Shilpa Shetty in Swachh Mission

PM Modi’s pet cleanliness initiative Swachh Mission has yet another brand ambassador. Urban development ministry, the nodal implementation agency, has roped in Shilpa Shetty for its new ad campaign where the Bollywood star would be seen championing the cause of cleanliness and discouraging people from littering on roads. Shetty has joined other Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Shankar Mahadevan as the mission’s ambassador.

The ‘Kamal’ idea in Tamil Nadu
If Panneerselvam’s sudden shedding of his docile self and emerging as a rebel against Sasikala made many suspect deft behindthe-scene play, Tamil Nadu political circles are intrigued by film star Kamal Haasan going prolific with political comments — both on Twitter and in interviews. Many wonder whether this ‘politically conscious Haasan’ — not seen during the Amma era — is sign of some force backing him, or is he getting ideas about a ‘kamal dream’ in the post-Jaya scenario.

Thinking of victory margin
All eyes are on Uttar Pradesh’s Kunda seat from where Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaia, is seeking sixth consecutive entry to the state assembly. Since 1993 he has not lost any election from this area. Raja Bhaia has appealed to the voters of his constituency to vote in large numbers. His supporters feel high polling would only increase the margin of Raja Bhaia’s victory in this election.



Elder Modi quite visible in Varanasi
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been busy campaigning in other parts of Uttar Pradesh, family presence is making its mark in his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi. The prime minister’s elder brother Som Modi has recently been in Varanasi to attend a number of events. The elder Modi was also quite visible in the city just ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.