Dynamite but not fake news
About three days ago, Dynamite News, which describes itself as a 24-hourr digital news channel, was the first to report that Yogi Adityanath was going to be the next CM of UP. Considered too much of a 'dynamite news' to be taken seriously, the mainstream media continued to peddle the names of other bigwigs in the BJP that it fancied, including Rajnath Singh. In the end, only a part of what it expected came true. As speculated, the new chief minister will indeed be buffeted by two deputy CMs – K P Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. The latter as Lucknow mayor is said to have some administrative skills. While Yogi's credentials are all in the public domain and need no reiteration, what is perhaps not as well-known is that Rajnath Singh and the Mahant of Gorakhnath Math, a five-time MP from Gorakhpur, do not quite see eye to eye. A Garhwali Rajput from the Pauri region of Uttarakhand, Yogi is seen as a rival to the BJP's most well-known Thakur leader in UP. A Mathematics graduate from Uttarakhand, his elevation is being celebrated more in his state of origin than his adopted state. It's the ultimate victory of the hills over the plains of UP, is what his clan claims.
P K Mishra wants out?
The preeminent position of P K Mishra in the PMO is underlined by the fact that the low-key workaholic civil servant from Gujarat enjoys proximity to Narendra Modi. This is evident from the part he plays in the transfer and appointment of fellow officials. But Mishra, it seems, may not be part of PMO for too long. After having kept long hours at work for very many years, he wants to call it quits on health grounds. When asked, he gave a rare 'I'm-at-a-meetin' smile rather than a real reply. Meanwhile, principal secretary Nripendra Mishra's clout has been growing exponentially. In a top-down structure, most policies and decisions are framed at PMO and sent across to ministries, including finance, through Bhaskar Khulbe.
Who'll take Defence?
Ever since Manohar Parrikar moved back to Goa relinquishing his Union Cabinet perch, speculation has been rife over who would replace him as the next full-time defence minister. Since Arun Jaitley is unlikely to continue holding additional charge for too long, it's believed Parrikar's successor may be another CM. If the Lutyens grapevine is to be believed, the Rajasthan CM is being persuaded to shift to Delhi. Vasundhara Raje -- called the elected Queen of the Pink City -- is however not keen. The same holds true for her Maharashtra counterpart, Devendra Fadnavis. The Prime Minister, whose choices have never been known to tread the beaten path, may spring another surprise.
Diggy and the Goa fiasco
The Congress fiasco in Goa, where the ailing old party snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, has led to an ugly spat between Digvijaya Singh and Luizinho Faleiro. The AICC in-charge has accused the Goa PCC chief of sabotaging a pre-poll alliance with the Goa Forward Party that would have yielded the Congress a majority. Faleiro has countered that Digvijaya Singh actually ensured that the Congress did not win enough seats to form a government on its own, and restricted it to 17 seats.The verdict is still out. But Diggy Raja has more friends in Delhi than Faleiro, so there are few takers for his theory.