New heads for old hats
Quite a few key top jobs, from the Election Commission to external intelligence, will see new inductions between December and the first part of the new year. Before he kicks the campaign trail for 2019, Prime Minister Modi’s government will have to have a new Chief Election Commissioner in place. Incumbent CEC OP Rawat’s term ends in December.
The poll commission’s second-in-command, Sunil Arora, is tipped to succeed him. The senior among the two ECs is usually elevated as CEC. By all indications, the Modi government will not be going against the norm, doing which may create an unnecessary flurry before the big polls. The same holds true for the Director, IB. Upon the retirement of incumbent Rajiv Jain in January, Special Director Arvind Kumar is likely to take over.
Controversy has come in the way of the selection of the next CBI and RAW chiefs. The infighting in the premier investigating agency has disrupted the line of succession, if there was any. Even if Alok Verma is reinstated by the Supreme Court, his term will expire by February 2019. Hence, a new chief will have to be chosen through through a panel comprising the troika of PM-CJI-Leader of Opposition. The government has already drawn up a shortlist of three, which includes Delhi top cop Amulya Patnaik and BSF DG Rajnikant Mishra.
Delhi darshan
With not many months left for the term of the 16th Lok Sabha to end, many members of Parliament are in pack-up mode, but none more so than AIADMK MPs. Unsure if they would get party tickets to contest again or be re-elected, many of them are going back to their grassroots. Before that, the winter session could see some fun time with the families—all slated for a thorough Delhi darshan before the curtains fall on the current Lok Sabha.
Flood of predictions
The PM has a problem. He has been flooded with unsolicited predictions for 2019. Not one or two or even dozens, it seems 200-300 astrological readings have landed in his inbox. All of them in the form of YouTube links, with video predictions on how he’ll come out with flying colours in the polls. For Indian politicians, the placement of the stars and constellations and even the auspiciousness of a period or a month are closely watched, as much as voter swings and internal surveys. But 300 astral recipes for a thumping majority may get tiresome, if not confusing, for even the pious.
Ticket woes
The Indian National Congress may have become a shadow of its past, but looking at the swarms of ticket-seekers, one can easily be dissuaded of such notions. In Rajasthan, where the GOP is expected to do well, the problem has been compounded not just by the cold tussle between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot—both CM aspirants and hence both jostling to see how many tickets they can corner—but also by Rahul Gandhi’s sudden magnanimity. Though the party is racing against time, the Congress chief, wishing to do a good turn to prospective and old allies like NCP, Lok Dal and SP, has decided to part with a few seats. The effect was immediately visible: angry Congress workers gheraoed Pilot’s car in front of the Congress chief’s Tuglaq Road residence, nearly overpowering him!
Santwana Bhattacharya
The author is Political Editor, TNIE.
Email: santwana@newindianexpress.com