Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Opposition’s Last Hope

The Cockroach Theory of Survival Politics teaches many lessons. One of them is that hope never dies. Another is that when electoral arithmetic collapses, ideology evaporates, alliances crack, and leadership runs out of road, politicians begin searching for miracles. The latest miracle appears to have arrived in the form of a “Cockroach Party.” For India’s…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Rulebook Triumph

In international politics, nations often measure influence through visible symbols of power—aircraft carriers, military alliances, infrastructure projects, and billion-dollar investments. Yet some of the most consequential geopolitical victories are achieved not through what a country builds, but through the rules it writes. India’s recent success in Nepal’s hydropower sector is a compelling example. For years,…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Mamata’s Power Without Majority? Impossible

Call it defiance, call it denial—but do not call it democracy. Mamata Banerjee’s reported refusal to resign after a decisive electoral defeat is not merely राजनीतिक theatre; it is a direct affront to the constitutional architecture of India. When the people speak with clarity, constitutional morality demands compliance—not conspiracy theories. The 2026 West Bengal verdict…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Gulf on Edge: A War the World Cannot Ignore

The first reports are still fragmentary. What we know, from official statements and early battlefield assessments in the public domain, is this: the United States and Israel have launched coordinated strikes on targets inside Iran. Tehran has retaliated with reported missile attacks on several U.S. military installations across the Gulf region. Claims and counter-claims are…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Verdict or Intermission?

The acquittal of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case is being celebrated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as moral and political vindication. For Kejriwal, who walked out of court with moist eyes and folded hands, the trial court’s judgment is not merely legal relief — it is a…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Cricket, Conscience, and Bangladesh’s Test of Moral Credibility

The International Cricket Council’s rejection of Bangladesh’s request to shift its T20 World Cup 2026 matches out of India is more than a scheduling decision. It is a moment of reckoning—where sport, geopolitics, economics, and moral accountability collide on the same pitch. Bangladesh’s plea, reportedly driven by internal political pressure and “security concerns,” was framed…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

BJP–Shinde Sena Poised to Dominate Mumbai’s Power Citadel

If exit polls are to be believed—and rarely have they been this convergent—the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is headed for a decisive political realignment. The BJP and the Eknath Shinde–led Shiv Sena faction appear set to sweep Mumbai’s civic elections, potentially winning between 130 and 151 seats in the 227-member House. Such a mandate would…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

When the State Besieges the Constitution

If obstructing a court from hearing a petition filed by a constitutional investigative agency does not amount to contempt of the judiciary, then the phrase has lost all meaning. If an elected Chief Minister allegedly snatching official files during an ongoing money-laundering probe does not constitute an assault on the Constitution, then constitutional morality has…

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