Mission 370 aborted
Since abrogation of Article 370 is seen as Amit Shah’s crowning glory, a Mission 370 had been drawn up for the Assembly elections. It was to be the BJP’s magic number — meaning victory target — in the three state polls. Put together, Maharashtra (288+1 nominated), Haryana (90) and Jharkhand (81+1) Assemblies account for 459 seats. BJP’s mission was to win 370 of them as a gift to Shah. However, the Election Commission chose not to club the three state polls.
The Jharkhand Assembly’s tenure ends in January and the state government has not really asked for the dissolution of the house. It seems CM Raghubar Das is yet to take out his yatra in the state. In short, not poll prepared. (He’s more in news now for giving tender ads for journalists who would write in favour of
his government for fixed rates!) Mission 370, thus, has been replaced by state-wise targets!
Against 78!
Haryana is a much-changed state now. The old Jat block does not seem to have any fight left in it. The two parties, or Jat dynasties, that ruled the state have fallen by the wayside. The Devi Lal, Bhajan Lal and Bansi Lal families are all but forgotten. Little wonder that the incumbent CM, Manohar Lal Khattar, is looking rather confident. The Congress, the inside quip is, is up against 78, that’s the number of seats the BJP claims it’ll win. Sonia Gandhi’s decision to make Kumari Selja the PCC chief and give Bhupinder Singh Hooda a free hand in candidate selection has come too late. The party is too busy fighting inner battles to take on the BJP in any serious manner.
Yellow flowers
Much is being read into the bouquets of yellow flowers that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee presented to the prime minister and the home minister during her Delhi visit. Apparently, it was to convey a message of friendship. That apart, Didi also gifted the PM a kurta (which in Bengal is called punjabi!) and a box of choicest sandesh from a famous sweet shop in Hoogly. As for the Delhi journalists, there was a sumptuous spread at Banga Bhawan. Didi, however, remained a bit aloof, preoccupied all through, and not her usual temperamental self.
Worli and Parli
Two diametrically opposite constituencies, Worli, one of Mumbai’s most upmarket, and Parli in Beed district, economically backward, are going to be the most-watched. From Worli, Aditya Thackeray, Balasaheb’s grandson, would be contesting--the first person from Shiv Sena’s first family to contest direct elections. Though a Sena stronghold, Aditya will be replacing his party’s sitting MLA, creating a certain kind of inner-party dynamics.
Besides, if the tattle is to be believed, the BJP is not very comfortable about raising the third generation Thackeray dynast. Parli, meanwhile, is all set to witness another kind of family fight. Sitting BJP MLA Pankaja Munde will be challenged by her cousin Dhananjay on a NCP ticket. Beed continues to be a Munde family stronghold, a base built by the late Gopinath Munde.