With god’s grace, Congress has finally got its new state president in Uttar Pradesh in Brijlal Khabri. Nasimuddin Siddiqui and Nakul Dubey are also among Congress’ new regional presidents. All three leaders were once members of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Now they are in the Congress holding senior posts. Many Congress members who have spent most of their political lives in the party are feeling ‘cursed’. They are now ruminating if it’s futile to be a ‘true-born’ Congressperson. Some of those who have managed to reach AICC are now saying if it would be a good idea to join the BSP now and then return to Congress later, as that might increase their chances of getting the ‘chair’ of state president. Some other Congressmen are heard saying that their stature is worse than a bad penny. Even the bad penny has some ‘worth’ associated with it.
You reap what you sow
However, a divine angel seems to have whispered a consolation mantra in the ears of these ‘true-born’ Congresspersons. “Oh son, why do you worry so much? It’s true that a state president and six regional presidents in UP have been named by the Congress, but you should see the larger picture. The lifespan of a regional president’s post in Congress is less than six months. Just see that, far from any grand celebration, not even a bouquet has reached Nehru Bhavan. This is because only one of the seven presidents has a Congress background. Rest of them are turncoats from other parties. And oh the great aspirants of state president post, it is your own deeds that are responsible for your current state of affairs. After all, it is you who has said that you will report directly to the state in-charge. Did you forget how outdated have things like spine, etc become?”
‘Youths’ to be back together
The two ‘youths’ are in their 50s. Discussions around the possibility of them coming back together have started to gain ground. This time, their alliance is taking place for the Lok Sabha election. Previously, when they had joined forces for the 2017 assembly election, it had ended in a fiasco. The new alliance managers are claiming that the situation has changed now. Yet, the billion dollar question remains, how many seats will the Congress get to contest?
Only power knows power’s worth
The political situation that has developed in Rajasthan has coerced many powerful officers to make arrangements for their deputation in Delhi. For them, the term ‘powerful’ means ‘fully powerful’.
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Alternate route to politics
These days, if you care to meet Niranjan Arya, the former chief secretary of Rajasthan, you will be left fully surprised. What to say about his full power? The crowd used to flock to his place previously too; but now neither any minister, nor any builder, or any politician can match his charisma. Nowadays he is the main advisor to the chief minister. The current situation suggests that there is an alternate path to politics.
Confusion in Bihar’s caste cauldron
BJP’s Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde has become extremely nervous. He wished to get a closer look at the state’s caste equation during his tour to Madhubani. When the person deputed to explain it started recounting dozens of sub-castes within the so-called ‘upper castes’ as well as the various categories of Dalits within the community, Tawde lost his nerves. He is said to have bluntly told the officials that he should be informed only about the castes in a much simplified manner — who all fall in the forward caste bracket, and who all fall within the backward classes and Dalits.
5G smartphones? Not a problem
The recent launch of 5G services hasn’t left BJP workers worried about having to buy new smartphones at all. Reason? Most of these workers are considered close to one or the other senior party leader. Now, when these leaders will ‘receive’ the new 5G-enabled smartphones as gifts, out of 5-10 such phones, at least one would definitely fall into the hands of the workers close to them. Problem solved. By the way, requests regarding this are already being submitted. Predictions are rife that on Diwali this year, mobile phones will likely dominate the bouquet of gifts.
Have guts? Let’s meet
Usually, BJP workers complain that the party’s national general secretary (organisation) does not give them any appointments. But there is a general secretary who has adopted such a unique method of meeting that the workers themselves do not dare to ask for re-appointment. This general secretary makes all the workers sit and wait in one room. He arrives after a while, and post exchange of pleasantries, orders tea for all of them. At the same time, all of them start watching a recorded video of any historical event or speech by any senior party leader. Minutes later, the general secretary leaves the meeting on the pretext of making or receiving a phone call and returns hours later. By then, nine out of ten have left.
Bharat Agrawal is Executive Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, and a columnist.