Its a double whammy for the Nationalist Congress Party. Sharad Pawar?s cover drive on the party?s position vis-?-vis madam seems to have come a cropper. But worse is his failure to score a victory at the BCCI elections. The knives, quite naturally, are out at the NCP. Fingers are being pointed at the Union civil aviation minister, Praful Patel, for having ?wrong advised? a gullible Pawar to take on Jagmohan Dalmiya on the eve of the Maharashtra state elections. But the editor of a private television channel is also being blamed for having egged the Maratha strongman on. Pawar?s first blunder, it is believed, occasioned the second. Madam remained as aloof to Pawar?s flip-flop on the issue of her ?sacrifice? as to his BCCI gambit. State associations headed by the Congress received no instructions from 10 Janpath on whether to vote for or against Pawar. ?Pawar never asked for support so it was not given?, is how a senior partyman chooses to define the Congress stand. That simple?
Kapil Sibal might have been denied the law ministry but his heart is still set on it. The minister has convened a workshop of legal experts on November 7 to prepare a software to record all statements, witness accounts, evidence, date, time and facts pertaining to each case in order to bring about sweeping changes in the country?s legal system. The country?s law minister, Hansraj Bhardwaj, has naturally raised objections to Sibal?s ?interference? in his domain. Kapil is however unfazed. His defence? As minister for science and technology, Sibal says he is within his rights to explore the possibility of using modern technology for greater good. Objections overruled then?
When Laloo Prasad Yadav inducted the former BJP leader, Sanjay Paswan, into the RJD, the chief didn?t realize the latter would come with a baggage ? his unchanging views on a particular community. Paswan has no qualms in recounting how, as the minister of state for minorities? welfare under the Vajpayee regime, he had been quietly divested of his portfolio for suggesting that the minorities prove their loyalty to the country to atone for Partition. Change of party has hardly brought about a change of mind. Paswan is apparently still in ?total agreement? with the controversial author, Romesh Patange, who has observed that the minorities should not be trusted. And Paswan himself?
Winning an election is serious business and Om Prakash Chautala has hired professionals to advise him on Haryana?s elections next year. The spin-doctors believe that Chautala needs to broaden his voter base beyond the farmers and the elderly. Measures were taken pronto to assuage the youth and the minorities. The unemployment dole has gone up and Muslim-dominated Mewat has been declared a district. The elderly, who were expecting a pension hike, are not pleased. But looks like they will have to wait for the next generation of the Chautalas to hear them out.
One of the newspapers of the capital claimed recently that the Intelligence Bureau was keeping a close watch on all those who were perceived to be potential ?topplers?of the Manmohan Singh government. The list included the high and mighty among the current day industrialists and politicians, mostly rival. But one may remember that in his meeting with the IB, Shivraj Patil had also suggested that the watchdogs keep an eye on ?others? who could prove troublesome. Could that be taken to mean that the leftist fogies are under surveillance now?
It was recently the turn of another bahu to go to the people. The occasion was a public meeting in Siddhaur, Barabanki, where the Samajwadi Party MP, Jaya Bachchan, was heard speaking out against the leader of the present dispensation without mincing words. The veil of silence which the Bachchans and the Nehru-Gandhis seemed to have drawn over their differences seemed to be in tatters. Jaya: ?This is the second time that I am asking for your votes. The first time was when Amitabhji was contesting the elections in Allahabad. Those who brought us in politics left us midway. They left us when we were in the midst of a crisis. They are known to betray people.? At a distance, party leaders watched Jaya speak with much glee. There was now little to doubt that the Bachchans were a boon to the SP.
Madam number 2 seems to be losing her hold. The AICC gen-sec, Ambika Soni, is at her wit?s end trying to explain her exclusion from the core panel of the party that meets every Friday at 10 Janpath. Its apparent aim is to streamline and coordinate the government-party functioning. Apart from the PM and the AICC chief, Sonia, the panel has all those who matter ? Ahmad Patel, Pranab Mukherjee, Arjun Singh... . Soni tried to make light of the matter by throwing a dinner for the scribes covering the party earlier last week. The surprise guest was to be Sonia herself, and that was expected to reaffirm her clout. But as luck (Soni?s that is) would have it, madam expressed her regret. The dinner was called off in a huff. ?Poor Soni, she cannot even ensure Soniaji?s presence?, lamented a party gen-sec. The rumour mills in the capital have gone on the overdrive ever since. Last heard, Soni was trying to organize a meet of close advisors to counter what she claims is ?pure canard?.
