Does the BJP have a linguist? The query has come from the party’s top leadership and its answer is yet to be ascertained. In fact, it was Union home minister Amit Shah who had put forward an idea during the meeting of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language that English be replaced by Hindi as the official language. A nationwide debate on the issue is only natural and the BJP needs a person who can present the nuances of Shah’s statement firmly. But only a person with a firm grasp on various languages can withstand this scrutiny. Though the party has more than two dozen spokespersons, none is a language expert. When an extensive search was initiated, the party found numerous technocrats, bureaucrats, doctors, teachers, lawyers etc. in its ranks, but no ‘linguist’. Now, BJP is looking for a person like former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao who had firm command over 17 languages. If and when such talent is found, he or she may earn themselves a Rajya Sabha seat. Might as well update your resume.
Adversaries, not enemies
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have an aggressive stance against various opposition parties and their leaders, but he also preserves the grace of democracy. It is learnt that the PM receives regular updates on the health and well-being of several senior leaders from the opposition ranks. Names on this list include former PMs H.D. Deve Gowda and Manmohan Singh, Lalu Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, A.K. Antony, Parkash Singh Badal and Chandrababu Naidu. Whenever any of these leaders face health issues, the PM rings them up, or their family members.
Kerala BJP sees golden opportunity
After a long wait, the BJP is seeing fresh opportunities to make inroads in Kerala. But the party is checking (and cross-checking) all facts related to the issue it plans to raise. The Left Front government of Kerala is trying to give a concrete shape to the 700-km Silver Line Rail Project plan from Kasaragod to Trivandrum. But many people in the state and some environmentalists are against the project. The Ministry of Railways is also in the loop on this matter and has already raised its objection against the protesting voices. Now, the BJP workers in Kerala are vigorously presenting the fact before the people that the Narendra Modi government takes decisions only on the basis of demands raised by the people. And if people do not want this project to go ahead, then no matter how hard the Kerala government may try, a brake will surely be applied on the project, that’s the BJP’s message.
Double trouble
It is often said that the younger ones always indulge in mischief and that the elders should forgive them. But in Bihar, this adage has been reversed. There, the older ones are making a lot of mischief and wishing to be forgiven. Tejashwi Yadav’s elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav is making a case that Chirag Paswan (now evicted from his sprawling bungalow at 12 Janpath) be given a bigger opportunity in the RJD. Both Chirag and Tej Pratap are elder to Tejaswi. Tejashwi’s well-wishers in the party suggest that the RJD leader, who was facing trouble due to the mischiefs of his elder brother, now may have to deal with double trouble.
Time is powerful
As in all walks of life, in politics too, time is a huge factor. Some 15 years ago, Prashant Kishor had to stand in a queue at Amethi’s Munshiganj Guest House just to meet former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. This was 2007. He had expressed his desire to work with Gandhi and was entrusted with the responsibility of improving the system at Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Munshiganj, Amethi. While handling that assignment for almost two years, he kept trying to get closer to Rahul. Once, he had also suggested that Rahul should appoint different persons as his ‘day officers’. Rahul’s close aides found this idea exasperating. They ensured that instead of becoming Rahul’s ‘day officer’, PK was removed from the picture completely. PK is now Congress’ chief strategist and has taken the responsibility of ensuring its victory. Those who had opposed PK are out of the party today and Rahul is spending hours with the poll strategist for 2024.
Confusion in UP’s bureaucracy
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has been working continuously since his return to power. But the tug-of-war in UP bureaucracy continues. Some powerful ‘officials’, who had expressed their ‘affection’ for the Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav during the elections, have been identified. And the CM’s eyes are on them. Naturally, such officials are extremely worried. But they continue to carry smiles on their faces while the CM remains silent, not giving any signal from his side. About Adityanath, it is known that the ‘sanyasi’ chief minister follows a policy of ‘zero tolerance’. But this time, neither his loyal officers nor the tainted ones are able to understand his mind — full-scale confusion in UP bureaucracy.
Bharat Agrawal is Executive Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, and a columnist.
By special arrangement with Dainik Bhaskar and translated by Ram Lal Khanna from the original in Hindi.