When a BJP event for Madhya Pradesh polls made Congress' Kamal Nath smile

Elections are the grand fest of democracy and it is a coincidence that my name was also attached to a BJP programme this festival season, Kamal Nath said

Smile on Kamal's face

Finally, the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did something that brought a smile on state Congress chief Kamal Nath's face. BJP celebrated Kamal Deewali on Tuesday with much fanfare. On hearing about the event, Kamal Nath said, "Elections are the grand fest of democracy and it is a coincidence that my name was also attached to a BJP programme this festival season. On my part, I have asked Congress party workers to celebrate badlav ki batti (light of change). All party workers will make cotton wicks and light them at the nearby temples."

Whodunit 

Shares of Twitter Inc have corrected nearly 10 per cent in the past few trading sessions. While the fall is linked to the overall weakness in the global markets, particularly in technology shares, some users on the social media attributed the fall in the share price to the India controversy. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had kicked up a storm after photos emerged of him holding a placard that read “smash brahminical patriarchy". While some like former finance chief of software firm Infosys, TV Mohandas Pai, accused Dorsey of "hate mongering" against Brahmins, Twitter India said the poster was given to Dorsey by a Dalit activist after it held a discussion with a group of women about their experience using the micro-blogging platform.

Sholay revisited

Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini had been campaigning for local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. She reprised a character from one of her hit movies, Sholay, while campaigning for Harsud MLA and state school education minister Vijay Shah. She told villagers, "Basanti jo hai usne bahut mehnat ki hai. Jaise aadiwasi mahilayen karti hain. Tange par ghodi chalana aasan nahin hai. Chalna hai to bolo, chalna hai Basanti ke sath? Basanti aapko BJP ki khushhali dikhayegi." (Basanti has worked very hard. Just like tribal women do. It's not easy to ride a tonga. Would you like to come with Basanti? She will demonstrate the prosperity that has been bestowed upon them by the BJP). The party must be hoping her audience’s applause will translate into votes.