Differences fine, loose talk not

Chief minister Nitish Kumar never utters a word on the governor despite several differences. A day after the JD(U) MPs demanded the recall of the governor in Rajya Sabha, Nitish refused to be drawn into the controversy. It seems you have not been able to contact Shivanandji (the general secretary of the party),” he said when a journalist asked him to comment on the issue. Nitish’s refusal to speak publicly against an unfriendly governor is in sharp contrast to the Lalu-Rabri days. Sunder Singh Bhandari, Vinod Chandra Pande and M. Rama Jois (all governors during the RJD regime) had to face verbal lashing from Lalu and Rabri. The most severe ones were reserved for Bhandari. The duo referred to his physical challenges in public. Even their predecessor A.R. Kidwai had to face the heat when he granted sanction to the CBI to prosecute Lalu. “It’s the difference between a statesman and a politician,” a proud JD(U) leader said.

Modi mails

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi is regarded as one of the most media savvy politicians of Bihar. Even as Leader of the Opposition he used to outwit the government and send his views to media houses through a well-organised system. He was among the first politicians of the state to use Internet, mobile and palm tops. Now, media houses are daily flooded with news releases, SMSes and emails giving details about his activities. Journalists of Patna call it the Modi beat. Now that Modi is on a 10-day official visit to four European countries in his capacity as the chairperson of the empowered committee of finance ministers of states, there appears a sigh of relief among those covering Modi. “But you never know. Emails might keep coming even from France, Spain, Belgium and Luxemburg,” a journalist said.

Heat is on

The JD(U) leadership appears to be all set to take action against the dissidents. The party has renewed its demand to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha to disqualify MP Upendra Kushwaha. The state spokesperson of the JD(U), Sanjay Singh, teased Kushwaha asking him to resign from the Rajya Sabha and then fight a battle against Nitish. The party leaders indicated that dissident MLC Prem Kumar Mani could be the first victim of action against the dissidents. The chairman of the Vidhan Sabha, Tara Kant Jha, has reserved his order after listening to Mani and the JD(U) argument on his disqualification. “Once Mani is expelled from the House, the dissidents will be demoralised,” a JD(U) leader said.

Crowd recedes

The crowd to the janata darbar of BJP ministers is receding by the day. On Tuesday, labour minister Janardhan Singh Sigriwal spent the time sitting in the state party office with workers and listening to their complaints. Ashwini Kumar Choubey of the BJP, who holds the health portfolio, has decided to hold his darbar at PMCH in the presence of doctors, patients and employees. “The crowd is not thinning in janata darbars of the BJP ministers only. Our counterparts in the JD(U) also have practically nothing to do except talking with the party workers,” a BJP minister said.