Return of Sushil Modi

Just when BJP leaders thought Sushil Kumar Modi's political career was heading downwards, the BJP leader has come out with a volley of charges against Lalu Prasad and his family. "This is what Sushil Modi is best known for," said a BJP leader. Not surprisingly, when he held the first press meet at his official residence, the party asked him to hold news meets thereafter at the party office. Two senior party office-bearers attended the one he held at his official residence.

"The party would not like it to be Sushil Modi's agenda alone. It wants to be associated with it," said a Sushil follower, asserting that the leader's star was on the rise. "Other senior leaders like Nand Kishore Yadav and Prem Gupta are no match for Modi when it comes to attacking the government."

Mango misuse

Sushil Modi's allegation that Lalu's daughter Chanda Yadav had "misused" the CM's official address when she was made director of the company that owns the under-construction mall at Saguna Mor in 2014 has had political circles talking. "The Lalu family lived there for more than 15 years. It must have been an unintentional mistake by Lalu's children," an RJD leader said. JDU leaders point out that Jitan Ram Manjhi had also "misused" 1 Aney Marg by staying there for almost 10 months even after he quit as CM. "Many of the official documents meant for CM Nitish Kumar went to Manjhi ji and his staff," remarked a JDU leader, recalling how Manjhi had "tried to take political mileage" over charges that Nitish did not allow him to eat the mangoes growing on trees on the bungalow premises.

Sarkari Gandhian

At the conclave on the Champaran Satyagraha that concluded on Tuesday, Nitish Kumar called education minister Ashok Choudhary a "sarkari Gandhian". The chief minister said there were three types of Gandhians: The genuine Gandhian, the socialists who were Gandhians, and the sarkari Gandhian. Choudhary had taken out a morning rally sporting a Gandhi cap. Ashok's detractors scoffed at him being called a Gandhian. "His natural attire is jeans and T-shirt," said a JDU leader. "His working style does not suggest he believes in Gandhian values."

Howls & grudges

Leader of the Congress in the Assembly Sadanand Singh created a political stir recently when he praised the BJP for its organisational strength and said that Rahul Gandhi was okay but youth alone will not do and the party needed experienced leaders. While there was a collective howl in the party over his statement, another senior party leader pointed out that Sadanand's main target of was not Rahul Gandhi. "It's Ashok Choudhary," said the leader. "The veteran Congress leader has a grudge that he was bypassed and Ashok was made a minister."

Shotgun surprise

The BJP state leadership has had a frustrating experience with Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha because of the series of statements he has made in favour of chief minister Nitish Kumar. They were surprised recently when Shotgun - as Sinha is known - after a long time sang a different tune, declaring that the whole country had become Modi-may (besotted with Modi) and UP had become Yogi-may (besotted with the new CM) and stressed that both made a deadly combination. "Shatrughan must have realised that his ticket for 2019 is at grave risk and it is time to make amends. But it might be too late and too little," said a senior BJP leader who was rattling out at the embarrassment recently caused by the former Bollywood star to the party.