Maha lucky number
While addressing BRS workers in Nanded, Chief Minister and BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao directed them to constitute party committees in each ward and village across Maharashtra. However, he said that the total members of the committee should be at least six if the population of the village is less than 1,000. If the population is more than 1,000 then the total member of the committee should be 15 or 24. It may be mentioned here that KCR’s lucky number is six. It remains to be seen whether the sentiment would work for the pink party in Maharashtra.
Spying on the spy
Though there was all-around ridicule of TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy’s comment last month that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has moles in every party, it appears that the Opposition does agree with it in private. During an informal chitchat, a BJP leader who has the ear of the party’s central leadership acknowledged the existence of a spy and confirmed that even the party's high command was aware of his activities. When asked why the high command was still tolerating the spy’s presence, the BJP leader explained that they were using him as they believed that keeping him close and monitoring his activities was preferable to keeping him at a distance and being unaware of his next moves.
BJP on the back foot
Even before the State unit of the BJP could come to terms with the crushing loss in Karnataka, the comment by a former MP that the failure of the ED to arrest Kavitha did have an impact on the party’s fortunes came like a bolt from the blue. The result was that BRS leaders have gone to town claiming that their allegations that the ED, CBI and I-T wings were working for the BJP were proven by the former MP’s comments. The issue has left the party leadership, already grappling with groups in the form of “original” and “migrant” leaders, struggling to put up a defence.
Playing the BC card
Six months ahead of the Assembly elections, all political parties are playing the BC card. Sensing that after the implementation of the Dalit Bandhu scheme, there is resentment among BCs, the Congress and BJP have planned massive BC garjanas in the days to come. However, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao scored over the Opposition parties and sprang a surprise that the State government would give Rs 1 lakh each to persons engaged in caste-based occupations. The new scheme of the State government will mostly benefit BCs. The moot question is whether BCs will be satisfied with Rs 1 lakh or compare themselves with SCs who are getting Rs 10 lakh grant under Dalit Bandhu?
New headache for BRS MLAs
Aspirants for BRS tickets have started a new tactic that is giving a headache to sitting MLAs. The aspirants have deployed their supporters to spread slogans like “We do not need non-local candidates” and “We want only local candidates to be sent to the Assembly”. Such slogans are being heard in several Assembly constituencies and have become more strident of late. By all accounts, the slogans are having their desired impact – the sitting MLAs are getting worried, so much so that some of them have brought the matter to the notice of the district Ministers to take it forward to party supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Inputs: VV Balakrishna, Ireddy Srinivas Reddy, Vivek Bhoomi