Dark horse
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has launched a membership drive is also gearing up for the organisational polls. The party plans to elect its state unit president, and keeping that on mind, many leaders have begun to do the spadework. The name of a legislator is doing the rounds for the job. When the ministry was formed, his name was doing the rounds for a cabinet berth that he was deprived of – though. Now, a leader of the BJP organisation is backing the legislator’s candidatures for the post of state unit president. Because the legislator maintains a low profile, chances are thin that the head of the state will object to his candidature as state party president. A group in the RSS has also supported the legislator. Likewise, a Union Minister who holds an important place in state politics may also lend his support to the legislator. As the chances of his becoming the party’s state unit president look brighter than others, the legislator is holding meetings with the party’s central leaders.
Saab ka Saath, Saab Ka Vikas
The BJP’s slogan – Sab Ka Sath Sab Ka Vikas – is apparent in state politics. The BJP leaders together celebrated Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami at their residences, with enthusiasm. The party leaders from Bhopal tried to woo all the senior members of the ruling dispensation in these festivals. As the Chief Minister had to go to Ujjain on Janmashtami day, the celebrations at the CM house had to be called off early. All the leaders initially visited the CM House. Just as the CM left for Ujjain, those leaders reached the residence of a Union Minister to celebrate the festival. These leaders are making efforts to woo both these leaders – the Chief Minister and the Union Minister. This is the reason why they generally meet the Chief Minister and keep in touch with the Union Minister. Among them, there are a few who openly meet these two leaders, while others do so on the sly.
Congress leaders get dressing-down
The Congress high command has pulled up its state unit leaders over an issue. After a stone-pelting incident in Chhatarpur, the administration bulldozed the house of a party man. Nevertheless, the party’s state unit maintained a stoic silence over the incident. Its leaders thought: had they said anything, the people, belonging to the majority community, would get angry. Only one legislator of the party raised it. When the legislator spoke to a member of the Rajya Sabha, he complained to the high command about it, which had an immediate impact. A woman leader of the party, whose voice is heard across the country, dressed down the state leaders for keeping mum over such a sensitive issue. The silence maintained by the state Congress unit also sparked anger among many leaders. Now, the Congress leaders are busy clarifying their stand to the party high command and have plunged into a damage-control exercise.
Singing a different tune
In the Congress, it is the time to change one’s loyalty from one faction to another. Two leaders of the Congress are in the last leg of their political career. Once many people used to queue up outside the residences of these two former chief ministers, but now, the number of their followers has declined. As their political career is dwindling, their supporters plan to join some other factions within the party. Two former ministers, who were supporters of a senior leader, are getting closer to another important leader. Once, these leaders were inimical to each other, but now, they are seen with this politician. In the same way, an MLA, also a supporter of a former chief minister is seen with the leaders of the other faction. The father of this legislator was once considered close to a senior leader of the Congress, but this leader is maintaining good relations with other politicians and has harvested its benefits: he has been given an important position in the party.
Fake cops foxed
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A few cops – not the real ones – clad in regular police uniform expected a former legislator to believe their cock-and-bull story and be deceived, but as the politician was no green horn, he foxed them and sent them to the place they had deserved. The ex-lawmaker was going somewhere. On the way, a band of bogus cops stopped his vehicle and entered an altercation with him, demanding the papers of his vehicle – perhaps to shake him down. Flummoxed, as he was for a while, the politician got back to his normal self and took them to a nearby police station. When the former legislator related his story to the police station in-charge, he said none of the cops, who stopped his vehicle, belonged to the police station. Nor were any of the fake cops known to the in-charge. Then everything was clear to the politician. It was, however, not known what happened to the unreal cops in their real life, but the ex-lawmaker taught the common man how to handle such rogues.
Political Gharanas opting for Taranas?
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The BJP leaders are competing with one another in singing songs to let the public to enjoy their voice that may be euphonious or cacophonous. A senior leader of the party, now a minister in the state cabinet, has a melodious voice. He used to sing Bhajans as well as Bollywood numbers to enchant his audience. The minister still sings well. Similarly, a former chief minister, now in the Union Cabinet, also used to sing Bhajans. Stepping into the boots of their seniors, many young leaders of the ruling party are singing in public events. The rival camp is also not sitting idle, as many leaders of the Congress are out to regale the public with their voice. A senior leader of the party often posts videos, displaying his singing talent. He generally sings old numbers of the tinsel town – though in terms of velvetiness of voice, few politicians can match the minister. If such singing competition among the politicians goes on for long, the time is not far when they will forget political Taranas, searching for musical Gharanas.
