Congress’s Instagram head joins BJP
Over the past decade, the Congress has witnessed a steady exodus of leaders quitting the party to join the ruling BJP. Some cited the rudderless leadership of the Congress as their reason, while many were lured by the BJP with offers of Rajya Sabha seats and ministerial berths. Now, the Congress is facing a new challenge—the person who was heading its Instagram vertical joined the BJP’s social media team.
The Congress has also discovered that several staffers in its social media department had, in the past, made unflattering remarks about the party and members of the Gandhi family. Senior managers of the Congress social media team note that unlike Twitter, where a user’s past posts are relatively easy to scan, doing so on other platforms while recruiting people to work for the party is more difficult. In recent years, the party has invested heavily in building its social media presence, even hiring former digital executives from leading television channels for the task.
UP abuzz over Deputy CM Keshav’s meetings & Yogi’s retreat
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya is once again the subject of political chatter in the state. First came the Allahabad High Court’s dismissal of a long-pending petition challenging the authenticity of his educational degree. Then, Maurya met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi—just ahead of the appointment of a new UP BJP chief and speculation about a possible state cabinet reshuffle. He also paid a courtesy visit to Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel.
BJP insiders say Maurya—who doesn’t share a warm rapport with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath—is lobbying hard for the state BJP president’s post. Some of his supporters have even preemptively congratulated him on social media, though Maurya has yet to respond.
Meanwhile, Yogi Adityanath was in Gorakhpur for the past 3 days, staying away from political developments and avoiding both media interactions and meetings. He’s now back in Lucknow.
DK Shivakumar’s style statement
Karnataka Congress president and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar has been making a style statement lately—often seen sporting a grey stole that sets him apart from his contemporaries, most of whom stick to traditional white khadi. Now, he is planning to gift similar stoles to party delegates attending the 15 July OBC Council meeting in Bengaluru.
Party insiders say he is preparing to purchase these shawls as a gesture of welcome for senior leaders like Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, Sachin Pilot, and others. However, some colleagues have reportedly cautioned him against distributing such expensive shawls.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: No place to sit for Ashwini Choubey at Bihar BJP meet & the Chandigarh dinner that’s sending ripples