AAP’s ‘non-official appointments’ in the hot seat
A week after the Delhi election results, even before the new government was formed, the Chief Secretary of Delhi, Dharmendra, directed all secretaries and heads of departments to compile a list of chairpersons and members appointed by the Aam Aadmi Party.
After the compilation is complete, the CS will take “further action” on their appointments, sources said. They attributed this to several “non-official appointments” as members and chairpersons of mohalla clinics, governing bodies of educational institutions, and state public undertakings, including party members and aides of various ministers.
“The order is a way to ensure that the Delhi government system is ‘cleansed’ of AAP people,” an official said. In fact, this has been a long-standing allegation levelled against the AAP government by the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2023, the Delhi Services Department ordered the removal of 437 private persons appointed as advisers, fellows and consultants by the AAP government.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s day out
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rarely leaves the state. He does not go abroad to seek investment like other chief ministers, nor does he take part in National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or chief minister’s meetings usually held in Delhi, and, usually, he deputes other ministers of the state government, such as Lalan Singh and Sanjay Jha, in his stead.
Although, as chief minister, he attends the marriages of fellow politicians in Bihar, he rarely comes to Delhi to do so. However, Nitish has now made two trips out of Bihar recently—both times to honour a promise he made to his security staff 24 years ago. Paramvir, who has been part of Nitish’s security since he was a rail minister, had asked the Bihar CM to visit his village and attend the weddings of his children.
In keeping with that promise, in November, Nitish made a trip to Haryana to attend one of the wedding functions of Paramvir’s son. Then, again, he came to attend the marriage function of his daughter in Gurugram this week.
Being a shy person, Nitish Kumar normally avoids eating at these marriage functions, and a rare fact about him is that, most of the time, he eats at home before he attends a function.
On both outings, his son, Nishant, who has been seen as Nitish’s political successor in recent months, accompanied him.
Jagan Reddy’s ‘glamourous’ reason for political vendetta
Can glamour and good looks give rise to vendettas and acts of revenge among politicians? Yes, absolutely, according to YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Jagan Mohan Reddy.
On Tuesday, the former Andhra Pradesh CM visited party leader and former Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi at the Vijayawada jail. Vamsi—a turncoat MLA who got on the nerves of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leadership with his actions and caustic remarks over the past few years—was arrested from Hyderabad last week in connection with an attack on the TDP’s Gannavaram office two years ago under the YSRCP government.
Speaking to reporters at the jail after the visit, Jagan claimed the case on Vamsi was false and the arrest sign of the “heinous breakdown of law and order” in Andhra Pradesh under the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP government.
When asked why Vamsi was being targeted, Jagan came up with a rather strange reason.“Because he is from the same community as Chandrababu, rising politically, and he is more glamorous than Naidu and (his son, minister) Lokesh. The reason for him resenting Kodali Nani (a former YSRCP minister) is the same.”
“Naidu’s grudge is that they are better looking than him. He cannot stomach someone from his community growing politically.”
Holding the arm of Devineni Avinash, a young leader from the Kamma community, standing beside him, Jagan went on to say, “Avinash looks more handsome than Lokesh. So, he could also become a target one day.” Avinash only smiled sheepishly in response.
Also Read: Curious case of MIA Team Priyanka members & when Rajnath had advice for Siddaramaiah