Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the man of the match title to Gujarat BJP president CR Patil for the party’s historic victory in the state assembly elections. Earlier in this column, we told you about Patil’s target of winning more than 150 seats in Gujarat. PM Modi’s praise for Patil has created a sensation in inner-party circles. In fact, in 2014 Modi had said the same thing for Amit Shah after BJP won 71 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. Since Shah was then elevated as the party chief, chatters over Patil’s appreciation are bound to arise. Especially because the term of the incumbent BJP President JP Nadda is coming to an end on 23 January. Patil recently distributed pedas from Surat in Parliament saying that PM Modi has done enough by praising his work in the Gujarat election and that he doesn’t wish for anything more. You can make what you will of this.
‘No Entry’ for the Lok Sabha MPs
Discrimination against Lok Sabha MPs, in Parliament, that too by the party president! Now, that’s a grave injustice and BJP’s Lok Sabha MPs have jokingly accused their party president JP Nadda of it. Nadda recently hosted a lunch for the party’s Rajya Sabha MPs. And the Lok Sabha MPs couldn’t even smell the food.
Also read: Gujarat win wasn’t just a face-saver for BJP. It also took care of party’s headline tension
Changing waters in West Bengal
Has Mamata Didi taken a U-turn or has she suddenly developed a soft corner for her staunch political opponents? BJP and other party members are only making guesses. The cordial meeting between West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Home Minister Amit Shah has stunned everyone. Banerjee didn’t just invite Shah to her office but cajoled him to actually visit. Till now, she was furious at BJP. This meant that her anger towards Shah knew no bounds. Everyone has seen this. Now the question is how the firebrand leader changed her tune. As they say in Bengal, bahot jholjhal hobe. (There is a lot of mischief at work)
Ink Alert
At an event in Maharashtra, someone threw ink at minister Chandrakant Patil. Since he had to attend another event nearby, he arrived there wearing a face shield. As per the rumours, the minister was tipped by the police that he could be attacked again.
One more party in Rajasthan
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has always played a major role in the Rajasthan elections. Whether it be splitting votes or providing ‘additional MLAs’ for hung assemblies. But this time, Chandrashekhar Azad’s Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) is also planning a large-scale campaign. Efforts to bring Dalit and OBC communities under the party banner are being made in several districts of the state.
Also read: 100 days of Bharat Jodo Yatra: How Congress proposed and Rahul Gandhi disposed
China and the dilemma of Congress spokespersons
Congress has its entire focus on Bharat Jodo Yatra. But the winter session of Parliament is going on, where people are expecting the party to corner the ruling government on the issue of Chinese aggression. But ever since Rahul Gandhi said that the Indian Army is being “beaten up” by the Chinese, Congress spokespersons are in trouble. Spokespersons who were tirelessly singing praises for the Army till now are finding it difficult to change track.
Alas, the spokespersons reached out to a party senior over the issue and got an unusual response. The senior seemed unaware of Rahul Gandhi’s comment but agreed that spokespersons are indeed being thrashed during news debates. He directed the spokespersons to present the party’s views. Hearing this, a spokesperson quipped, “Bhaisahab, sabse zyada hm hi shaheed ho rahe hain. We are being killed the most.”
First, Selfie Investment
Yogi Aditynath’s government wants to turn Uttar Pradesh into a $1 trillion economy. A team of ministers and qualified officers have been sent abroad to generate private sector investment worth Rs 10 lakh crore into the state. The state government has also recently prepared a budget of Rs 296 crore for future national and international road shows, which will be focused on getting investments. This gave some ministers in the state a chance to tour abroad at the government’s expense for the first time. But their hopes of grand welcome ceremonies at airports were shattered. So, to keep up the morale, UP ministers started clicking selfies. One after the other.
Bharat Agrawal is Executive Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, and a columnist.
By special arrangement with Dainik Bhaskar. Translated and edited by Prashant from the original in Hindi.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)