Beyond the implosion
The more than a century-old Congress party is beyond the stage of implosion. One part of it is all dressed for harakiri in the old Japanese ritualistic style; the other part is in a state of shock, watching what’s happening. If the I-T raids on former Karnataka Deputy CM G. Parameshwara for an alleged medical seat scam in the institutions run by him, took the party’s breath away, the suicide of Parameshwara’s Man Friday has sent shockwaves.
The Congressmen are now in dread of the word I-T, and wondering ‘who’s the next in the line of fire’. Up north in Delhi, Sandeep Dikshit, former MP and son of late Sheila Dikshit, shot off a letter, accusing AICC in-charge of Delhi P C Chacko of driving his mother to death by humiliating her when she was in a weak health condition. Also in a state of shock, Chacko has passed on the ‘confidential’ letter to Sonia Gandhi. The interim Congress president has, in turn, passed it on to AK Antony — the keeper of the Congress ethics. A secret report is what can be awaited.
The crack team
It’s now well known that Amit Shah plays a pivotal role in the second installment of the Modi government. But Shah has his own two-tier crack team. On Article 370 for instance, no one except the first tier or the core team of Bhupendra Yadav, JP Nadda, BL Santosh, had a whiff of it when it was in the works. The second tier, comprising Dharmendra Pradhan, Anil Jain and V Murleedharan, were later pressed into action to shore up the numbers in Rajya Sabha. Whether it’s 370 or Triple Talaq or what party line to take on any issue from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the two-tier crack team is providing the logistics.
Eye on Tamil Nadu
Like PM Narendra Modi, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat is looking South, Tamil Nadu to be precise, in tandem. The site for the informal Xi-Modi summit was chosen as much for its heritage value and maritime history, as it was to tap the sentiments of the state’s voting population. As a BJP leader put it, in all seriousness, ‘the vesti can vouch for it’.
The same logic, it seems, was at work behind the choice of Shiv Nadar as guest of honour at Vijayadashami in the RSS headquarters. Nadar’s view that higher education should be made available to all students from underpreviledged background, of course, added to his USP. But at the core of it is an election strategy. BJP, it seems, is already focusing on the 2024 Lok Sabha. The party is quite sure it can pick up five to eight seats, with these moves. As for the assemblies, the party feels, Maharashtra and Haryana are hardly any sweat. Amit Shah therefore is putting his tactical ammunition to wrench West Bengal from Didi.
RSS invitees
Nagpur is working full swing on a well heeled outreach programme. Not so much to move opinion of the opinionated, but India’s professionals, like those in the IT sector. RSS deems the sector to be the pride of the nation, through which it can propagate its idea better. As it is, the biggest supporters of the Hindutva ideological are those working in the country’s IT sector. Even though, they lag behind when it comes to voting. The RSS, however, adopting a top down approach, invited Azim Premji for an interaction. Narayan Murthy too was invited, but he’s said to have turned it down, citing prior engagement. Next in line are doctors of top institutions.