To celebrate Diwali and Mallikarjun Kharge’s election as party president, the Congress decorated his official residence, 10, Rajaji Marg. Kharge wanted the lights removed after Diwali. When his staff called up AICC, they were directed to the person responsible for it, who is also the in-charge of northeastern states. That leader, when contacted, asked to let the decoration remain intact for a few more days. The response the leader got was stupendous. The person was told that the Congress president has ordered for the removal of the lights because the expense of hundred is shown in thousands and that of thousands becomes lakhs. And it’s the Congress president’s responsibility to clear these expenses.
Identity factor
Sonali Ranade who? Elon Musk has taken over Twitter only now, but Sonali Ranade has not been seen on the microblogging site since February. It’s possible her identity might get disclosed under the new ‘Nizam’ of Twitter. It’s claimed she is a stockbroker in Seattle. Despite the time difference, she used to be quite active on Twitter. She has been a vocal critic of Narendra Modi. It’s believed her name is inspired by Nayantara Sehgal’s novel ‘Rich Like Us’. In the novel, the character named ’Sonali’ is an honest IAS officer.
Caste of BJP
Which caste dominates the BJP? This question has been a topic of jocular discussion in the party headquarters these days. There may not be a straightforward answer but party president JP Nadda smiles broadly when the names of three ‘Thakur’ chief ministers are recounted — Yogi Adityanath, Jairam Thakur and Pushkar Singh Dhami. The three states together make up 89 Lok Sabha seats. And if these many seats are ruled by chief ministers of the same caste, then of course that caste will be the dominating one.
Attuned to politics
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari is an accomplished singer too. How does he make time for practice amid all the party work? Tiwari says his party colleagues have taken up the responsibility for that. Whenever he attends a BJP programme, they make him sing a song or two, and that serves as his practice.
So much to read
A Bihar BJP leader is nervous even before he has left for Gujarat for assembly election duties. That’s because the leader has been asked to study the data of five assembly seats. His understanding was that he would only be required to memorise the data of the last Gujarat assembly election. But when he was told that the home minister has instructed to study the data from 2007 to 2017, names of all candidates of all parties in the fray including those contesting as independents, the leader got nervous. Now he is asking if he is required to study so much, what is he supposed to understand.
Phone call before letter
Delhi’s L-G called up Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. But when Mann didn’t respond for 24 hours, the L-G shot a letter to him.
Bharat Agrawal is Executive Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, and a columnist.
By special arrangement with Dainik Bhaskar and translated by Prashant from the original in Hindi.