Train today, lead tomorrow
The BJP is building its next generation of leaders. Over 1,000 Indians aged 25-40 are being selected by the BJP for political training. Backing PM Narendra Modi’s vision to bring youth into the mainstream, the party will mentor them for three years before absorbing them. The BJP wants to be youth-centric, drawing recruits from backgrounds across regions. A leader says the aim is to groom qualified and dynamic leaders for the future. After mentoring, 150–200 join central and state organisations, 250–300 work in Morchas and initiatives, and nearly 500 are groomed individually. After Nitin Nabin became national president, selections included 110 from Uttar Pradesh, 70 from Bihar, 50–60 each from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, and 15–20 from smaller states.
After Holi, a Kumar entry in JDU?
The NDA grapevine is buzzing. Word is that Nishant Kumar, son of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, may finally step into electoral politics. The JD(U) is said to be preparing the ground, possibly easing him in as a key office-bearer after Holi and once the party has a full-time president. Right now, Sanjay Kumar Jha holds the post of working national president, but the BJP’s recent appointment of a full-fledged national chief has added pressure on the JD(U) to follow suit. Adding more spice to the chatter is the possibility of former IAS officer RCP Singh making a comeback to the party. Once Nitish’s trusted aide, Singh’s return after Holi is being keenly watched. Bihar politics, clearly, is warming up fast.
Railings need barbs: Ask Gadkari why?
Union minister Nitin Gadkari has seen many things on Indian roads, but one moment near his Nagpur home probably pushed him to the edge. Watching a woman leap over a median railing on a busy national highway, with school-going children on her shoulders, left him stunned. His response was classic Gadkari—practical, blunt, and slightly dramatic. He asked his engineers to design pedestrian guard rails so tall and intimidating that no one could vault over them. Barbs on top were part of the idea. Gadkari joked that designs should assume Indians are “world-class athletes” who can scale anything. Behind the humour lies a serious concern: reckless behaviour on high-speed roads. If civic sense refuses to improve, steel and spikes may do the talking.
CM face in Bengal? BJP plays safe
As West Bengal heads toward assembly elections, state BJP leaders are growing restless. They want a chief ministerial face, and they want it now. Leader of the Opposition Shubhendu Adhikari has reportedly even sent his supporters to Delhi to read the central leadership’s mood. The answer, however, has been a firm no.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is said to be clear that the CM decision will come only after the election—and only if the BJP has the numbers. The party believes naming a face early could turn that individual into the centre of attraction, or distraction. Unlike UP, where Yogi Adityanath became the campaign’s centrepiece, Bengal will see a collective pitch. For now, the BJP wants votes first and faces later.