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Some BJP ruled states will witness a change of guard in the coming days starting with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel seeking relief from public service to tend to his ailing son (Short Post reported earlier). Other CMs on the block include Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Odisha although the last incumbent Mohan Charan Majhi was issued the ‘Perform or Perish’ diktat having only recently assumed power. Rajasthan’s deteriorating law and order scenario queered the pitch for Bhajan Lal Sharma, installed at expense of the Rani of Dhaulpur, Vasundhara Raje first placed on probation (as BJP LoP) by PM Narendra Modi, then shrugged off, with state assemblies being fought under Modi’s name. Rice bowl of India, Chhattisgarh’s tribal CM Vishnu Deo Sai is also in cross hair of BJP high command for inability to grow party ideology in erstwhile Congress ruled state and, being invisible unlike his Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand counterparts. To non-corrupt Sai’s credit, he recently introduced anti-conversion law, mobilized anti-naxalite operations. Rajasthan’s Brahmin CM Lal, however, made rounds of New Delhi (thrice in recent weeks), may be replaced by Rajput Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. UP governor (former Gujarat CM) Anandiben Patel held consultations with PM Modi to address her home state CM issue with Union Sports, Youth Affairs Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya’s name being considered. As senior BJP leader Mahendra Jain, however, puts it, “PM Modi listens to all but takes decisions on his own!” While steeped in corruption owing to alliance politics, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis remains the PM’s blue-eyed boy.
The Tata-IPL-18 is nearing its conclusion with the title match to be played between the United Spirits-owned Royal Challengers Bengaluru that paid $ 111.6 mn to acquire the Bengaluru franchise in 2007 and the winner of the Qualifier 2 between five times winner, the Ambani-owned Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta and Karan Paul. One among the three will be crowned on Wednesday (June 3) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. But the story of this year’s IPL is the rise of a few fantastic batters, bowlers and all rounders which confirms a belief that India can field two Men in Blue teams in the Twenty20 format at least. The tournament began with known culprits set to dominate, but the cricketing fraternity is already talking about budding stars like the Rajasthan Royal’s 14-year old left-hander Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Punjab Kings’ batters Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh and Nehal Wadhera, and left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar, Chennai Super Kings’ batter Ayush Mhatre and fast bowler Anshul Kamboj, Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Aniket Verma, Delhi Capitals’ allrounder Vipraj Nigam and wicketkeeper-batter Abhishek Porel, RCB leg spinner Suyash Sharma and seamer Yash Dayal, Gujarat Titans’ left arm spinner Sai Kishore, Mumbai Indians’ lower order batter Naman Dhir are the new faces who have excelled in their roles. The ongoing season has thrown fresh talents and the national selection committee will have plenty to look at the basket when the time comes to pick the squad for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka. The IPL has truly turned out to be a talent feeder for the national team.
In a throwback of sorts to his clash with TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee that had marked his didi-oh-didi campaign in the last West Bengal assembly election, incumbent CM made a personal jibe about PM Modi’s estranged wife setting off a vicious cycle of personal attacks. A controversy apparently erupted following PM Modi’s rally in Alipurduar on May 27, where he, without naming Mamata, had sharply criticised her government and the TMC. In response, Mamata at a presser called out Modi’s “politicisation of Operation Sindoor”. She transgressed the political line with a personal jibe: “Remember that every woman has respect. They take sindoor from their husbands… Modiji is talking this way. You are not every woman’s husband… why don’t you give sindoor to your Missus first?” Apparently Mamata attacked Modi on the basis of unfounded media reports that BJP was going to distribute sindoor to women. Later, realising the inappropriateness of her comment, she immediately apologised while blaming Modi for provoking her. “I am sorry to say this. I shouldn’t get into all this. But you are compelling us now to open our mouths.” Instead of accepting Mamata’s apology, BJP’s State unit chief Sukanta Majumdar and LoP Suvendu Adhikari launched a coordinated retaliation that targeted not just Mamata’s alleged personal conduct but also her humble origins and socio-economic background. The situation reached a disturbing climax in Chinsurah, Hooghly, where BJP women workers forcibly applied sindoor on female police officers who were trying to disperse their protest. The incident drew criticism even from within the BJP’s own state unit. The episode highlights how personal attacks and identity politics have increasingly dominated Bengal’s political landscape, with both major parties crossing traditional boundaries of political propriety and raising serious questions about the health of democratic discourse in the state.
The investigation into the flooding that derails Mumbai every monsoon took a Bollywood twist with the entry of actor Dino Morea. Dino and his brother Santino spent two days of long hours of questioning at the Mumbai office of the Economic Offences Wing after being accused of indulging in financial irregularities in the desilting work of the critical Mithi river that runs through the heart of the city, flooding and derailing it every year. While the investigation against flooding in Mumbai against two companies, three brokers, five contractors and three civic officials, are essentially being perceived as attempts to target the Thackeray family that has been ruling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation uninterruptedly from 2005 to 2022, Dino landed in it thanks to recorded telephonic conversations with middlemen Ketan Kadam. Incidentally, this is not the first case where Dino has landed in legal trouble due to his association with Aaditya Thackeray. He has also been linked earlier in the Disha Salian murder case, chiefly by Nitesh Rane. The Rane’s and Thackeray’s share a turbulent relationship since the exit of family patriarch Narayan Rane’s from the original Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. Since then, they have been known to take potshots regularly at the Thackeray family right through Rane’s journey from Sena to Congress to BJP. Not surprisingly, Nitesh Rane, Maharashtra’s fisheries and port development minister, derisively termed Dino Morea as the daughter-in-law of the Thackeray residence Matoshree. Aaditya countered by pointing out to Dino’s Christmas celebration with prime minister Narendra Modi at his Delhi residence.
The Indian cinema landscape is undergoing a transformative phase, characterized by bold choices and innovative storytelling. Aamir Khan’s decision to release his ambitious film, Sitare Zameen Par on YouTube channels instead of traditional OTT platforms exemplifies this shift. This choice aims to reach a broader audience, tapping into the millions who turn to YouTube for entertainment. By opting for this route, Khan seeks to engage a diverse demographic, ensuring that the film’s poignant themes of childhood, creativity, and the nurturing of talent resonate across various backgrounds. Sitare Zameen Par is set to spark conversations and inspire change in societal perceptions regarding education and artistic expression. Conversely, Sajid Khan’s Housefull 5 takes a different approach within the same industry. Renowned for its comedic flair, the Housefull franchise embraces the absurd and entertaining. This latest instalment promises to innovate further by introducing multiple endings, a groundbreaking concept in Indian cinema. This narrative technique will witness different endings in different Cinema and in fact, different screens as well. Such an approach could redefine audience excitement in the suspense genre in Bollywood, encouraging future filmmakers to explore unconventional storytelling methods. Both films, despite their differing genres, highlight the willingness of Indian filmmakers to experiment and take risks. Aamir Khan focuses on socially relevant themes, while Sajid Khan delivers entertaining escapism, showcasing the diverse storytelling that Indian cinema is embracing. As filmmakers navigate the digital landscape, blending traditional and modern distribution methods will likely become more common. With both Sitare Zameen Par and Housefull 5 exemplifying the coexistence of meaningful narratives and entertaining spectacles, audiences are invited to engage with some experiments as well.
Recently, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar (DKS) and home minister Dr G Parameshwara met AICC General Secretaries, KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, separately and discussed the recent political developments. According to a highly placed source, during the meeting, DKS insisted that the power sharing agreement should be honoured and Siddaramaiah should demit office after completing his two-and-a-half-year tenure in October 2025. The recent ED raid on educational institutions linked to Parameshwara with regard to the Ranya Rao gold smuggling case also figured in the discussions. It may be recalled that DKS, after meeting Parameshwara soon after the raids, had said the home minister had gifted Ranya Rao Rs 40 lakh. But this statement had not gone down well with several Congress leaders including Dr Parameshwara. Venugopal and Surjewala also met the aspirants for MLC elections, as four seats have been vacant for over seven months. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah showed up at the residence of his bete noire and senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad’s house for breakfast signalling a desire to bury their hatchet. The breakfast meeting, which came a day after Congress general secretaries met with Siddaramaiah and his deputy DKS, raised eyebrows in political circles. It is being said that Siddaramaiah wants Hariprasad to talk to the Congress’ top brass about inducting new ministers. The outreach with Gandhi family loyalist Hariprasad is also seen as Siddaramaiah’s way of trying to be on good terms with ‘original ‘ Congressmen and alienate strong leaders like DKS. Parameshwara’s proximity with the CM is already visible. Apparently, DKS — who is eyeing Siddaramaiah’s chair — is not in favour of a Cabinet reshuffle. The buzz is that DKS wants a new ministry when he becomes the CM.
In 1991, Kerala was declared as the first fully literate state in India. In 2025, another award awaits it, India’s first digitally literate state. According to MB Rajesh, the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) minister, President Droupadi Murmu is expected to make the announcement during her next visit to Kerala. As part of a plan to digitally empower citizens, the LSGD launched — Digi Kerala in 2023. The plan was to identify people in the age group of 14 to 65 years who do not have basic digital knowledge. The survey which covered 1.5 crore people from over 83 lakh families in the state, identified 22 lakh people who were digitally illiterate. According to Rajesh, around 99% of the individuals passed the evaluation after formal training. In 2022, Pullampara, in Thiruvananthapuram, was declared the first fully digital literate panchayat in India. LSGD designed the Digi Kerala initiative taking inspiration from the panchayat’s success. According to the Minister, digital literacy is essential for every citizen in today’s tech driven world and Kerala has been a model state when it comes to literacy. All public delivery services have been digitised and it’s essential for the common man to have digital knowledge to avail all services. The digitally illiterate citizens were identified with the help of mobile applications using services of volunteers from Kudumbashree, a women powered entity, NSS (National Service Scheme), NCC, Library council and state literacy mission. Digital literacy was imparted through modules designed by Kerala Institute of Local Administration.
Kamal Haasan, Ulaga Nayagan (world hero) for his drooling fans turned Ularal Nayagan (Blabbermouth) by his Kannada was born from Tamil comment. The timing of his comment made the film trade nervous. His movie Thug Life is all set to hit cinemas in the South on June 5. Already Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are at loggerheads over sharing of Cauvery waters. This misplaced claim could jeopardise the film’s showing in Karnataka, a big market for Tamil films. Legendary director Mani Rathnam was presiding over the razzmatazz promos with his marquee cast on stage when a pap asked Rathnam, “You have teamed up with Kamal after 38 years. Would Thalapathy Rajini also get a film from you after 35 years?” Rathnam, as his wont, did not wade into this “intellectual” research. With great care he said “we have to consider his market, availability and most important a script equal to his magnetism, a long list of conditions”. Such diplomacy and discretion were scattered in the winds when Kamal turned Ularal Nayakan by his declaration that Kannada was the offspring of Tamil. Threats of Thug Life boycott and angry protests erupted just as quickly …but Kamal being Kamal refused to apologise. Kamal who has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha with the backing from MK Stalin was perhaps keen to prove his loyalty to Tamil and Stalin, stuck to his stand. Kamal was scorched by critics who alleged that his party MNM was pledged like Panchali in the gamble of the Mahabharat. Thug Life needed just one more embellishment, the cherry on the I scream…K Krishnaswamy, founder of Puthiya Tamizhagam said “The title Thug Life is not acceptable…as Thuggery has a very bad connotation. Why don’t you change the title to a more positive one?
The decision by all seven NCP MLAs in Nagaland to merge with chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) will have major repercussions on the political developments in Maharashtra. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has reacted to the development with a stiff upper lip but his ambition to make his NCP faction a ‘recognised’ national-level party will face a setback. As a result of this sudden change, the clout of Pawar in the three-party saffron alliance in the state will be dented. Even otherwise, Ajit has been caught in a tight corner time and again. The latest is the inclusion of senior OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal in the cabinet. Although Bhujbal’s comeback will please a section of the OBC vote bank, it has adverse implications on the politics in Nasik district, an important belt in north Maharashtra. Followers of Ajit Pawar and another deputy CM Eknath Shinde, have not reacted kindly to Bhujbal’s induction. Similarly, the Maratha lobby in Ajit’s party is upset though there are no public statements. It is no secret that Bhujbal wishes to be appointed guardian minister of Nasik district. However, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has remained evasive about any decision so far. His right-hand Girish Mahajan, too, is eyeing the same post. The issue assumes significance against the backdrop of the Kumbh Mela, which takes off in Nasik late next year. The tussle between the two will be watched by both sides, indirectly impacting Ajit’s position either way.
This Durga Puja, Bengali movie buffs are in for a treat as three highly anticipated films — Debi Chowdhurani, Raktabeej 2 and Raghu Dakat –will hit the silver screen promising a blend of history, drama, and star-studded performances. Director Subhrajit Mitra’s Debi Chowdhurani based on Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic novel, explores the anti-British Sannyasi Rebellion and features Srabanti Chatterjee in the titular role alongside Prosenjit Chatterjee as Bhavani Pathak. Initially slated for an Independence Day release, the film, produced by Aparna Dasgupta’s Edited Motion Pictures, is now locked for a Puja debut. Subhajit points out that Big-budget films are typically reserved for Puja—it gives us time for extensive promotions. Meanwhile, acclaimed director duo Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee have commenced shooting for Raktabeej 2, the much-anticipated sequel to their 2023 hit Raktabeej. With Abir Chatterjee, Mimi Chakraborty, and Kanchan Mullick in key roles, the film promises a captivating blend of drama, emotion, and gripping storytelling—hallmarks of the duo’s work. The original film left a deep impact with Victor Banerjee’s portrayal of the former president, Late Pranab Mukherjee, highlighting socio-political tensions and real-life incidents. Adding to the festive buzz, Dhrubo Banerjee’s Raghu Dakat, starring Dev in the lead, aims to bring history alive with thrilling action and drama. Backed by Dev Entertainment Ventures and SVF, the film chronicles the life of the legendary Robin Hood-like figure who emerged during Bengal’s turbulent times. The ensemble cast includes Anirban Bhattacharya, Sohini Sarkar, and the much-awaited return of Roopa Ganguly.
In a hurry to show “mamu” Shivraj Singh Chouhan the door, did PM Modi go for an unflattering pick in Madhya Pradesh? Well, that’s what came across when news of Mohan Yadav, an OBC leader and three-time BJP MLA, replaced a popular leader such as Shivraj, who has been CM for18 years. Party cadres and leaders were shell- shocked that no courtesies were shown to either Shivraj or seniors like Narendra Tomar, Kailash Vijayvargiya and Prahlad Patel who had contested the polls. While Tomar has been offered the Speaker’s post, Patel who belongs to the influential Lodh community was in the race for CM’s post. Was Modi making the same mistake in Madhya Pradesh that he did in Uttarakhand where he had tried a series of three CMs before settling for Pushkar Singh Dhami? Or is he trying to reduce MP to Gujarat, where only Modi Guarantee would matter. Yadav was apparently not aware that he was being picked for the top job. Party sources say that what went in Yadav’s favour was he was seen as a vocal Hindutva leader. As a higher education minister he had announced plans to make Hindu epic ‘Ramcharitmanas’ as an optional subject in colleges in 2021. But then he got embroiled in the controversy of alleged irregularities in the construction of Mahakal Lok corridor. Not many can forget that the 900-metre-long corridor had suffered damage in May due to a windstorm. The Congress had made it a poll issue in his election. Did Modi pick him only because he managed to defeat the Congress?
The I-T department has seized ‘unaccounted’ cash amounting to upwards of Rs 300 crore in multiple raids across Odisha and Jharkhand reportedly linked to Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu. Even while the department has apparently been still trying to get more counting machines to record its haul, the Congress has been battling to disown any connection with Sahu’s cash hoarding. In fact even before I-T put a final figure to Sahu’s cash stash, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh pontificated about how ”only the MP can and should explain” how the huge amounts of cash that “have been reportedly unearthed by the I-T authorities from his properties”. He clarified that the Congress had nothing to do with Sahu’s business. But then images of cash bundles stock-piled in Dhiraj’s home got BJP leader Amit Malviya to post a video linking Dhiraj with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, dubbing it a journey to connect “the thieves of India”. Malviya captioned the video “Congress is CorruptionKiDukan”. “Nearly Rs 300 crore recovered from the premises of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu in Jharkhand is a living proof of this.” Meanwhile, Sahu’s colleagues are surprised how he managed so many terms in the Parliament without substantially participating in the proceedings. “He hardly opened his mouth in the House. The raids now reveal his real clout in the party,” recalled an old timer.
In a much anticipated move, the BJP picked up a tribal leader and former Union Minister Vishnu Deo Sai as its new chief minister of Chhattisgarh. BJP leader and Union Minister Renuka Singh Saruta, who was in the race described Sai’s selection as “for the first time a party worker from the tribal community belonging to a farmer’s family has been elected”. She underscored the fact that Sai had won the recently concluded assembly polls from Kunkuri in north Chhattisgarh, a region that the BJP had swept picking up all the 14 seats in the region. It was in this region that the BJP managed to defeat the Congress including its deputy chief minister TS Singhdeo from Ambikapur by 94 votes. In the run up to the elections, home minister Amit Shah while addressing a meeting in Sai’s constituency had already indicated that he would get an important assignment if he was elected. Besides, Sai became a natural choice as he is considered close to former CM Raman Singh. Having been a prominent figure in the BJP, Sai has held various positions as he hails from the influential Sahu (Teli) community which has a sizable presence in the Durg, Raipur and Bilaspur divisions. He served as BJP State President from 2020 until 2022. And has also worked with PM Modi in his first cabinet. In fact after being appointed, all that Sai had to say was “I will work to fulfil ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’. Congress leaders conceded that they could never have a tribal CM in the state after late Ajit Jogi — the state’s first CM –got ruled out as an ST in 2019.
BSP supremo Mayawati officially appointed nephew Akash Anand as her successor in the party. She will, however, continue to monitor Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In naming her UK educated nephew Akash as her political heir, Mayawati may not have disappointed those who have worked closely with her. Anand’s appointment comes days after the BSP drew blank in the recent round of assembly elections where Mayawati had made an effort to campaign Akash’s name. His name figured in the second place in the list of BSP’s star campaigners for the Himachal Pradesh assembly election. However, Akash’s steady rise in BSP has come with a cost as it has alienated all those who worked with Mayawati as a team. “All those who founded BSP have left. She has named a successor only to manage BSP properties. The BSP which was a movement that we all long worked for is now virtually over,” pointed out a former BSP leader. He recalled how over the years the party has been steadily losing steam. “We came to power on our own in Uttar Pradesh in 2007 with 205 MLAs — that was a year after Kanshi Ram passed away. There was a huge sympathy wave in favour of the BSP. In 2012, our numbers went down to 80 MLAs. In 2017 our numbers was reduced to 19 and in 2022 only one BSP MLA won. In 2027, I can see we will be wiped out,” predicts Ambeth Rajan, who had once worked with Mayawati.
Normally a Congress MP’s meeting with party president Mallikarjun Kharge should not be news. However Karti Chidambaram’s meeting with Kharge created a buzz that the Sivaganga MP could be in the reckoning to be the next PCC chief of Tamil Nadu. While Kharge may have no issue promoting a younger leader like Karti, it is not clear if Rahul Gandhi would accept him. For the past few days, Karti was seen toeing the party’s official line. Like he came out completely denouncing the move to expel Mahua Moitra for sharing her login password. Party sources said ahead of Lok Sabha 2024 polls, the Tamil Nadu unit has been looking for a new PCC chief. Incumbent party chief KS Alagiri is originally a P Chidambaram loyalist but he may now find he does not enjoy that sort of support within the state unit. Except perhaps from CWC member and Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore. As AICC functionary, Tagore has apparently been batting for extending Alagiri’s term till the Lok Sabha polls. Sources say Tagore is rooting for this as he is eyeing the post once the polls are over. Karur MP S Jothimani is known to be close to Rahul Gandhi. However, some of her initiatives such as landing up in Manipur uninvited when Rahul was there irked the leadership. She tried to recover the loss of face by launching baseless attacks on TN BJP chief K Annamalai. But nothing seems to be working for her.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha on the cash-for-query case within hours of the Ethics Committee tabling its recommendations. Mahua was not allowed to speak in the House following a 2005 precedent set by former Speaker Somnath Chatterjee when 10 MPs and one Rajya Sabha MP were expelled from the Parliament following a sting operation by Cobra Post in a cash-for-query scam. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla largely relied on Chatterjee’s ruling to conduct the proceedings which went off quite smoothly. Both the Congress and the TMC insisted that Mahua should be given a chance to say her version. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahald Joshi made it clear that since in 2005 the MPs who were expelled did not get a chance to speak. Ethics Panel member Aparajita Sarangi pointed out how Mahua did not use the opportunity the panel gave her to put out her version; she had walked out mid-way. The BJP fielded a tribal MP from Maharashtra, Dr Heena Gavit, to explain the enormity of Moitra’s action — how it had brought disprute to class of MPs as such and this stigma had to be removed through harsh steps. After the House expelled her, Mahua read out from a prepared text outside the Lok Sabha, cheered by senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Perhaps the hiccups in the I.N.D. I.A.front post Congress rout in assembly polls also got a makeover. Mahua’s expulsion from Lok Sabha temporarily united the Opposition.
Looks like the Congress has still not come to terms with the results of the Hindi heartland with a section of the party blaming it squarely on the EVMs. In fact the party seemed so split on the issue that former MP Digvijay Singh claimed that “any machine with a chip” could be hacked; he even ignored the fact that the Congress had won Telangana and Karnataka through EVMs. Kamal Nath complained that some candidates did not even get 50 votes in their villages. It is not clear if the Congress leaders actually started believing in the media hype they were winning the four state assembly polls. In contrast, Karti Chidambaram, Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, came out completely endorsing the EVMs. Digvijay Singh admitted that he had been opposing EVMs ever since they were introduced in the 2003 assembly elections under the Supreme Court orders. The EVMs were first used in 2004 Lok Sabha polls which had brought UPA-1 to power. With the BJP winning 163 seats in the 230-member assembly in MP, Singh appealed to SC and EC to save “democracy”. Of course, if he had only seen the kind of work and effort BJP leadership had put in his state — 40 lakh karyakartas working through the year reaching out to 64,000 polling booths to reach 51 % vote share as part of Amit Shah’s strategy.
An unusual tweet from PM Modi’s handle caught everyone’s one eye. It was the use of emojis in the post that had gone viral. Modi took a sharp dig at the “anti-BJP forces” after the Congress’s dismal performance in the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in recently held polls. What had redeemed the Congress prestige was its win in Telangana. Endorsing a TV Today anchor’s clip “Melt down e Azam” that chided the Opposition for building a new narrative of North-South divide to explain why voters in the North and the South voted differently, Modi suggested that “May they be happy with their arrogance, lies, pessimism and ignorance”. At the same time, the PM warned about their alleged “divisive agenda”, saying “an old habit of 70 years can’t go away so easily. For some reason DMK MP Senthil Kumar picked up this narrative and mocked BJP victory in the North by saying it can only win in Gomutra states. “They can’t come to South India.” Even as his comments were expunged by the Chair, the MP remained defiant as he went on live on TV channels. It is being said it was a livid Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin who got Dr Senthil Kumar. S to apologise via a tweet as he did not want it to be a mega controversy like his son’s Udhayanidhi’s remarks on sanatan dharma.
No sooner did the assembly results indicated that the BJP was winning the three states in the Hindi heartland — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, a Congress spokesperson was alert enough to embark on her next important political task. That of insulating both Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka from any blame of losing these polls. She promptly told a national TV, “Can we blame our CMs and our PCC chiefs who were given full freedom, for failing to deliver the states?” She was referring to the leeway and free hand given to outgoing CMs Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, and Kamal Nath as PCC chief in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress high command had not interfered at all in election work in these three states, but Gandhis did offer Karnataka-like guarantees. Yet people seem to have opted for PM Modi’s assurance of delivery on governance. The much awaited reality of Ram Mandir being open to people from January 2024 also seems to have worked on the voters. If anything came as a surprise, Congress sources admitted that it was losing Chhattisgarh from its fold. As Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam tersely put it, the party had been sunk by the curse of “sanatan dharma”. As for winning Telangana, the Congress feels it has only the BJP to thank for. If the BJP had not removed Bandi Sanjay Kumar as state chief “We wouldn’t have been voted in. Everyone was sick and tired of KCR and his family,” says a Congress leader.
The Congress in Telangana is hopelessly caught in a cleft stick on the ‘Rythu Bandhu’– a popular scheme of fund transfer to farmers managed by the BRS Government. The party is not sure if it had protested too much and stopped the scheme just ahead of polling on November 30. Would the farmers be angry with the Congress that it had stopped the disbursal of the funds on a silly pretext? After all, the incumbent government BRS government had secured permission from the ECI on November 24 to disburse funds under the scheme. With 10 rounds of ‘Rythu Bandhu’ already disbursed to 73 lakh farmers the current round would have been extended to all, beginning November 28.The ECI, which granted permission earlier rescinded its decision in just 48 hours apparently with a complaint lodged by Telangana PCC chief A Revanth Reddy. Congress sources now feel the basis for Reddy’s complaint to the ECI against stopping Rythu Bandhu was very frivolous. In fact, the Congress has even disputed the veracity of the complaint. “How can the statement of state finance minister T Harish Rao announcing the schedule of the disbursement be the basis of blocking the scheme? We feel the ECI has worked hand in glove with BRS only to give a stick to beat the Congress,” says a party manager. He says the Congress had made only one request to the ECI and that too in October. Which means Revanth Reddy will be the fall guy if he fails to clinch Telangana polls.
Now that the votes have been cast in Rajasthan, Congress election managers are finally letting off their steam against one over-priced star campaigner, Imran Pratapgarhi, who not only called off half a dozen programmes at the last minute but had left the party hugely embarrassed because of his erratic ways. It is being said he played truant in Telangana too. Hugely popular for his shayari, Pratapgarhi has been quite elusive and is known to even charge the party for his efforts. It is precisely for his campaign work that he got elected to Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra in 2022 overlooking local claims, and was appointed to head the Minority Department of the AICC. Party sources said Pratapgarhi was taking everyone for granted because he had patronage of Priyanka Gandhi as he hailed from UP. Well if the Congress cadres were putting up with the whims of a Pratapgarhi, they discovered getting Sachin Pilot into a campaign mode had become a logistic hazard. It was all because CM Ashok Gehlot decided not to make any arrangements for his rival. It was finally left to the AICC to make a last-minute arrangement for a chopper to ferry Sachin across constituencies. Even this wasn’t done not because Sachin was close to the Gandhis. It is being said even the Gandhis felt a bit tricked when they found there were different names in Sachin’s candidates’ list that was given to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi for the CEC meeting. Maybe Sachin was trying to get as many names of his candidates cleared.
When Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee launched an all-out attack on the BJP this week warning that central agencies would target it after the 2024 general elections, it seemed more a bid to assert herself within the TMC rather than taking an aim at the national party. Yes, her warning that if central agencies arrest four of her party leaders, the West Bengal police would arrest eight state BJP leaders seemed plain bluff and bluster. TMC watchers pointed out that Mamata was compelled to do some sabre-rattling at a party event as she wanted to put her nephew and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in his place. It was on Didi’s orders that Abhishek’s posters had gone missing. It is being said Mamata had taken a tough view on Abhishek only to reassure old-time TMC backers. For some time now Abhishek has been asking Mamata to dump those TMC leaders who have fallen foul of the law. At least five high-profile TMC leaders, including four legislators of whom two were state ministers, are now in judicial custody after they were arrested by the ED and the CBI in multiple corruption cases. The jailed leaders are all die-hard Mamata loyalists. With Abhishek having handpicked all next generation TMC MLAs in 2021 polls, Mamata is feeling increasingly isolated in the party.
For the November 30 Telangana assembly elections, the Congress seems to be focussed on garnering minority votes, virtually hoping it would be a repeat of its Karnataka win. No, it is not just relying on its Minority Declaration that has promised huge allowances of Rs 10,000-12,000 for Imams, Muezzins and Khadims, it is doing much more. Like relying heavily on an aggressive push by Karnataka Minority Affairs Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan who has been sort of camping and canvassing in the poll-bound state. Following instructions of CM Siddaramaiah a few Karnataka Muslim Congress leaders too have been campaigning in Telangana. It may be recalled that minister Ahmed had stirred controversy by stating how Karnataka’s BJP MLAs were now forced to show respect to a Muslim Speaker UT Khader in the Karnataka Assembly. The Congress feels encouraged to tap Muslim votes as Asaduddin Owaisi’s party AIMIM would be contesting only nine seats. The AIMIM was contesting seven seats on which it had sitting MLAs and was fielding two extra seats. The Congress has fielded five Muslim candidates against AIMIM’s eight. Besides Minister Khan who has been working on the ground, nine more Karnataka ministers were deployed on election work. Deputy CM and KPCC chief DK Shivkumar also got 48 other senior leaders — mostly MLAs and MLCs — appointed as AICC cluster in-charges. A party manager conceded that post Diwali there were coordinators deployed across all the 119 constituencies.
When Congress leader Sonia Gandhi shifted to Jaipur as Delhi’s air pollution level spiked last week post Diwali there were a lot of concerns about her health. More than that, many in the party wondered about the real purpose of her visit. Did she really choose Jaipur to recover from horrible Delhi weather or there is more than that meets the eye? Sonia was apparently there to iron out differences between CM Ashok Gehlot and son Rahul. Party sources said it seemed only logical. That’s because whenever she is advised by her doctors to shift to a place where the air is not so polluted as in Delhi, she usually visits Goa; .Jaipur can’t be considered a health resort. Sonia rushed to Jaipur after Rahul had a head-on clash with CM Gehlot over ticket distribution. Party sources said Gehlot was heard asserting how he has been a two-term CM and has the experience to pick and endorse candidates on his list. Sonia decided to have a pep talk with Gehlot and make it easy for Rahul. Clearly, the CM was visibly upset with the way Congress leadership denied tickets to his close aide Mahesh Joshi from his Hawa Mahal constituency in Jaipur. Last year, Joshi along with three other ministers — Shanti Dhariwal, Pratap Khachariyawas and Dharmendra Rathore were served show-cause notices for going against the party whip in 2022. While the high command decided to spare Dhariwal and Khachariyawas, axe fell on Joshi and Rathore.
Exactly three months after inducting him into the CWC, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge targeted Shashi Tharoor by removing him from the All India Professional Congress (AIPC) — an organisation that Tharoor had founded six years ago to draw professionals to the Grand Old Party. For some reason, Kharge thought it fit to replace Tharoor with Praveen Chakravarty, a former venture capitalist and investment banker, who had worked with the UPA programme on financial inclusion of the unbanked poor. Praveen is credited with designing NYAY or minimum income programme for 2019 polls. Nonetheless, party circles were surprised that Kharge should go in for the replacement in the midst of assembly elections. Tharoor was listed as a key campaigner in poll-bound Telangana. After the reshuffle, Tharoor opted out of the campaign. This brings up an interesting question. At a time, when Kharge has not been able to put in place his own AICC team, why was he singling out Tharoor? It was felt Tharoor was eased out of AIPC because he had dared to contest against Kharge for the post of Congress President. At the same time, it is being said Kharge is not being given a free hand to reshuffle AICC because of tussle between Rahul Gandhi and sister Priyanka over appointments. Significantly, Tharoor had exit thank you only for Rahul Gandhi.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who was visiting Rameswaram over the weekend, had a surprise heartwarming interaction with local fishermen. Always open and accessible, a group of local fishermen frantically came over to meet her late evening to inform her about how a few fishermen had been arrested by the Lankan Navy just then. Keen to find an immediate solution, the Minister immediately called up the Indian Embassy in Colombo; after all she had only recently visited Sri Lanka. The phone call worked. In a matter of minutes, the Indian fishermen were let off at mid-sea itself. In the morning, as Sitharaman was on the way to a government programme, the fishermen came over to thank her for the prompt action. On her part, she merely told them how the Modi Government’s policies in the last 10 years have “secured the lives of fisherfolks in this region”.
Congress leaders are still wondering whether former PCC chief and ex-CM Kamal Nath is overplaying his confidence of winning Madhya Pradesh assembly elections. Or does he have something up his sleeve? His latest warning to state police and district administration officials, it was felt, betrayed more a sense of bluff and bluster, than real confidence. Imagine a person who was briefly CM saying “No one will be spared, six more days are left, do whatever you want to, but you also have to spend the next five years under a Congress regime.” Party sources conceded that such hollow threats by Nath were bound to be counterproductive in a close contest with the BJP. Attacking the Congress as “Dhamki ki Dukan”, the BJP feels the upcoming assembly election in 2023 for 230 seats is expected to witness largely a closely contested battle between the BJP and the Congress. In addition to these two major parties, the Samajwadi Party and AAP have also nominated their candidates for the polls. The BJP has pledged to offer free ration to the underprivileged for the upcoming five years and provide LPG cylinders to women at a cost of Rs 450. Additionally, the BJP is committed to establishing the Madhya Pradesh Institute of Technology and the Madhya Pradesh Institute of Medical Sciences if it secures victory in the state. Another key promise from the BJP is the provision of 100 units of electricity for Rs 100.
On the back of the Lok Sabha Ethics Panel adopting on November 9 the report recommending Mahua Moitra’s expulsion from the Lok Sabha in the ‘cash for query’ case, the TMC pulled a surprise on November 13 by appointing Moitra as the district president of Krishnanagar, the constituency she represents in the Lok Sabha. How did this high profile MP who has always been on uneasy terms with her constituency secure party assignment? In fact TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had in the past warned Moitra to stay clear of constituency politics as she was hardly known to visit her Lok Sabha area and was forever traveling abroad. Reportedly, Moitra caught hold of TMC leader and Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who was responding to ED related summons. Not only did she butter him up by organising his papers, improving English of the text of the submission and provided some legal aid, she also appealed to him to ensure that the TMC doesn’t abandon her at this stage. Looks like her efforts to get into the good books of Mamata’s nephew worked. The TMC has now thrown a life-line to her and got a party shield. But there is no way she can be saved from expulsion from the Parliament. That is because the precedent for summary expulsion of 11 MPs for corrupt practice was set by none other than former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee following a sting operation in 2005. The Supreme Court had upheld the expulsion. The transgressions of those MPs in the sting pales in comparison to Moitra caught in a shopping spree.
In a bid to revive its fortunes ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP has once again decided to fall back on the charisma of its tall Linagyat stalwart BS Yediyurappa in Karnataka by appointing his son BY Vijayendra as the president of state’s BJP unit. Vijayendra, an MLA from the Shikaripur constituency replaces Nalin Kateel. The appointment comes six months after the Congress ousted the BJP government in the Karnataka Assembly polls with a landslide win. Vijayendra will be the 10th Karnataka’s BJP state chief. In the recent assembly elections, Vijayendra won as an MLA from Shikaripura constituency, once represented by his father. The BJP’s top leadership is yet to announce the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the southern state where it lost the mandate in the assembly elections. After quitting electoral politics, BS Yediyurappa had widely campaigned for the BJP across the state during the assembly election to help the saffron party to retain power. Interestingly, there were a lot of central BJP leaders vying to lead the state unit including Shobha Karanadlaje and CT Ravi. However, this time it was decided that the party should not risk ignoring Yediyurappa as it did during assembly polls. That too at a time when the ruling Congress is breaking up into various factions. There is already a talk that Congress minister Satish Jharkhioli has support of 65 MLAs rooting for him as CM.
When Rahul Gandhi pushed off to Kedarnath on a three-day visit in the midst of elections in Hindi heartland states, it was widely believed that the temple visit was more to improve his Hindu credentials than for any spiritual significance. Party sources admitted that Rahul found he was not being welcomed to campaign in Madhya Pradesh as much as his sister Priyanka was in a state that goes to polls on November 17. PCC chief and CM aspirant Kamal Nath was seen trying to maintain a distance from Rahul; it was as if Nath was cold shouldering Rahul. While Kamal Nath was not seen accompanying or sharing the spotlight with the Gandhi scion, he was not even endorsing or referring to Rahul’s programmes in the state — in his X handle. He was only making references to public rallies addressed by Priyanka Vadra. In contrast, former CM Digvijay Singh made it a point to be part of Rahul’s rally in Ashok Nagar, Guna. Sources said it is possible Nath was uncomfortable with Rahul’s utterances about caste census and OBC politics. He probably did not want any controversy with Rahul around. It may be recalled Nath got I.N.D.I.A front to call off its Bhopal rally soon after Sanatan Dharam controversy. Several Congress leaders have also not been comfortable with Rahul’s neo OBC politics and wondered if it would yield desired results. Meanwhile, Rahul is yet to chart out his campaign plans for Rajasthan that goes to polls on November 25.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai attended the “Naam 200 Commemoration” in Colombo, Sri Lanka, honouring the 200-year journey of Indian-origin Tamils who endured historical injustices, including loss of citizenship and harsh working conditions on tea plantations. During the “Naam 200 Commemoration” event, the FM reaffirmed India’s unwavering support for the Indian-origin Tamil community in Sri Lanka. However, what won hearts of the Tamils in the island was her visit to Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna. There when priests asked Nirmala to whom should the special puja at the temple be dedicated. She said it should be dedicated to the inseparable bond between the Indians and the Lankans. During her visit, Nirmala also highlighted the Tamil community’s remarkable resilience and commitment. As a part of this commitment, the FM, along with Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe, unveiled the Thondaman Vocational Training Centre, which was upgraded with Indian assistance and provided school supplies for 10,000 children in plantation areas. In addition to the event, India and Sri Lanka entered into a MoU on solar electrification of religious places in Sri Lanka. India will allocate Rs 82.40 crore as part of the Indian grant assistance of RS 107.47 crore earmarked for the promotion of Buddhist ties between the two nations. India will continue collaborating with Sri Lanka on debt treatment while the island nation attempts to emerge from last year’s grave economic crisis, the FM assured Sri Lankan leadership.
For a person whose own political future is bleak, BJP MP Maneka Gandhi seems to have once again thrown herself head long into her old passion – wildlife protection issues. She got her NGO to file a complaint against YouTuber Elvish Yadav for using snake venom at rave parties in Noida, UP. Attacking Yadav for being on the run, Maneka wanted to know why the famous influencer was on the run. “This is a grade 1 crime, seven years in jail, a wildlife crime. King cobras die when their venom is taken out. Their venom is for digesting food. Without the venom, they can’t eat anything and thus they die. There are very few cobras and pythons in the country. It is a crime to own them, catch them or use them,” Maneka was heard telling TV channels. Demanding Yadav’s immediate arrest, Maneka Gandhi said her NGO was keeping a watch on Yadav for a long time as he used snakes in his YouTube videos. Then they found out that they sell snake venom. In a statement, a shocked Elvis Yadav dismissed Maneka’s charges as baseless and fake. According to the complaint filed by People For Animals, the NGO, contacted Elvish and asked him to organise a rave party and get Cobra venom. “Elvish gave us the name of one Rahul whom we contacted. He said he could organise the venom wherever we want. He then came to Sector 51 Banquet hall with the venom. The Noida police then came to the venue along with the DFO and arrested the organisers,” the complaint said.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal seems to have taken a lesson from Jharkhand CM Shibhu Soren who skipped five summons of ED in the land scam case and instead moved the Supreme Court challenging it. Soren didn’t get much relief from SC as it asked him to approach the high court. Making an identical legal point, Kejriwal in his letter to the ED made the big point about how the summons came in the way of political work — mainly election work. He skipped the ED summons, landed with Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann in Madhya Pradesh for an election campaign. It was surprising that Kejriwal remained oblivious to the fact that the SC had already passed the ED on its back for establishing a money trail of Rs 338 crore while denying bail to Delhi’s deputy CM Manish Sisodia in the liquor scam early this week. Maybe it is this money trail that must have alerted the wily CM. That is why in a closely guarded move, Kejriwal seems to have changed his mind of appearing before the ED at the last minute. The ED issued the summons notice to Kejriwal on October 30 asking him to be present at its headquarters at 11 am on November 2. Shooting off a scathing letter to the agency, Kejriwal said “The summon notice is illegal and politically motivated. The notice was sent at the behest of the BJP. Notice was sent to ensure that I am unable to go for election campaigning in four states. ED should withdraw the notice immediately.”
There is strong buzz in Karnataka’s Congress circles that chief minister Siddaramaiah would like to hand over the reins to one of his trusted cabinet colleagues and Dalit leader Dr G Parameshwar rather than fall into machinations of the JD(S) like HD Kumaraswamy which is trying to bring down his government along with the BJP. He is reportedly reluctant to hand over charge to PCC chief and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar (DKS), who belongs to the dominant Vokkaligga community. The stories of multiple recoveries made by the I-T department have simply shocked those in the government. What kick-started the buzz about leadership change was the dinner hosted by Parameshwar for Siddaramaiah and his loyalists in the Cabinet like Dr HC Mahadevappa and Satish Jharkioli last week. The dinner assumed significance as DKS is apparently pushing for giving South Bengaluru status to Ramanagar district. JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy who made Ramanagar a separate district during his stint as CM feels DKS is perhaps playing into the hands of the builder lobby. The Congress leadership is hugely relying on DKS to manage the assembly elections across states. DKS has become the face of the Karnataka model of freebie governance in Telangana; he even said Telangana freebies are better than Karnataka. That means it is quite clear this deputy CM is no push over.
Nothing has disturbed the Congress more than Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust inviting PM Narendra Modi for the consecration ceremony of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Why has the invitation been extended only to PM Modi? Opposition leaders wonder if it had become a party event just ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who had legally opposed the temple, wanted to know if the invitation was being sent to only one party. For the first time, the Congress feared Ram Mandir could become a factor in poll-bound elections in state assemblies in the Hindi heartland. Perhaps, what must have unsettled the Congress was the way PM Modi responded to the invite on X. “Jai Siya Ram. Today is a day full of emotions. I feel very blessed. It is my good fortune that in my lifetime I will witness this historic occasion.” In his Vijaya Dashami address, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat appealed to people to hold functions in nearby temples on January 22. Bhagwat said, “Our Lord Ram, whose picture also adorns the original copy of our Constitution, will enter his temple in Ayodhya on January 22. We won’t be able to attend the ceremony because of security reasons…” Meanwhile, the Deepotsav tradition in Ayodhya which began with the Yogi Adityanath government in 2017 has set a target of lighting 24 lakh ‘diyas’ (earthen lamps) this year. The VHP has planned to launch a nation-wide campaign of asking each household to light five earthen lamps during Diwali and dedicating it to the 500 year wait for the Ram temple.
It is not just the Gandhis who have a fondness for the furry friend. Yes, we have seen Rahul Gandhi traveling all the way to Goa to pick up a pair of Jack Russell pups for his mother Sonia and himself. But we know little about West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s bond with the furried. She recently got two Labradors to join her household – Strong and Smile. They arrived purely for security reasons. Yes, they arrived following several security breaches in her Kalighat residence. According to sources, both of them are well-trained to spot bombs or explosives in the vicinity. ‘Strong’ and ‘Smile’ have spent nearly a year training with Special Forces — the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Post security breach, Mamata, a Z-category protectee got the canines’ for her round-the-clock safety. Since she likes to spend time with the dogs during her spare time, it was she who reportedly gave their names. Security agencies were quite worried about the kind of breaches that were taking place at her residence. There were apparently two serious breaches in her security. Couple of days ago an unknown man breached the security fence and entered her house. In the second instance, a car laden with weapons entered the lane of CM’s residence.
Income-tax raids in Bengaluru which had led to recovery of Rs 80 crore cash from contractors and two major infrastructure companies last week, created a lot of heartburn in Congress circles as the funds were headed for poll-bound Telangana. Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar is in charge of the poll-bound state. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot held a presser in Delhi to charge that the BJP-led Centre was misusing probe agencies to target Opposition leaders even after enforcement of Model Code of Conduct, and urged both PM Modi and the EC to intervene. BJP sources said I-T authorities were most likely tipped off by the contractors who were harassed by the Congress government for bribes to clear their dues. In fact, the contractor whose house was raided was the most prominent face of the allegations of 40% commission against the previous BJP government. While the BJP charged that the builders were being blackmailed to pay bribes, BJP leader and former minister C T Ravi was quoted as saying that there were instances where a prominent infrastructure company, which was also constructing houses, was denied water connection because it refused to pay bribes to the incumbent government. Interestingly, soon after the I-T cash haul the Congress rushed its senior leaders RS Surjewala and KC Venugopal to Bengaluru to gather “resources” for redeployment to election-going Madhya Pradesh. The Karnataka BJP targeted the Congress on corruption and released an ‘ATM Sarkara Collection Tree’ poster.
AAP leader Raghav Chadha and actor Parineeti Chopra may have caught much attention for their destination wedding in Udaipur and enjoyed it too but upon his return home, Chadha finds he is making news for all the wrong reasons. First, a Delhi Court allowed the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to remove him from his coveted Type VII bungalow on Pandara Road. The court made it clear Chadha can’t claim any vested right to the government accommodation as he was not entitled to it being a first time MP. In an earlier interim order passed on April 18, the court had restrained the Rajya Sabha Secretariat from dispossessing Chadha from his residence. Now it said Chadha cannot assert that he possesses an absolute entitlement to occupy the accommodation .The Rajya Sabha Secretariat argued that Chadha, being a first time MP, is entitled to a Type VI bungalow — the type he was initially allotted on Pandara Park. On August 29, 2022, he made a representation to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha requesting for the allotment of Type-VII accommodation. Chadha’s representation was considered and on September 8, he was allotted Type VII bungalow. The allotment of the bungalow was cancelled on March 3, 2023. Chadha sought damages to the tune of Rs 5.5 lakh from the Rajya Sabha for “causing mental agony and harassment”. Meanwhile, he has approached the Supreme Court challenging his suspension from the Rajya Sabha for “breach of privilege” after four MPs alleged that he had violated rules by naming them in a House panel without their consent.
Kerala Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala seemed quite happy that he had managed to get the Congress Working Committee to reaffirm its commitment to the Palestine cause and people, in the midst of a terror attack on Israel by militant outfit Hamas. As a result, the CWC steered clear of mentioning the Hamas terror attack as it was felt Jairam Ramesh in a tweet had already condemned it. Chennithala made an equivalence between PLO and Hamas — an equivalence that many Palestinians would abhor — by reminding Congress leaders how Yasser Arafat enjoyed close ties with Indira Gandhi. This was enough to get the Gandhis on board. He admitted that the CWC “emphasis” on Palestine cause was because Muslims in Kerala were disturbed by the Hamas attack. But weren’t more people from Kerala stuck in Israel — many of them with one-way tickets — in the services sector? But it seems Chennithala’s big point about Palestine cause had more to do with scoring points with Shashi Tharoor, who had acquired heft as a regular CWC member. In August, Chennithala was upset when he was named only as a permanent invitee to the CWC, a post he had held 19 years ago. To his shock he found Tharoor, who joined the Congress only over a decade ago, had been made a regular CWC member. It was a royal snub to him considering he had been Kerala State president and also Leader of the Opposition.
Battling fatigue in Madhya Pradesh where it has been in power for two decades, the BJP moved to a headstart as it released a fourth list containing a list of 57 candidates for the upcoming assembly polls. It did not wait for the auspicious start of the Navaratris or the end of pitru paksh to release the candidates list for MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. It released the lists as soon as the EC announced a month-long poll schedule for five state assemblies. Beginning with voting in Mizoram and Chhattisgarh on November 7, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (2nd phase) on November 17, Rajasthan on November 23, and Telangana on December 30, votes are to be counted on December 3. Ending speculations, MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is contesting from Budhni. Like the MP list which featured Union ministers like Narendra Tomar and Prahlad Patel, the Rajasthan list has as many as seven Lok Sabha MPs. As for the Congress Working Committee which met to decide on assembly polls, sought to make “caste census” a poll strategy. The party pushed for a ‘Caste Census’ in the country. Only last week, the outgoing Ashok Gehlot government issued orders for caste census in Rajasthan. Rahul Gandhi said “I think it is a very progressive step, a very powerful step for the emancipation of the poor people in our country. We will force the BJP to carry out the caste census or make them get out of the way.”
It all began as an innocuous battle of ideas between the Congress and BJP on the X. First, it veered around talking points from PM Modi’s speech that the BJP collated to warn of the perils of ideas of majoritarian politics that is being pushed via caste census. The fight intensified as a poster war with the Congress first sharing in its official X handle a picture of PM Modi and Amit Shah — that looked like a movie poster — with the text “PM Narendra Modi as Jumla Boy” written on it. The party captioned the poster with: “Going to hit the election rally soon.” It followed posters calling Modi the “biggest liar”. Looks like the Congress did not expect a strong counter from the BJP. With festivals of Navaratri and Dussehra round the corner, the BJP came up with a poster that was in line with its battle for Sanatan Dharam; it thought it fit to dub Rahul Gandhi as “new age Ravan”. “He is Evil. Anti-Dharma. Anti-Ram. His aim is to destroy Bharat. Rahul was also dubbed as a George Soros puppet. Realising the potential damage that likeness to Ravan could unleash in heartland states like MP and Rajasthan, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh felt portraying Rahul as Ravan could provoke “violence”. “It is clearly intended to incite and provoke violence against a Congress MP and a former President of the party, whose father and grandmother were assassinated by forces that want to divide India”, he said.
PM Narendra Modi created quite a flutter when he recently claimed how Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) had wanted to join the NDA soon after the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections that were held in December 2020. Modi said he had rejected Rao’s overtures due to his “deeds”. He also said KCR had stopped receiving him at the airport as per protocol. While it may seem natural for the BJP and BRS to target each other in the time of elections, Modi mentioning KCR’s efforts to snuggle up to the BJP after its brilliant showing in Hyderabad naturally set off political fireworks. Telangana Congress leaders however described Modi’s words as an effort to prop up a rapidly declining BRS against the Congress and make the Telangana assembly polls a triangular contest. “The BJP had performed phenomenally well in the civic elections — rising from 3 to 48 councillors; it is this growth that perhaps made KCR take note of the BJP. But thereafter the BJP has only been making mistakes,” pointed out a Congress leader. First, the BJP made the mistake of removing OBC leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar as its Telangana chief and then like the Congress went for a Reddy leader to head it. Now both the leaders are simply unable to reconcile to their new status concedes a BJP manager. The moot point is in these circumstances will Modi’s efforts to boost the BRS’s prospects pay any dividend?
Frankly, everyone in the BJP was surprised over Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s decision to release the caste census report as he was seen as someone still trying to retrace his steps back into the NDA fold. Yes, he was spotted attending Pt Deendayal Upadhyay’s birth anniversary organised by the BJP in Patna on September 25. However, the Opposition bluff about the growing demand for caste census was called by PM Narendra Modi. In a perfect counter, Modi cornered the Congress for its new slogan “jitni aabadi utna haq“. Underlining how the latest Bihar census had pointed out that 81% were Hindus and 17 % Muslims, Modi loudly “wondered what Dr Manmohan Singh would be thinking now. He used to say that the minorities have the first right to the country’s resources. So now does the Congress want to decrease the rights of the minorities? So, should the Hindus, who have the largest population, come forward and take all their rights? The Congress is no longer being run by Congress people. Now the Congress has been outsourced.” Interestingly, eminent jurist Abhishek Singhvi tweeted against the perils of majoritarianism and underscored that “equality of opportunity is never the same as equality of outcomes”. Hours later after uproar in Congress he deleted the tweet. Bihar Congress leader Kishore Jha pointed out that the caste census was a flawed one as it had not counted absentee Biharis living far away. “Lalu Prasad has been trying to undermine the strength of Brahmins since 1990 and he has now succeeded.”
Congress leaders from Kerala are quite amused by the publicity and attention that the decision of Kerala unit of the CPI asking Rahul Gandhi not to contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha in 2024. It has triggered speculation whether Rahul would move out of Wayanad and pick a seat in Congress-ruled Karnataka or opt for a safe haven in DMK ruled Tamil Nadu. The CPI’s suggestion has amused the Congress leaders in Kerala who assert that Wayanad has traditionally voted for Congress-led UDF. “What is this peculiar case that the CPI is making? The CPI had contested in Wayanad in 2019 also when Rahul Gandhi had contested and won by a staggering margin of over 4.3 lakh votes. The CPI is free to contest in 2024 also. We want Rahulji to contest again from Wayanad, “said Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala. Party sources said it is important that Rahul contest from here again as he was unseated and it had been restored by the Supreme Court. In all the three previous elections, the Congress candidate has won from the constituency. In 2019, Rahul’s entry into the Lok Sabha from Wayanad had helped the Congress sweep the polls in the state picking 19 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats from the state as it was widely believed that Rahul Gandhi would become the PM. This time round Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan wants to improve the tally of the Left Front in 2024. There is pressure on it to win 4 seats allotted to it. Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to exit Wayanad.
While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi may have extolled the virtues of the new Parliament building in the course of his speech on the Women’s Reservation Bill about how “it is quite a nice building, nice peacocks, nice peacock feathers on the ground, nice peacock feathers in the chair… it’s a nice tasteful building” and NCP MP Praful Patel tweeting a picture of himself with Sharad Pawar hailed it as a “marvel”, not many MPs are happy about the new Parliament complex. “It is more like a convention centre than a Parliament and the corridors are too narrow. Even those leading up to the ministers’ chambers are narrow. There is just one entry/ exit point to this building and it gets pretty crowded,” cribbed a healthy MP from Punjab. With long winding corridors leading to the chambers, it is proving to be a long trek for members. MPs are having a problem finding a way out to reach for their transport. Some male MPs found even the swank toilets too small for use. As for the swish cafeteria that has been built to hold 80/ 90 people, it simply failed to supply even tea when the discussion on Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha was going on up to 11 pm. “The cafeteria is not like the Central Hall canteen that could cater to all 543 Lok Sabha MPs…This can at best be called Modi ka maqbara,” says a Congress leader. This means PM Modi’s favourite architect Bimal Patel could be receiving some flak.
The 128th Constitution Amendment Bill providing for women’s reservations was passed by the Lok Sabha with bipartisan support of 454 MPs. Yet oddly the Gandhis – both Sonia and Rahul — were missing from the House when the historic bill was passed with a thumping majority. Rahul in his speech made one of the weirdest points about OBC reservation and was duly fact checked by the law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. He raked up the issue of near non-existence of OBCs among secretaries to the Government of India; he said there were only 3 OBCs among the 90 secretaries to GOI today. Rahul charged that “The moment the Opposition raises the issue of caste census, the BJP tries to create a new distraction, a new sudden event so that the OBC community and the people of India look the other way.” Law Minister, a former Dalit IAS Officer, replied that OBC quota came in UPSC only post Mandal in 1992. Congress sources admitted that Rahul was clearly misguided by his advisors as it takes an officer nearly three decades to make the grade of GOI Secretary. As for the Bill, Meghwal made it clear that the bill had factored in implementation only post-delimitation in 2026 as the Government did not want the law to be “challenged” in courts. Sonia Gandhi in her speech said there should be OBC quota in the bill. Countering her, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey asked why the 1993 law providing for women quota in local bodies had not provided for OBC quota.
PM Narendra Modi chose auspicious Ganesh Chaturthi to usher in the Women’s Reservation Bill providing for 33% reservation in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The bill, called the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Special Session of Parliament that was held in the newly built Parliament complex. The law, when passed, will come into effect only after the next delimitation exercise, which will be conducted after the first census to be taken after 2026. This means that women’s quota will not come into effect by 2024 Lok Sabha elections or even by Delhi assembly polls which is due in Feb 2025. The bill will be effective only by 2029. Yet the bill is being viewed as a perfect counter to caste-based parties in the I.N.D.I.A front that have been pushing for caste census. It is also a perfect antidote to politics of wooing women voters with freebies. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh felt Modi’s move was yet another election jumla.”We have not yet conducted the 2021 decadal census…Will the Census and delimitation be done before the 2024 elections? This is nothing but EVM — Event Management.” He pointed how the Rao Government in 1993 had brought in one-third reservation for women in panchayats and nagarpalikas in April 1993 and because of that there are already 15 lakh elected women representatives in panchayats and nagarpalikas.
India’s sherpa for G-20 Amitabh Kant seems to have got into trouble for trying to project the G-20 Delhi Declaration as a personal achievement, nearly overshadowing the role of the MEA and the external affairs minister S Jaishankar. Of course, he did attribute the role of four key MEA officials who worked with him on the draft declaration and had helped him negotiate with other countries, but eventually he ended up claiming MEA’s effort as all his own. At least from the way he was seen making his point in the media — how he was awake till 4 am to finalise the draft, it may seem he was the only man on the job. It first started off with a tweet that Kant put out on September 9, the day the G-20 Delhi Declaration was accepted crediting the IFS officers who worked with him. Kant was all over the media and in the social media space, much to the surprise of the MEA too. The Congress, which was disappointed by the success of G-20 Delhi Declaration, decided to focus on sherpa Kant rather than the political leadership of both PM Modi and Jaishankar. Singling out Kant for praise, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor noted “Looks like the IFS lost an ace diplomat when you opted for the IAS!” but generously acknowledged that it was “A proud moment for India at G20!” With things getting uneasy with the MEA, Kant clarified a day later to Tharoor how it was “not about IAS or IFS. It is about working as a Team for the country.” Now to bring MEA’s perspective about its role in G-20, Jaishankar is back again making his points.
Coming just a day ahead of the G-20 summit, PM Narendra Modi tweeted about India’s leap in financial inclusion, powered by Digital Public Infrastructure! “A G20 document prepared by the World Bank shared a very interesting point on India’s growth. India has achieved financial inclusion targets in just 6 years which would otherwise have taken at least 47 long years. Compliments to our robust digital payment infrastructure and the spirit of our people. It is equally a testament to rapid progress and innovation.” Interestingly various exhibitions at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the G-20 summit to showcase India’s technological prowess and innovation will offer a multitude of unique experiences to showcase a unique international project — ‘Culture Corridor – G20 Digital Museum’. The Culture Corridor will celebrate the shared heritage of G20 members and 9 invitee countries. The Digital India Experience Zone will offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience the power of technology being implemented by India first-hand. The Zone will provide key insights into the crucial initiatives of Digital India such as Aadhaar, DigiLocker and UPI. The RBI will display cutting-edge financial technologies at the G20 Summit, showcasing their potential to revolutionise the financial landscape. UPI One World is UPI designed for inbound foreign travellers who do not have bank accounts in India. Foreign nationals can open a Prepaid Payment Instrument linked to UPI to experience hassle-free and secure payments during their stay in India. Delegates will be boarded on UPI One World. Their wallets will be pre-funded with Rs 2000 which they can utilise as they desire.
Alarmed by the unrelenting stance of DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on his utterances about sanatana dharma, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reportedly called up his aunt and Thoothukkudi Lok Sabha MP K Kanimozhi to get her nephew to tone down. Rahul communicated with Kani before he left on his Europe tour this week. Initial efforts to get Udhayanidhi to pipe down were made via senior DMK leader TR Baalu by several Congress leaders. It was explained to him how junior Stalin’s utterances could wreck prospects of the Congress in the upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath made it clear to Rahul how Udhayanidhi’s open threat to vanquish believing Hindus like malaria/dengue had already upset a winning electoral game for the Congress in MP. It was only then that Rahul decided to dial Kanimozhi, so that she may persuade her brother and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. Unfortunately, Udhayanidhi seemed too reluctant to backtrack. I.N D.I.A .front allies like the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Shiv Sena UBT were upset with his utterances against Hindus. In a desperate attempt to win back support of I.N.D.I.A for his son, Stalin pits him against PM Modi and hopelessly drags in Modi’s directions to his ministers that Udhayanidhi’s remarks against sanatana dharma should be strongly countered. He said it was unfair for PM Modi to make “comments” without knowing what his son spoke. Fed up with DMK’s obstinacy, Congress has distanced itself from the Stalins.
As the BJP continued its onslaught on DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his “sanatana dharma must be eradicated” remark and dubbed it as an attack on all Hindus of the country, the Congress seemed hopelessly incoherent on how to respond to it. Not only did it shy away from denouncing statements of its powerful Tamil Nadu ally, but it also preferred to toe a middle line stating that “every political party has the freedom to (express) their views”. It was as if the Congress had no stake in the battle for Hindi heartland where sanatana dharma is synonymous with Hinduism; it was as if the Congress wasn’t bothered about winning the upcoming three state assembly polls. The tragedy for the Congress was that its top brass – AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary KC Venugopal — belonged to the South and decided to play safe. The party did depend on DMK for securing Lok Sabha seats. That is why someone like Karti Chidambaram openly backed the DMK idea. And it was left to Kamal Nath to ringfence the party in Madhya Pradesh from disastrous consequences of Udhayanidhi‘s utterances. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, son of AICC chief, too backed Udhayanidhi. Incidentally, the Kharges are neo Buddhists. The moot point is why did Udhayanidhi choose to sabre-rattle against sanatana dharma now? Was he trying to settle a score with Guv Ravi who has been talking about it everywhere in TN?
Looks like I.N.D.I.A front of Opposition leaders is being betrayed from those within. At a time when it seemed a good beginning had been made with the setting up of coordination committees and working groups, no one expected it would be filled with lightweights — barring Sharad Pawar. There was a suggestion from TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to involve CMs — at least in the election strategy group. For some reason it was scuttled by RJD leader Lalu Prasad who didn’t want Nitish Kumar on the panel. Didi who wanted to host the next I.N.D.I.A event in Kolkata found no takers as it was shot down by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury as he explained that Left could not be seen in a function hosted by the TMC. Rejection of Kolkata as venue was enough to irk Mamata. She found it odd that Communist leaders had no problem in rubbing shoulders with the TMC or the Congress in Delhi or Bengaluru but not in the home turf of Bengal or Kerala. Mamata also did not approve of the unilateral manner in which Rahul Gandhi raked up the Adani issue at the Opposition event without consulting other parties. The TMC chief had initially pointed to the Congress about the Left and Congress virulently campaigning against TMC for the September 5 Dhupguri assembly by-poll. In fact, Mamata had specially sent her nephew Abhishek to Delhi to complain to Rahul about the tone and tenor of the Left-Congress campaign.
Parliament Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi’s tweet announcing a Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) from September 18 to 22 predictably triggered a howl of protest from the Opposition. The announcement best served to take the limelight away from Opposition-I.N.D.I.A meet. With speculation rife that PM Modi could even push for a one nation-one election bill at this session, it must have sufficiently altered the agenda of the Opposition conclave in Mumbai. The Shiv Sena UBT protested loudest as the 5-day session coincided with Ganesh Chaturthi festivities beginning on September19 and dubbed it as anti-Hindu move. For the Modi government it was an auspicious day to launch numerous things, including holding the first session of the Parliament in the new building. While the Sena UBT may cry foul, what it does not know is that Ganesh Chaturthi is auspicious and celebrated not just in Maharashtra but in other states including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat. As for government business in the brief session, the session will adopt resolutions on successful launch of Chandrayan-3, conduct of G 20 summit and laud achievements of athlete Neeraj Chopra and chess wizard R Praggnanandhaa. As for the bills there is talk about a new reservation policy in the pipeline.
In a surprise move that is being seen as a raksha bandhan gift from PM Narendra Modi to all Indian households, the price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder was reduced by Rs 200 in all markets across the country. In Delhi for instance, the decision will bring down the cost of a 14.2 kg cylinder from Rs 1103 to Rs 903.”This is a gift to crores of my sisters of the country on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan”, said PM Modi. Opposition parties are already crying foul and see it as a move aimed at targeting voters in poll-bound states in Hindi heartland at the end of this year. The sop was announced just days ahead of a meeting of Opposition leaders of I.N.D.I.A in Mumbai on Aug 31-Sep 1. The effective price for PMUY (Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana) households in Delhi after this reduction will be Rs 703 per cylinder. There are more than 31 crore domestic LPG consumers in the country including 9.6 crore PMUY beneficiary families and this reduction will help all LPG consumers in the country. Reacting to the government move, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that Karnataka rout of the BJP — the high price of LPG was one of the main issues of the election. He also bragged about how the Congress government in Rajasthan was giving LPG cylinders at Rs 500. “Expect more such ‘gifts’ in the coming months as the PM becomes even more desperate to cling on to his chair.”
In a significant move, the BJP leadership appointed Anil Anthony as its national secretary as well as national spokesperson. It is significant that it chose to make the announcement on the traditional Kerala festival of Onam. Anil Anthony, son of senior Congress leader AK Anthony, had joined the BJP in April this year after quitting the Congress and criticising its stand on the controversial documentary film of the BBC on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had termed BBC as “a state sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices” against India, after which, he said, he had received threats as well. “Despite large differences with BJP, I think those in India placing views of BBC, a UK state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over Indian institutions is setting a dangerous precedent, will undermine our sovereignty,” Anthony had tweeted. Welcoming Antony to the BJP, Piyush Goyal described him as a “very grounded political worker”, who was convinced that the BJP cares for the country and shared the vision of sustainable growth.
In a major reshuffle in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Shashi Tharoor, Anand Sharma, Manish Tiwari and Sachin Pilot to the policy making body. Except for Pilot, whose inclusion is being seen as a sop ahead of Rajasthan assembly elections, inclusion of the other three leaders is significant as it finally buries the ghost of Group-23. These three leaders were among the many who in a letter to Sonia Gandhi last year had questioned non-transparent functioning in the Congress. Only exception among the G-23 leaders who got left out is former Maharashtra CM Prithiviraj Chavan. It is surprising that Chavan was kept out of the CWC unless the Congress brass is planning some other assignment for him. Also important is the inclusion of Ajay Maken and Alka Lamba, leaders who have been vocal against Arvind Kejriwal. Party sources were equally surprised that Kharge’s team decided to keep out a close Rahul Gandhi aide Milind Deora out of the CWC. Party circles from Telangana blamed bias of Kharge’s team for packing the CWC with men from Andhra — 4 leaders and only 2 from Telangana that too at a time when assembly elections are going to be held in Telangana by end of this year. “It just seems we have lost the plot to win elections,” said a close Rahul aide from Telangana who got axed in the CWC rejig.
It is going to be almost a year since he was elected Congress President, yet Mallikarjun Kharge has not constituted Congress Working Committee or the AICC. However in the last few days it seems he has begun effecting changes which speaks of his efforts to reshuffle responsibilities in the organisation. He deputed Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC General Secretary who handled Karnataka, to election-going Madhya Pradesh, recalling old hand JP Agarwal. Congress leaders were surprised that Kharge should send Surjewala to MP just three-four months ahead of the assembly elections. While it is not clear if Surjewala was chosen because he delivered Karnataka but he also shot into limelight for his recent utterance while addressing a public meeting in Kaithal, Haryana. Chiding those who vote BJP, he said “…Those who vote for BJP and are BJP supporters are of ‘rakshas’ (demons) tendency. I curse from this land of Mahabharat…” Sending Surjewala to MP to oust the BJP where it has been in power for over two decades or more may not be much of a challenge to the veteran party manager. But then Surjewala hasn’t won any direct election in his home state for a decade now; he was elected to Rajya Sabha as an MP from Rajasthan angering his rival Bhupinder Hooda. Unlike Karnataka, MP is a Hindu-majority state. No wonder even Congress leaders like Kamal Nath are wooing Hindu voters with pravachans of Baageshwardham.
West Bengal PCC chief and Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury enjoys the best of equations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. That was evident. As soon as Chowdhury began speaking on a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, the PM walked into the House to listen to him according him full status of Leader of the Opposition. However all that changed the minute Adhir slipped into name calling the PM. This saw the treasury side pushing for his suspension for his bizarre utterances – equating the PM to fugitive fraudster Nirav Modi. Sources close to Chowdhury say he is now filled with remorse and regret as he looks at all the perks he now has to forego. He has been telling all his close party aides that he had no intention to disrespect or humiliate the PM. But was facing pressure from Congress leadership to prove his loyalty to the party. Incidentally, the Congress top brass has been thinking of easing him out of one of the two posts that he now holds – LoP in the Lok Sabha and Bengal PCC Chief. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has been gunning for Adhir’s exit from Bengal as he has been her severe critic. Against this backdrop, Modi-Shah action of suspending Adhir from Lok Sabha could prove to be a blessing in disguise. With Congress forced to battle for him in the Parliament, Gandhis may not be able to axe him from Bengal.
Details are now emerging as to how it was PM Narendra Modi who had decided on the line up of speakers from the BJP side to participate in the three day No-Confidence Motion against his government. From picking Godda MP Nishikant Dubey as opening speaker who regaled the House with a one-liner about how Sonia Gandhi’s perpetual interest lay in “settling her son and gifting her son-in-law” to strategically fielding Jyotiraditya Scindia on the final day. Scindia, who had switched over to the BJP from the Congress in March 2020, belongs to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. Apparently, when Scindia started to speak Rahul Gandhi chose to walk out. It is being said Rahul simply could not bear to hear Scindia speak from across the aisle. Another politically important speaker was Telangana leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar who exposed the alcoholism of the BRS top brass in Telugu. Modi also got Rajyavardhan Rathore, a Vasundhara Raje favourite from Rajasthan to speak. So even as the PM wasn’t inside the House, he was tracking every speech. He had also decided on the content of the attack on the Opposition. He had also spent a lot of time interacting with the media. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi in a media interaction protested about the expunging of his remarks by Lok Sabha Speaker. He repeated all that he said inside the House. While he demanded Army action in Manipur, he simply ducked when asked about IAF strafing Mizoram in 1966 — a point raised by PM Modi.
If there was one thing Union Home Minister Amit Shah ensured with his stellar intervention in the no-confidence motion debate in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday it was to see that PM Modi has a smooth run on Thursday when he replies at the end of the 3-day debate. Shah spoke on Manipur towards the end of his 2 hour long intervention; he spent much of his time attacking the Opposition for trying to tie-up discussion on Manipur with a statement from PM Modi. Recalling how in the 90s when then north-eastern states had seen more entrenched and protracted violence between the Nagas and Kukis, Shah said neither then PM PV Narasimha Rao nor his Home Minister SB Chavan had made any statement. “It was left entirely to the then Minister of State Rajesh Pilot to speak on the issue.” Shah felt an entire narrative of neglect of the N-E was now being built against Modi as he had visited the “region over 50 times”. Even the no-trust move had been brought only to mislead the people. What hurt the Centre was the record of the last six years had been shattered. “We didn’t have to impose a curfew in Manipur until May 3. Insurgent violence was almost over. Then, neighbouring Myanmar saw a military leadership that had a Kuki Democratic Front party coming into power. Due to no fencing at the Myanmar border, the Kuki brothers started coming in. What we have with Myanmar is like the open border that we have with Nepal.”
After much flip-flop over initiating debate on the no-confidence motion against the Modi government which his party had initiated, Rahul Gandhi did speak in the Lok Sabha on the second day of the discussion. However, his speech did not match expectations. The Congress leader did not seem to be firing on all cylinders. After all, he was the one who had made the spot visit to Manipur; he should have surely had “enough material” to put the Centre on the mat. What he lacked in substance, he made up with some outright abusive slogans against PM Modi. He even declared PM Modi was a “traitor” and not a “nationalist” as he “murdered India” in Manipur. If Rahul’s aggressive sloganeering was aimed at catching headlines, it did not receive much attention. Whatever the reason it wasn’t his speech that made headlines but his one mindless gesture of a flying kiss. The controversy over the flying kiss had got all 21 women MPs and several BJP ministers worked up. But for their protest over Rahul’s unbecoming conduct in a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Wayanad MP’s first speech after his membership was restored would not have been noticed. Yes, Rahul’s speech would have been lost in the din. As Union Minister Smriti Irani, who spoke after Rahul, observed “Only a misogynist man can blow a flying kiss to parliament that seats women MPs”.
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