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For the Congress that was faulting the government on not earmarking space for a memorial for PM Dr Manmohan Singh who had passed away on December 26, nothing could have come more as an embarrassment than LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi slipping out of the country for New Year even as the nation mourns Dr Singh’s demise. “While the country is mourning ex-PM Dr Manmohan Singh’s demise (for a week until Jan 1), Rahul Gandhi has flown to Vietnam to ring in the New Year. Rahul Gandhi politicised and exploited Dr Singh’s death for his expedient politics but his contempt for him is unmissable. The Gandhis and the Congress hate the Sikhs. Never forget that Indira Gandhi desecrated the Darbar Sahib,” posted BJP’s Amit Malviya. However, before jetting off on his holiday, Rahul was caught giving homilies about how “the first PM of the Sikh community” had been totally insulted by the present government by performing his last rites at the Nigambodh Ghat. The BJP attacked the Gandhis for not being with the family to collect the ashes. As for Gandhis not being present to collect the ashes, the excuse was they wanted Singh’s family to have some privacy. A defensive Congress described Rahul’s visit to Vietnam as his private visit and a party MP Manickam Tagore even felt the visit “should not bother BJP”. Meanwhile the government has already conveyed to Dr Singh’s family about building a memorial. It could be either near Kisan Ghat, the memorial of former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh, and Rashtriya Smriti Sthal — a designated spot for the last rites of presidents, vice-presidents and PMs could be allocated for Singh’s memorial. A trust will have to be set up to supervise construction of the memorial.
The Centre made it clear that last rites of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed away on December 26, will be performed with full military honours at New Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat on December 28 at 11:45 am. The Congress apparently wanted a separate resting place on the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi, where many former PMs have their memorials. In a letter to PM Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had conveyed the party’s desire. Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal have also followed it up with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Kharge wanted Dr Singh’s last rites to be held at a place where a memorial can be built. He wrote the letter after speaking to PM Modi about setting up a memorial for Singh, who was a two-term PM revered by the people of the country. He said Dr Singh’s final resting place would be a sacrosanct venue for memorial of the great son of India. “This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former PMs at the very place of their funerals,” Kharge said in his two-page letter. Interestingly, it was the UPA government headed by Dr Singh that had blocked demands for separate memorials. In 2013, the UPA Cabinet decided to set up a common memorial ground — Rashtriya Smriti Sthal at Raj Ghat — in view of the paucity of space. A seven-day state mourning is being observed throughout the country as a mark of respect to Dr Singh and during this period the national flag will be flown at half-mast across India.
Change is the law of the Universe. Well, a change has happened at The India Cements Ltd (ICL) on Christmas day. The indefatigable N Srinivasan finally called time and moved out the lock, stock and barrel of an organisation which he had captained so passionately for many years. UltraTech Cement, part of the Aditya Birla Group, is the new owner of ICL. Truly, an era has come to a grinding halt at ICL. Significantly enough, a few days from now – January 3, to be precise – Srinivasan will be completing 80 years of age. The sale of ICL to UltraTech as he steps into the twilight of his life is a reflection of the changing time and consequences of hard reality on the ground. One can debate the sale compulsion until the cows come home. Once upon a time, Srinivasan was the unquestioned Czar of the southern cement industry. Not just that. He successfully spearheaded the industry wage pact time and again with effortless ease. Why did he give up ICL? Maybe he failed to go for modernisation of ICL plants. Maybe his love for cricket had dissipated his energy and diverted his focus away from ICL. As age takes a toll on him, the competition between the two biggies in the field – Adani and UltraTech – came in handy for him to sign off ICL on a reasonably better note. History will remember this man from the founding family for the fighter in him. What belonged to him yesterday, however, belongs to UltraTech today. A lesson from Bhagavad Gita!
Maharashtra’s deputy CM Eknath Shinde may be officially sulking but he sure knows how to get his way around with the BJP’s top bosses. After having bagged nine plum cabinet berths and two ministers of state apart from key portfolios like Urban Development, housing and public works department for himself, he has now clearly emerged as the No 2 in the Maharashtra government next only to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. It is worth noting that while senior ministers like Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Girish Mahajan are left dangling with half split portfolios with them, Shinde has managed to bag important ministries like industries, public health, education etc for his supporters. Shinde also continues to retain his value for the BJP. This was evident recently when he met up with the top trio of the BJP during his Delhi stopover en route to Kashmir for a family holiday. Prime minister Narendra Modi is believed to have granted him an audience for over an hour where the duo are believed to have discussed the significant Mumbai municipal corporation polls. The one-to-one meet with PM Modi clearly highlights that Shinde continues to be a significant partner for the BJP and is expected to play a key role in cutting down the Marathi electorate stronghold of Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. He is also expected to play a key role in the significant Dharavi Redevelopment Project, thanks to his holding the dual portfolios of housing and urban development, that could come in handy for industrialist Gautam Adani, known for his proximity to Modi.
It is truly a tale of two funerals and gross mishandling by the Congress that denied such an honour to a former PM. While former PM Dr Manmohan Singh is all set get a state funeral befitting his stature in Delhi thanks due to PM Modi, his mentor, former PM PV Narasimha Rao was denied a funeral in the national capital thanks due to gross mishandling by the Congress party and inability of Dr Singh as PM to ensure the same when he died in December 2004. Rao was hailed by Dr Singh as “father of economic reforms in India” but a state funeral was not considered fit for him by Cong leader Sonia Gandhi; she did not even allow his body into party headquarters. In his book Sanjaya Baru The Accidental Prime Minister wrote “Ahmed Patel wanted me to encourage Rao’s son Ranga and Prabhakhar and his daughter Vani to take their father’s body to Hyderabad for cremation. Clearly, it seemed to me Sonia did not want a memorial for Rao, anywhere near Delhi but felt it would not be appropriate for me to convey to the family.” He says “The Congress had deployed then Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Andhra CM YS Rajashekhar Reddy to “persuade the family to fall in line”. With PM Modi swiftly organising a week-long national mourning and state funeral for Dr Singh, who passed away on Dec 26, the Congress simply had to catch up with the speed of government action. The Congress which was celebrating 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the AICC session at Belgavi in Karnataka cut short its celebrations. Dr Singh’s last rites would be held on December 28 as his youngest daughter, a professor at Stanford Law School, is likely to land in India by December 27.
Leaders and thinkers from Maharashtra describe the state as the cradle of progressivism and rationalism. But the current discomfiture attached to a palatial bungalow in south Mumbai and a cabin in Mantralaya are proving amusing for the pall of superstition they have spread. At the centre of the controversy is the historic ‘Ramtek’ bungalow in Mumbai’s posh Malabar Hill area. Ramtek has been tagged as ‘unlucky’ for its occupants. And history is quoted to bolster this claim. The first such victim was then deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde, who lived in Ramtek between 1995 and 1999, never to return. Soon after becoming a Union minister in 2014, he died in a car accident in Delhi. If a bungalow is perceived to be unlucky, a mere cabin, too, is seen with apprehension. Though just a cabin in Mantralaya, Room 602 is viewed as jinxed. Presently used by a bunch of bureaucrats, ministers are reluctant to move into it. In this list, Chhagan Bhujbal is at the top since Room 602 was allocated to him in 1999. He was at the time the deputy CM and home minister. Residing in Ramtek, he became the focus of the multi-crore fake stamp paper Telgi Scam. After him, Ajit Pawar started using the cabin but he also had to step down after accusations regarding the irrigation scam started against him. He later returned as deputy CM but kept away from Room 602. The others to be hit are then BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who had to resign after being implicated in a land scam. The next occupant, BJP’s Pandurang Fundkar, died suddenly in 2018. The most recent occupant was then BJP minister Anil Bonde, who lost the assembly election in 2019. Who will occupy Ramtek and Room 602 is watched with considerable interest.
Political attacks against embattled minister Dhananjay Munde and his cousin Pankaja Munde, a cabinet minister in Maharashtra, are becoming more and more damaging for the Mahayuti government since they indirectly target the law and order situation in the state. The state’s atmosphere has been in a spin ever since a village sarpanch in the district, Santosh Deshmukh, was brutally murdered 19 days ago. The flurry of allegations was started by Beed district BJP MLA Suresh Dhas. Now, another MLA from the district, Prakash Solanke, who belongs to the NCP led by deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has joined the melee. Both have demanded that Beed’s situation will not improve unless chief minister Devendra Fadnavis himself accepts the responsibility as its guardian minister. This is seen as an oblique criticism of Munde. Incidentally, both have attracted ire from within the Mahayuti since Ajit Pawar’s spokesman Amol Mitkari has charged that it is a smear campaign to damage the reputations of Dhananjay and Pankaja. Till now, Fadnavis as well as deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar have been maintaining that the guilty will be punished. However, the police department’s failure to nab the three absconding suspects has pushed the Fadnavis government in the dock. Of the three, Walmik Karad, is closest to Dhananjay. Pictures of them hugging each other have gone viral. Dhananjay has admitted their intimacy but has claimed that those responsible for the murder of Santosh Deshmukh deserve severest punishment. This stance has not pacified the local people, who will hold a protest march to demand immediate action by the authorities.
Salman Khan is undeniably one of the most iconic figures in the Indian film industry whose impact transcends mere box office statistics. With a career that spans over three decades, his films–regardless of critical reception — frequently surpass the Rs 100-crore mark signifying his extraordinary appeal and star power. Throughout his illustrious career, Salman Khan has found himself at the centre of numerous controversies and has come unscathed. With a net worth estimated at around Rs 2,900 crore, he is an immensely sought-after star for brand endorsements. However, in recent years, his forays into guest appearances in films such as Baby John, Singham Again, Godfather and Antim have not garnered the kind of response one might expect from the audience. While his cameo in Pathaan was well-received, his lead role in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan released on Eid, faced significant criticism and was largely snubbed by both critics and fans alike. Looking ahead, the anticipation surrounding his upcoming film Sikandar is palpable. Directed by AR Murugadoss, this film marks a significant moment in his career, as it will be his first mainstream lead release following Tiger 3. Sikandar represents a pivotal juncture in his career, especially after a series of mixed receptions for his recent projects. Rumours are rife that he is in talks with well-known south director Atlee. Despite his immense charisma and dedicated fan base, a pressing question lingers in the face of ongoing controversies, and the challenges posed by a rapidly evolving industry: whether Sallu bhai at 59 can still captivate the new generation of moviegoers?
Rohit Sharma ought to be mulling over his Test/international career sooner than later. Joining the Indian team after the Jasprit Bumrah led Indian team trounced Australia in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he has not been able to contribute with the bat at all. His fifth-ball dismissal in the first innings in Melbourne to his counterpart Pat Cummins reflected his diminishing confidence levels; initially he chose to drop down the order allowing Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to continue opening the innings. This was the same pair that had put on 201 in the second innings in Perth. But after the Test matches in Adelaide and Brisbane, he reverted to the opening slot — allowing Jaiswal to take strike first — and perished quickly and traced his steps back to the pavilion, an unhapppy man. A powerful batter in the white-ball format, Sharma would have been wiser batting before Rishabh Pant (5/6), but he rushed to the top, a decision that resulted in Shubhman Gill being dropped “to give a sense of balance” to the playing XI.. Should the home team win the contest at the MCG, Sharma may begin to introspect about captaincy before the fifth and final Test in Sydney. Nothing has gone right for him since the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. Sharma focussed a lot to win the two ICC World Cups — he lost the final against Australia in Ahmedabad and won the final against South Africa in Bridgetown. Sharma, an attractive player to watch, is struggling and that’s not a good sight!
Kolkata’s bustling winter markets, once a vibrant hub of Afghan and Kashmiri traders, are now grappling with a decline in traditional businesses. For decades, these traders have enriched the city’s seasonal economy with their exquisite dry fruits, handcrafted garments, and winter essentials. However, the changing tides of commerce, marked by the rise of e-commerce and increased costs, threaten to erode their livelihoods. Kashmiri vendors, particularly those from Budgaon, have been an integral part of Kolkata’s winter landscape for generations. From November to March, they bring a colourful array of shawls, blankets, and sweaters, woven with intricate patterns and warmth. But the bustling markets of yore are now a distant memory. Regular to Kolkata market, one of the Afghan traders, Rahmat Khan mentioned that he had been to the city for past three decades and the business was booming in contrast to the present day situation when it’s a constant struggle to make ends meet. Younger generations of Kashmiri traders are increasingly hesitant to carry on the family legacy. The convenience of online shopping has shifted consumer preferences, leaving traditional vendors struggling to compete. Afghan traders, known for their premium dry fruits, have fared slightly better due to consistent demand, they too face significant challenges but rising operational costs are eating into their profits.
Historically, the governor’s role is considered a plum gratification for faithful services rendered to the party. Not many envied this gubernatorial position of ribbon-cutting, administering oath of offices and attending various ceremonies. But, things are fast changing with the BJP now drawing up an all new paradigm shift to the role of the Governor. A Dravidian wag now refers to them as “snooper cells” – a line favoured by non-NDA parties in some other states too. Is the new Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi sketching out a whole different strategy for TN? The 51st Governors’ meet just held at Chez Rashtrapathi, with the Veep, PM, and HM – all there to drive home the new role of Governors – raised eyebrows and hackles. Ramnath Kovind exhorted Governors to make fewer home town trips, try to learn from the good governance practices of other governors. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu appeared to be in campaign mode. He said, bring awareness to the people of every state about the Centre’s development and welfare programmes, and supervise the implementation. The PM went one step further, bring your feedback from states to Mann Ki Baath. TN governor Ravi with his impeccable intelligence background, has already set the cat among the pigeons. Considering the BJP’ long term plan to become the main opposition to the DMK, ruffled Dravidian egos are on edge.
It almost seems an intense fight for Muslim votes has broken out among secular parties in Uttar Pradesh. First, the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav praised MA Jinnah. Then there was Salman Khurshid trashing Hindutva, equating it with ISIS and Boko Haram in his book Sunrise Over Ayodhya. His party colleague Rashid Alvi from UP joined him with a word of caution about Ram Bhakts. Giving a boost to Khurshid and Alvi, Rahul Gandhi also sought to drive a wedge between Hinduism and Hindutva– describing it as a hateful ideology of RSS/BJP. The only sane voice was from CWC member Ghulam Nabi Azad. In this backdrop it is interesting to know that the Oxford educated former Union Minister Salman Khurshid was actually hoping to score a legal point through his book. He says he had been studying through the 1,500-page order of 2019 Supreme Court order. He admits no one had hoped there would be a resolution to the vexed issue of Ram Janmabhoomi temple but somehow the Apex Court had found one. But no one would have expected a book from the Congress stable – that was bound to be a political disaster. Earlier, Congress president Sonia Gandhi was upset with Khurshid for his book – The Other Side of the Mountain wherein he had suggested that Pranab Mukherjee should have been made the PM.
For Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik criticisms cutting across parties is getting uglier. Part of the reason for escalating opposition is Patnaik’s continued silence over sex scandal allegation levelled against Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra. According to local reports, a school teacher, Mamita Meher of Mahaling Sunshine English medium school in Kalahandi district, was allegedly abducted and murdered by Gobinda Sahu. BJP National spokesperson Aparajita Sarangi alleges the involvement of Mishra in the incident. The minister, she says, was frequently visiting the school and staying in the school at night. According to her, there was a sex scandal going on inside the school campus. Stories linking ministers to sex scandal is not new. People of Odisha remember how Patnaik’s swift sacking of several ministers like Maheswar Mohanty, Debasis Nayak, Manmohon Samal, late Pradeep Maharathy for their involvement in sexual harassment cases won him admiration. But, Patnaik’s cryptic one-line statement in the latest case stating that “Law will take its own course” with regard to Mishra has shocked people. Sources say that all evidence linked to minister Dibya Shankar may have been destroyed by the alleged murderer Gobinda Sahu. So at the moment, the question of damage control to sack the minister does not arise despite pressures mounting from the Congress and BJP.
The selfless ways of thousands of workers who rose to deal with the emergency created by a couple of days of extraordinary rainfall in Chennai came in for high praise. This was a redeeming feature of life as the Tamil Nadu capital was inundated incommoding the lives of lakhs of people. The one who stood out as thousands of relief workers toiled to take on the conditions rendered extremely difficult by the rain and water-logging was Police Inspector Rajeshwari. She saved a man in a cemetery who was injured by a falling tree by carrying him on her shoulder and running to the road to try and hire an auto rickshaw to ferry him to a government hospital. She became an internet sensation as her response to a situation beyond the call of duty was recorded on a mobile and made it nationally. Known to be committed to social service while working in the police force, she had been awarded medals for her dedication. There were also many a nameless worker who waded into the water to rescue people, handle electricity problems and outages, man row boats and dinghies to offer help to the stranded and strove to bring back a semblance of normalcy so people could manage to live through a city in the grip of a crisis caused by a natural disaster.
In very much with the saying, “Politics is the art of possible,” the non BJP parties like the Congress, NCP, Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena have opened a backchannel to explore the possibility of an alliance to defeat BJP in the upcoming elections to the 40-member Goa assembly to be held in February 2022. Although all these four parties have announced to go solo in a bid to cash in on anti-incumbency against the BJP- led government, leaders from these parties themselves admit that a united opposition can pose a serious challenge to BJP, which is struggling to bring together various factions, to retain power. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, senior Congress leader and former Goa CM Digambar Kamat, Goa state NCP chief Jose Philip D’Souza and Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev are likely to be fronting their party’s initiative to explore alliance possibilities. They have a common goal to keep BJP at bay. Reliable sources in the know point out that second rung leaders are keen to forge an alliance as then their chances of winning is very high. But, seniors and veterans from these parties are hesitant as they fear they may lose their prospects to become the CM. Clearly, you can’t have the cake and eat it too!
Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief and the principal challenger to UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, is supposed to be rolling up his sleeves for this crucial battle early next year. In a sign that his heart is not really into the battle, the Opposition leader launched his campaign not by making poll promises; instead he chose to launch a perfume — Samajwadi Sugand or the fragrance of socialism. The perfume comes in a red-and-green glass bottle (the party colours) and is made of 22 natural ingredients from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, signifying the diversity of India. SP leaders say the launch of perfume should not be seen as a non-serious gesture. It was launched in Kannauj which is the Lok Sabha constituency of his wife Dimple. The place is known for perfume making and was produced by a Samajwadi worker. Besides perfume, Akhilesh also tried to tap Muslim voters by heaping praise on Mohammed Ali Jinnah (credited with dividing India to create Pakistan for Muslims). He hailed Jinnah as a freedom fighter on par with Gandhi, Nehru and Patel. If Akhilesh hopes voters would be thrilled with Samajwadi ittars and happily vote for the Cycle in solidarity with “brotherhood”, he would be mistaken. Party workers already feel the Samajwadi leadership has been too tight-fisted as it doesn’t see a prospect of a comeback.
After several failed attempts to oust the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, now it is the turn of the BJP national president JP Nadda to have another go at it. Apparently, Nadda called for a meeting of senior BJP leaders in the state to revisit strategy on how to overthrow the MVA government. Insiders say this meeting was just an eyewash. Basically, it was an attempt to keep the flock together who are running out of patience. State party leaders including Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrakant Patil and Narayan Rane have stopped issuing new deadlines due to internal contradictions. Insiders say state BJP leaders have failed to provide a concrete plan to conduct Operation Lotus to the national leadership which has ultimately told them to stop talk of collapse of the MVA government which is completing two years in office on November 27. Nadda, who has not made any statement on BJP’s failure to regain power after estranged ally Shiv Sena parted ways to form MVA government, has asserted that the state cannot achieve a new high in growth unless the MVA government is overthrown. However, he has not spelt out any strategy thereby making state leaders to work out their own arithmetic to engineer a split in one of the ruling parties. They, in private talk, admit it is an impossible task but claim Modi Hai to Sub Mumkin Hai.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister visiting rain-affected areas of Chennai after an extreme rainfall event last Sunday was not mere tokenism. He spent hours together over three days surveying areas under water, overseeing the distribution of relief and attending endless meetings on monsoon preparedness while fulfilling duties associated with normal CEOs of States. If there was a message in Stalin’s sustained supervision of relief measures it may have had to do with what happened to Chennai in 2015 when its wettest ever time came about in 36-hours with a perfect storm dumping 50 cms of water. The average of 20 cms that the city received overnight in 2021 was not as phenomenal but it caused nearly as much damage. What had made 2015 rain so catastrophic was the uncontrolled release of over 100,000 cusecs of water from a city reservoir in Chembarambakkam, flooding the Adyar river and causing immense loss of life and property. This had come about because desperate water managers had not been able to get through to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who was not 100% well at the time and was prone to sleeping it off in her Poes Garden residence. Stalin, a fit 67-year-old with a healthy lifestyle, would like to show that his antenna is up and is always available for duty.
Poll reverses in Himachal Pradesh where the BJP lost one Lok Sabha and three Assembly seats in by-elections was one reason that may have well forced the Modi government to rein in galloping fuel prices. However, a closer look at the Mandi Lok Sabha by-elections may reveal that the winner — Pratibha Virbhadra Singh — was not such a popular candidate. Apparently, no one in the Congress was keen that she should win as she is known to be quite an inaccessible person. Widow of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh seems to have won the seat through a series of happy coincidences. Her victory margin — 7,490 votes — against BJP candidate Brigadier (Retd) Khushal Thakur is actually less than the 12,626 NOTA votes polled. Which means there were not many who overwhelmingly voted in her favour. But then it is being said that even the BJP cadre was also not happy with the ticket going to Brig Thakur, a Kargil war hero. That means dislike for official candidates seems to have plagued both the parties and reflected in high NOTA. As for the Congress winning in three Assembly seats in the state it is being said the BJP did not take the challenge seriously. Officially, of course, chief minister Jairam Thakur acknowledged that high fuel prices may have made voters angry.
People of Chennai had that horrible déjà vu of 2015 when incessant rains lashed the city, inundating many parts of the city thereby bringing the city to a grinding halt. This city which saw power cuts and some lives being lost has been witnessing water logging disasters very often. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, clad in heavy rain gear, was everywhere, wading through knee deep swirls, inspecting the flood havoc and supervising relief. Compelling optics no doubt. But, why should Chennai face this disaster almost every monsoon? The answer lies in the short term, populist vision of the two parties — DMK and AIADMK — who would rather respond to calamity than engineer prevention. And Stalin is the author of that catchy election slogan Varumun kappom (let’s prevent, before it hits). Countries like Switzerland, New Zealand and Norway have perfected water management and rainwater harvesting. Israel is the world leader in water recycling; treats 80% of sewage to produce 500 billion litres of water per annum for irrigation and public works. Why, even neighbouring Karnataka has the world’s largest rainwater harvesting project, covering over 23,000 school rooftops to harvest rainwater and prevent inundation. Surely TN can engineer a permanent solution for flooding in monsoon, and water scarcity in summer.
Clearly, the star of the one-day BJP national executive was Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai who got the opportunity to second the political resolution; UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was the mover of the resolution. Annamalai was not only handpicked for the task but Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself chose to introduce the 37-year-old former Karnataka cadre IPS officer to the audience. This after BJP President JP Nadda had already finished doing the honours. Speaking about Annamalai, Modi was quoted as saying that as an officer he had a bright future in his profession; in politics he could have also chosen regional parties like AIADMK or the DMK, but he zeroed in on the BJP for probity and clean politics. BJP leaders felt the way PM showered encomiums on Annamalai, it certainly seemed he was the chosen one. Under Annamalai’s stewardship since July this year, the state BJP has been making rapid strides. The BJP made gains in panchayat elections in nine districts in northern Tamil Nadu. Modi focused on looking at the silver lining – without making any reference to Himachal reverses. Annamalai’s success in a hostile environment like TN was worth showcasing to the party cadre. The spotlight was also on the decisive win in Telangana; and vote accretion in Badvel (SC) in AP, and in Ellenabad in Haryana amid farm law protests.
In Karnataka, the loss of Hangal Assembly seat to the Congress in the by-election should actually be seen as something that is of BJP’s own making. Here the party seems to be caught in a web of misery because of its principles. Refusing to cash in on sympathy factor and deciding against fielding close family members of deceased candidates, the BJP needlessly lost a seat to the Congress. It seems the party decided against fielding either daughter-in-law or son of the late six- term MLA CM Udasi whose death necessitated the by-election. Karnataka State BJP committee too had rooted for his son Shivkumar Udasi, a Lok Sabha MP from Haveri. Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai too wanted someone from the family. “If someone from the family had contested, BJP would have secured the seat by 20,000 votes,” admitted a BJP source. Chief Minister Bommai who camped for 10 days in Hangal to secure the seat was quite disappointed. The seat was narrowly lost. Close to his backyard, the loss of Lingayat-dominated seat seemed like a slap on his face. Of course, the only people who were happy were supporters of former Chief Minister BS Yedyurappa. They saw this as a good time to push for rehabilitation of his son BY Vijayendra by linking Hangal loss to unhappiness of Lingayats.
Nothing more upset supporters of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee than the warm meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pope Francis on October 30 at the Vatican. Modi pulled off a surprise by not only calling on the Pope but also extending an invitation to visit India. It would be the first such visit after a gap of 22 years. RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale welcomed PM’s meeting as well as invitation. Modi presented the Pope with a book on a topic close to his heart — The Challenges Of Climate Change: Children On The Front Line. The invite for papal visit had a positive impact with Kerala Catholic Bishop Council looking forward to it. Only TMC backers looked distraught and began to question Modi’s timing of the invite. Was it timed with Goa polls? Mamata had spent three days in Goa. A third term CM of a large state such as West Bengal, she was scouting fish markets of Mapusa to fraternise with locals. Journalists from Kolkata were brought to chronicle the beginning of her journey from “Goa to Delhi.” Did Mamata zero in on Goa thinking that since Modi became PM only because it was at Goa BJP National Executive in 2013 that he had been declared PM candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha elections, she too must start from Panaji!
It is a big victory for Uddhav Thackeray that too outside Maharashtra. Shiv Sena’s candidate Kalaben Mohanbhai Delkar, wife of former MP Mohan Delkar who had committed suicide in a Mumbai hotel, won the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha seat with a margin of 51,269 votes defeating BJP candidate Mahesh Gavit. In most by-elections, BJP candidates have lost. This convincing victory margin could make Sena think of spreading its tentacles and also aligning with like-minded parties to take on BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It may be recalled that Uddhav during the meeting of CMs of states ruled by Congress and allies – convened by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi – had called to be ready for a fight against BJP. It was TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee who was the first to respond to Uddhav’s call. Uddhav, according to sources close to him, prefers his work to do the talking. He feels BJP can be defeated by reaching out to voters with a promise for a change. In this win, Uddhav has played his cards well. Though he wants to play spoilsport in Uttar Pradesh, he knows what happened in Bihar and West Bengal. As for BJP in Maharashtra, they need to do serious introspection: the proverbial wolf cry has come to nought. For now, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi seems well entrenched.
In an interesting move, Union Home Minister Amit Shah went all out endorsing UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath as BJP’s face for 2022 state assembly elections. He said electing Yogi in 2022 was very necessary if people wanted PM Modi to be re-elected in 2024. Shah appealed that “Modiji ko ek aur mauka dijijye, Yogiji ko mukhyamantriji banadijiye” (Give Modi one more opportunity. Make Yogi chief minister again). Shah’s fulsome endorsement of Yogi nixed speculation about the status of his relationship with the UP leader. For some time there has been a view that there was perhaps an undercurrent between the two leaders close to Modi. Age-wise, Shah and Yogi are almost contemporaries; both in their 50s; though Shah is a couple of years older than the UP CM. In terms of profile, both leaders are known to aggressively pursue Hindu causes and interests. So it is in this context that Shah’s backing of Yogi becomes significant. In 2017, Amit Shah as BJP President, had tirelessly worked for his party’s astounding victory in UP and helped Yogi become CM for the first time. Last week, Shah returned to Lucknow to launch BJP’s campaign for 2022. People who worked with him in the past such as UP BJP General Secretary Sunil Bansal are also in the team as key strategists. Union HRD Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been given charge of the state.
Working in a corporate environment is one thing. But being a part of the government is quite another. Perhaps, he got a bit carried away initially. And, that got him into one controversy after another. Well, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Dr P Thiaga Rajan, popularly known as PTR, appears to have understood the difference. He doesn’t stray into avoidable terrain now. He has chosen to be a lot more measured and focused. He made the right noises when he met the Press on October 1, 2021. A huge quantum of public money is lying outside the treasury. The task is to identify and bring it back into the Treasury. His efforts seem to be bearing fruits as close to Rs 2,000 crore of unused funds were identified by a task force set up by him. He is not against freebies (for the poor and the backward). But he is all for accounting, even the freebies. Handing out freebies without any responsibility is clearly not his way of doing things. The government order on gold loan waiver gives a clue or two to his thinking. The benefit should reach the deserving. And the system should be capable of doing this. This is what he is striving to do. Well, the thought-process is laudable.
Mid-October, Rahul Gandhi surprised CWC members by praising Charanjit Singh Channi’s humility. He informed them how Channi broke into tears on being told he has to take over as Punjab CM. Channi had become emotional because in a state dominated by Jat Sikhs he had never expected a Dalit like him to be picked as CM. However, today no one in Punjab Congress is sure if Chief Minister Channi continues to be Rahul’s favourite. Reason: Channi chose to ignore October 31– Indira Gandhi’s death anniversary. This was in stark contrast to what his predecessor Capt Amarinder Singh used to do: issue advertisements paying tribute to the slain PM. Mind you, Capt Singh was someone who had quit the Congress in protest against Operation Blue Star and resigned as Congress MP in 1984. This difference in approach to Indira Gandhi between Channi and Capt Singh was brought to fore by former Punjab PCC Sunil Jakhar. Meanwhile, the appointment of Jagdish Tytler — someone allegedly linked to 1984 anti-Sikh riots — as permanent invitee in Delhi PCC has evoked mixed reactions. On his part, Rahul Gandhi stayed aloof and preferred to tweet a video of the last moments of his dear dadi’s funeral. As for Channi’s tears, he must be shedding more of it now considering Sidhu has almost become adversarial, questioning every policy decision of his.
The head honchos of Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been collaborating on keeping the alarmists at bay over the Mullaperiyar Dam issue. The States are at loggerheads over the permissible height of water storage in the dam with Kerala wishing to build a new dam and take the 125-year-old dam out of the equation even as TN insists on its water rights from a perennial treaty. Alarmists are having a field day spreading rumours of impending disaster even as the opposition AIADMK is whipping up a campaign on TN’s water rights. The CMs are seeing reason in a tense scenario. The Supreme Court may have said the dam is safe and water can be stored upto 142 feet. Taking into consideration the fear of Keralites living below the dam in Idukki district, TN is keeping the water level only at 139 feet or less. The irrigation and drinking water needs of TN’s southern districts may be great but they will not be met by endangering the safety of a dam that stops a west-flowing river to take the water eastwards through giant pipes from the dam built by British engineer Penniquick who pledged his wife’s jewels to complete the work on his limestone masterpiece that has stood the test of time.
Sparring between the RJD and the Congress has peaked so much that the national party outright denied a claim put out by RJD chief Lalu Prasad that Congress President Sonia Gandhi had telephoned him and inquired about his well-being. Lalu’s phone claim was debunked by none other than Congress’s Bihar-in charge Bhakta Charan Das, a Dalit leader from Western Odisha. And Lalu had been dismissive of him and called him “a stupid man” who was helping the NDA by fielding candidates in the forthcoming by-elections without consulting the RJD. In this backdrop, it is interesting to know why Lalu made a fake claim that Sonia Gandhi had telephoned him. Was it to confuse voters or Congress workers ahead of the by-elections to two assembly seats in Bihar — Kusheshwar Asthan (SC seat) and Tarapu — on October 30? It has almost become a prestige battle between the Congress and the RJD, UPA allies who had fought the 2020 assembly polls together. During the assembly polls, the Congress had fought and lost Kusheshwar by a narrow margin. This time the RJD decided to field a candidate in a seat it had left to the Congress constituency and is accusing the Congress of not consulting it. The by-elections have been caused due to deaths of sitting JD(U) MLAs. And usually, in such polls candidates of the incumbent government have an edge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had stayed overnight in a cave near Kedarnath Temple in the run up to 2019 Lok Sabha elections, will be visiting the temple again on November 5 but for a different purpose. It was Modi’s stay in the cave that had led it to becoming a big tourist draw. This time Modi is going there to inaugurate Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi that was reconstructed after the destruction in 2013 floods. The entire reconstruction work has been undertaken under his guidance. His guidance is visible not only in major governance reforms but also in forging high performance ministerial teams. Not only in the way files –that too e-files will move within the government departments but also in the way ministers themselves will move. As regards to movement of e-files, it has been decided that they will not move beyond four hands or four levels before a decision is taken on them by ministers. As for ministers themselves, Modi suggested that the ministers could have a carpooling system to come for meetings like the Council of Ministers — such as the one he had held recently. Carpooling, he felt, would not only save energy but also give them an opportunity to share information about their ministries with each other. The idea is to get one Cabinet minister and two junior ministers in the same car
In Rajasthan, both the Congress and BJP have woken up to the stark reality of widespread conversions happening in the tribal regions. And both parties are blaming Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) for this conversion. BTP is a force to reckon with in the tribal dominated regions of Rajasthan including Dungarpur where it won four local panchayat elections recently. Besides, BTP has two MLAs, who supported the Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot. Is conversion a new thing? Not really. It has been thriving for decades now thanks to poverty and illiteracy. Currently, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are hot spots of conversion along with Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. In the last six months, these states have witnessed a spike in conversion with 80% of converts belonging to SC/ ST. The BJP, it is reliably learnt, plans to launch nationwide agitations against conversions. According to an Intelligence Officer, “The impetus (read funds) for conversions has witnessed a spike as India is considered a soft state. However, these missionary movements funded by radical Christian groups based out of the USA and Europe have consciously kept out of most Islamic nations as they fear reprisals from Islamic forces.” One such missionary activist from the USA, who visited India recently, told this correspondent when asked about the residual fallout of her activities (on escalating tensions between denominations of Indian citizens), “Well I have a lot of money and I can give it to anyone I choose, even you.”
Her patience and perseverance are proverbial. Her silence stoic. But enough is enough for her. Sonia Gandhi has heroically sat on mentoring mode for years, hoping Rahul will pluck the party from her studious and strategic clutches. The time has come to talk about cabbages and kings, to muster enough ballast, to cast the die. Has Sonia seen the writing on the wall? Now or never….choose your successor, the heir apparent and quit the regent mode. Congress watchers and seasoned media hands are speculating that Rahul will take over the Grand Old Party, and Priyanka could be the electoral face, a doppelgänger for her Dadi. The party must be in the Gandhi family, take direction from Rahul. How else can one interpret Sonia taking the offensive to the party rebels and baiters? She made it clear that her party veterans lacked “clarity and cohesion.” She voiced her unhappiness… the party must fight the diabolical campaign of the RSS and BJP. At least, she has bought some time and respite from the rebel 23, chafing at the bit. Also, poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s statement – nothing can unseat the BJP, at least for now – suggests he may not be joining Congress. Sonia knows well enough: her children have the DNA to claim the throne. Heads or tails, she knows it is the TINA factor she has to work on.
The Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has moved centre-stage in campaigning in the BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh by releasing a mini-manifesto, but the party is yet to decide whether to go solo or have alliance partners. Samajwadi Party has made it clear that it will not have any truck with the Congress due to past experience. Congress insiders said the party has no choice but to go solo. Among Brahmins, Yadavs, Muslims and various sub castes of Dalit the Congress party has little presence and they are not sure whether Priyanka’s charisma will work to defeat the mighty BJP. Meanwhile, there is unanimity among smaller parties to contest elections by joining hands with the Samajwadi Party under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has announced that Akhilesh Yadav will lead the alliance of like-minded and secular parties to take on the BJP. They will soon meet to formally work out a seat sharing arrangement. Clearly, smaller parties feel that fighting the upcoming polls under Congress party’s leadership will be suicidal. Ironically these parties except BSP, AAP and AIMIM are okay with the idea of coming together and forging an alliance to take on BJP at the national level but are averse to joining hands with Congress in the state. Is Congress doing self-introspection as demanded by G23 for its rejuvenation?
Looks like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s plans to make a big bang start in Goa on October 28 may not quite happen. That is because she is not able to get the right kind of line-up of leaders — from the Congress and other smaller parties — to join her Trinamool Congress (TMC). Her key advisor strategist Prashant Kishor (PK) has been working on it for weeks. Yet he has not been able to make much headway. Initially, PK was lucky in persuading former CM Luizinho Faleiro, ex- Goa Pradesh Congress Committee chief, to join the TMC. Faleiro had helped the Congress clinch a big win in 2017 by picking up 17 of the 40 seats — the BJP won only 13 seats and yet managed to form the government with the support of smaller parties. Faleiro is expected to draw the right mix of leaders to the TMC Goa but there has not been much headway. Of Goa’s 40 seats, 21 are from the largely Hindu North and 19 seats from the mainly Catholic South. Mamata is keen on getting Goa Forward Party leader Vijai Sardesi (who is seen tilting towards Congress’ working president Alexio Sequeira) and his two MLAs. Mamata even got a high profile TV anchor who flaunts his Goa connection and common surname to boot to call up Vijai Sardesai.
While in Delhi, the newly appointed Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi prefers to stay in his MS Flats at RK Puram than in the Governor’s suite in Tamil Nadu Bhavan in Chanakyapuri — which is part of the diplomatic enclave in the national capital. He had been staying in this flat during his long service in IB and retained it when he was the Governor of Nagaland till he was sent to Chennai. His visit to Delhi a month after taking charge has the ruling DMK worried. This is because he held a lengthy meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and then called on PM Narendra Modi. DMK leaders wonder what may be cooking. Apparently, Chief Minister MK Stalin doesn’t want any confrontation with the Governor nor with PM Modi. Finance Minister Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) too has piped down his confrontation with the Centre. It may be noted that Governor Ravi’s daughter Prof Shamika Ravi was a member of PM’s Economic Advisory Council.
Narcotics Control Bureau’s zonal director Sameer Wankhede, who is handling drugs cases involving high profile celebrities, may soon face inquiry into his caste certificate. There are allegations that Wankhede has not got a certificate from the caste scrutiny committee and therefore the certificate that he had produced at the time of his IRS exam – and after that – may be scrutinized. If the caste scrutiny committee takes objection, then the onus will be on Wankhede to prove his caste by producing necessary papers to substantiate his claim or face a punitive action. Few independent lawyers have already compiled details about Wankhede’s caste certificate. The scrutiny by a caste scrutiny committee is mandatory for a candidate contesting various elections and also for examinations and jobs. NCP minister Nawab Malik is firing salvos, day in and day out, against Wankhede, who must now not only counter the allegations, and combat drug cartels but also prove that his caste certificate papers are in order. Clearly, there are too many forces giving Wankhede a tough time.
Like corporate India, BJP too invests in future leaders. The latest news wafting from party HQ is that the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra state assembly, Devendra Fadnavis, is being groomed to move to the Centre. He is expected to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Pune which is currently represented by veteran BJP leader Girish Bapat. Fadnavis, who is currently a legislator from Nagpur south west constituency, recently bought a house in Pune. Pune is a safe bet as it is a Brahmin dominated constituency with a sizeable presence of RSS Parivar. Fadnavis has been recently told by the Central leadership to focus on Pune by increasing his visibility there. BJP has launched Samarth Booth Abhiyan with a resolve to retain power in the upcoming elections to the Pune Municipal Corporation. It is the party’s conscious decision to send Fadnavis to Pune to avoid any rumblings as Nagpur, which houses the RSS headquarters, is represented by veteran party leader Nitin Gadkari who will be the party’s nominee for the third successive term. Recently, BJP through a reputed organization conducted a survey for PMC elections in which it was revealed that the party’s popularity index was 54% in outer Pune which is growing exponentially.
As sought by him for some time now, Harish Rawat, former Uttarakhand CM, has been relieved of charge as AICC General Secretary handling election-bound Punjab. The Congress leadership has replaced Rawat with Rajasthan Revenue minister Harish Chaudhary, considered close to Rahul Gandhi. Rawat, 73, will, however, continue to be a CWC member – and chairman of the campaign committee for the Congress in the forthcoming Uttarakhand assembly polls. His hands had been too full trying to find a solution to tame a forever recalcitrant Punjab PCC chief Navjot Sidhu. Chief Minister Chandrajit Singh Channi has also been at wit’s end to meet Sidhu’s requirements. Initially, there were a lot of misgivings about Rawat’s equations with the Gandhis – as it was felt that he was not focusing enough on the return of all Congress leaders who had joined the BJP back to the party-fold. Interestingly, orders to relieve Rawat of his Punjab charge were issued on October 21 – that is on a day when Capt Amarinder Singh lashed out against Rawat for questioning his secular credentials because of his possible alliance with the BJP. “Don’t forget that the Congress took Navjot Sindh Sidhu after he was with the BJP for 14 years. And where did Nana Patole and Revanth come from if not RSS.” He also sought to know what the Congress was doing with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.
Veteran NCP leader Ajit Pawar is known for his no nonsense style of functioning. He follows his uncle and the party supremo Sharad Pawar in day-to-day functioning, including attending the Mantralaya, and government and public functions. But of late there has been any number of attempts to tarnish his image with the Maharashtra BJP levelling corruption charges. Pawar preferred to keep a low profile despite being repeatedly targeted by BJP and especially by the former MP Kirit Somaiya over the sale of Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill situated in Satara district. Finally, Pawar decided to take the opposition head on by asking them to prove the allegations. Pawar, it is learnt, gave the list of 65 sugar and textile mills sold or given on lease to operate for 25 years following the High Court order. Now the ball is in BJP’s court. They have to respond not just to get the headlines in the newspapers and TV channels but also to take the case to its logical conclusion. It may be recalled that BJP had threatened to submit truckloads of proof in the alleged irrigation scam linking it to Ajit Pawar but till date has failed to prove it, says NCP insiders. Power tussle in Maharashtra is getting curiouser and curiouser.
A Congress Working Committee meeting is specially convened by Sonia Gandhi to tell an unenthused Congress cadre that it has no choice beyond Gandhi family or how she is still full-time party chief and there is no such thing as interim president. Sonia got what she wanted; managed to get all 38 members to endorse whatever AK Anthony and three Chief Ministers said — that is to urge Rahul Gandhi to return as Congress President. Yet, what added spice to the discussions was not a call to Rahul but the sycophantic remarks purportedly made by CWC member from Kashmir Valley, Tariq Hameed Karra who extolled Jawaharlal Nehru’s role in getting Kashmir to become part of India. He apparently claimed that Sardar Patel had colluded with Jinnah and was keen to keep Valley out of India. The BJP reacted by asking if Sonia would drop Karra from the CWC. New to Congress, Karra didn’t seem worried about Patel’s role or legacy. The CWC story is not Karra’s remarks but who leaked the closed door CWC proceedings to the media? Fingers apparently are pointing to a few G-23 members. By giving out details of Karra’s remarks at the proceedings, the defiant Congress leaders finally seem to be getting their back at Sonia who took a swipe at them in her opening remarks.
Amit Khare’s appointment as adviser in the PMO (upon his retirement as Secretary to Government of India) for a two-year period indicates he is probably set for much longer innings. The Jharkhand cadre 1985 batch IAS officer, who officially retired on September 30, may not have superannuated as Cabinet Secretary but he can still hope to have higher career goals. Valued as an upright, efficient officer who helmed two crucial policy decisions for the Modi Government — the National Educational Policy 2020 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rule 2021 or the IT Rules — Khare has always enjoyed the confidence of his bosses. In the UPA years, he served ministers such as Kapil Sibal and Pallam Raju. So, what made PM Narendra Modi pick Khare for his team? It is said that credit for zeroing in on Khare should actually go to incumbent Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba. It is said Gauba was approached by Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das to take over as state Chief Secretary. At that time Gauba was posted in the IT ministry. It was Gauba who picked Amit Khare as Additional Chief Secretary (Finance & Planning) in Jharkhand. Given his administrative track record, Khare could eventually hope to become principal secretary to the PM.
Why does Navjot Singh Sidhu come across as a problem child throwing tantrums every other day? Barely two days after it was announced that he had withdrawn his resignation following a meeting with Rahul Gandhi and AICC General Secretary Harish Rawat, and it was assured that he would be back working as Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president, Sidhu flagged a 13-point agenda on his Twitter handle for the forthcoming assembly elections. Ironically, he was mainly listing all the non-achievements of the local Congress Government in the last four and half years. Sidhu’s critics in Punjab Congress were livid that he had gone public with his letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi particularly on a day when she had told members of the Congress Working Committee that they must communicate directly with her and not go to the media. The former test cricketer is a very frustrated man and is so very unpredictable ever since Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit leader has been appointed as CM replacing Capt. Amarinder Singh. Not that Channi’s appointment has enhanced Congress prospects. “If Channi and Sidhu continue to be at loggerheads, Congress will be wiped out,” fear party seniors. Support for the Aam Admi Party seems to be surging even without a Jat Sikh face. And this is Sidhu’s frustration.
Soon after mother-son duo Maneka and Varun Gandhi were dropped from the National Executive of BJP, the central decision-making body, there was speculation that Varun would join his cousin Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra. There was a buzz that he might even show up at her Congress kissan rally in Varanasi. Though no such thing happened. His exclusion is attributed to his indiscreet utterances on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident that saw a hit-and-run accident and retaliatory lynchings, leaving eight dead. On his part Varun played down his exclusion by saying that he had never attended any of National Executive meetings in the last five years. However, BJP sources say, Varun’s activities have been under the radar of the top bosses for the last five years. In 2016, Varun had found himself embroiled in a major controversy after he was accused of leaking military secrets to an arms dealer and weapon manufacturers after being “honey-trapped.” Varun did toy with the idea of leaving BJP five years ago when Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka sent word through an intermediary. But eventually he decided to bide his time, fearing action over allegations, and also because of Maneka’s equations with Sonia. Sheltered during Vajpayee rule, now it looks likely that Maneka and Varun won’t get a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. And Maneka may not mind Varun joining hands with Priyanka. But, will Rahul welcome his cousin?
Various theories have been doing the rounds in the Capital ever since Captain Amarinder Singh, former chief minister of Punjab, met with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. His meeting with Doval made it loud and clear that Captain was not joining BJP. So, what was the meeting all about? One theory is that Captain came to reveal his game plan of floating his own party and seek an alliance with the BJP so as to not only turf out Congress but also put AAP on the back foot. But, the real reason Captain met with both these gentlemen is to give information on Navjot Singh Sidhu that when divulged or leaked to the media may derail Sidhu’s political career and embarrass the Gandhis for backing him. Captain, it is learnt, is miffed that a die-hard party loyalist like him who was close to Gandhi family since Rajiv Gandhi’s days was given a shoddy treatment by brother-sister duo in order to accommodate a newcomer like Sidhu. So, over the next few months, it will be interesting to watch which way Sidhu’s political graph is headed — North or South?
Union Home Minister Amit Shah decided to give an interview on 20 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s elective politics. Interestingly, he did not choose any of the private channels to air his views. Rather, he chose to speak to Sansad TV — a relaunched Parliament TV. Interestingly, it was aired on a day Congress leader Priyanka Vadra addressed a kissan nyay rally at Varanasi. The Shah interview naturally monopolised airtime as all private channels went live with the interview. Sansad TV, a news channel that has combined the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha TV, was launched on September 15, 2021. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called it the new voice of the Parliament. In a break from the past, the news channel is roping in well-known MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to host their own shows or conduct panel discussions. First, one saw Congress MP Shashi Tharoor interview renowned Kathak danseuse Shovana Narayan and painter Anjali Ela Menon. Other well-known names that will be regularly seen on the channel are: Economist and author Dr Bibek Debroy who will be hosting a show on religion. Former diplomat Vikas Swarup will moderate a show on foreign affairs while Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant will be doing a weekly show on government reforms. Well, it seems interesting on the face of it.
When it comes to axing ministers in his cabinet and chief ministers in the States over their performances, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ruthless. In July this year, Modi shocked and surprised everybody by dropping 12 ministers from his cabinet which included the likes of IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, I&B and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, and Health & Science Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. There were murmurs of protests and then came the news that some of the dropped ministers will land top positions in the party or hold gubernatorial positions. But some leaders like Minister of State Babul Supriyo felt badly insulted and decided to switch sides by joining Trinamool Congress. Will more follow as many veterans have lost hope? According to sources in BJP’s HQ, those dropped both at the Centre and States may not return to power or hold important positions in the party as long as Modi is the PM. He adds that Modi has seen their worth and capabilities, so has decided to build the next line of leaders. This exercise was evident in the recent cabinet reshuffle in Gujarat too. Scotching rumours that some of these veteran leaders may join other parties, the source said it is “unlikely.” They will remain permanent party soldiers. Is it? Only time will tell.
What? No more statues? Would Tamil Nadu, or any State for that matter, exist without feeling the need to put up statues for venerated leaders? An order from a Madras High Court judge to the contrary would have sent shivers running down the spines of various people, from social reformers to politicians. While disallowing any new statue to be installed, the judge would like to send all existing statues on roads and public places to a “Leaders’ Park” where presumably the erectors of statues would pay for their upkeep and people would line up to pay homage to saints and demigods, social thought leaders and tall political leaders, including most of all of actor-politicians in cinema-crazy Tamil Nadu. This is a tall order in a State that is crowded with statues of Gandhi, Nehru, Periyar, Ambedkar, MGR, Jaya, M Karunanidhi et al in public places including the Marina Beach that is the world’s longest drive past an array of statues to saints and leaders. The erection of statues and paying homage to them is intensely political too. Not a day passes by without a political group paying homage to a departed leader by adorning his statue with flowers. It does appear that the order will be quickly challenged in court one before the State prepares the ground for creating ‘Leaders’ Parks’ in several places.
The Sharad Pawar led Nationalist Congress Party’s aggressive posture has put the otherwise combative Bharatiya Janata Party on the defensive. NCP kept quiet despite repeated attacks by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya targeting party supremo Sharad Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and former home minister Anil Deshmukh over alleged corruption and various scams. NCP minister Nawab Malik has alleged collusion between BJP and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the seizure of drugs on cruise liner, and the subsequent arrests. BJP party leaders like Pravin Darekar, Atul Bhatkhalkar, and Ashish Shelar Ram Kadam have dismissed Malik’s charges, but the allegations over the involvement of party office bearer Manish Bhanushali’s role in the ongoing saga continue. According to observers, “BJP cut a sorry figure after Bhanushali’s photos with PM, HM, former CM, party president were released on social media.” This is NCP’s attempt to make it amply clear that it has no plans to cosy up with BJP. Pawar has also made it clear that he will go all out to mobilize non BJP parties to counter BJP in 2024 polls. Clearly, BJP faces a tough challenge to revive its anti-corruption crusader image. Party insiders in Maharashtra admit that it is time BJP rejigs its strategy as merely criticising the Maha Vikas Aghadi will not garner votes. Is Devendra Fadnavis listening?
It’s a known fact that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is overtly and avowedly an Atheist, the lynchpin of Dravidian philosophy. But his wife Durga is too deeply involved in religious beliefs and rituals. One can say, she is an empowered woman and her husband, an enlightened liberal. Just a couple of days back Durga undertook a three-temple vow to fulfill Parikrama. She walked the two odd kilometres from the toll gate to the famous Sakthi Peetam, Samayapuram Mariamman Temple in Tiruchy, as her wish to see Stalin become CM was fulfilled. The past week, her temple visits have been media highlights. When K Annamalai, the TN BJP president protested that Hindu temples were kept shut for three days every week citing Corona, the challenging sentiment spread. BJP leaders H Raja and PonRadhakrishnan took up the vanguard of dissent in Srivilliputhur and other temples. Rightly so. Starting from the holy month of Aadi (Jul 17-Aug 16), this sacred period of temple visits and worship has been affected. So is Corona a selective excuse to reign in Hindu religion? For years, Indians have witnessed selective and exploitative secularism, when the Congress interpreted Secularism to suit its vote bank politics. This wheel of discrimination is turning again, where Dravidian philosophy edges out Hindu culture. Equality before law is much akin to the elephant interpreted by blind men.
Thackeray scion Aaditya Thackeray is on move. Aaditya, who is the Tourism and Environment Minister and also the Mumbai Suburban District Guardian Minister, has increased his visibility by attending social, religious, party and government functions. But the focus is on launching a number of infrastructure projects including Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Mumbai Coastal Road Project, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, sewage disposal projects and Mumbai Metro projects ahead of the ensuing BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Shiv Sena, which is leading the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, has expressed its resolve to retain power in India’s richest civic body, BMC, despite its estranged ally BJP’s Mission 2022. Although Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who is also Shiv Sena President, will play a lead role in poll management and campaigning, Aaditya will be party’s face to sell party’s pro-development agenda in addition to Marathi Manoos plank. Aaditya has already hired a public relations agency to take position across print, electronic and social media. A well-educated, progressive and friends of almost every community, it is Shiv Sena’s attempt to lure non-Marathi and Muslim votes by projecting Aaditya as its face. It is a paradigm shift for a party which in the past was accused of running campaign against various communities. Will the voter fall for Sena’s bait? Only time will tell.
The ousted AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala has been playing the guessing game. First, she trumpeted that she is going into political sanyas. Then suddenly surfaces, from time to time, to wrest the control of AIADMK without success. The latest news is that Sasikala aka Chinamma has come out of her self-imposed exile on the auspicious Mahalaya Amavasai and announced a slew of high profile events to mark the return of the piqued Panther to active politics, hostile takeover, slaying enemies and rocketing right to the top of the leadership in AIADMK. What set off this intense comeback plan and the rumblings heard in its wake? According to her inner circle, the soothsayers have said that her ‘innings 2.0’ would be a hit sequel to her prequel. Embark on it, you will not regret it, seems to be soothsayers’ advice. Also, she has been emboldened and energised by a secret phone call from a top AIADMK leader assuring his prostration with followers. With such assurances, Sasikala has announced her launch events. Visit JJ Memorial on October 16, big plans for the party’s Golden Jubilee on October 17, visit MGR’s home, rake up the Kodanadu Estate murder case, bring in her vaunted enemy EPS into the ring of suspicion. The astrologer has even pin-pointed a particular temple in Tirunelveli from where she should start her comeback.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known for delivering shock therapy. It was visible sometimes back when BJP replaced the veteran Lingayat leader BS Yeddyurappa as the chief minister of Karnataka by appointing Basavraj Bomai. Likewise, Modi took the call to replace Uttarkhand’s then chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat with Lok Sabha member Tirath Singh Rawat. In July, four months after being made chief minister, Tirath Singh Rawat was replaced by two-time MLA Pushkar Singh Dhami. In Gujarat, ahead of assembly elections slated for 2022, Modi surprised the party legislators by appointing a first time MLA Bhupendra Patel, who hails from the politically influential Patidar community, thereby replacing Home Minister Amit Shah’s confidant Vijay Rupani who comes from the Jain community. Rupani was the fourth CM to be replaced by BJP in the last six months. Now, within the BJP circle, there is a strong buzz about replacing Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar who does not belong to the Jat community, by appointing a Jat community leader especially in the wake of ongoing farmers’ agitation. Khattar, who was handpicked by Modi, has been under the latter’s radar for his style of functioning during his second term. Also, Khattar’s controversial statement of “jaise ko taisa,” asking BJP’s farmers’ arm to form groups against Opposition-led farmers’ blockades seems to have angered the top leaders of BJP.
The Congress party’s Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who broke the political pact (power sharing arrangement of 2.5 years each) with state colleague TS Singh Deo, is staying firmly put in his chair. Even as the scheduled 2.5-year milestone was reached and Singh Deo invoked the pact for the CM’s chair, Baghel broke his word, even flying a dozen party MLAs to New Delhi in a sort of public posturing of his political clout in the state. Lo and behold, the party high command lost its resolve to go through with the power transition at least for the immediate future. A senior political leader from New Delhi told Short Post: “Baghel was able to get a recharge for a year more at least as Rahul Gandhi has additionally appointed him as Congress incharge for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh polls. After his fresh appointment, Baghel will use his political acumen and government machinery in Chhattisgarh to impact BJP prospects in UP. Will the Gandhis now remove him from his CM post and risk their own UP prospects?” Seems unlikely. However, the Congress is known to pull a rabbit (read Charanjit Singh Channi) out of its hat at the last moment as in Punjab when the battle between Navjot Singh Siddhu and Captain Amrinder Singh threatened to boil over. It will be interesting to see Singh Deo plotting a silent jockeying for power.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, who is avoiding his arrest in multiple cases including extortion, has not left the country and moved to Russia or Dubai but is believed to be in Manali, according to highly placed sources. Singh, who through his letter had levelled serious allegations against Maharashtra’s former home minister Anil Deshmukh (alleged that he was demanding Rs 100 crore to be extorted from bars), has not only dumped his mobile number but used the number of his close relatives and continues to be untraceable. Singh, who had taken the move to target Deshmukh allegedly at the behest of few political heavyweights, has realized that they have already disowned him and therefore he is now exploring new legal avenues to avoid arrest. On the other hand, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government is pressing for his suspension by making the case foolproof to avoid further legal battles. Already the Thane Police in August issued a Lookout circular against Singh; and is examining the service conditions concerning suspension. Sources say that the government is determined to teach Singh a lesson for defaming it and also challenging its authority. It is to be seen whether Singh may face the axe after Dussera or Diwali. Clearly, time is certainly running out for Singh.
Emboldened by the Punjab experiment of installing Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit leader, as the Chief Minister, much to annoyance of Captain Amarinder Singh, the brother-sister duo Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra have now turned their attention on Rajasthan. For over a year now, there has been a strong undercurrent and mistrust between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot who very nearly joined BJP. But the Gandhis placated Pilot and saved the day. It is now learnt Sachin is spoiling for fights and Rahul-Priyanka are all ears for him. Gehlot, say insiders, went into self-imposed isolation (read refused to meet the high command) after his bete noire Pilot met with the Gandhis in Delhi. So, will Pilot succeed a second time? Not really, feel senior Congress leaders. They say Gehlot is an old time Congress loyalist who has strong base; removing him from the CM’s position will cause political upheaval and perhaps Congress losing the State when elections are held. Interestingly, BJP’s former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje seems to have good rapport with Gehlot and she says insiders stopped Pilot’s entry into BJP. Political analysts feel that in the end both Gehlot and Pilot will lose out and some new face will be foisted on CM’s chair. For now, it seems the pot boiler in Rajasthan will continue.
Despite the opposition charges of polarization, Maha panchayat activism and call by agitating farmers to oust the party from Uttar Pradesh, the BJP with full support from the RSS Parivar has geared up for the upcoming assembly elections. It has held marathon meetings with RSS bigwigs, including Mohan Bhagwat, BL Santosh and Krishna Prakash, to further strengthen coordination between the party organization and RSS Parivar. Besides the agenda of Hindutva and grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, BJP is also strongly taking up the development agenda with the voters in UP while exposing “non-trustworthy opposition.” Apart from the media blitzkrieg with joint photos of PM Narendra Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath, the party will project its strong leadership during the campaigning. Bhagwat’s recent statement that Hindus and Muslims share same ancestry came quite handy for the BJP to reach out to Muslim voters with an assurance that they will be given due share in development and efforts will be made for proximity between the two communities. “The Muslim population in UP is 17-19%, but their share in the benefits of welfare schemes is 30-35%,” Yogi pointed out earlier in the state assembly. For now the ball is in Yogi’s court to do everything possible to retain power. Of course, the role of RSS Parivar will be crucial in BJP’S victory which is badly needed for the party to hit a hat trick in 2024 general elections.
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) has shown that he is not to be messed with. Having hogged media attention from the comeback day of the DMK, he has been in the arc lights for many reasons. Apart from his exalted background (Harvard, Wall Street, Bespoke political DNA, American wife, the yearning to serve his state) this handpicked FM has of late been in the news for some wrong reasons. His quick temper, sometimes acerbic repartees, and not so friendly relations with other party colleagues have also come under media focus. The most recent, a freeze treatment to Dr R Mahendran, who quit Kamal Haasan’s outfit MNM and joined the DMK. Mahendran was appointed Joint Secretary of DMK IT wing and second in command to PTR! Similarly, he chose to make a statement by not participating in the GST Council meeting in Lucknow. Reason given: he was at a community Baby Shower in his constituency, Madurai. For this act, he came in for harsh criticism not only from the opposition parties — AIADMK and BJP – but also from his party colleague TKS Elangovan, a Rajya Sabha MP. The man criticized for public rant on social media has redeemed himself in the most telling way. He has now been inducted by the Union government as member of the Group Of Ministers on GST system reforms! Pouts and protests do have their paybacks.
A few days back, a mega casting coup was announced in Kollywood. Forty-three-year-old Udhayanidhi Stalin signed on for a film to be directed by Pa. Ranjith with AR Rahman scoring the music. So, what’s new about this news? Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and also an elected DMK MLA till date, has acted in 19 films. But the latest movie is being talked about as his swansong. Stalin is said to have told his son “to give up playing this double role of actor and MLA” thereby signalling his plans to hand over the reins to him eventually. Quite understandable. TN and its ruling party, the DMK, is rooted in a strife ridden family of Karunanidhi, the iconic political leader. MK Alagiri, the older son of Karunanidhi and Stalin have a long-standing family feud as blood brothers. Alagiri who is known as the uncrowned king of South TN is biding his time. Add to that the third heir angle – K Kanimozhi, MP, who has kept her distance from both the warring step brothers but also hankering for a leadership role. With too many push and pull within the family it’s easy to see why Stalin wants his son to quickly move centre-stage in politics. The choice before Udhayanidhi is: To be a king or cavort with sizzling sirens?
Instead of waiting for the Union government to launch Har Ghar Nal Se Jal programme in his state, Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik decided to take the initiative by announcing Rs 1,500 crore programme to provide 24×7 safe drinking water from tap in Odisha’s 17 cities in addition to what has been initiated at Puri – the abode of Lord Jagannath. At Puri, its entire population of 2.5 lakh people have been fully connected with piped drinking water. Translated it means 2 crore tourists will not have to buy bottled water and the environment impact will be the savings of 3 crore water bottles. “Availability of potable drinking water will improve the lives of 35 lakh population, wherein slum population of 8.5 lakh will be covered,” said G Mathi Vathanan, Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development. Differentiating between Singapore and Odisha model of piped drinking water, Vathanan said: “Odissa will totally rely on ground water sources, wherein water quality will confirm to ISO 10500 standard.” Patnaik is keen to make Odisha a happening place. So be it in hockey, reduction of poverty, success in disaster management, attracting best investment to Odisha and now the piped drinking water to people’s home for the first time, his state is showing the way. Patnaik appears to be unstoppable.
Why is the reel life villain but a ‘hero’ in real life being hounded by the government agencies? The 48-year old Sonu Sood has been in the eye of the storm ever since he began his philanthropic activity of helping thousands of migrants stranded at different parts of the country to reach their home safely during Corona lockdown. Sood is booked by Income-tax authorities for financial fraud and siphoning of funds. According to a central revenue intelligence official, Sood is also liable under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, in force since the Covid-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency. “Under the act, any relief material, even a packet of dry rations being diverted, invites criminal action and imprisonment of up to two years. Besides, charges levelled against Sood is that he diverted funds to purchase realty assets.” But these provisions were yet to be invoked in the actor’s case, says the official. According to a BJP leader: “Sood was on our radar from day one when he started helping migrants. His celebrity status ensured free media publicity. However, his close association with some left leaning NGOs made us cynical of his efforts that constantly attempted to show the work done by the ruling government in bad light.” Is that the real reason or the news that he may be appointed brand ambassador of AAP?
Even though state BJP leaders are busy stepping up attacks against the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Union minister Nitin Gadkari is singing a development tune, clearly avoiding any war of words. Gadkari, who always maintains that politics should not be mixed with development, especially once the elections are over, on Friday (September 24) stunned his state unit leaders by announcing that he will soon meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Public Work Minister Ashok Chavan to discuss a slew of road and highway projects that will decongest Mumbai and also transform the transportation sector across the state. Gadkari has suggested change in design of a flyover and highway project in Pune but said Delhi Mumbai Expressway can be extended up to Nariman Point so the distance between two cities can be covered in 12 hours. He, however, is seeking the state government’s pro-active role – and not funds – as he assured that it will be the Central government’s responsibility. Gadkari is still remembered for the passion and resolve with which he completed 55 flyovers in Mumbai and the long pending Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Clearly, he stands out to be the only BJP leader who wants to go the extra mile to help the estranged ally Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra. Is there more to it than meets the eye?
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack
It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
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If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.