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By:

Akhilesh Sinha

25 June 2025 at 2:53:54 pm

India's multi-align diplomacy triumphs

New Delhi: West Asia has transformed into a battlefield rained by fireballs. Seas or land, everywhere echoes the roar of cataclysmic explosions, flickering flames, and swirling smoke clouds. et amid such adversity, Indian ships boldly waving the Tricolour navigate the strait undeterred, entering the Arabian Sea. More remarkably, Iran has sealed its airspace to global flights but opened it for the safe evacuation of Indians.   This scene evokes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's memorable 2014...

India's multi-align diplomacy triumphs

New Delhi: West Asia has transformed into a battlefield rained by fireballs. Seas or land, everywhere echoes the roar of cataclysmic explosions, flickering flames, and swirling smoke clouds. et amid such adversity, Indian ships boldly waving the Tricolour navigate the strait undeterred, entering the Arabian Sea. More remarkably, Iran has sealed its airspace to global flights but opened it for the safe evacuation of Indians.   This scene evokes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's memorable 2014 interview. He stated that "there was a time when we counted waves from the shore; now the time has come to take the helm and plunge into the ocean ourselves."   In a world racing toward conflict, Modi has proven India's foreign policy ranks among the world's finest. Guided by 'Nation First' and prioritising Indian safety and interests, it steadfastly embodies  'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' , the world as one family.   Policy Shines Modi's foreign policy shines with such clarity and patience that even as war flames engulf West Asian nations, Indians studying and working there return home safe. In just 13 days, nearly 100,000 were evacuated from Gulf war zones, mostly by air, some via Armenia by road. PM Modi talked with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian to secure Iran's airspace for the safe evacuation of Indians, a privilege denied to any other nation. Additionally, clearance was granted for Indian ships carrying crude oil and LPG to pass safely through the Hormuz Strait. No other country's vessels are navigating these waters, except for those of Iran's ally, China. The same strategy worked in the Ukraine-Russia war: talks with both presidents ensured safe corridors, repatriating over 23,000 students and businessmen. Iran, Israel, or America, all know India deems terrorism or war unjustifiable at any cost. PM Modi amplified anti-terror campaigns from UN to global platforms, earning open support from many nations.   Global Powerhouse Bolstered by robust foreign policy and economic foresight, India emerges as a global powerhouse, undeterred by tariff hurdles. Modi's adept diplomacy yields notable successes. Contrast this with Nehru's era: wedded to Non-Aligned Movement, he watched NAM member China seize vast Ladakh territory in war. Today, Modi's government signals clearly, India honors friends, spares no foes. Abandoning non-alignment, it embraces multi-alignment: respecting sovereignties while prioritizing human welfare and progress. The world shifts from unipolar or bipolar to multipolar dynamics.   Modi's policy hallmark is that India seal defense deals like the S-400 and others with Russia yet sustains US friendship. America bestows Legion of Merit; Russia, its highest civilian honor, Order of St. Andrew the Apostle. India nurtures ties with Israel, Palestine, Iran via bilateral talks. Saudi Arabia stands shoulder-to-shoulder across fronts; UAE trade exceeds $80 billion. UN's top environment award, UNEP Champions of the Earth, graces India, unlike past when foreign nations campaigned against us on ecological pretexts.   This policy's triumph roots in economic empowerment. India now ranks the world's fourth-largest economy, poised for third in 1-2 years. The 2000s dubbed it 'fragile'; then-PM economist Dr. Manmohan Singh led. Yet  'Modinomics'  prevailed. As COVID crippled supply chains, recession loomed, inflation soared and growth plunged in developed countries,  Modinomics  made India the 'bright star.' Inflation stayed controlled, growth above 6.2 per cent. IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas praised it, advising the world to learn from India.

Eyes on Uddhav over RS seat

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief may secure his berth in the Legislative Council over the Rajya Sabha seat

Mumbai: As the political dust settles from the municipal elections, a new crisis is brewing for Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray. The date May 13, 2026, looms large on the calendar—the day his tenure as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) expires.


In normal circumstances, a party chief’s re-election to the Upper House is a formality. But, in the current fractured landscape of Maharashtra politics, where the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is battling a numerical drought in the assembly, Uddhav Thackeray faces a stark "Sophie’s Choice": Sacrifice a Rajya Sabha seat for a loyal Shiv Sainik to secure his own political survival in the state legislature, or risk his Council seat to maintain the party's voice in Delhi.


The upcoming legislative elections are governed by a ruthless calculus. Seven Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra will fall vacant on April 2; while nine seats from Maharashtra legislative council are falling vacant on May 13. Quota to win one Rajya Sabha seat is approximately 37 votes; while for the legislative council seat, it is roughly 29 votes. The MVA, with a combined strength of just 46 MLAs (Congress, SS-UBT, and NCP-SP), finds itself in a precarious position.


The reality is very clear that the alliance has enough votes to comfortably elect only one candidate to the Rajya Sabha and only one candidate to the Legislative Council. This scarcity creates a direct conflict between the ambitions of the alliance partners and the survival needs of their leaders.


No Charity

Political observers suggest that the Congress, the Grand Old Party is reportedly in no mood for charity. However, the numbers are with the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Maharashtra legislative assembly. The equation being discussed in hushed tones is a "Seat-for-Seat" barter. If the Congress (or Sharad Pawar’s NCP) agrees to support Uddhav Thackeray as the sole consensus candidate for the Legislative Council seat, they will likely demand the Rajya Sabha seat in return.


This puts Uddhav in a bind. The Rajya Sabha seat is a prestigious post and giving it up means reducing the Sena’s footprint in Parliament.


For the Shiv Sena (UBT), the question is existential.


Being there as MLC is Uddhav’s necessity. He must remain a member of the legislature to continue leading the opposition charge effectively in the state. Losing his Council seat would strip him of his official legislative platform, reducing him to a purely organizational head—a risk he cannot afford with the Assembly elections on the horizon.


To secure his seat, Uddhav may have to "sacrifice" the Rajya Sabha aspirations of his loyalists. A seat that could have gone to a fiery orator or a senior organizational worker might have to be ceded to the Congress or NCP-SP (potentially for Sharad Pawar himself, if he chooses to contest) to buy their support for the Council polls.


RS Dilemma

The situation mirrors the Rajya Sabha dilemma involving Sharad Pawar. The NCP (SP) patriarch is also retiring. If he decides to seek re-election, the MVA will almost certainly rally behind him for the single Rajya Sabha seat. In that scenario, Uddhav’s path to the Council becomes smoother, as the "sacrifice" would be seen as a gesture to the alliance patriarch rather than a surrender to the Congress. However, if Pawar steps back, the Congress will aggressively stake a claim to the Rajya Sabha seat, forcing Uddhav to make the hard trade.


As negotiations heat up, the question on every Shiv Sainik’s mind is clear: Will the "Tiger" have to shrink his territory in Delhi to protect his den in Mumbai? The coming weeks will test not just the unity of the MVA, but Uddhav Thackeray’s ability to navigate the politics of compromise.

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