It’s been a busy, busy week for India. After all the campaigning, the states of Maharashtra and Jharkhand went to the polls amid heavy security. And on Saturday (November 23), the results came in delivering a huge mandate in the favour of the Mahayuti coalition of the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP in Maharashtra, leaving the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) way behind.
In a 288-member Assembly where the halfway mark is 145, the Mahayuti swept through, securing 235 seats whereas the MVA managed only 49 seats.
In Jharkhand, the INDI Alliance defied pollsters, trouncing the NDA, winning 56 seats of the 81 while the NDA was left with just 24 seats.
This week also saw one of India’s biggest businessmen, Gautam Adani, being dragged into a huge controversy after the United States charged the business tycoon and his associates with bribery to receive lucrative contracts.
The other big news from the country was India successfully test-firing an indigenously made hypersonic missile off the coast of Odisha. With this trial, India joins a small club of countries, which proves that it has grown leaps and bounds when it comes to defence manufacturing.
For those who want a recap of the big news of the week that was, we have you covered with our roundup.
1. This week all eyes were on the Maharashtra Assembly election results and when the numbers came in it was a tsunami in favour of the Mahayuti coalition. The combine of the BJP, Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP retained power in the state by pocketing a whopping 230 of the 288 Assembly seats, as the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s dream of wresting power fizzled, with the opposition combine managing to garner just 46 seats.
But how did the Mahayuti pull off such a win? What played in their favour? Our
explainer has it all.
2. Shortly after the Maharashtra results delivered a resounding mandate to the Mahayuti, the questions began — who shall be the next chief minister? Would it be Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena or would it be the current deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP?
If you too are thinking the same, read
here to find out more.
3. The Maharashtra elections weren’t just about winning the state; it was also a prestige battle between Sharad Pawar and his nephew, Ajit Pawar, and Uddhav Thackeray against Eknath Shinde.
This election was an opportunity for all four of them to settle the debate of who actually led their respective factions: was it Sharad Pawar or Ajit Pawar for the NCP and was it Uddhav Thackeray or Eknath Shinde for the Shiv Sena?
Who leads the
‘real’ Shiv Sena? And are we seeing the end of
Sharad Pawar’s political career? We have the answers.
4. While Maharashtra gave the BJP and its allies 235 reasons to smile, in Jharkhand it was a reversal. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led INDI alliance stormed to power in the state for a second consecutive term, winning 56 seats in the 81-member Assembly, despite an all-out blitz by the BJP-led NDA which managed only 24 seats.
The results are a complete vindication for Hemant Soren — who was arrested in January and resigned as chief minister, to then returning as chief minister and leading the INDI Alliance in the state to victory.
Read our
report on why 2024 has been Hemant Soren’s year.
5. Gautam Adani is one of India’s richest and most well-known businessmen. His business empire ranges from coal, airports, cement and media operations. However, this empire received a rude shock on Thursday (November 21) when a US indictment was unsealed, revealing that he along with seven of his associates were accused of paying more than $250 million to Indian government officials to secure lucrative solar energy contracts worth more than $2 billion over 20 years.
The Adani Group has refuted all charges, calling them ‘baseless’. However, it seems the damage was done. Shares of the company tanked, Adani’s net worth dipped by $10 billion and Kenya cancelled its multi-million dollar deals with the conglomerate.
Read our full report to understand the impact of the US allegations on
Gautam Adani and his many businesses.
6. This week saw the Russia-Ukraine war crossing the 1,000-day mark. Amid this milestone, came the news that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be making a visit to India soon. While the dates haven’t been confirmed, the Russian president’s visit has raised eyeballs. That’s because Putin is a wanted man in many parts of the world, with the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes amidst the war.
Will India adhere to the ICC warrant against Putin?
Read on to find out.
7. Winter is here and in India, it means one thing — rising air pollution in Delhi and the surrounding NCR area. For the past few days, the air quality in the Delhi-NCR has been in the ‘severe’ category, prompting authorities to enforce GRAP Stage-4 measures.
The rising pollution has also got everyone talking about the Air Quality Index (AQI). In fact, on Monday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) pegged the AQI at 494. But, international monitoring app, IQAir, gave an eye-popping reading of 1,600.
How did this happen?
Our explainer delves into the differing methods of calculating AQI, which resulted in two very different readings.
8. India’s defence manufacturing capabilities have grown leaps and bounds in the last few years. The proof of this came on November 17 when the country successfully tested a long-range hypersonic missile. In a statement, the government said that the missile, test-fired off the coast of Odisha, could carry several payloads for ranges exceeding 1,500 km for the armed forces.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also applauded the test firing, saying it was a “historic moment” for the country and put it in a select club of nations having the capability of such critical and advanced technology. But what makes this
missile so special? Why does it matter?
9. Rewind to 2017. It was the year that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that India would soon have a bullet train running between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Almost six years later, it seems that this project has hit a speed bump. Reports have emerged that India is looking at alternative suppliers in Europe.
What has gone wrong? Will Japan not be able to deliver? We have the
answers.
And that’s it for the week gone by. If you liked how we decoded each story, here’s where you can find some more of our explainers.
PS: If you are in the mood to read more, here’s something. Did
Navjot Kaur Sidhu ‘cure’ cancer by eating neem leaves?