Call it a political stunt if you want or a display of faith and affinity among political opponents. A dog was tearing apart Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s poster in Vijayawada. So, Dasari Udaya Sri, a leader of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), lodged a complaint against it at the police station and demanded the guilty be punished.
Sunil Bansal’s big responsibility
BJP general secretary Sunil Bansal has been given the responsibility of leading the party to victory in West Bengal in the next Lok Sabha elections. But it is a matter of worry for him. The party couldn’t make an impact like the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the assembly polls of 2021. Since then, BJP has lost its grip on the state.
On top of that, Home Minister Amit Shah has given Bansal the target of winning 35 out of 42 seats. Since BJP is claiming to win over 300 seats in 2024, it is Bansal’s responsibility to win more than 10 per cent of the seats.
Also read: It’s Anant Hegde vs Yogi in BJP’s Karnataka election campaign. Nath sect is there to help too
Election expenses—outfit edition
The Karnataka tour of BJP leaders is about to begin. Some leaders of the party have been given permanent postings in the state till 8 May. And the main focus of discussion in the party office is the expenditure on ironing clothes. One official has received a bill of Rs 700, while the other got one of Rs 350. Does it mean that the one who pays more will stay longer in the state? That’s not how it is. The one who has to pay Rs 700 will only stay for seven days. So, why the difference in bills? Boss, it’s all about a person’s height. The tall one pays Rs 700 for the ironing of seven kurtas. And the rest of the shorter leaders get their clothes ironed for 20 days for just Rs 350.
Eighth wonder of the world
There is some relief for BJP in Rajasthan. For the first time, all those leaders of the party who are barely seen together shared a stage in Bharatpur. The sight has been called the eighth wonder of the world. These leaders included former CM Vasundhara Raje, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and party’s state president CP Joshi among others. How was this even possible? A general secretary said that even after it happened, it was hardly believable.
Colour confusion
Skin colour has its own effect. A BJP leader from a Hindi-speaking state reached coastal Karnataka ahead of the state elections. Party workers from other states were also present there. The politician’s skin colour caused such confusion that some local workers started whispering something to him in Kannada, while those from other states went looking for a Kannada interpreter to talk to him. Later, outside his room, it was written in Hindi, English and Kannada that one should only speak to the leader in Hindi or English.
Total ban
Some spokespersons of the BJP have found a way to avoid sharp questions. When the media asks them about issues forbidden by the party, they name another spokesperson who is supposedly assigned to speak on that particular topic. The phone numbers of those representatives are also shared. The strategy behind this is that the spokespersons whose numbers are shared won’t ever pick up calls from media persons. This way, the questions on banned issues are never answered.
Also read: TMC’s support to Rahul Gandhi is not for free. Congress asked to control its Bengal leaders
Saffronisation of Congress
Congress is trying to attract leaders of other parties more than its own in Karnataka. After Jagadish Shettar switched sides to Congress, the party is now luring many other leaders of the BJP—especially those associated with the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities. Congress members are saying that such moves might lead to BJPisation of the party. A prominent leader of Congress in the state said it shouldn’t happen that ‘hume to apno ne loot liya, gaero mein kaha dum tha’ (We were let down by our own, others didn’t have that power).
Think before you speak
The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, the state’s senior police officers and the home affairs department could not decide on their official statements after mafia Atiq Ahmed and his brother were killed in police custody. They were considering if they should say anything at all. As soon as the incident took place, the media cameras ran to get their bytes. Though most leaders kept their distance, a former state president of the party, who is now a minister, and another minister who holds the portfolio of parliamentary affairs fell for the cameras. Both of them gave absurd responses. The statements were then broadcast on news channels multiple times. The next morning, BJP’s central leadership strongly objected and advised them to be careful in future.
Bharat Agrawal is Executive Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, and a columnist.
By special arrangement with Dainik Bhaskar, edited by Ratan Priya.