Wasim Jaffer named Odisha chief coach
Cuttack, Jul 14: Former Test opener and domestic doyen Wasim Jaffer on Wednesday has been chosen as the chief coach of the Odisha senior side for the upcoming domestic season.
"He (Jaffer) will be the head coach. He has been given a two-year contract," Subrata Behera, Odisha Cricket Association CEO told PTI.
The decision was taken following a meeting of OCA's Cricket Advisory Committee as Jaffer would replace former state captain Rashmi Ranjan Parida, who was at the helm for two seasons.
"Besides development of cricket across all age-groups, he (Jaffer) will also be a part of coaches development programme across the state," OCA secretary Sanjay Behera said in a statement.
This will be Jaffer's second stint as the head coach of any state team. Following his retirement in March 2020, Jaffer, who is the leading run-getter in Ranji Trophy, had coached Uttarakhand but he later resigned following a fall-out with the Association.
Jaffer, who has played 31 Tests and 2 ODIs, is also the batting coach of Kings XI Punjab, which plays in the cash-rich Indian Premier League.
The Mumbai stalwart, who later played for Vidarbha at the fag end of his illustrious career winning back-to-back Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup.
Odisha had last reached quarters in the 2019-20 season when they lost to Bengal and batting has been the team's weakness for a long-time.
The camp for the senior team is slated to begin from July 25, subject to the state government's approval keeping mind of the COVID-19 guidelines.
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Electoral trusts fill BJP coffers after scrapping of electoral bonds, shows ECI website
New Delhi: Contrary to expectations that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be adversely affected by the Supreme Court’s scrapping of the electoral bonds scheme in February 2024, the party’s finances have seen a significant boost in 2024–25 through electoral trusts. It has emerged that electoral trusts alone donated ₹2,577 crore to the BJP during this period.
Following the abolition of electoral bonds, corporate donors seeking partial anonymity appear to have shifted to the electoral trust route, with the BJP continuing to be the largest beneficiary.
According to data available on the Election Commission of India’s website, a total of ₹4,276 crore was donated through electoral trusts, of which the ruling BJP received 83.6 per cent. Compared to 2023–24, corporate donations flowing to the BJP have increased nearly fourfold. The Congress received 7.3 per cent of the total donations, while the Trinamool Congress accounted for 3.6 per cent.
Donations received through electoral trusts constitute only a portion of the total funds collected by political parties. Parties also receive contributions directly from individuals, corporates, institutions and charitable organisations. Over the past several years, donations from sources other than electoral trusts have also shown a steady increase.
