News Broadcasting
Star makes open offer for 20 % stake in Balaji
MUMBAI: Following up on the announcement made last week that Star Group affiliate Asian Broadcasting FZ LLC (ABF) was to take a 25.1 per cent stake in Balaji Telefilms, an open offer has been made by ABF to the shareholders of the production major.
ABF is to make an open offer to Balaji shareholders for acquiring a 20 per cent stake in India’s leading television soap factory at a price of Rs 90 per share aggregating Rs 1173.8 million payable in cash.
The open offer is for 13,042,089 fully paid up equity shares of Rs 2 each, representing 20 per cent of the voting post issue equity capital of Balaji at a price of Rs 90 per share, fund manager to the offer DSP Merrill Lynch informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) today. The offer opens on 18 October 18 and closes on 16 November.
No other person is acting in concert with the ABF for the offer, DSP Merrill Lynch said, adding the offer was not conditional on any minimum level of acceptance by the share holders.
In a related development meanwhile, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has initiated an investigation into charges of insider trading against Balaji in the run up to the announcement of the deal with Star, Sebi officials confirmed to indiantelevision.com. Sebi officials admitted to having initiated the process of gathering data but declined to divulge any further developments.
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
