News Broadcasting
And now a ‘Feel Good Party’!
NEW DELHI: Popular satirist Jaspal Bhatti Wednesday floated a new political outfit – the “Feel Good Party” – and promptly went on to mock at the country’s political tribe.
And in keeping with the times, he said his party was ready to form an alliance with any other party, ideology be damned, and said the symbol of the party would be a “smiling cat” and “a smiling dog”.
“I was compelled to float such a party because the feel good atmosphere promoted by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is so powerful and so impressive,” Bhatti told IANS, tongue firmly in cheek.
“Its only agenda is to generate a feel-good feeling and keep that sensation going, no matter how bad people may be feeling.
“If we are voted, we promise to spend public money on promos and advertisements to keep up a constant feel good feeling.”
Bhatti, 48, an electrical engineer, has used his simple, yet hard-hitting comic style both in television serials, on stage and on the streets to get his message across and see that it hits home.
The feel good party would field candidates in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and “wherever the response is good”.
It is a “spoof” on political parties, and Bhatti has lampooned virtually every major political outfit of the country.
The party would have “no ideology”, he insisted, so that it would be that much easier to ally with just about anybody.
“We are open to an alliance with BJP or Congress, or even both,” he said straight-facedly.
And its prime ministerial candidate will only belong to the Bhatti family – a tribute to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty dominating the Congress party.
“Though our prime ministerial candidate will be a Bhatti, we will not announce any candidate until after the elections, so that there is no friction in the party.”
The entertainer continued: “First cousins will not be allowed – although grandchildren and even great grandchildren can join.”
The symbol of the party would be “a smiling cat” and “a smiling dog”.
Indecision?
“We have kept both symbols so that even if our party splits and we lose one symbol, the other will remain with us!”
The animals are, of course, grinning widely. “It is the feel-good factor,” reminds Bhatti.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
