BHASKAR BHAGARE, 53 | NCP(S-P) Dindori (ST), Maharashtra
THE DEBUTANTS GIANT-SLAYERS
It was billed as a David versus Goliath fight-a Union Mos, a legacy politician to boot, against an ordinary school teacher who had spent 33 years awakening kids at Pimpalgaon Baswant to the finer points of history and Marathi. As it happened, Bhagare 'Guruji' dispensed a few lessons even to Dr Bharati Pawar. Associated with the NCP since its 1999 launch, the tribal leader's ambit had hitherto not gone beyond the panchayat samiti and zilla parishad. But the willingness he encountered while raising funds from villagers for the campaign already showed a potent anger was simmering on low flame among onion cultivators.
RAKIBUL HUSSAIN, 59 CONGRESS Dhubri, Assam
The five-time Samaguri MLA has never suffered from a deficit of electoral taurine, aptly enough for a more pugnacious moniker he has stopped using. In 2011, the Congress toro bravo from Nagaon district had thrown even ex-CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta in an assembly poll bullring. This time, he created history with the highest Lok Sabha victory margin ever: 1,012,476 votes.
The matador who lay gored was multi-millionaire perfume baron and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, who had won Dhubri since 2009. Not many fancied Hussain's chances: an Assamese speaker in a predominantly Bangla-flavoured immigrant zone, he was a 'non-non-native' in this 85 per cent Muslim seat. The surge of support for him against the self-attested proprietor of local Muslim affections, thus, also became a sign of mainstreaming. Now he's targeting another giant. His demand that six communities be given tribal status, if fulfilled, would make of Assam a tribal majority state. That would disqualify former close ally Himanta Biswa Sarma from CM-ship.
GURMEET SINGH MEET HAYER, 35 AAP Sangrur, Punjab
Bu hikaye India Today dergisinin July 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye India Today dergisinin July 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Screaming Success
Now Funny, Now Scary, This Genre Has Come Of Age In Hindi Cinema, Pulling In Audiences And Monster Returns At The Box Office
KING OF FRUITS
Sopan Joshi's Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango is an immersive, behind-the-scenes look at the world's most delicious fruit
HAVING THE LAST WORD
Writer, politician and wordsmith Shashi Tharoor is out with a book of essays celebrating the magical world of words
Indian Encore
The legendary tenor Plácido Domingo will be in Mumbai with the opera competition Operalia, which makes its debut in India
Charismatic Cat
Peppered with stunning illustrations, Caracal: An Intimate History of a Mysterious Cat is a deeply moving and meticulously researched account of the elusive felid
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
After a pandemic-induced hiatus, actor Sharvari is riding high with several back-to-back releases-from Munjya to Maharaj and Vedaa
Trial by Fire
Hounded by allegations of conflict of interest in the Adani probe and rising discontent among her own staff, the Sebi chief has much to answer for-and disclose
WE WILL ROCK YOU
India's winter concert season is looking great, with leading international stars and bands set to captivate audiences
PK WALKS THE BIG POLL TALK
Prashant Kishor, the ace of the backroom, joins the battle for Bihar with lofty ambitions. Can his armoury of new ideas upset the old equations?
LORD of the ROLES
VIKKANT MASSEY is nothing if not versatile, straddling the worlds of independent and commercial cinema with élan