Kanhaiya vs Varun: DUSU poll loss deepens NSUI rift
The feud within the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has escalated since the announcement of the results of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls, in which the student wing of the Congress secured only one of four posts—vice-president—a weaker showing than last year.
Now, the two camps of NSUI are busy blaming each other for the debacle. On one side stands the camp of the NSUI national chief Varun Choudhary, and on the other, the loyalists of the All India Congress Committee’s NSUI in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar. Those belonging to Varun’s faction accuse Kanhaiya of sabotage, alleging that the former firebrand JNU leader’s hunt for a successor to Varun a fortnight before the polls, made their chief look like a lame duck. They also grumble that Kanhaiya did not bother to campaign even for a single day before the September 18 DUSU elections.
Varun finds himself confronted with questions too. His decision to field candidates with roots in Rajasthan, his home state, for the posts of president and vice-president ruffled feathers, especially among the Haryana lobby, who staged a protest against him in front of Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot.
Last year, the NSUI had won two posts on the panel, including the president’s. That said, this time, only 39.36 percent of registered students actually voted, a slight improvement over last year’s 35.2 percent, but still symptomatic of students’ disenchantment with DU’s campus politics, driven by money, muscle and caste.
Skies to roads, PM beats the rain for Churachandpur
Just a couple of hours before Narendra Modi touched down in Mizoram and then Manipur on 13 September, heavy rains gatecrashed the scene, throwing the welcome programmes for the Prime Minister on their head. It got so grim in Manipur’s Churachandpur, a tribal hill district 60 km from Imphal, where the PM’s helicopter was scheduled to arrive at 11.30 am, that the district administration had all but thrown in the towel.
Modi had planned to land in Mizoram’s Aizawl first, inaugurate the Bairabi-Sairang rail line, then fly to Churachandpur in his helicopter before moving on to Imphal. The excitement among the people was palpable in the days leading up to his visit—they hadn’t seen the PM since Manipur was hit by ethnic violence over two years ago, leaving the social fabric of the state torn. The inclement weather, however, had left the arrangements set up for his visit in complete disarray.
The rains also changed the PM’s plans. Before Churachandpur, Modi arrived in Imphal, where, at one point, it looked like he would have to return to Delhi, without visiting Churachandpur, where a huge crowd had already gathered to listen to his address. Flying was unsafe, and according to the grapevine, the security detail of the PM was fretting over road travel from Imphal to Churachandpur and pitched that the PM launch development projects in a virtual address. However, the PM decided he wanted none of that and made it very clear that if road travel was impossible, he would prefer to return and visit on a later date. In the end, he left the authorities with no choice but to reluctantly agree to the over one-hour trip from Imphal to Churachandpur, much to the delight of the tribal district’s residents, who got their first glimpse of the PM in years.
Culvert sabhas backfire, Gopi’s misses turn Left’s hits
Suresh Gopi, the BJP’s first-ever Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, seems to be landing himself in back-to-back controversies, while the ruling Left waits in the wings to cash in. Facing criticism for his absence from his constituency, Thrissur, and inaccessibility to his voters, the actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi launched a public outreach drive, including ‘culvert sabhas’, to give his image a makeover. But the sabhas are drawing attention for all the wrong reasons.
One video, purportedly from a sabha, shows Suresh Gopi sparring with a woman seeking his help in getting the Enforcement Directorate, which has been investigating the Karuvannur bank ‘scam’, to return allegedly defrauded funds. Gopi’s response: “Ask your chief minister or your MLA.” Soon after, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-run Karuvannur bank announced Rs 10,000 for the woman, scoring points by capitalising on Suresh Gopi’s reaction.
The incident followed a similar case last week when Suresh Gopi snubbed an elderly man who approached him with a written request for help to rebuild his collapsed house. A viral video shows the MP returning the letter without even looking at it, saying it was not the MP’s job to fix a house. Once again, Thrissur’s CPI(M) unit quickly stepped in, offering assistance and earning applause.
Ignored by DM, Shivpal Yadav shows where the weight lies
Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle and former minister Shivpal Yadav still wields influence rivaling any cabinet minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government. Bulandshahr district magistrate (DM) Shruti Singh recently received a notice from UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana for ignoring Shivpal’s calls.
Nearly a month ago, Shivpal Yadav had tried reaching the DM multiple times—on her official number, landline, and even through his personal assistant—but Shruti Singh did not respond. Upset, Shivpal Yadav raised the issue in the state assembly, prompting the Speaker to issue the notice. The DM eventually called Shivpal Yadav to apologise for missing his calls.
Sources close to Shivpal Yadav say he deliberately took the matter to the Speaker to showcase his clout. Some BJP ministers admitted privately that Shivpal Yadav’s aura carries weight, despite being in the Opposition, thanks to his close ties with the Chief Minister and the Speaker. The bigger picture? Tensions between bureaucrats and ministers have become a regular feature in UP politics.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: A UP minister’s son’s ‘fan moment’ with Rahul Gandhi & EC’s media blitz amid ‘vote chori’