India teaches USA

In almost every election in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, opposition parties have been accused of fielding dummy candidates or candidates with similar-sounding names to confuse voters. This practice has been going on for a long time. 

The idea is that a rival candidate, or someone allegedly backed by a rival political party, contests as an Independent candidate using a name very similar to that of a prominent candidate. The intention is supposedly to confuse voters and split the votes. 

There were several reported examples during the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, held on April 23, 2026. Here are a few: 

Perambur – Joseph Vijay (TVK): Two candidates with similar names, K. Vijay and Vijay G., were also in the fray. 

Royapuram – D. Jayakumar (AIADMK): Three other candidates reportedly had the same name, D. Jayakumar. 

Coimbatore South – V. Senthil Balaji (DMK): Five other candidates reportedly had the name Senthil. 

This kind of political tactic was never something we commonly associated with elections in the United States. But apparently, they have learned a few tricks from India! 

Now, we have an interesting situation in Alaska involving the U.S. Senate election. 

The candidates are: 

Democratic candidate Mary Peltola 

Republican candidate: Dan Sullivan 

Another candidate: Daniel J. Sullivan 

The Democratic Party has denied anything to do this third candidate, whose name is remarkably similar to that of the Republican incumbent. 

The controversy has escalated to the point where the Trump administration's Justice Department has sued, potentially seeking to block certification of Alaska's Senate election results if Republican Dan Sullivan narrowly loses. Alaska officials, however, argue that the federal lawsuit has no legal basis and threatens the state's authority to administer its own elections. 

As Tamil comedy actor Kavundamani would say: "Arasiyal-la ithellam saadhaaranam appa!" (In politics, all these things are normal, son!) 

Apparently, what we have been witnessing in Indian elections is no longer exclusive to India! 

Let's wait and see what happens when the results come out next Tuesday.

Seven Lives and One Not-So-Lucky

I am going to write about two people who were sentenced to death in the United States. 

1. Christa Pike 

In 1995, Christa Pike was 18 years old. She tortured and killed her classmate, Colleen Slemmer. For this crime, Pike was sentenced to death, while her boyfriend, 17-year-old Tadaryl Shipp, was sentenced to life in prison. The Supreme Court rejected her appeal. 

She never denied her guilt. 

According to the account, two doses of a lethal drug were ordered for her execution. On September 30, 2026, at 7:46 p.m. local time, prison officials reportedly administered the first dose of pentobarbital. A second dose was also administered. Officials reportedly used seven needles while trying to establish an IV line. However, she did not die and remained conscious. 

As of October 15, 2026, she reportedly remains alive following the failed execution attempt. 

She is said to be in the hospital, and some people have begun expressing sympathy for her. They are asking the Tennessee government to grant her clemency and change her death sentence to life imprisonment. 

2. Nidal Malik Hasan — Not So Lucky 

Nidal Malik Hasan is a former U.S. Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and injured 32 others at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. A military jury convicted him and sentenced him to death. 

The account claims that President Donald Trump approved his death sentence and that the Army announced plans to execute him by firing squad. 

Then came Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. 

He reportedly wanted the execution to be made public on December 3, 2026, so that people around the world could watch it. Vice President JD Vance reportedly said that he would not watch the execution. Some Army generals and leaders from both the Republican and Democratic parties were also said to oppose the plan. The account further claims that 95% of the public opposed it. 

Finally, President Trump reportedly overruled Secretary Hegseth and cancelled the public execution. However, according to the account, the execution was still scheduled to take place privately on December 3, 2026.

Mike Ditka

The legendary American Football Coach for the Chicago Bears and Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (86) passed away. 

Mike Ditka was in a way responsible for Barack Obama becoming the President of the USA. 

Obama was a nationally unknown State Senator in Illinois when he ran for U.S. Senator. He won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator in 2004. His Republican opponent was Jack Ryan. Jack withdrew after controversial allegations emerged from records related to his divorce. 

Ditka, a staunch Republican, considered running against Obama. Ditka was more famous in Chicago and the entire State of Illinois than Tendulkar in Mumbai and Maharashtra. He ultimately decided not to run. Had he run he would have easily won against Obama. And Obama’s political career may have come to an end. 

The Republican Party nominated a weak Alan Keyes and Obama won and became a U.S. Senator. The rest is history. 

Ditka “would later remark that the course of American history would have been different had he decided to pursue the office”. 

May he rest in peace.