Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil is living with a heavy heart these days. After all, despite being the bigger party in the current government, BJP offered the CM’s post to rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and appointed its own former CM Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy. Recently, Chandrakant Patil spilled the beans in front of the entire gamut of BJP office bearers during an executive meeting held in Panvel that the party anointed Shinde as CM with a heavy heart. But after this gaffe, he received a call from the BJP’s national leadership where he was told that the party trains its members on what to speak and what not to speak in politics. It was also conveyed to him, in a lighter vein, that a donation or gift offered with a heavy heart does not yield anything, especially when the person in question (Shinde) had presented the party with a great gift of putting them right in the government from the chair of opposition. What could Patil have said after this?
One who likes heavy heart
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren had to support the NDA candidate in the presidential election with an equally heavy heart, but now the presidential election is over and Droupadi Murmu has become the country’s first Tribal President. Next up, is the vice presidential election and the NDA candidate for the post of vice-president is not a tribal. So, there is no compulsion in front of Soren to keep supporting with a heavy heart. But sources say that even after not being in any compulsion, Hemant is in no mood to nurse his heaviness and may still side with the NDA.
Will Tikait support Dhankhad?
What is the state of mind of Rakesh Tikait? Sources say that Jagdeep Dhankhad, the vice presidential candidate of NDA, might also talk to farmer leader Rakesh Tikait to seek his support. Tikait is a farmer as well as a Jat, same as Dhankhad. So, it remains to be seen as to whether Tikait solicits support for him or not. If he does, then Tikait will be branded as a tankhaiya (socially discarded) from the Kisan leaders’ camp, and if he does not, then question will be raised as to why he didn’t join ranks with a fellow Jat.
Tougher nine months
Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai has suffered 14 major jolts in the last 12 months. Yet, somehow, he has managed to save his seat. On four occasions, the BJP’s central leadership summoned him to Delhi after receiving complaints against him. But after listening to his response, he was given a reprieve each time. He received the remaining 10 jolts from strong leaders of his party in the state unit itself. Thankfully, he was never jolted by the opposition. Now, on 28 July, he will celebrate one year in office as Karnataka CM, but there are still nine months left before the election. So, there is a line of thought as to whether the real effect of 14 aftershocks will be witnessed in these nine months.
Also read: On Maharashtra, BJP only concerned with three Gs. Gujarat, Guwahati and Goa—connect the dots
He has spoken, so be it
No discussion on Karnataka is complete without a mention of its evergreen leader B.S. Yediyurappa. The former CM recently announced he will no longer contest assembly or Lok Sabha elections, and declared his younger son B.Y. Vijayendra as his successor who he said will contest the next assembly election from Shikaripura seat in Shimoga district. From the BJP’s point of view, this is a big announcement because without the meeting and approval of the Central Election Committee, the biggest leaders of the party cannot talk about anything about PM Modi’s constituency. Then how can Yediyurappa afford to do it on his own for his son? But when it comes to Karnataka politics, that too about the affairs in Shikaripura of Shimoga, then who can stop Yediyurappa from saying what he wants to?
Listen Mr. President
Until now, the state president of the Congress party used to recommend names to the state in-charge for appointment on various posts in the party. Now, Haryana Congress in-charge Vivek Bansal has requested the state unit chief Udai Bhan to accommodate some of his recommendations on the post of spokespersons. This sudden turn in the tide came because after the Rajya Sabha elections, the party’s general secretary Ajay Maken had openly blamed Bansal and Kiran Choudhary for his defeat. This has left Bansal a bit apprehensive. However, just two or three days ago, Bansal had personally released a list of Haryana media spokespersons of the Congress party. But now he is not being able to summon up the courage to release another list.
Bharat Agrawal is Executive Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, and a columnist.