| Published on 20-11-2008 In General |
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Written by
Insider |
Congress power games
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The Congress is witnessing a huge power-struggle from within. A power group of 'emerging coterie' is trying to be at par with existing coterie. An indication of this is evident the way AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh is being a 'target' for everyone ranging from Amar Singh of the Samajwadi Party to Margaret Alva and Madhya Pradesh leaders namely Arjun Singh, Suresh Pachauri and Jyotiraditya Scindia. Diggy raja is not alone in the league of what Congressmen call it as 'emerging coterie.' The other members of this elite, men of all season brigade are Prithviraj Chavan and Ashok Gehlot who have not tasted success in any assignment given to them so far, allege a section of disgruntled partymen. The identity of 'existing coterie' is of course too well known to be named.
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Interloper or oldtimer?
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The induction of Mohd. Adeeb Khan as a joint Congress-Samajwadi Party nominee has surprised many in the Congress. Adeeb was in Congress till it was necessary and left the party recently targeting NSA M.K.Narayanan and Shivraj Patil. In Samajwadi Party, he quickly put Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh across to All India Muslim Personal Law Board chief Maulana Rabey Nadwi before Sonia Gandhi could call on the influential cleric. In Congress circles, Salman Khurshid and his supporters are ruing the moment they had introduced Adeeb to the party. But sources close to the former AMU leader insist that he was "well entrenched' in the Congress from Indira era and Khurshids had nothing to do with it.
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Taking a leaf from rival's book
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Congress party has been stunned by the pace of BJP's move to announce Lok Sabha candidates when elections are nowhere in sight. Moreover, the candidature of Feroze Varun Gandhi has sent the party in tizzy in Uttar Pradesh where cousin Rahul is directly in charge of party's affairs. At 24 Akbar Road that houses the Congress national headquarters, some leaders were heard whispering if BJP had 'adopted' A.K.Antony panel recommendation. The Antony committee which was formed to suggest ways and means to revive the Congress had suggested that Lok Sabha candidates should be announced six months in advance. While the Congress is still debating and discussing Antony's words of wisdom, the BJP has gone ahead implementing it in its territory.
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Chattisgarh creator missing!
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Where is Atal Bihari Vajpayee? In poll-bound Chattisgarh, the ruling BJP was never short of crediting former prime minister with creation of the new state. But in its second election since its birth in 2000, there is no sign of Vajpayee in BJP's posters, banners and other campaign material.
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BJP's Man Friday
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Arun Jaitley is the man of the moment. As the BJP prepares for a final assault on a shaky Congress-led UPA in assembly elections of Delhi, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the crucial difference between the two warring side is Jaitley. The lawyer with a sharp analytical mind and key strategist gives the BJP a crucial edge. In terms of man-to-man, the Congress and the BJP have many stalwarts and campaigners in L.K. Advani, Rajnath Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi etc but when it comes to backroom, the Congress' war room looks thin. The likes of Ahmad Patel, B.K. Hariprasad, V. Narayanswamy and Prithviraj Chavan are not a patch on Jaitley's hands-on approach. The Congress has a task for itself to look for a Jaitley among its rank for the parliament elections which are less than six months away.
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Maggie's destination?
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Is Margaret Alva on her way to the Nationalist Congress Party? But the NCP leaders say Sharad Pawar's party may not be an ideal destiny for her.
As AICC general secretary, Alva was looking after Maharashtra and Haryana and was unhappy the way two chief ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Bhoopinder Singh Hooda ignored her authority.
Both Maharashtra and Haryana chief minister had developed a direct link to 10, Janpath bypassing her. NCP leaders said in their party Vilasrao Deshmukh's stocks are much higher. He enjoys Pawar's confidence and leads the Congress-NCP coalition regime in Maharashtra.
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Chetan last-ball-six Sharma in politics
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Remember Chetan Sharma? The one remembered more for the six off the last ball of a nail-biting finish at Sharjah by Javed Miandad than the pocketsize powerhouse's record of getting first hat-trick at the World Cup?
The pacer is set to make a political debut. He has been given a fresh spell by Maya memsahib to contest Faridabad Lok Sabha. Chetan, 42 says he knows he needs to slog to win the Lok Sabha. The BSP man says he is a fighter and a grassroots man and it should help him survive in politics.
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Two for you, two for VHP!!
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The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has a demand to the prime minister in waiting L.K. Advani. If the NDA comes to power, it will have to abandon the focus on "hum do harame do" health and family planning campaign. In election-bound states and in Uttar Pradesh, a VHP booklet titled "Bharat mein Hindu bahumat" wants members of the majority community to produce four issues --- two for the family and two for the country. The family planning programme, the VHP booklet insists is proving to be detrimental to the 'Hindu cause." The booklet claims that if current demographic trends continue, the country's demographic profile in 2100 will not serve the 'national interest.'
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Gates—attention deficit
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At the end of the day, Bill Gates actually loved it that in his kilometer long walk in Agra, nobody noticed him. Gates was in Agra to see the monument of love but when he was returning from Taj along with his father, wife and kids, the cavalcade was caught in a traffic jam. As clock ticked half an hour, Gates lost patience and began walking back to his hotel. The security personnel followed but Agra citizens, used to firangis, failed to take note of world's one of the richest and most famous face. Gates later said he rather enjoyed the lack of attention.
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MP leaders' Jinx
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Few politicians in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh wonder if some places are jinxed for them. Uma Bharti views Chhindwara as one. In 2003 when she kicked off a campaign from a Hanuman temple at Jamsanwli in the district, a huge controversy followed. It was said Uma cut a cake to mark Hanuman's birthday. While Uma insisted the cake was made in 'burfi' her detractor Digvijay Singh insisted that it had egg in it. In 2008 when Uma returned to Chhindwara to start her campaign, controversy became her instant companion. It just happened that Uma could not resist slapping a party faithful and some cheeky lence-men and TV cameras caught her in the act. No amount of pecks and apologies could help Anil Rai from forgetting the incident or forgiving the Sadhvi.
Digvijay Singh faces similar ties with Chattisgarh, carved out of undivided Madhya Pradesh. In November 2000, Digvijay, the chief minister of the state had gone to Raipur to witness his party colleague Ajit Jogi taking over as chief minister of the new state. But a section of Congressmen hostile to Jogi got physical and in the melee that followed saw Digvijay grounded with severe blows and punches thrown at him. In ongoing battle of supremacy in Chattisgarh, Digvijay again traveled to bail out Ajit Jogi and the party but in a public meeting at Rajim, eggs were thrown at him. The marksmen missed the target but Digvijay's mike received egg yoke |
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