OLD HORSE
Ahmad Patel’s return to RajyaSabha has put a momentary brake on BJP’s victory juggernaut. It has given a huge setback to the Party. The plan to defeat Patel was made two years ago, and everything was implemented as per the instructions. However the Party made a mistake in reading two things: Shanker Singh Vaghela and keeping its own house together. The leadership is now said to be peeved with the strategists who were given the job to defeat Patel. It is not that Patel took it lying down. He knew that a defeat would have certainly drawn a curtain on his stint in Congress, and thus gave everything to the fight. The victory has put further gleam on his image. His image as a masterstrategist has found further strength as well.
CLOSE SHAVE
The situation that unfolded following the conviction and arrest of Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram-Rahim of DeraSachchaSauda led many to believe that CM Khattar will lose his chair considering his inept handling of the verdict.Rajnath Singh apparently was in the mood to walk the talk but he was categorically asked not to punish Khattar. He fell mute after the missive. Entire opposition, as well as the ruling dispensation, was holding its breath over a possible missive from RashtrapatiBhawan, but that never materialised. It was a close shave for Khattar. No point for guessing as to who bailed him out. BJP’s top leadership has instead fired salvos on the very judge who gave the verdict. In total, what was proved that evening that Khattar being close to RSS is simply beyond any punishment.
TOO CLEVER BY HALF?
While it is difficult to say at this point what shall be the longterm consequences of Nitish’s recent actions; those in the know swear that not only has he ousted himself of the big race, he shall be expelled from the small race as well. People are saying that Nitish Kumar has made a political blunder. While he thinks that he can win the next election and control the Assembly, it is possible that he might not achieve even what he has now. While his supporters insist that he was left with very little choice. Voters in Bihar prefer social justice over development that serves only the Upper Castes, and Nitish has not endeared himself with this group. When they will come out to vote the next time, they will come out with vengeance.
RAHUL’S DREAM
Congress is of the belief that Modi will not be able to repeat the feat of 2014 in the 2019. And that shall leave an opening for Congress to form the government. Congress leaders think that the way people are fed-up with joblessness and rising costs, a clean-sweep for NDA would be impossible. The Party is unanimous in its decision to chalk out a proper strategy before going to polls. And rather than focusing on alternative PM material, the focus should be on alternative governance to what BJP has managed to offer. Sonia Gandhi believes that if Congress-led government is formed, then it would be prudent to work on not repeating the same mistakes that BJP made. Rahul Gandhi, according to her, should be eased in slowly by first allowing him to gain experience by giving him a not-so-highprofile ministry. He can take the leap of faith from there.
