BJP MP Poonam Mahajan too turned out to be a dog lover. A picture of her petting a stray dog in Parliament premises was published in newspapers. Now, what will happen to BJP leader Vijay Goel? He has launched a strong campaign against dogs. In this situation, if Maneka Gandhi opposes Goel due to her love for animals, then Poonam might also be seen against him. It is being said that doing so for Goel would be difficult.
General secretaries-in-waiting
In Team Nadda, there are two leaders among the newly appointed General Secretaries who have entered their third term. How did this come about? The BJP follows a tradition of making space for new faces after two terms. Those who missed out on this position were very curious. After much speculation, it was realised that the term of the BJP president himself expires in June 2024, which is less than a year from now. Therefore, those who have been given a third chance will also serve only until June 2024, effectively extending their term by 11 months beyond the second term.
Provisional term
Let’s assume that both the national general secretaries have a third term of only 11 months. But what about those who are serving their first term? There are also two more national secretaries who are in their first term. The answer is that this can be considered their probation period. After June 2024, they might be granted a full term.
Adding the Muslim face
The question has always been raised about the BJP: does it merely have Muslim leaders for token representation? Even within them, the distinction between Shia and Sunni remains a topic of discussion. It was also alleged that the party primarily inducts Muslims from the upper class in its ranks. However, the narrative has now changed. It is being said that the BJP does not have any recognisable Pasmanda Muslim face among its ranks. But that’s not the case anymore. By appointing Tarik Mansoor as a vice president, the party has effectively addressed this deficiency.
BJP’s yatra dilemma
The BJP is planning to organise yatras in some states. Some have already begun, some are yet to start, and for some plans are being made. However, Chhattisgarh’s name is not on the list. Telangana is not included either. Why? A party leader’s response is that a journey should only be undertaken when it seems feasible to reach the destination, or at least get closer to it. But if there is no hope of winning even 10 per cent of the seats, then it is better not to undertake the journey at all.
What to believe in
Some people were convinced that due to the commotion, the monsoon session of Parliament would end ahead of schedule. Some leaders were even planning to take a vacation since there is also a holiday on 15 August. However, as soon as the no-confidence motion was presented by the Opposition and accepted by the Speaker, the very confidence on which the vacation plan was based turned into disbelief.
You won’t understand, INDIA
BJP president J.P. Nadda says that he simply can’t comprehend why the Opposition brought the no-confidence motion in the first place. What does the Opposition want? Why did they name the alliance as ‘INDIA’? Someone told him that the Opposition is doing all this to remove BJP from power. What is there not to understand in this? Nadda then innocently asked, if the Opposition knows that BJP is not going to be removed from power, then why are they even trying?
Abdullahs’ hints
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the reconstructed ‘Bharat Mandapam’ in the Pragati Maidan, the only opposition leader present during the event was Farooq Abdullah. Meanwhile, during the Martyrs’ Day in Jammu and Kashmir, while Mehbooba Mufti remained under house arrest, Omar Abdullah tweeted that he walked from his residence to his office. This has dual interpretation. One is that they feel safe, secure, and free to express their thoughts independently. On the other hand, it also implies that the central government has not provided them with adequate security. People say that the actions of both the father and the son indicates proximity towards the BJP. As for the actions of the father-son duo, neither the people nor we are making any judgments.
The INDIA politics
A Congress general secretary attended the meeting of Opposition parties in Bangalore for the first time. He proposed a TMC leader that there should be an office for INDIA, and both of them should be ensured a place in the 11-member committee. The rest, we will take care of. A Rajya Sabha MP from TMC also praised them for this suggestion. Then what happened? Congress understood the signal. A former president of the party called this Congress general secretary to his residence in Delhi and reprimanded them. The party president and the high command are both upset with this leader.
Bharat Agrawal is Executive Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, and a columnist.
By special arrangement with Dainik Bhaskar, edited by Anurag Chaubey.