Below the line - The HinduBusinessLineSENSEX 76,913.50 -582.86NIFTY 23,997.55 -180.10CRUDEOIL 9,653.00 -214.00GOLD 151,360.00+ 249.00SILVER 247,500.00+ 8,883.00SENSEX 76,913.50 -582.86NIFTY 23,997.55 -180.10NIFTY 23,997.55 -180.10CRUDEOIL 9,653.00 -214.00CRUDEOIL 9,653.00 -214.00GOLD 151,360.00+ 249.00'; } document.getElementById("lgdv").innerHTML = htmlElements; } function numberformat(i) { return Number(parseFloat(i).toFixed(2)).toLocaleString('en', { minimumFractionDigits: 2 }) } async function gatherResponse(response) { const { headers } = response; const contentType = headers.get('content-type') || ''; if (contentType.includes('application/json')) { return await response.json() } return response.text(); } function getWidth() { if (Math.max(document.body.scrollWidth,document.documentElement.scrollWidth,document.body.offsetWidth,document.documentElement.offsetWidth,document.documentElement.clientWidth) > 991) { document.getElementById("mob").style.display = "none"; document.getElementById("lgdv").style.display = "block"; } else { document.getElementById("mob").style.display = "block"; document.getElementById("lgdv").style.display = "none"; } } getWidth();]]>TVK leader Vijay at an election (file photo) | Photo Credit: BALACHANDAR LSeeking Divine interventionJoseph C. Vijay, founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), embarked on a multi-faith spiritual tour ahead of the Assembly election results set to be announced on Monday, seeking divine blessings at key religious centres across the country.He began his pilgrimage at the Tiruchendur Murugan Temple, where he offered prayers to Lord Murugan. Holding the ‘Vel’ — the deity’s sacred spear — Vijay performed ‘darshan’ at the coastal shrine before proceeding to the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple near Pune.Continuing his tour, he was supposed to visit Shrine Basilica Vailankanni Church in Velankanni, a prominent Christian pilgrimage site, and conclude his Yatra at the Nagore Dargah, an important Islamic shrine but this got cancelled at the last minute even as a large number of his fans assembled at the Church waiting to see him. With several exit polls predicting a strong performance by the TVK, Vijay’s outreach to multiple faiths underscores a carefully calibrated message of inclusivity, as he positions himself to emerge either as a ‘king’ or a potential ‘kingmaker’ in Tamil Nadu’s evolving political landscape.Golden opportunity?In a recent event a retired SEBI official was all praise for himself for conceptualising an idea to facilitate the common man buy gold coins and bars on MCX in the most transparent market driven price. What one wonders is why should investors buy gold at futures prices when they are paying the entire money today with an intention to take delivery. Other participants use the exchange platform only for hedging their risk. Moreover, futures prices are always at a premium to spot prices as it involves cost of carry and storage. This trend is not going to change in the near future given the geopolitical turmoil.Rudy’s mid-air roll callA routine IndiGo flight from Jammu to Delhi on May 1 had an unusual in-flight announcement: the pilot, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, casually welcomed Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Jitendra Singh, along with MPs Sanjay Jaiswal and Manoj Tiwari, turning a standard cockpit message into a mid-air political cameo.A former civil aviation minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Rudy has been repeatedly elected from Bihar’s Saran Lok Sabha constituency. Though his political prominence has waned over the years, he has stuck with flying, operating Airbus A320 aircraft in an honorary capacity. That makes him a rarity: among India’s politicians, only Rudy and the late Rajiv Gandhi have flown commercial passenger jets. Another famous airman, Rajesh Pilot, was an Indian Air Force officer, not a commercial airline pilot. Our BureausPublished on May 3, 2026Sign into Unlock benefits!Access 10 free stories per monthAccess to comment on every storySign up/Manage to our newslettersGet notified by email for early preview to new features, discounts & offers${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }