Fertiliser crisis or political harvest?
Whether or not the crops in Rajasthan get fertilisers on time this sowing season, one thing is certain: the fertiliser shortage has ripened a bumper crop of politics. From Bharatpur to Barmer, angry farmers are seen standing in long queues. This has ignited a new war of words between Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and his predecessor, Ashok . In a social media strike, Gehlot accused the “double-engine government” of failing farmers, even in Bharatpur, the CM’s district. Sharma dismissed the charge. The shortage is not new. Rajasthan faces it every year, but the face-off between two heavyweights has turned it into a political hot potato.
Price of a slip of tongue in the world of politics
In politics, over-enthusiasm is as dangerous as silence. BJP MLA Nauksham Chaudhary has just proved it. The first-time legislator from Kamanin Deeg district stirred a storm by claiming that the BJP has “installed its own party chief by removing Congress chiefs”. The remark handed the opposition a golden chance. Congress pounced, with PCC Chief Govind Singh Dotasara posted the video on X and wrote, “How the BJP murders democracy by misusing power. Just listen to what their own MLA says.” The BJP scrambled to control the damage and distanced itself from Chaudhary’s words. Will the party initiate action against him?
Power of Cabinet expansion gossip
Ever since the new government took charge in Rajasthan, whispers of the cabinet expansion just don’t die down. The buzz gets the loudest before assembly sessions. Political watchers explain why. The formula is simple: drop hints of expansion, let MLAs dream of ministerial chairs, and suddenly everyone falls in line with discipline. Who’d dare rebel and forego a possible chance of ministership? Moreover, frustration simmers as the bureaucracy appears to call the shots, and BJP legislators face more neglect now than they did under the Congress. But hope acts as a restraint. In a state where a first-time MLA became CM, who wouldn’t keep their eyes on the Cabinet?
Rajesh Asnani
Our correspondent in Jaipur
rajesh.asnani@newindianexpress.com