Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Old Habits, Costly Consequences

“Old habits die hard” is not just a cliché—it is a political warning. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu seems determined to prove it right, yet again. A series of viral videos now circulating on social media has reignited an uncomfortable question: has the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), now an ally in the BJP-led…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

When Institutions Lose Credibility

As a media practitioner and, more importantly, as a concerned citizen of this country, I write this with deep anguish. India’s democracy rests on three pillars—politics, the judiciary, and institutions that regulate public life. When one pillar weakens, the system trembles. When more than one begins to lose credibility, the tremors become impossible to ignore….

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Freebies, Votes & National Amnesia

If sarcasm could generate electricity, India would not need to promise it for free before every election. Last week, the Supreme Court once again did what political parties have refused to do for years — speak uncomfortable truths. Pulling up states for announcing free electricity ahead of elections — particularly in the context of Tamil…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

2026: The NDA’s Eastern Push and Southern Test

With the Election Commission of India expected to announce Assembly poll dates in the first week of March, the political chessboard across Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is entering its decisive phase. The Commission’s special intensive revision of voter lists and its scheduled ground assessments signal that preparations are in advanced stages….

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Not Venezuela, not a Walkover: Why Iran Is a Very Different Battlefield for the United States

For Washington’s strategic planners, the temptation to view Iran through the same prism as Venezuela—or even Iraq—would be a dangerous miscalculation. Iran is not a collapsing petro-state with fractured institutions and limited military reach. It is a hardened, battle-tested regional power with layered air defences, a vast missile arsenal, and powerful allies who have a…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

BJP’s Four-State Gambit

As India heads into a decisive round of Assembly elections across four politically distinct states—besides the Union Territory of Puducherry—the larger question goes beyond who will win and who will lose. The real story may be whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is once again reshaping the contours of Indian politics, not merely by capturing…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Mumbai’s Civic Verdict and Telangana’s Political Mirror

Municipal elections are often dismissed as hyper-local contests about roads, drains, and garbage collection. But in India’s deeply nationalized political climate, civic polls have increasingly become ideological referendums. That is why the recent civic verdict in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai’s political ecosystem, is being watched closely in Telangana. Not for its immediate administrative impact, but…

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