Power centre
The Union home minister, Amit Shah, is unquestionably the second most powerful leader in the current dispensation. This fact is reiterated during every Parliament session. A big crowd of leaders, from both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Opposition, are routinely seen waiting outside Shah’s office, often for hours, for a brief meeting with him. While Opposition leaders usually seek him out over ministry-related issues in their states or constituencies, several BJP leaders pay him a visit simply to be seen by the party’s most influential figure in an attempt to catch his attention when key organisational vacancies arise. It is widely speculated that the surprise elevation of the low-profile Nitin Nabin as the BJP’s working president was Shah’s call. Nabin had reportedly impressed Shah while serving as the party’s minder for Chhattisgarh last year. Ahead of the formal announcement, Nabin was summoned to Raipur, where Shah met him for what was described as an interview-like conversation. Shah then asked him to meet the outgoing BJP president, JP Nadda, and the national general-secretary (organisation), BL Santosh, before returning to Patna. People close to Nabin say that the Bihar leader sensed something significant was in store by that time, though he did not have the slightest imagination of being picked as the leader of the world’s largest political party.
Internal friction
A power struggle has erupted between the two BJP candidates who won in the recent local bodies’ elections in Kerala over the mayoral post in Thiruvananthapuram. While R Sreelekha, the former director general of police, scored a striking victory, another formidable BJP leader, VV Rajesh, is also lobbying for the post.
A section within the BJP argues that Sreelekha, known for her no-nonsense image, who has several firsts to her name, having been Kerala’s first woman IPS officer and its first woman DGP, has only recently joined the party. Rajesh, on the other hand, has a stronger claim as the mayor’s post is a general seat, while the deputy mayor’s position is reserved for women. Despite the Kerala BJP president, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, holding discussions with the central leadership, a unanimous decision is yet to emerge.
Night vigil
Maintaining its independent streak within the Opposition, the Trinamool Congress staged a 12-hour overnight protest in the Parliament complex, braving Delhi’s cold and pollution after the Rajya Sabha cleared the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, which replaces MGNREGA. They were joined in the morning by some parliamentarians from the INDIA bloc who brought them breakfast.
This is not the first time such an overnight protest has been staged on Parliament premises. The statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the precincts of the Parliament House has witnessed similar demonstrations in the past. This time, however, the entrance to the old Parliament House was chosen as the venue for the protest, given the bitter cold and dense fog. The protest drew far more media attention than the nationwide protests organised by the Congress against the same draft legislation.
Art that
attracts
Huge crowds at the exhibition of the Russian artist, Nikas Safronov, at Rabindra Bhawan in New Delhi have taken the culture ministry by surprise. Publicity for the immersive art experience — a multimedia display of Safronov’s surreal and kitschy art that reimagines Hindu mythology and motif — has almost entirely been on social media. Yet queues for the Dream Vision exhibition have often extended for more than 100 metres outside the premises and security had to be deployed to manage the rush of selfie takers. The National Gallery of Modern Art, which falls under the ministry, sent officials to observe the show and assess the reasons behind the unexpectedly large turnout. Among the visitors was the Congress leader, Sonia Gandhi.
Letter
bomb
The Odisha Congress seems to
be going through a tough time.
The latest crisis was triggered by a controversial letter written to
Sonia Gandhi by the former legislator, Mohammed Moquim, in which he made a series of allegations against the party’s leadership. Though Moquim was expelled from the party in the wake of his missive, its tone and tenor have made the Congress suspect the BJP’s hand behind the move.
Moquim did not even spare Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he was denied a meeting with the Gandhi scion. The letter also urged Sonia Gandhi to give Priyanka Gandhi Vadra more responsibilities. This was seen as an attempt to drive a wedge in the party’s top leadership. Whether Moquim is acting at the instance of the BJP would be clear only if he ends up joining the party. As it is, the BJP badly needs a Muslim face in Odisha.