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By:

Rajendra Pandharpure

15 April 2025 at 7:55:54 pm

The BJP’s Ganesha Gambit

Pune’s Ganeshotsav has become an enormous civic and political stage, and the ruling party has proved adept at occupying it. Pune: The city’s Ganeshotsav is entering its final phase, but the festival has already demonstrated something beyond its extraordinary crowds and familiar spectacle: the extent to which it has become a political stage. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has left a particularly visible imprint on the festivities, using an event that reaches deep into the city’s...

The BJP’s Ganesha Gambit

Pune’s Ganeshotsav has become an enormous civic and political stage, and the ruling party has proved adept at occupying it. Pune: The city’s Ganeshotsav is entering its final phase, but the festival has already demonstrated something beyond its extraordinary crowds and familiar spectacle: the extent to which it has become a political stage. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has left a particularly visible imprint on the festivities, using an event that reaches deep into the city’s neighbourhoods as an opportunity for public outreach. The political appropriation of the festival has not, however, been without a counter-current. Demands were raised for curbs on noise pollution, loudspeakers and the volume of dhol-tasha performances. The argument was not against Ganeshotsav itself, but for moderation - notably, a complete ban on DJ music and limits on the number of dhol and tasha instruments used by performing troupes. Familiar Troubles The festival’s reality has been rather different. Major roads have been occupied by mandaps. Processions celebrating the arrival of Lord Ganesha have unfolded amid punishing noise. DJ music, while subject to restrictions, has continued. Traffic congestion has become a familiar feature of the festival, with the movement of political leaders adding another layer to the city’s already strained roads. The Peth areas have remained crowded deep into the night. The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple has drawn enormous crowds for darshan from the opening day. From the old city to housing societies and neighbourhood mandals, Ganeshotsav touches virtually every part of Pune. For a political party seeking a direct connection with citizens, few occasions offer such a ready-made network of people, institutions and local influencers. The BJP enters this festival with an unusually formidable organisational base. It has two MPs, seven MLAs and more than 100 corporators in Pune. Murlidhar Mohol, one of the city’s MPs, is a Union Minister of State. Chandrakant Patil is a Cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government, while Madhuri Misal is a Minister of State. The party’s presence also extends into the festival’s organisational architecture. Its influence is visible across numerous mandals, large and small. BJP MLA Hemant Rasane is General Secretary of the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust. Kunal Tilak, a member of Lokmanya Tilak’s family, is a BJP corporator. The political and cultural histories of Pune therefore intersect in ways that are difficult to ignore. The BJP’s senior leadership has also made the most of the occasion. National President Nitin Nabin visited Pune to seek Lord Ganesha’s blessings, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the city before and during the festival. Such visits are about more than religious observance. In a festival watched by millions and embedded in the city’s social life, political visibility comes almost automatically. There is also talk in Pune that the BJP provided substantial financial support to Dhol-Lezim troupes and their organisers, with claims that some major mandals received financial backing as well. These claims would require independent verification, but the perception itself points to the depth of the political contest around Ganeshotsav. BJP workers, according to local observers, have also sought to make their presence more conspicuous than that of festivities organised by housing societies. Useful Expedient The festival arrives at a politically useful moment for the BJP. The party has faced disquiet on several fronts. Young people have been agitated over the paper-leak controversy. Broader public dissatisfaction has been voiced over inflation and unemployment, while government policies relating to ethanol and charges associated with UPI transactions have also generated criticism. While a political party can defend a policy in a press conference and advertise its achievements, during Ganeshotsav, its workers can be physically present in neighbourhoods, among processions, mandals, cultural groups and devotees. Politics thus becomes less about argument and more about visibility. That is the BJP’s advantage in Pune. Ganeshotsav, after all, is not simply a sequence of religious rituals. It is an elaborate civic network involving local organisers, volunteers, cultural groups, businesses, residents and political representatives. Whoever has influence over that network acquires a powerful channel of communication with the city. The BJP appears to understand this particularly well. Its strength in Pune’s electoral politics has been reinforced by a presence that extends beyond elections and into the institutions and social spaces that organise public life. The irony is that the very scale of the festival that makes it politically attractive also magnifies the civic costs. The political value of Ganeshotsav and the civic burden it creates are therefore two sides of the same phenomenon. For Pune, the larger question is not whether politics has entered Ganeshotsav. It has done so for decades. The more consequential question is whether the festival’s extraordinary social capital will remain primarily a vehicle for political outreach or whether the same influence can be used to reconcile celebration with the ordinary civic needs of the city. For the moment, the BJP seems to have understood the first proposition better than most.

The Business Growth Secret Hiding in Your Story

Writer: Divyaa Advaani 
Divyaa Advaani 
Oct 3, 2025
3 min read

In today’s competitive world, business owners and professionals are constantly chasing growth, revenue, and new clients. Many believe that if their work is good enough, it will speak for itself. Others dismiss storytelling as unnecessary or even indulgent. After all, what does telling your story have to do with closing a deal or running a business? The answer, though often overlooked, is everything.


The greatest brands and leaders in history have understood that people remember stories more than products, logos, or job titles. Logos fade. Professions change. Industries evolve. What remains etched in memory is the story that someone told and the way it made us feel. Yet many business owners fail to recognize the power of this tool. Some feel they don’t have a story at all, that their business simply “started one day.”


Others underestimate its impact, believing that transactions are all that matter. What they fail to realize is that in a marketplace overflowing with choices, it is the human connection created through stories that makes someone choose you over another. I have seen this not only in global icons but also in my own journey.


My personal experiences, both struggles and successes, have become the foundation of my work. Sharing them openly has not only built trust but also made people connect with me at a deeper level. It is not about narrating a perfect tale; it is about revealing the human side behind the brand. And there is an art to it. The way a story is delivered can make it either fall flat or resonate so strongly that the listener feels as if it is also their own.


A good story is never just about you; it is about how your audience sees themselves in your journey. The irony is that the very business owners who dismiss storytelling as a distraction often complain about struggling to stand out or to attract loyal clients. They continue to focus on features, benefits, and pitches, unaware that these things are easily forgotten. What people truly carry with them is the emotional memory of an encounter — and stories are what create that. Without them, even the best brands risk being invisible.


The good news is that storytelling does not demand a dramatic rags-to-riches journey. It does not require exaggeration or a stage-worthy performance. Some of the most powerful stories are the simplest ones: the reason you chose your profession, the turning point that shaped your vision, the challenge you overcame that taught you resilience, or even the values that guide your everyday work. These are the narratives that breathe life into a personal brand, giving it both authenticity and relatability.


When people tell me they don’t have a story, I remind them that life itself is a series of stories. The problem is not the absence of one but the inability to see it. That is where the real work begins — uncovering those moments, shaping them, and then sharing them in a way that touches the people who matter to your growth. Done right, storytelling is not just a communication skill; it is a business strategy. It is the bridge that turns a transactional relationship into a long-term connection.


The truth is simple: people may forget your pitch, your designation, or even your company name. But they will not forget a story that made them pause, reflect, or feel understood. That story becomes the anchor of your personal brand, the reason someone remembers you long after the conversation ends, and the reason they come back or recommend you when opportunities arise.


For leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals who have been putting storytelling aside, it is no longer optional. It is the missing link between where you are today and where you aspire to be. And if you believe you don’t know how to begin or what to share, that is exactly where I can help. Because your story is already within you — it only needs to be uncovered, shaped, and told with authenticity. If you’re ready to uncover and shape the story that will set you apart, I’d be delighted to help you craft it. Reach out, let’s connect, and together we can make sure your story is not just heard, but remembered.


LinkedIn: DivyaaAdvaani Instagram: @suaveu6 YouTube: @suaveu


(The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

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