From Saradha to Narada
Conspiracy theories abound on who’s behind the Narada sting, embroiling senior Trinamool Congress leaders in alleged bribe-taking. A section from the West Bengal lobby is not putting beyond Mamata Banerjee. Some of the TMC seniors, it seems, were making too many demands in the election season and needed ‘fixing’. Another theory is: Saradha chit-fund accused Mukul Roy, once indispensible right-hand man of Bengal CM, got the sting done to get even with his rivals in the party. But Mathew Samuel, the author of the sting who was working for KD Singh—businessman and TMC-backed Rajya Sabha member—got Roy stung as well. Samuel has vehemently denied KD had any knowledge of the operation. But TMC MPs are not buying it entirely. Surprisingly, there’s no theory on the Left, Congress or BJP having sprung it on her.
Past and Present
Congress general secretary B K Hariprasad was in a bit of a personal dilemma. As the Youth Congress office-bearer in the late ‘80s, he was the one who had signed the papers appointing Mamata Banerjee the party’s youth wing chief in West Bengal. That was way back in 1989, under Rajiv Gandhi. Now as the chairman of the candidate screening committee, Hariprasad was again called upon to sign the AICC memo announcing the candidates against Mamata and TMC. From propping up young Mamata to fight the Left, the Congress has come to propping the Left to fight Mamata. How times and politics change, a rather nostalgic Haribhai noted!
No Coverage
IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has a grouse. Despite having long standing friends in the media, neither he nor his ministry gets any coverage. The media only remembers him for call drops, but never for the “good work’’, like turning around the BSNL into a profit-making enterprise, the minister lamented.
Call for Walkout
A number of non-NDA parties staged a walkout before the voting on the Aadhaar bill took place in Rajya Sabha—AIADMK, TMC, SP, BSP and finally BJD. It seems members of SP and BSP had promised Ramesh they would vote for his amendments, but his entreaties fell through once Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and his lieutenant Power Minister Piyush Goyal swung into action. BJD members, in fact, staged a last minute walkout withdrawing their amendment. This was after a call came from Bhubaneswar and the martial in the House was seen calling one of the MPs out. In any case, the BJP top brass, prime minister included, is rather fond of some of BJD members, especially Bhatrihari Mahatab, who’s bailed the government out many times.
In Need of a Face
Election strategist Prashant Kishor is not finding it easy managing the Congress account in Uttar Pradesh. It’s not just a wobbly party structure that’s the worry, but the lack of a prominent face. Kishor’s strategy, it seems, is built around projecting a high-value political persona. First he tried floating Priyanka Gandhi’s name through a Maharashtra Congressman, but Priyanka did not even bother to respond. Next, Sheila Diskhit’s name was proposed, but the ex-Delhi CM has made it clear, she’s neither well nor available. The Congress is keen to project a Brahmin face in UP.