RS: Who’ll be the Deputy chair?
The end of PJ Kurien’s Rajya Sabha term has opened a battle front. All of this week, permutations and combinations were being worked out on the back of the envelope. A contest, all sides realise, would mean a close call. The real fight, no doubt, is between the BJP, with a strength of 67 MPs, and the Congress’s 51 in the House. Since regional parties are the flavour of the season, both national parties seem ready to sacrifice their own ambition to increase the number of camp followers. So a Bhupendra Yadav is out... so is anyone from the Congress.
The BJP won’t mind offering the post to BJD on a platter, just to break Opposition unity. The Congress, similarly, is not averse to giving it to TMC even though the GOP’s ties with Mamata Banerjee are not exactly rosy at the moment (the Congress is none too happy about her attempts to become the pivot of Opposition unity, her pow-wow with Ahmed Patel notwithstanding). The name of BJD candidate Prasanna Acharya has been floated by some and that of TMC’s Shukendu Shekar Roy by others. A TMC candidate may be acceptable to all, including the Shiv Sena, while the TMC is willing to back any non-BJP candidate.
An Opposition meeting is scheduled in the first week of July. The BJD, which follows a policy of equidistance from the BJP and the Congress, neither wants to be any side’s camp follower nor end up being in a contest with Mamata’s party, given “Naveenbabu’s relation with Didi”. In such a scenario, it may like to get a nominated member with good understanding of the Constitution and law to be the Deputy. Will it then be KTS Tulsi?
RSS membership soaring
Post Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on June 7, interest in the right-wing organisation’s work, it seems, has increased manifold. At least that’s what was reported from a recent RSS conference. The daily applications for membership, which stood at 378 pre-June 7, have jumped to 1,779 after Mukherjee’s much-televised visit. And 40 per cent of the applications are from West Bengal, which earlier stood at a handful per day. The Sangh had no qualms about admitting that its acceptability among Bengalis has increased proportionately after the former President’s ‘endorsement’ of their activities. And it’s showing up on the Sangh website as well.
Chandy’s list for ghar wapasi
Former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy is all set to begin his YSR-style padayatra in Andhra Pradesh to “revive the party from the grass roots—block to Assembly’’. He has had a long session with the Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to discuss his plan. Apart from a ghar wapasi for Kiran Kumar Reddy and Harsh Kumar, he’s carrying a list of 12 other erstwhile Congressmen who he would like to see back in the party. A family wedding of Rajya Sabha MP Subbarami Reddy—popularly known as ‘Subbi’ in Delhi political circles—is expected to provide a platform for the return of the prodigals.
Chandy, however, is hedging his bets on any alliance. CM Chandrababu Naidu was seen warming up to Rahul Gandhi during HDK’s swearing-in in Bangalore, but a Congress-TDP alliance is a no-go area for the traditional rivals. An under-the-wraps meeting with Jagan Reddy is being whispered about. Since a multi-cornered contest (counting Pawan Kalyan’s party) is not exactly a bright strategy, the joke in the Kerala lobby is, Chandy is going to be the AP CM face!
Nitishbabu’s edgy game
‘Aaya ram gaya ram’ is one syndrome which never seems to be going out of fashion in Indian politics. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar could easily become the poster boy for the old adage. Kumar is again seen to be playing footsie with his grand allies-turned-foes, the RJD and the Congress. So much so that the local Congress was inspired to have a sparring match with Tejaswi Yadav for keeping the door shut on his ‘Chachaji’.
Those close to the Bihar CM claim, “Nitishbabu is only using his old allies to send a message to the BJP”, lest it offers less than double digit seats to JD-U in the Lok Sabha polls. Kumar, it seems, is weary of dealing with Amit Shah, a hard bargainer not known for niceties. In the face of the 2014 Modi wave, JD-U could win not more than two seats, but now wants to contest no less than 15-17. The BJP, which feels JD-U has no vote bank to offer except Nitish’s minuscule Kurmi community, is not quite willing to oblige.
Santwana Bhattacharya
The author is Political Editor, TNIE. Email:
santwana@ newindianexpress.com