The UP Assembly election is still some distance away, but inside the BJP, there is already plenty of interest in CM Yogi Adityanath’s growing social-media presence. His Instagram following is said to be rising faster than that of any BJP leader except PM Narendra Modi. Some see it as another indication of Yogi’s growing standing in UP. Others wonder if there is something bigger behind the digital push, particularly with so many NextGen and Gen-Z followers. His team is active on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube, and his selfie videos are getting a big response. Yogi has 17.7 million followers on X, ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s roughly 15 million. As one senior BJP leader put it: after Modi, Yogi can give Rahul “takkar”.
Awaiting a ‘book bomb’
The BJP appears to be keeping an eye on what some leaders privately call “book bombs” — publications that could create trouble ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha election and the Uttar Pradesh polls. The party has been through this before. A book by a former Army chief had caused political turbulence during a Parliament session, leaving the BJP to deal with the fallout. Now, the attention is on Sonia Gandhi’s forthcoming biography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, published by HarperCollins and due on November 10. “Let it come out,” a BJP MP said, adding that the party would first see what the book contains before reacting. The MP was clear that the BJP was not afraid. For now, it is simply wait and watch.
Rajasthan double act in Punjab
Punjab may be far from Rajasthan, but two prominent Rajasthan leaders now have important roles in the state’s 2027 Assembly election battle. The BJP has appointed Satish Poonia as its in-charge for Punjab, while the Congress has handed Sachin Pilot responsibility for steering its strategy there. Both parties are taking on the AAP government and trying to strengthen their position against the regional party in power. The Rajasthan connection has naturally caught attention. Can leaders from Rajasthan help bring their respective parties to power in Punjab? Some political observers are asking just that. For Poonia and Pilot, the task involves organisational work, strategy and navigating Punjab’s political ground as the BJP and Congress look to take on the AAP in the 2027 Assembly election.
MP’s extra hand in Delhi
MP’s “double-engine” government appears to be adding another layer to its Delhi outreach. The state already has a Resident Commissioner in the capital, but the Mohan Yadav government has now brought in retired IPS officer A Sai Manohar to strengthen its liaison with the Centre. Sources say the 1995-batch officer has been appointed Advisor to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on a contractual basis and will be stationed at the CMO in New Delhi. Manohar is expected to coordinate with the Centre on strategic issues and matters important for MP. The move has raised some eyebrows in bureaucratic circles in Delhi, although many regard Manohar as capable. His Delhi posting is expected to add another layer to MP’s Centre-state coordination.
Woman in the cold zone
The ties remain frosty, indeed, almost frozen, between India and Pakistan. And yet, a small first after decades: Pakistan has sent a woman, Zile Huma, to head the Press Division at its High Commission in New Delhi. An Oxford alumna, she has also served at the Governor’s House in Lahore and with the Election Commission. A fresh face in a famously difficult diplomatic neighbourhood. Let’s see what she makes of it.