News Broadcasting
Brand new Shiv Sainiks: Amarr Upadhyay and Ajinkya Deo
MUMBAI: Next on ‘abhineta se neta tak’: television actor Amarr Upadhyay and Marathi – Hindi cinema actor Ajinkya Dev join the cast as fresh of the rolls Shiv Sainiks.
While the buddy party BJP has been in news with its celebrity endorsements, Shiv Sena seems to have decided to follow suit.
What with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’s Smriti ‘Tulsi’ Z Iraani waxing eloquent about the BJP, it seems appropriate that original ‘Mihir’ Upadhyay should plug the Sena ideologies. Adding to the glamour quotient is the ‘son-of -soil’ and Ramesh-Seema Deo’s progeny- Ajinkya.
Both Upadhyaya and Dev were officially annointed as Sena men in an event held at Chitrakoot Ground, Andheri, today around 7 pm with 5,000 Shiv Sainiks in attendance.
Speaking to indiantelevision.com Upadhyay offered, “I know Sanjay Nirupam (Sen Rajya Sabha MP) since the last five years. He has been a personal friend. And I am a follower of Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideologies. And I strongly feel that had Shiv Sena continued to be in power, Mumbai and Maharashtra would have had much more momentum in their progress.”
He says he decided to join the Sena as both he and his family love the frank and fearless Balasaheb Thackeray.
While he isn’t likely to contest for this election, he isn’t ruling out the possibility of standing in the next. But he is quick to add that it would all depend on Uddhav and Raj Thackeray.
Ajinkya Deo, meanwhile, the son of the Dilip Kumar and Saira Banoo of the Marathi film industry – Ramesh and Seema Deo – fits the bill as spokesperson for the Sena brigade. Marathi cinema’s original hunk is often remembered for his portrayal of a Maratha acrobat-turned-warrior in Sarjaa and then for memorable role in Marathi blockbuster Maherchi Saadi. After some forgettable stints in Hindi cinema, he had donned the director’s hat for various Marathi features and documentaries. He, however, could not be contacted for his comments.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
