Lok Sabha polls: How parties are walking the extra mile to find allies

Madan as Madiba: Will the Trinamool Congress’s loss be Madan Mitra’s gain? The former West Bengal transport minister, who spent 21 months in prison for his alleged role in the Saradha chit fund scam, has returned to active politics as the Trinamool candidate for the Bhatpara assembly bypoll. Bhatpara had been the seat of Arjun Singh, who recently quit the Trinamool to contest as the BJP candidate in the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency. Mitra had been keeping away from politics since his release in September 2016. In Bhatpara, he is trying to turn the tables on the BJP campaign highlighting his alleged role in the chit fund scam. “Don’t blame me for my jail term,” Mitra says. “And don’t forget that even Nelson Mandela was jailed before he became president of South Africa.” | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Visits that clicked: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s recents visits to Kerala and Tamil Nadu drew much attention. Rao met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and DMK chief M.K. Stalin to stitch up a post-poll coalition of regional parties. On social media, though, the political meetings were overshadowed by Rao’s visits to temples in both the states. WhatsApp groups managed by the chief minister’s office and journalists were flooded with photos of Rao’s temple run, apparently because it provided more photo opportunities than the two crucial meetings did.

Singh adds zing: Five years after he stepped down as BJP president, Union Minister Rajnath Singh addressed his first media conference in the BJP’s new headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg in Delhi on May 14. The announcement of the conference had set tongues wagging, as the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections was just five days away. Singh, in an apparent bid to lift the spirit of party workers, told journalists that the BJP would win majority. This led to speculation about the role he would play if the party fell short of the mark. It is unclear whether Singh’s statement had the intended effect, but it did have an immediate impact. The Sensex, which had been on a downswing for several days, jumped more than 200 points.

All set to dazzle: Diana Penty will debut at Cannes this year, representing the vodka brand Grey Goose. Others expected to attend include Cannes veterans Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor. “India has seen great recognition and appreciation at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in recent years,” said Penty. “I am excited to be invited by the brand to be part of the event this year.” Cheers to that! | PTI

Inking history: Celebrity hairstylist Sapna Moti Bhavnani, better known for her shenanigans in Bigg Boss 6, is in the limelight again. Her debut directorial feature, Sindhustan, had its world premiere at the New York Indian Film Festival last week. The documentary is a riveting account of the Sindhi community’s migration to India at the time of Partition, told through a series of intricately designed tattoos on Bhavnani’s body. The idea was born from a conversation she had with her grandmother many years ago, on her roots and family history | PTI

Where’s the energy?: Jack Ma, China’s richest man and founder of Alibaba, had a rather strange advice for his employees at the company’s annual mass wedding ceremony—to have sex “six days, six times, with duration being the key”. “At work, we emphasise the spirit of 996,” he said. “In life, we should follow 669.” He was punning on the company’s 996 work policy, in which employees are encouraged to work from 9am to 9pm six days a week. As someone commented, “Who on earth would have the energy to 669 at home after 996 during work?” | AFP

Licence to resist: A dialogue from the trailer of Shahid Kapoor’s new film Kabir Singh is inspiring a few laughs online, with netizens giving their own spin to it. In the scene, a man is trying to force Shahid to go with him. Shahid resists, saying, “Nahi aaunga matlab nahi aaunga. Bola naa nahi aaunga.” (I won’t come means I won’t come.) “When you are trying to book tatkal ticket and waiting for OTP,” read one tweet. “At examination hall. Answers to my mind,” read another | AFP