Pre-Truth — snappy, witty and significant snippets from the world of politics and government.
No-confidence motion pours cold water MPs’ weekend plans
The no-confidence motion, moved against the Modi government in the Lok Sabha Friday, left many MPs disappointed as it upset their weekend plans. A number of parliamentarians, who have been invited to the wedding function of NCP leader Praful Patel’s daughter, were looking forward to attending the sangeet Friday and had drawn up their plans accordingly. However, with the debate on the no-confidence motion taking up the entire day, and PM Modi slated to speak later in the evening, it became clear that these lawmakers will have to skip the sangeet function. Many MPs could be heard grumbling about how their plans have been ruined since the date for the no-trust motion was announced.
Rajasthan BJP MPs ignored whip, skipped dinner ahead of no-trust vote
It was a meeting convened to ensure that all MPs should remain on same pitch ahead of no-confidence motion moved by the TDP against the Modi government. BJP’s whips were asked to host MPs over dinner Thursday. While many hosted it at their residence, a few were also held at the state guest houses. Likewise, Rajasthan unit’s dinner was organised at the residence of Om Birla, MP from the Kota-Bundi constituency. Attended by a few ministers, others gave it a miss. While no one openly complained about it, senior MPs were seen giving excuses about their absence. Perhaps it was a sign of the political tussle that is brewing in the state ahead of the assembly polls.
Sight of judges Gogoi, Lokur together in SC corridors fuels speculation
Lawyers and journalists were caught by surprise as four Supreme Court judges abruptly stepped out of court while hearing cases and gathered in the corridors. Given the recent crisis in the judiciary, the sight of justices Ranjan Gogoi — who is next in line to be CJI — and Madan B. Lokur, the third senior most judge, together in the corridor immediately gave rise to a lot of speculation. But soon, officials clarified that the judges were just inspecting the corridors since some court rooms were recently shifted. Apart from hearing cases, the judges also take up administrative work in the court handling everything from procurement to construction in court.
Even Yeddyurappa had shed tears in front of cameras
After chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s tearful breakdown in front of his party workers last week, a local BJP leader Manjunath sent six bottles of gripe water and six soothers to the CM’s office in Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru to stop the CM from crying in public. These items were sent through courier and the consignment was addressed to the CM himself. BJP leaders said it was necessary that they do this to make it clear to the CM that shedding tears will not ensure sympathy from the people of the state.
However, the BJP leaders seemed to have forgotten that their state party president Yeddyurappa too had shed tears as he faced revolt from a few ministers led by the then tourism minister Janardhan Reddy, his brother Karunakara Reddy and close associate B. Sriramulu. Standing before cameras, a teary-eyed Yeddyurappa wondered as to what he had done that some of his own party members had demanded his removal as CM.
Sena MLAs caught unawares by Aaditya’s presence in assembly
Scions of political families have been registering their attendance at the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature this time, sitting in the viewing gallery and observing the proceedings. Earlier this week, Shiv Sena leader and party president Uddhav Thackeray’s son, Aaditya Thackeray, attended the ongoing session at Nagpur. Shiv Sena legislators immediately straightened their backs on seeing the younger Thackeray’s presence in the gallery and started zealously contributing to discussions and questions. The following day, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar’s son, Parth Pawar, too visited the Nagpur Vidhan Bhavan to observe the proceedings.
War of words between BJP & Congress over ‘iPhone gift’
MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar surely found the right ammo when he was gifted an iPhone by the Karnataka state government ahead of a meeting on Cauvery. Rajeev refused to accept the gift and issued a statement, saying that the state has been wasting tax payers’ money and emptying the coffers by making promises of loan waivers, which the state cannot even afford. What CM Kumaraswamy did not know was that it was his water resources minister D.K. Shivakuamar who decided to present these expensive gifts in “good faith”. Shivakumar called Chandrashekhar’s move as how a ‘jaundiced eye would see everything wrong”. He defended his move by saying that he has distributed iPhones among BJP MPs on a previous occasion as well.
Shivakumar said his effort to give these gifts was to ensure that information flowed quickly to the MPs. “Rajeev Chandrashekhar is rich so he returned the phone, but not everybody is as wealthy as him,” Shivakumar said.
(Contributors: Pragya Kaushika, Ruhi Tewari, Apurva Vishwanath, Manasi Phadke and Rohini Swamy)