Cash crunch

It is the age of austerity. Not only across struggling economies around the world but also in India’s Grand Old Party. Consequently, the All India Congress Committee is witnessing drastic measures under the guidance of Motilal Vora, the former treasurer and current AICC gen-sec, who has been put in charge of ‘general administration’. Vora, who has been signing cheques on behalf of the treasurer, Ahmed Patel, has issued a long list of dos and don’ts for the office-bearers of the party. For example, Vora has made it known that he wants the 70-odd AICC secretaries to spend at least 15 days in the states that they are supposed to serve. According to the rules, the state units of the Congress are supposed to look after the needs of the dignitaries during this period. But the problem is that the state units are suffering from a severe resource crunch. So much so that it is being feared that they will not be able to look after their guests well.

Vora has also brought bad news for Congressmen with wheels for feet. For he has directed a massive embargo on air travel. Sources say that the ceiling reads two air travels every month. Congress MPs and MLAs are also expected to voluntarily forego such entitlements as travel and dearness allowances.

Being booted out of power, evidently, comes at a high price.

Under watch

A journalist and a member of the Telugu Desam Party were subjected to raids from income tax sleuths recently. The BJP’s opponents described the move as yet another instance of the party attempting to silence dissenters, be they politicians or scribes. A minister of the Aam Aadmi Party — Kailash Gahlot — was also visited by the dreaded tax man, forcing him to cancel a scheduled visit to China to examine Shenzhen’s fleet of electric buses. Sleuths from the IT department reportedly searched 16 properties linked to Gahlot — the state transport minister who, ironically, is also considered to be Mr Clean in AAP circles — confining the minister to his home. Incidentally, apart from Shenzhen, Gahlot was also expected to visit Hong Kong with officials. During the raid, the minister was allowed to talk to some party MLAs only after they protested outside Gahlot’s house. But the brief exchange was conducted under the supervision of the sleuths.

Madhya Pradesh's minister for commerce, industry and employment, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, in New Delhi on October 07, 2016 Press Information Bureau

This is the story of a mahagathbandhan. But this one comes with a twist in the tale. The poll-strategist-turned-politician, Prashant Kishor — he has joined the Janata Dal (United) — was in Delhi recently. Kishor had played a stellar role in stitching together the mahagathbandhan featuring the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress and the JD(U) that trounced the Bharatiya Janata Party when Bihar went to polls in 2015. Kishor has resumed his old role: as in he is trying to forge an alliance for the 2019 general elections too. But on this occasion — and this the difference — Kishor is helping the National Democratic Alliance since Nitish Kumar has switched boats and is now friends again with Narendra Modi’s party. The word is that there is quite a scramble for the parliamentary seats in Bihar among such ‘allies’ as the BJP, the JD(U), Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and other smaller partners. To smoothen the creases in the fabric, Kishor sought the help of K C Tyagi to gain access to Paswan, who is said to have expressed reservations about meeting the acclaimed psephologist. Tyagi, however, was insistent, forcing Paswan to relent in the end. But in what is being touted as a a typical example of Kishor’s grandstanding, the news of his scheduled meeting with Paswan was leaked to television channels hours before the two men were supposed to meet. As the TV channels started running this bit of information, an infuriated Paswan apparently expressed his unhappiness to Tyagi and cancelled the do. Now this does not augur well for the future of the mahagathbandhan. Is Kishor losing his famed ability to turn foes into friends?

Narendra Modi. File picture

Royal sulk

Fumes have been spotted from a corner of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh as well. As a result of which, there was much anger and protest in the Scindia stronghold of Shivpuri. The state minister, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, staged a quiet walkout in the presence of the party president, Amit Shah. There are whispers that Yashodhara, the youngest daughter of Vijaya Raje Scindia — one of the tallest members of the BJP — was miffed when she spotted that her mother’s photograph was not displayed prominently on the podium. The state unit of the party is organizing centenary celebrations of Vijaya Raje's birth. It has also organized a run between Gwalior and Delhi — yes, you read it right, a distance of over 350 km — on the occasion.

The disgruntled Yashodhara, however, was the picture of courtesy to Shah. She played the role of the host — Yashodhara is the BJP MLA from Shivpuri — to perfection. But the inner rumblings would have certainly caught Shah’s attention. In a state where his party is said to be battling incumbency, Shah surely cannot afford a royal to sulk during poll season.

Footnote

The crisis in the IL&FS saw an anxious PMO asking for some files from the Union corporate ministry office in Shastri Bhavan. The babus were soon in a state of shock when they discovered that the documents that had been requested by the PMO had been eaten up by termites. The day was ultimately saved after the discovery of duplicate files that were found inside almirahs. Is this then a measure of success of Narendra Modi’s Digital India campaign?