Cautious steps
Last Friday, the chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha, with several senior leaders from the Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party in attendance, signalling both respect for the veteran leader and a measure of caution during the proceedings. Kumar, who has served as CM for about two decades, was accompanied by the JD(U) working president and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Kumar Jha, who took on the role of facilitator throughout the ceremony. In the chamber of the Rajya Sabha chairman, C.P. Radhakrishnan, Jha was seen guiding Kumar at each step, including handing him a written oath and prompting him to read it out at the microphone. During the signing of the official register, the Union health minister and former BJP chief, JP Nadda, stepped in to assist Kumar, who appeared to face some difficulty. Kumar’s induction into the Rajya Sabha is being seen as a key step in the anticipated political transition in Bihar. With his move to the upper House, the next move is his resignation as CM, potentially paving the way for a BJP-led government in Bihar. However, given Kumar’s history of shifting political positions, BJP leaders will remain cautious and are unlikely to consider the transition complete until one of their own is formally installed as Bihar’s next CM.
Anger issues
The public aggressiveness of the Assam CM, Himanta Biswa Sarma, in the run-up to and the aftermath of the April 9 assembly polls has left most stunned. It started soon after Pawan Khera’s press meets in Delhi and Guwahati accusing Sarma’s wife of possessing multiple passports and Sarma of not disclosing properties allegedly owned by his wife abroad in his election affidavit. Although the Sarma couple has rejected the allegations as baseless with the wife even lodging a police complaint against Khera, the CM has openly spoken against two media houses for allegedly backing the Opposition, and has been curt with journalists while responding to uncomfortable questions. The Congress has asserted that Sarma has become panicky after Khera’s claims.
Tricky role
The unexpected resignation of Sasmit Patra as leader of the Biju Janata Dal parliamentary party in the Rajya Sabha has raised eyebrows. Some view the move as a result of his failure to defend Biju Patnaik’s legacy, particularly in response to the BJP lawmaker, Nishikant Dubey, attempting to portray Patnaik as a CIA agent. Others believe the decision paves the way for a leader who can better maintain a balance between the BJD and the Union government at this critical juncture. Although the political secretary to Naveen Patnaik and the newly-elected member to the Rajya Sabha, Santrupt Misra, was initially seen as a frontrunner for the role, he has reportedly declined the responsibility. His withdrawal follows widespread criticism as many perceived Misra as the key figure behind Patra’s exit. Several others, including the BJD MP, Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, are now in the running for the post. All eyes remain on Naveen Patnaik and who he chooses for the post.
Hot seat
With the United Democratic Front confident of returning to power after almost a decade of sitting in the Opposition in Kerala, a few senior Congress leaders have set their eyes on the CM’s post. The leader of the Opposition in the Kerala legislative assembly, VD Satheesan, led the UDF in the polls and his predecessor and CWC leader, Ramesh Chennithala, has openly claimed that a Congress leader based in Kerala would emerge as the next CM. The grapevine has it that Chennithala took potshots at none other than the AICC general-secretary (organisation), KC Venugopal, who is mostly based in New Delhi, and is seen as being close to Rahul Gandhi. The war of words has led other senior Congress leaders to urge the CM hopefuls to show decorum.
Name game
“What’s in a name?” — this oft-repeated cliché has emerged as a major headache for some candidates in poll-bound Bengal. To confuse voters, rivals have taken to namesake politics, a spectre that is haunting candidates like Trinamool’s Sabina Yeasmin and Gautam Pal, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s Haji Shahabuddin and the BJP’s Biraj Biswas. In Malda’s Sujapur, Yeasmin is not just battling her rivals but also a namesake, who has entered the fray. She now has to tell voters to look not just for her name but also for the TMC symbol before casting their votes. Shahabuddin, Pal and Biswas — all from Karandighi — are also all battling namesakes. As he campaigns, Shahabuddin tells a voter, “Be careful when you stand before the EVM machine to cast your vote. Don’t just read my name but keep the CPI(M)’s symbol in mind.” But will the namesake ploy confuse voters? Only the poll results on May 4 will tell.
