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Good evening, We begin today with a tribute to Akash Deep, the fast bowler from Bihar whose stunning 10-wicket haul in the second Test against England etched a memorable victory for India. It would be incomplete not to glance back at Akash’s humble beginnings. At 18, he lost his father, and two years later, his brother due to the "dearth of medical facilities" at the small village of Dehri. Years later, when he made his international debut, the villagers pooled money to buy a generator so they could watch him bowl uninterrupted by power cuts. For the son of a teacher at a small school, it was a leap to envision a cricketing career, much less a star role in Birmingham. I will hand it over to my colleague Sriram Veera, who captures the rest of his remarkable journey in this moving and insightful column. On that note, let’s dive into today’s edition 👇🏽
📝 The Debrief The once estranged Thackeray cousins (Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj) shared a stage after nearly two decades in Mumbai on Saturday. The informal reunion, riding a wave of Marathi pride, however, has larger implications, threatening to turn Maharashtra politics on its head. The trigger: The Thackerays came together for a victory rally on Saturday, which was originally meant to protest against the now-disbanded three-language formula notified by the Maharashtra government. Following opposition, the Mahayuti alliance overturned its decision to introduce Hindi as a third language in primary schools. At the rally, Raj declared that this "unity for Marathi should remain intact." The history: The language agitation is by no means a new political arena. It has a long history going back decades and led to the creation of Maharashtra over 60 years ago. My colleague Shubhangi Khapre traces the history of language politics in the state. The domino effect: The row has resurfaced just in time for the local body elections in Maharashtra, which could redefine who holds power in the state, offering a lifeline to the struggling Thackerays or solidifying the BJP's position. Here's how the potential union could impact power players in the state: - The coming together of Bal Thackeray's son (Uddhav) and nephew (Raj) may shake Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's hold on the ‘original’ Shiv Sena. He may also face a major challenge on his turf, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and dent the Sena's chances in the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.
- A possible Thackeray alliance could consolidate the Marathi voter base, bruising the BJP's dominance in the state.
- For the Congress, the reunion throws up questions over its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) as shaking hands with Raj Thackeray, known for his anti-migrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric, would undermine its secular positioning.
Read my colleague Zeeshan Shaikh’s report for a detailed analysis.
✍️ From our newsroom Kingpin of the dark web: In today's edition, my colleague Shaju Philip shines a light on the strange case of Mulayamkottil Edison. On the face of it, Edison was an ordinary 35-year-old mechanical engineer. He comes from generational wealth and was considered a "silent, soft-spoken man". When he moved back to his hometown a few years ago, he was rarely seen around the neighbourhood, apart from the few minutes he would take to drop his toddler off at daycare every day. That changed on June 29, when sleuths from the Narcotic Control Bureau descended on his house to arrest him. Turns out Edison was allegedly a ‘level-four darknet vendor’, who went by the code name “Ketamelon”, selling LSD on the dark web. Philip traces Edison's turn to a startling life of crime.
🔎 Need to know Challenge: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a clutch of petitions challenging the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar on July 10. The exercise has come under scrutiny, with Opposition parties expressing concerns and voters decrying the lack of documents to prove their citizenship. Warning: US President Donald Trump has issued a fresh threat to the fast-growing BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) coalition, which now includes 10 nations. Trump threatened to impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on any country aligning itself with "anti-American policies of BRICS". BRICS members have earlier said that they do not seek to "replace the US dollar" but offer a "viable alternative that will aid the market in its perpetual mission for efficiency". Buzz, buzz: Is your locality plagued by mosquitoes every monsoon season? Andhra Pradesh has a solution! The government is set to launch its pilot project, called the Smart Mosquito Surveillance System (SMoSS), which will use AI-powered sensors and drones to detect mosquito species, their population density and weather markers to alert civic teams of increasing mosquito numbers in a particular area.
🎙️Expresso Playlist! In today’s Playlist, I recommend the latest ‘Critics at Large’ episode by The New Yorker, which takes a closer look at travel, at a time when the industry is struggling with overtourism, through some historical narratives and today’s cultural exports.
✋🏽 One last thing Is the era of influencing nearing its end? I leave you with this fascinating deep dive by The New York Times on how brands are reclaiming control over 'marketing' with Gen Z-targeted social media videos instead of relying on Internet celebrities. That’s all from me today. Thank you so much for reading this edition. If you enjoy the Evening Expresso, tell your friends to subscribe to the newsletter. You can do so by signing up for the Morning Expresso. Also, you can contact me via email for tips, feedback, or just a hello! 😀 Until next time,
Sonal Gupta | 
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