the public by portraying TDP as bad omen did not work.&nbsp;

While KCR’s braggadocio of winning 100 or more in the Assembly’s 119 seats continues, but his impressive oratory in Telugu and Urdu fails to hide the nervous gloom.

A few days back, the remarks made by the TRS chief and his son KT Rama Rao did nothing to repair the damage and created some sort of confusion among the party cadres. KCR said, “If TRS loses the battle, there will be no loss to me. I will do nothing but take rest at my farmhouse only.”&nbsp;

“I will leave the country if we lose these polls,'' said his son KTR, who is a minister in the KCR cabinet. &nbsp;

At the recently held Medchal public rally attended by allies of Mahakutami, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi Sonia lambasted the TRS government.&nbsp;

Sonia, who was hailed as “Mother of Telangana”, said, "TRS government, after coming to the power, squarely failed to meet the primary demands of statehood movement such as irrigation water, funds and recruitments." Sonia cornered KCR calling his government ''family affair'' while the Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala went a step ahead calling the ruling party 'TRS-KCR private limited.'&nbsp;

The visit by Sonia Gandhi to the state has definitely breathed new life into the four-party grand alliance. Now, will that translate into votes? We will have the answer on December 11 when the counting will take place. &nbsp;

(This is the first part of the three-part analysis on Telangana election. In the next part, which will be published on December 4, we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Mahakutami and TRS. ) 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Call it hubris or overconfidence, Telangana caretaker chief minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao pulled no punches when he dissolved the state Legislative Assembly on September 6 and set the stage for polls in the state carved out of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014.

Call it hubris or overconfidence, Telangana caretaker chief minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao pulled no punches when he dissolved the state Legislative Assembly on September 6 and set the stage for polls in the state carved out of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014. On the day he dissolved the assembly, KCR, as he is fondly called, declared 105 candidates in the same breath, taking the Opposition leaders by surprise. From the time KCR dissolved the assembly to now, it appears that the wheel of fortune has turned. KCR's display of chest-thumping triumphalism of winning 100-plus seats in a 119-member House has been replaced by rousing Telangana pride and invoking celestial blessings. Two months ago political observers were declaring KCR’s return to power a foregone conclusion, but now with coming together of Opposition parties — Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Jana Samithi and the Communist Party of India — to form Mahakutumi (grand alliance), looks like this election is after all not a cakewalk for the ruling TRS. KCR expected the Election Commission to hold the polls in a month after he dissolved the assembly but the three-month time between the dissolution of the assembly and the polls, have helped the Opposition to gets its act together and put up a united face against the ruling party. TRS supremo could not offer a reasonable explanation why he dissolved the assembly. KCR sounded the poll bugle on a strong wicket but his confidence has waned and his nervousness has come to the fore of late. In his first phase of campaigning, KCR tried to ambush the Mahakutami headed by the Congress party by showing the TDP in a bad light by saying things like TDP was the main obstacle in Telangana State formation and is a bad omen to the Telangana people and tried to instil Telangana sentiment among the people. KCR's attempt gaslight the public by portraying TDP as bad omen did not work. While KCR’s braggadocio of winning 100 or more in the Assembly’s 119 seats continues, but his impressive oratory in Telugu and Urdu fails to hide the nervous gloom. A few days back, the remarks made by the TRS chief and his son KT Rama Rao did nothing to repair the damage and created some sort of confusion among the party cadres. KCR said, “If TRS loses the battle, there will be no loss to me. I will do nothing but take rest at my farmhouse only.” “I will leave the country if we lose these polls,'' said his son KTR, who is a minister in the KCR cabinet. At the recently held Medchal public rally attended by allies of Mahakutami, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi Sonia lambasted the TRS government. Sonia, who was hailed as “Mother of Telangana”, said, "TRS government, after coming to the power, squarely failed to meet the primary demands of statehood movement such as irrigation water, funds and recruitments." Sonia cornered KCR calling his government ''family affair'' while the Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala went a step ahead calling the ruling party 'TRS-KCR private limited.' The visit by Sonia Gandhi to the state has definitely breathed new life into the four-party grand alliance. Now, will that translate into votes? We will have the answer on December 11 when the counting will take place. (This is the first part of the three-part analysis on Telangana election. In the next part, which will be published on December 4, we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Mahakutami and TRS. ) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

From strong to sticky wicket: Why retaining power in Telangana won't be a cakewalk for KCR

While La Liga features the brightest stars from the world of football, El Clasico between two club footballing superpowers -- Barcelona and Real Madrid -- has always been reckoned unrivalled rivalry.&nbsp;

For the past 10 years, it has been a personal playground for two larger-than-life global icons -- Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo -- but neither of them will be playing today when Barcelona and Real Madrid lock horns at the Nou Camp.

It's a foregone conclusion that Cristiano Ronaldo will never play in the most famous club football fixture in the world after he made the summer move to Italian behemoth Juventus but nobody expected Lionel Messi to miss out.

The Barcelona talisman was forced off the pitch after colliding with Sevilla's Franco Vazquez in the first half of his side's 4-2 last weekend

It's the 272nd edition of Clasico and the first featuring neither Messi nor Ronaldo since December 2007.

Has that taken the sheen off the brand El Clasico? To some extent, yes. But the&nbsp;footballing extravaganza of a colossal proposition&nbsp;has attracted a huge fan following over several decades.

In order to conclude that both Messi and Ronaldo have been the brightest of stars in the galaxy of world-class talent that Spanish football boasts of, we don't have to look beyond the statistics: Messi is the fixture's all-time leading scorer (26 goals) and assister (14), while Ronaldo holds the record for the most consecutive Clasicos with a goal in six games in 2012.

Since Ronaldo's departure, Madrid has missed their talisman and Barcelona know they will miss Messi today. For Madrid, Bale has some record: 200 games, 92 goals, 62 assists. But another statistic concerns: while he has played in 200, he has not played in 103. He began this season with responsibility but Madrid’s form has been teetering.&nbsp;

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Madrid's midfield stars Luka Modric and Toni Kroos have not found their feet; defensively, the team have been dreadful, Sergio Ramos especially; Benzema’s evolution into a No 9 again is not complete, and nor is Bale's evolution into a leader.&nbsp;

The club went five games without scoring. Coach Julen Lopetegui bemoaned misfortune but there was more, and it brought the head coach to the edge of the abyss.

Monday is Lopetegui's 137th day as manager. It may also be his last. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but one day and soon, he will be sacked. The same lack of alternatives and time that helped put him in the job are all that keep him in it.

Lose on Sunday and Madrid would be seven points behind Barcelona; win and they would be only one point off – and favouritism so rarely plays out the way it should.

Defensively vulnerable, Barcelona have not always impressed either and losing Messi is huge. Asked if his absence conditioned the team, the club coach Ernesto Valverde replied: "Not at all ..." and then laughed: "We have to accept it. It doesn't bring me out in a rash to hear the word 'Messidependency'.

Data experts FiveThirtyEight put an estimate of 75m as its global audience in 2015, which would suggest that the latest meeting between these two eternal rivals is no Super Bowl or Champions League final but still a bigger worldwide televisual draw than the Oscars.

With its array of glamorous stars, a bevy of awards to be claimed and social media verdicts awaiting each and every pratfall with bated breath, El Clasico truly is a global phenomenon. And with Gareth Bale, Philippe Coutinho and Sergio Ramos on the pitch the football shouldn't be too bad either.

However, Clasico will sorely miss the two legends.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

While La Liga features the brightest stars from the world of football, El Clasico between two club footballing superpowers -- Barcelona and Real Madrid -- has always been reckoned unrivalled rivalry.

While La Liga features the brightest stars from the world of football, El Clasico between two club footballing superpowers -- Barcelona and Real Madrid -- has always been reckoned unrivalled rivalry. For the past 10 years, it has been a personal playground for two larger-than-life global icons -- Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo -- but neither of them will be playing today when Barcelona and Real Madrid lock horns at the Nou Camp. It's a foregone conclusion that Cristiano Ronaldo will never play in the most famous club football fixture in the world after he made the summer move to Italian behemoth Juventus but nobody expected Lionel Messi to miss out. The Barcelona talisman was forced off the pitch after colliding with Sevilla's Franco Vazquez in the first half of his side's 4-2 last weekend It's the 272nd edition of Clasico and the first featuring neither Messi nor Ronaldo since December 2007. Has that taken the sheen off the brand El Clasico? To some extent, yes. But the footballing extravaganza of a colossal proposition has attracted a huge fan following over several decades. In order to conclude that both Messi and Ronaldo have been the brightest of stars in the galaxy of world-class talent that Spanish football boasts of, we don't have to look beyond the statistics: Messi is the fixture's all-time leading scorer (26 goals) and assister (14), while Ronaldo holds the record for the most consecutive Clasicos with a goal in six games in 2012. Since Ronaldo's departure, Madrid has missed their talisman and Barcelona know they will miss Messi today. For Madrid, Bale has some record: 200 games, 92 goals, 62 assists. But another statistic concerns: while he has played in 200, he has not played in 103. He began this season with responsibility but Madrid’s form has been teetering. × Madrid's midfield stars Luka Modric and Toni Kroos have not found their feet; defensively, the team have been dreadful, Sergio Ramos especially; Benzema’s evolution into a No 9 again is not complete, and nor is Bale's evolution into a leader. The club went five games without scoring. Coach Julen Lopetegui bemoaned misfortune but there was more, and it brought the head coach to the edge of the abyss. Monday is Lopetegui's 137th day as manager. It may also be his last. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but one day and soon, he will be sacked. The same lack of alternatives and time that helped put him in the job are all that keep him in it. Lose on Sunday and Madrid would be seven points behind Barcelona; win and they would be only one point off – and favouritism so rarely plays out the way it should. Defensively vulnerable, Barcelona have not always impressed either and losing Messi is huge. Asked if his absence conditioned the team, the club coach Ernesto Valverde replied: "Not at all ..." and then laughed: "We have to accept it. It doesn't bring me out in a rash to hear the word 'Messidependency'. Data experts FiveThirtyEight put an estimate of 75m as its global audience in 2015, which would suggest that the latest meeting between these two eternal rivals is no Super Bowl or Champions League final but still a bigger worldwide televisual draw than the Oscars. With its array of glamorous stars, a bevy of awards to be claimed and social media verdicts awaiting each and every pratfall with bated breath, El Clasico truly is a global phenomenon. And with Gareth Bale, Philippe Coutinho and Sergio Ramos on the pitch the football shouldn't be too bad either. However, Clasico will sorely miss the two legends. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Can El Clasico sans Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo light up Camp Nou?

"If the punishable crime is damaging the BJP's image, then perhaps it is the party's Tamil Nadu chief Tamilisai Soundararajan who should have been arrested, not Sofia. In terms of wreaking havoc on the BJP, Sofia cannot achieve in a lifetime what Tamilisai managed in mere moments," tweeted Ramon Magsaysay award recipient and veteran journalist P Sainath moments after a controversy erupted following 28-year-old Sofia studying in Canada shouted “fascist BJP government down, down” on board a flight in the presence of Soundararajan.

Sofia was sent to 15-day judicial custody after Soundararajan&nbsp;filed a complaint against her. However,&nbsp;She was later granted bail.&nbsp;

BJP’s swagger becomes a whimper as they set foot in Tamil Nadu. Though BJP claimed time and again that Karnataka is its gateway to South India, the party has so far failed to draw any inspiration from its success there to breach the other regional parties' citadel in four southern states. &nbsp;

Following the issues like Cauvery and NEET, BJP's image has taken a beating in TN. Not to mention Modi's alleged highhandedness in AIADMK refusing memorial for Karunanidhi in Marina. An anti-Modi wave swept across the state after Modi dilly-dallied constituting Cauvery Management Board (CMB) with his eyes firmly set on Karnataka elections. The issue snowballed into a major controversy which put the BJP in a tight spot.&nbsp;

Hundreds of ‘Modi Go Back’ black balloons were released into the Chennai’s skies and black flags were hoisted at the houses against Modi for failing to constitute CMB. Modi arrived at the Chennai airport from New Delhi and took a helicopter to reach the venue of the DefExpo 2018 on the Chennai outskirts.&nbsp;

Unlike in other states, where BJP’s strategies won, Tamil Nadu has always been a ''land of embarrassment'' for the party. BJP, as a party, yet gain a toe-hold in the state, let alone making inroads. Not the least, BJP's state unit has been anything but catastrophe.&nbsp;

Last year, the state unit of BJP drew much flak when it demanded that dialogues in a Tamil film Mersal that criticized demonetisation and GST be censored. The national secretary of the party H. Raja went on to give a communal twist to the issue by pointing to the actor’s Christian faith, attracting a heavy backlash on social media. He even posted the voter ID of the actor on Twitter with his full name Joseph Vijay and captioned it “Truth is Bitter.”

In response, social media filled with ‘IAmJoseph’ and ‘ILoveJosephVijay’ hashtags, putting the BJP on the backfoot.

The BJP opened its account in the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2001 by winning four seats in an alliance with DMK. However, the party drew a blank in every Lok Sabha and Assembly election held till 2014 when it bagged one seat with the rainbow alliance formed with some lightweight parties.&nbsp;

The alliance disintegrated in 2016 during assembly elections.&nbsp;

Unlike 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP will find it very tough to cobble up an alliance in the state. Party president Amit Shah during a visit to Chennai in July said that the party would announce an alliance by October 2018 &nbsp;even as the social media was abuzz with hashtags like #GoBackAmitShah.&nbsp;

Around the time of toppling of statues of several leaders in various parts of the country post the BJP's victory in Tripura, a &nbsp;post from Tamil Nadu BJP leader H. Raja’s verified Facebook page said: “Who is Lenin? What is the relevance he holds in India? What is the link between communism and India? Lenin’s statues were destroyed in Tripura, tomorrow, in Tamil Nadu, casteist Periyar’s statues will be destroyed.”

The post received huge online backlash, after which it disappeared from the BJP leader’s page.&nbsp;

Following the demise of J Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK-BJP made no secret of their intimacy. &nbsp;Having said that, Edappadi K. Palaniswami is hugely unpopular among the people of the state. A tie-up between BJP and AIADMK may prove to be detrimental for both the parties. But given the political scenario in the state, no party wants to have a tie-up with the BJP which may result in two unpopular parties in the state -- AIADMK and BJP -- coming together. &nbsp;

BJP's communal and divisive politics cut no ice with the people of Tamil Nadu. As long as BJP replicates the strategy it advocates in other parts of the country in Tamil Nadu, it would remain an outcast and non-starter in the state.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

"If the punishable crime is damaging the BJP's image, then perhaps it is the party's Tamil Nadu chief Tamilisai Soundararajan who should have been arrested, not Sofia.

"If the punishable crime is damaging the BJP's image, then perhaps it is the party's Tamil Nadu chief Tamilisai Soundararajan who should have been arrested, not Sofia. In terms of wreaking havoc on the BJP, Sofia cannot achieve in a lifetime what Tamilisai managed in mere moments," tweeted Ramon Magsaysay award recipient and veteran journalist P Sainath moments after a controversy erupted following 28-year-old Sofia studying in Canada shouted “fascist BJP government down, down” on board a flight in the presence of Soundararajan. Sofia was sent to 15-day judicial custody after Soundararajan filed a complaint against her. However, She was later granted bail. BJP’s swagger becomes a whimper as they set foot in Tamil Nadu. Though BJP claimed time and again that Karnataka is its gateway to South India, the party has so far failed to draw any inspiration from its success there to breach the other regional parties' citadel in four southern states. Following the issues like Cauvery and NEET, BJP's image has taken a beating in TN. Not to mention Modi's alleged highhandedness in AIADMK refusing memorial for Karunanidhi in Marina. An anti-Modi wave swept across the state after Modi dilly-dallied constituting Cauvery Management Board (CMB) with his eyes firmly set on Karnataka elections. The issue snowballed into a major controversy which put the BJP in a tight spot. Hundreds of ‘Modi Go Back’ black balloons were released into the Chennai’s skies and black flags were hoisted at the houses against Modi for failing to constitute CMB. Modi arrived at the Chennai airport from New Delhi and took a helicopter to reach the venue of the DefExpo 2018 on the Chennai outskirts. Unlike in other states, where BJP’s strategies won, Tamil Nadu has always been a ''land of embarrassment'' for the party. BJP, as a party, yet gain a toe-hold in the state, let alone making inroads. Not the least, BJP's state unit has been anything but catastrophe. Last year, the state unit of BJP drew much flak when it demanded that dialogues in a Tamil film Mersal that criticized demonetisation and GST be censored. The national secretary of the party H. Raja went on to give a communal twist to the issue by pointing to the actor’s Christian faith, attracting a heavy backlash on social media. He even posted the voter ID of the actor on Twitter with his full name Joseph Vijay and captioned it “Truth is Bitter.” In response, social media filled with ‘IAmJoseph’ and ‘ILoveJosephVijay’ hashtags, putting the BJP on the backfoot. The BJP opened its account in the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2001 by winning four seats in an alliance with DMK. However, the party drew a blank in every Lok Sabha and Assembly election held till 2014 when it bagged one seat with the rainbow alliance formed with some lightweight parties. The alliance disintegrated in 2016 during assembly elections. Unlike 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP will find it very tough to cobble up an alliance in the state. Party president Amit Shah during a visit to Chennai in July said that the party would announce an alliance by October 2018 even as the social media was abuzz with hashtags like #GoBackAmitShah. Around the time of toppling of statues of several leaders in various parts of the country post the BJP's victory in Tripura, a post from Tamil Nadu BJP leader H. Raja’s verified Facebook page said: “Who is Lenin? What is the relevance he holds in India? What is the link between communism and India? Lenin’s statues were destroyed in Tripura, tomorrow, in Tamil Nadu, casteist Periyar’s statues will be destroyed.” The post received huge online backlash, after which it disappeared from the BJP leader’s page. Following the demise of J Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK-BJP made no secret of their intimacy. Having said that, Edappadi K. Palaniswami is hugely unpopular among the people of the state. A tie-up between BJP and AIADMK may prove to be detrimental for both the parties. But given the political scenario in the state, no party wants to have a tie-up with the BJP which may result in two unpopular parties in the state -- AIADMK and BJP -- coming together. BJP's communal and divisive politics cut no ice with the people of Tamil Nadu. As long as BJP replicates the strategy it advocates in other parts of the country in Tamil Nadu, it would remain an outcast and non-starter in the state. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Tamil Nadu remains a hard nut to crack for BJP

Freedom came to India at a price. Some sacrificed their lives for the country while others chose to spend their lives in jail, leaving behind a life of comfort and luxury. We all know about the struggles of Bhagat Singh, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru.

For many, freedom struggle is all about them. The regional struggle that flared up across the country in the course of the freedom fight is often not recognized. These unsung heroes, who spearheaded the freedom struggle deserve an equal amount of respect as their national counterparts. 
&nbsp 
Here's celebrating the most important freedom fighters of South India whose contribution to freedom struggle deserve to be equally lauded.&nbsp 
&nbsp 
Pingali Venkayya

The designer of the National Flag, he was a devout follower of the 'Father of the Nation', Mahatma Gandhi. &nbspHe was also an authority in geology, agriculture and an educationist. After he designed the National Flag, it was first modified and adopted as the flag of the Indian National Congress and then again modified to be the national flag of India. 
&nbsp 
Tanguturi Prakasam

He was a politician and a freedom fighter and was the first Chief Minister of Madras Presidency. He was also the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He was an established lawyer but gave up practising law as he was drawn toward the freedom movement. He was also known for his brave confrontation with the British Police during the 1928 protests against the Simon Commission.&nbsp 
&nbsp 
Veerapandiya Kattabomman

A brave Palyekar chieftain in Tamil Nadu in the 18th century, he waged a war against Britishers 60 years prior to when the Indian War of Independence started in the Northern part of India. He was captured and hanged in 1799. Veerapandiya Kattabomma Karuthayya Nayakkar was a courageous 18th-century Palayakarrar ('Polygar') chieftain from Panchalankurichi of Tamil Nadu, India who refused to accept the sovereignty of British East India Company. 
&nbsp 
Puli Thevar

He was one of the earliest opponents of the British rule in South India. He was involved in a vendetta with the Nawab of Arcot who was supported by the British. Thevar's prominent exploits were his confrontations with Marudhanayagam, who later rebelled against the British in the late 1750s and early 1760s. Nelkatumseval was the headquarters of Puli Thevar, the first chieftain in India to resist the British. 
&nbsp 
The Maruthu Pandiyar brothers

(Periya Maruthu & Chinna Maruthu) ruled Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu during the last part of the 18th century and were the first to issue a proclamation of independence from the British rule from Trichy Thiruvarangam Temple, Tamil Nadu on June 10, 1801 -- 56 years before the North Indian rebellion – Sepoy mutiny of 1857.

Here's celebrating the most important freedom fighters of South India whose contribution to freedom struggle deserve to be equally lauded.

Freedom came to India at a price. Some sacrificed their lives for the country while others chose to spend their lives in jail, leaving behind a life of comfort and luxury. We all know about the struggles of Bhagat Singh, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru. For many, freedom struggle is all about them. The regional struggle that flared up across the country in the course of the freedom fight is often not recognized. These unsung heroes, who spearheaded the freedom struggle deserve an equal amount of respect as their national counterparts. Here's celebrating the most important freedom fighters of South India whose contribution to freedom struggle deserve to be equally lauded. Pingali Venkayya The designer of the National Flag, he was a devout follower of the 'Father of the Nation', Mahatma Gandhi. &nbspHe was also an authority in geology, agriculture and an educationist. After he designed the National Flag, it was first modified and adopted as the flag of the Indian National Congress and then again modified to be the national flag of India. Tanguturi Prakasam He was a politician and a freedom fighter and was the first Chief Minister of Madras Presidency. He was also the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He was an established lawyer but gave up practising law as he was drawn toward the freedom movement. He was also known for his brave confrontation with the British Police during the 1928 protests against the Simon Commission. Veerapandiya Kattabomman A brave Palyekar chieftain in Tamil Nadu in the 18th century, he waged a war against Britishers 60 years prior to when the Indian War of Independence started in the Northern part of India. He was captured and hanged in 1799. Veerapandiya Kattabomma Karuthayya Nayakkar was a courageous 18th-century Palayakarrar ('Polygar') chieftain from Panchalankurichi of Tamil Nadu, India who refused to accept the sovereignty of British East India Company. Puli Thevar He was one of the earliest opponents of the British rule in South India. He was involved in a vendetta with the Nawab of Arcot who was supported by the British. Thevar's prominent exploits were his confrontations with Marudhanayagam, who later rebelled against the British in the late 1750s and early 1760s. Nelkatumseval was the headquarters of Puli Thevar, the first chieftain in India to resist the British. The Maruthu Pandiyar brothers (Periya Maruthu & Chinna Maruthu) ruled Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu during the last part of the 18th century and were the first to issue a proclamation of independence from the British rule from Trichy Thiruvarangam Temple, Tamil Nadu on June 10, 1801 -- 56 years before the North Indian rebellion – Sepoy mutiny of 1857.

Freedom struggle: Unsung heroes from South India 

When not just in India but Tamilians across the world were mourning the demise of Kalianganr M Karunanidhi, the sudden news of Tamil Nadu government handpicked by former Jayalalithaa's aide and now-imprisoned VK Sasikala refusal to accede to DMK’s request for a resting place for the Dravidian stalwart on the Marina came as a rude shock to many.

Despite DMK Working President MK Stalin along with MK Alagiri, Kanimozhi, TR Balu personally meeting CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and requesting permission to bury the DMK patriarch on the Marina beach, the Tamil Nadu government refused to allot space claiming ''legal hurdles''.&nbsp;

However, Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice S S Sundar found no “legal impediments” as claimed by the State government, and directed it to grant space as desired by the petitioner, to bury state's five-time Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on the Marina. Stalin, who seemed rather stoic all through, broke down after the favourable verdict.

There is a huge anti-incumbency wave sweeping across Tamil Nadu ever since the death of Jayalalithaa. The internal conflict that following the immediate aftermath of AIADMK Supremo's demise resulted in the tug-of-war between the two AIADMK camps to assert their superiority. Since then the dust has settled but the fissure in the party has been exposed.

AIADMK has become rudderless without a strong leadership and that created a political vacuum in the state. The political void created following the demise of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi in quick succession has also resulted in superstars Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth throwing their hat into the ring. Even BJP, which has been trying to make forays into what some analysts often described as a land of embarrassment for the saffron party, is starting to smell blood.

AIADMK, which lacks the strong leadership, also seems to be increasingly drifting towards BJP after Jayalaithaa's death. From Modi's role in unifying the two factions of AIADMK to an article published in the party’s mouthpiece suggesting that working with BJP would be like a “double-barrelled gun” in the political arena in April, 2018, AIADMK has dropped enough hints that the party may tie-up with the BJP in the Assembly elections in the state. For BJP, which has been trying to make some inroads in the southern state, riding piggyback on the AIADMK, makes a lot of sense.&nbsp;

Even in death, M Karunanidhi proved to be a fighter. As Karunanidhi was fighting his last battle for his final resting place, Congress saw BJP's hand in Tamil Nadu government's reluctance to give space on Marina when Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Madras High Court judgement to allow the burial of DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi at Marina Beach was a "setback for proxy callers".&nbsp;

"Huge setback for proxy callers of Delhi Durbar conspiring to deny Kalaignar his rightful Burial place," he tweeted. Rahulji strongly supported the idea of a memorial for Karunanidhi at Marina. Why are Central/State governments silent? Huge victory of justice for DMK. Long live Kalaignar, Surjewala tweeted.&nbsp;

As his coffin was lowered into the Marina sands, Kalaignar proved that he is a fighter even in death and left&nbsp;Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami highly embarrassed.

From Jallikattu protest to allotting space on Marina for Kalaignar's burial, AIADMK sans Jayalalithaa lost many battles and next Assembly elections may very well prove to be the final death blow.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
&nbsp;

As his coffin was lowered into the Marina sands, Kalaignar proved that he is a fighter even in death and left Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami highly embarrassed.

When not just in India but Tamilians across the world were mourning the demise of Kalianganr M Karunanidhi, the sudden news of Tamil Nadu government handpicked by former Jayalalithaa's aide and now-imprisoned VK Sasikala refusal to accede to DMK’s request for a resting place for the Dravidian stalwart on the Marina came as a rude shock to many. Despite DMK Working President MK Stalin along with MK Alagiri, Kanimozhi, TR Balu personally meeting CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and requesting permission to bury the DMK patriarch on the Marina beach, the Tamil Nadu government refused to allot space claiming ''legal hurdles''. However, Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice S S Sundar found no “legal impediments” as claimed by the State government, and directed it to grant space as desired by the petitioner, to bury state's five-time Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on the Marina. Stalin, who seemed rather stoic all through, broke down after the favourable verdict. There is a huge anti-incumbency wave sweeping across Tamil Nadu ever since the death of Jayalalithaa. The internal conflict that following the immediate aftermath of AIADMK Supremo's demise resulted in the tug-of-war between the two AIADMK camps to assert their superiority. Since then the dust has settled but the fissure in the party has been exposed. AIADMK has become rudderless without a strong leadership and that created a political vacuum in the state. The political void created following the demise of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi in quick succession has also resulted in superstars Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth throwing their hat into the ring. Even BJP, which has been trying to make forays into what some analysts often described as a land of embarrassment for the saffron party, is starting to smell blood. AIADMK, which lacks the strong leadership, also seems to be increasingly drifting towards BJP after Jayalaithaa's death. From Modi's role in unifying the two factions of AIADMK to an article published in the party’s mouthpiece suggesting that working with BJP would be like a “double-barrelled gun” in the political arena in April, 2018, AIADMK has dropped enough hints that the party may tie-up with the BJP in the Assembly elections in the state. For BJP, which has been trying to make some inroads in the southern state, riding piggyback on the AIADMK, makes a lot of sense. Even in death, M Karunanidhi proved to be a fighter. As Karunanidhi was fighting his last battle for his final resting place, Congress saw BJP's hand in Tamil Nadu government's reluctance to give space on Marina when Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Madras High Court judgement to allow the burial of DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi at Marina Beach was a "setback for proxy callers". "Huge setback for proxy callers of Delhi Durbar conspiring to deny Kalaignar his rightful Burial place," he tweeted. Rahulji strongly supported the idea of a memorial for Karunanidhi at Marina. Why are Central/State governments silent? Huge victory of justice for DMK. Long live Kalaignar, Surjewala tweeted. As his coffin was lowered into the Marina sands, Kalaignar proved that he is a fighter even in death and left Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami highly embarrassed. From Jallikattu protest to allotting space on Marina for Kalaignar's burial, AIADMK sans Jayalalithaa lost many battles and next Assembly elections may very well prove to be the final death blow. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: How Tamil Nadu CM's bid to play hardball in allotting space for Kalaignar's burial may backfire

On June 26, Parineeti Chopra posted a video of Priyanka Chopra and herself dancing to the famous rain song 'Tip Tip Barsa Pani' on Monday. The sisters along with their family members were in Goa for a vacation. Priyanka's rumoured beau Nick Jonas has also accompanied the family. &nbsp;social media was abuzz with photos of Priyanka, Nick and Parineeti enjoying a hearty Goan meal.&nbsp;

Since social media captured the imagination of the young and the old alike, celebrities have not only milked them for maximum publicity, it also helped them to cut down on their spendings on PR.

Now, I really don't have any problem with celebrities seeking free publicity through social media postings or anything like that but, of late, it has reached a point where with the kind of fan following that the celebrities enjoy, everything they post spread like forest fire across Twitter and Facebook, and even WhatsApp resulting in issues of national importance which require much more public attention are being overlooked. With social media gaining prominence, people latch on to triviality which is worrying.&nbsp;

There is no misgiving about Priyanka Chopra ability as an actor. Priyanka, who had begun her career in a Tamil film opposite actor Vijay Joseph went on to conquer Bollywood and then forayed into television with Quantico, an American television series. &nbsp;In a way, we can proudly say that she put Indian entertainment industry on the global map, something former tennis player Vijay Amritraj couldn't do despite starring in James Bond film along Roger Moore. 
 
Though her foray into films with 'Bay Watch' was anything but disaster, she had a decent success with television, unlike Deepika Padukone's Hollywood foray with xXx: Return of Xander Cage or Sonam Kapoor in blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in Coldplay's ''Hymn for the weekend''.&nbsp;

However, of late Priyanka has started drawing considerable attention on social media and the media during her brief sojourn to India recently with her rumoured boyfriend. Media was running amok. So was her fans. Even the BJP's media blitzkrieg to divert the attention from its four-year failure in the past four years by raking up the Emergency did not receive so much press attention as did Chopra. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Another case which drew a lot of media attention recently is Virat Kohli's post of his Anushka Sharma schooling a young man seated in a car parallel to hers about not throwing garbage on the street. In the post, Kohli lauded his wife's heroics.&nbsp;

But what Kohli did not realise is that yelling at someone on the street just because he threw some garbage on the road is not courage. The point is that Kohli needs to be schooled on the real meaning of courage and told Robert De Niro going onto the stage at the Tony Award ceremony and declaring: “I’m gonna say one thing. Fuck Trump.”

The emergence of social media has given a head start to celebrities and politicians seeking free publicity, however, using it wisely and sparsely will help focus everyone on real issues.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
&nbsp;

The emergence of social media has given a head start to celebrities and politicians seeking free publicity, however, using it wisely and sparsely will help focus everyone on real issues.

On June 26, Parineeti Chopra posted a video of Priyanka Chopra and herself dancing to the famous rain song 'Tip Tip Barsa Pani' on Monday. The sisters along with their family members were in Goa for a vacation. Priyanka's rumoured beau Nick Jonas has also accompanied the family. social media was abuzz with photos of Priyanka, Nick and Parineeti enjoying a hearty Goan meal. Since social media captured the imagination of the young and the old alike, celebrities have not only milked them for maximum publicity, it also helped them to cut down on their spendings on PR. Now, I really don't have any problem with celebrities seeking free publicity through social media postings or anything like that but, of late, it has reached a point where with the kind of fan following that the celebrities enjoy, everything they post spread like forest fire across Twitter and Facebook, and even WhatsApp resulting in issues of national importance which require much more public attention are being overlooked. With social media gaining prominence, people latch on to triviality which is worrying. There is no misgiving about Priyanka Chopra ability as an actor. Priyanka, who had begun her career in a Tamil film opposite actor Vijay Joseph went on to conquer Bollywood and then forayed into television with Quantico, an American television series. In a way, we can proudly say that she put Indian entertainment industry on the global map, something former tennis player Vijay Amritraj couldn't do despite starring in James Bond film along Roger Moore. Though her foray into films with 'Bay Watch' was anything but disaster, she had a decent success with television, unlike Deepika Padukone's Hollywood foray with xXx: Return of Xander Cage or Sonam Kapoor in blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in Coldplay's ''Hymn for the weekend''. However, of late Priyanka has started drawing considerable attention on social media and the media during her brief sojourn to India recently with her rumoured boyfriend. Media was running amok. So was her fans. Even the BJP's media blitzkrieg to divert the attention from its four-year failure in the past four years by raking up the Emergency did not receive so much press attention as did Chopra. Another case which drew a lot of media attention recently is Virat Kohli's post of his Anushka Sharma schooling a young man seated in a car parallel to hers about not throwing garbage on the street. In the post, Kohli lauded his wife's heroics. But what Kohli did not realise is that yelling at someone on the street just because he threw some garbage on the road is not courage. The point is that Kohli needs to be schooled on the real meaning of courage and told Robert De Niro going onto the stage at the Tony Award ceremony and declaring: “I’m gonna say one thing. Fuck Trump.” The emergence of social media has given a head start to celebrities and politicians seeking free publicity, however, using it wisely and sparsely will help focus everyone on real issues. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Hey celebs, we'll give you privacy but please stop showboating on social media

Another World Cup. Another war cry from Argentine fans to bring home the cup. Every time when the World Cup gets underway, the expectations from Messi to deliver the cup for his country reaches fever pitch. 
&nbsp; 
Last time Argentina won the World Cup was in 1986. Though in 2014, Argentina came close to bring home the cup but was defeated by Germany 1–0 in extra time, with the only goal of the match being scored by Mario Götze. 
&nbsp; 
Argentina followed 2014 up by reaching two Copa América finals, but lost both to Chile, on penalties. 
&nbsp; 
Lionel Messi had announced his retirement from the international career after he missed his spot-kick in the decisive shootout against Chile in 2016 Copa América Centenario.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A dejected Messi was reviled after he lost the Copa America to Chile so much so he said bid adieu to his international career.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
However, Maradona, captain of his country in their second World Cup triumph in 1986, was among many leading personalities to speak out in support of Messi and beseeched to carry on the legacy of Argentina.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Messi, a multiple trophy winner with Barcelona, has been part of four final defeats with the national team, three in the Copa América and at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 
&nbsp; 
Since the great Maronada delivered the World Cup for Argentina, the comparison between him and Messi has been snowballing. Media efforts to Maradonise him, has put Messi under enormous pressure whenever he wears the sky-blue and white Argentina shirt. Single-handedly taking on a country’s unrealistic expectations isn’t as simple as it looks. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It’s ludicrous, of course, that one player should be under such pressure, that everything should be about him, particularly when it was his display in Ecuador that got Argentina to Russia, particularly in a nation with such a proud football history as Argentina, with so many other great talents in their squad.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Paulo Dybala, Messi's Argentine teammate, hit upon the truth in an interview earlier in the year: Messi is simply too good. Dybala said he found him almost impossible to play with because the temptation is always simply to give him the ball. At club levels players adapt at the national level, where there is less time and a greater range of talent in the squad, it is far more difficult. Everything goes through him and that makes Argentina predictable and susceptible to being frustrated by sides that pack the centre. 
&nbsp; 
How come he delivers so much for Barcelona and so little for Argentina? Is it Andrés Iniesta? He doesn’t sing the national anthem was one of the criticisms. And he never played in his own country’s first division. 
&nbsp; 
The Messi conundrum is simply unfathomable. Though he has been often accused of not playing with the same dedication as he does for his club Barcelona, expectations never waned. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
single-handedly taking on a country’s unrealistic expectations isn’t as simple as it looks. The Argentinean coach has denied that this is not the Messi's last world cup but if Messi doesn’t lift the trophy at the Luzhniki Stadium on July 15 it will mean nothing. But, if he can emulate what Maradona did in 1986, he too will become a god. Heaven or hell there is no middle ground. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Another World Cup. Another war cry from Argentine fans to bring home the cup. Every time when the World Cup gets underway, the expectations from Messi to deliver the cup for his country reaches fever pitch.

Another World Cup. Another war cry from Argentine fans to bring home the cup. Every time when the World Cup gets underway, the expectations from Messi to deliver the cup for his country reaches fever pitch. Last time Argentina won the World Cup was in 1986. Though in 2014, Argentina came close to bring home the cup but was defeated by Germany 1–0 in extra time, with the only goal of the match being scored by Mario Götze. Argentina followed 2014 up by reaching two Copa América finals, but lost both to Chile, on penalties. Lionel Messi had announced his retirement from the international career after he missed his spot-kick in the decisive shootout against Chile in 2016 Copa América Centenario. A dejected Messi was reviled after he lost the Copa America to Chile so much so he said bid adieu to his international career. However, Maradona, captain of his country in their second World Cup triumph in 1986, was among many leading personalities to speak out in support of Messi and beseeched to carry on the legacy of Argentina. Messi, a multiple trophy winner with Barcelona, has been part of four final defeats with the national team, three in the Copa América and at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Since the great Maronada delivered the World Cup for Argentina, the comparison between him and Messi has been snowballing. Media efforts to Maradonise him, has put Messi under enormous pressure whenever he wears the sky-blue and white Argentina shirt. Single-handedly taking on a country’s unrealistic expectations isn’t as simple as it looks. It’s ludicrous, of course, that one player should be under such pressure, that everything should be about him, particularly when it was his display in Ecuador that got Argentina to Russia, particularly in a nation with such a proud football history as Argentina, with so many other great talents in their squad. Paulo Dybala, Messi's Argentine teammate, hit upon the truth in an interview earlier in the year: Messi is simply too good. Dybala said he found him almost impossible to play with because the temptation is always simply to give him the ball. At club levels players adapt at the national level, where there is less time and a greater range of talent in the squad, it is far more difficult. Everything goes through him and that makes Argentina predictable and susceptible to being frustrated by sides that pack the centre. How come he delivers so much for Barcelona and so little for Argentina? Is it Andrés Iniesta? He doesn’t sing the national anthem was one of the criticisms. And he never played in his own country’s first division. The Messi conundrum is simply unfathomable. Though he has been often accused of not playing with the same dedication as he does for his club Barcelona, expectations never waned. single-handedly taking on a country’s unrealistic expectations isn’t as simple as it looks. The Argentinean coach has denied that this is not the Messi's last world cup but if Messi doesn’t lift the trophy at the Luzhniki Stadium on July 15 it will mean nothing. But, if he can emulate what Maradona did in 1986, he too will become a god. Heaven or hell there is no middle ground. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Messi conundrum and the burden of carrying the expectations of 40 million Argentinians

So it shall be written. So it shall be done. The 11the edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a repeat of so many other seasons so far.

As expected Chennai in the final, which has been the case most of the seasons barring a few. And they have an opponent whom they will steamroll in the final and lift the title. Only thing is that this time the opponent is a different team.&nbsp;

After two years of hibernation, the lion (Chennai) is back and is hungrier than ever before.&nbsp;When the team was forced out of their den (Chennai) due to Cauvery protest, the team lost a rapturous fanbase who thronged M.A. Chidambaram Stadium to cheer their favourite team everytime they played.

But that did not stop the team from going for the title. With Captain cool at the helm and 10 soldiers ready to put their lives on the line for their captain, the title is within their grasp.

Hyderabad will square off against Chennai for the fourth time in IPL 2018. Kane Williamson’s side have enjoyed a great run in this tournament so far. However, he has his task cut out against MS Dhoni’s Chennai, who are on a roll and have defeated Hyderabad on all three occasions in this edition of the tournament.

Chennai won the title in 2010 and 2011 but have lost in four finals while Hyderabad will be hoping to repeat their 2016 heroics.&nbsp;

Dhoni is not somebody who rests on past glories but likes to write a new script everytime he is on the crease. And the fans expect him to do exactly that today. However, victory or defeat Chennai fans will celebrate as the title will be making its way to Chennai as owners of both the teams are from ''Detroit of India''.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

After two years of hibernation, the lion (Chennai) is back and is hungrier than ever before

So it shall be written. So it shall be done. The 11the edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a repeat of so many other seasons so far. As expected Chennai in the final, which has been the case most of the seasons barring a few. And they have an opponent whom they will steamroll in the final and lift the title. Only thing is that this time the opponent is a different team. After two years of hibernation, the lion (Chennai) is back and is hungrier than ever before. When the team was forced out of their den (Chennai) due to Cauvery protest, the team lost a rapturous fanbase who thronged M.A. Chidambaram Stadium to cheer their favourite team everytime they played. But that did not stop the team from going for the title. With Captain cool at the helm and 10 soldiers ready to put their lives on the line for their captain, the title is within their grasp. Hyderabad will square off against Chennai for the fourth time in IPL 2018. Kane Williamson’s side have enjoyed a great run in this tournament so far. However, he has his task cut out against MS Dhoni’s Chennai, who are on a roll and have defeated Hyderabad on all three occasions in this edition of the tournament. Chennai won the title in 2010 and 2011 but have lost in four finals while Hyderabad will be hoping to repeat their 2016 heroics. Dhoni is not somebody who rests on past glories but likes to write a new script everytime he is on the crease. And the fans expect him to do exactly that today. However, victory or defeat Chennai fans will celebrate as the title will be making its way to Chennai as owners of both the teams are from ''Detroit of India''. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Chennai will be crowned for third time in IPL 2018

As Liverpool takes on Real Madrid in the Champions League final at Kiev later today, all eyes are on none other than Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian has been unstoppable since he arrived at Liverpool from Roma last summer for $49 million, a bargain considering transfer market after Brazilian Neymar Jr's $263 million over-rated move to Paris Saint-Germain. Salah's performance has been awe-inspiring and he has proved every pundit, who expressed doubts over his ability to adapt the high-pressing style of Jurgen Klopp's football, wrong.

The Egyptian has scored 44 goals in 48 appearances this season for Liverpool- a record that does not look out of place next to the elite attacking players in the game like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.

And there have been calls already for him to be the next winner of the most prestigious individual accolade in world football -- Ballon d'Or.

Red's talisman broke the back of his former club Roma, his former club, in the semi-final first leg scoring two goals and provided assists for Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, in the process setting up the summit clash with the 12-time winner Real Madrid.

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<h5>The dribbling, dancing and grooving Salah helped send Liverpool to the Champions League final but things could have been so different if Chelsea hadn't sold him</h5>
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The dribbling, dancing and grooving Salah helped send Liverpool to the Champions League final but things could have been so different if Chelsea hadn't sold him.

The Egyptian was on the books at the Blues, but his time was short-lived as he was shipped out on loan to Fiorentina and then eventually sold to Roma after a loan deal with the club.

Chelsea's loss is Liverpool's gain. Mohamed Salah has won the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award for 2017-18. Salah has also won the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year award among many others after a stunning debut season with Liverpool. The Egyptian winger has become the first African to ever win the prize.

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<h5>Mo Salah has rapidly reached demigod level in Egypt because of his performances at Liverpool</h5>
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The Egyptian king's success in England is a source of immense pride to those back home. He has rapidly reached demigod level in Egypt because of his performances at Liverpool.&nbsp;In fact, according to reports, such is the adulation being heaped upon Salah that it earned him hundreds and thousands of write-in votes in March's presidential election.

His status quickly rose beyond the boundaries of sport, cementing him as a symbol of Egyptian potential and hope even amid a gloomy period for the country, with a troubled economy and few outlets for free expression.

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<h5>Mohamed Salah deserves to be mentioned for the Ballon d'Or</h5>
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Dejan Lovren, Salah's Liverpool teammate, recently in an interview showered encomiums on him. Lovren said that when people talk about Ronaldo and Messi they should also talk about Salah. He deserves it, he deserves to be mentioned for the Ballon d'Or, he said and added at the start of the season he didn’t know he could do this, but you see how he is working, how he wants the ball, he is just a different player to what he was.

Having said that, there is no denying that Salah calls for mention when people talk about contemporary greats like Messi and Ronaldo. But the question is whether the Egyptian will be able to do it consistently over several seasons as Messi and Ronaldo have been able to do?

If the Egyptian's performance this season at the Merseyside is anything to go by, the answer to the question yes, he can.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The Egyptian has scored 44 goals in 48 appearances this season for Liverpool- a record that does not look out of place next to the elite attacking players in the game like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar

As Liverpool takes on Real Madrid in the Champions League final at Kiev later today, all eyes are on none other than Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian has been unstoppable since he arrived at Liverpool from Roma last summer for $49 million, a bargain considering transfer market after Brazilian Neymar Jr's $263 million over-rated move to Paris Saint-Germain. Salah's performance has been awe-inspiring and he has proved every pundit, who expressed doubts over his ability to adapt the high-pressing style of Jurgen Klopp's football, wrong. The Egyptian has scored 44 goals in 48 appearances this season for Liverpool- a record that does not look out of place next to the elite attacking players in the game like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. And there have been calls already for him to be the next winner of the most prestigious individual accolade in world football -- Ballon d'Or. Red's talisman broke the back of his former club Roma, his former club, in the semi-final first leg scoring two goals and provided assists for Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, in the process setting up the summit clash with the 12-time winner Real Madrid. The dribbling, dancing and grooving Salah helped send Liverpool to the Champions League final but things could have been so different if Chelsea hadn't sold him × The dribbling, dancing and grooving Salah helped send Liverpool to the Champions League final but things could have been so different if Chelsea hadn't sold him. The Egyptian was on the books at the Blues, but his time was short-lived as he was shipped out on loan to Fiorentina and then eventually sold to Roma after a loan deal with the club. Chelsea's loss is Liverpool's gain. Mohamed Salah has won the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award for 2017-18. Salah has also won the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year award among many others after a stunning debut season with Liverpool. The Egyptian winger has become the first African to ever win the prize. Mo Salah has rapidly reached demigod level in Egypt because of his performances at Liverpool × The Egyptian king's success in England is a source of immense pride to those back home. He has rapidly reached demigod level in Egypt because of his performances at Liverpool. In fact, according to reports, such is the adulation being heaped upon Salah that it earned him hundreds and thousands of write-in votes in March's presidential election. His status quickly rose beyond the boundaries of sport, cementing him as a symbol of Egyptian potential and hope even amid a gloomy period for the country, with a troubled economy and few outlets for free expression. Mohamed Salah deserves to be mentioned for the Ballon d'Or × Dejan Lovren, Salah's Liverpool teammate, recently in an interview showered encomiums on him. Lovren said that when people talk about Ronaldo and Messi they should also talk about Salah. He deserves it, he deserves to be mentioned for the Ballon d'Or, he said and added at the start of the season he didn’t know he could do this, but you see how he is working, how he wants the ball, he is just a different player to what he was. Having said that, there is no denying that Salah calls for mention when people talk about contemporary greats like Messi and Ronaldo. But the question is whether the Egyptian will be able to do it consistently over several seasons as Messi and Ronaldo have been able to do? If the Egyptian's performance this season at the Merseyside is anything to go by, the answer to the question yes, he can. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Mohamed Salah - The Egyptian King who rules Liverpool

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Judy Franko

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