The BJP’s going all out against the Congress would only cause more friction in Parliament. This because managers of the Government are gearing up to present the GST Bill in Parliament, but it would be almost impossible to get it passed if direct confrontation with the Congress continues.
Some say that by raising the Ishrat Jahan and AgustaWestland deal issues, the BJP has put the Congress on the back foot. Anurag Thakur raised the Ishrat issue, while Meenakshi lekhi sought an answer on the Augusta deal. It must be noted that the court of Italy has criticised the erstwhile UPA Government over the helicopter deal.
This offensive mood of the Government could be a big impediment in the way of the GST Bill. The Congress is opposing this Bill and it can alone stop it. Since it is a Constitution Amendment Bill, it will require two-third majority, which is not possible without the Congress.
A Congress General Secretary recently said in Parliament that the BJP is using the same pressure tactics it usually applies for kshatrapas to get their support. But they say this will not work on the Congress. This means the party will not bow down under the pressure of either the CBI or ED or any other investigation agency.
POlITICS OF CONTROVERSY
The politics of the country, knowingly or unknowingly, has once again returned to the controversial track. The Congress is digging up controversies against the BJP, just as issues related to Hindu terror during UPA Government’s 10-year tenure are resurfacing.
The interesting aspect is that while the Congress is raising these issues, many leaders feel it will only harm the party. They also believe that under a special strategy, it’s the BJP that has compelled the Congress to raise these issues as it will go in the former’s favour.
The Congress claims that soon after Narendra Modi took command at the Centre, the accused in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case are being released one by one, and the officers who have not yet retired are getting plum postings. The party also points out that witnesses of Malegaon and Samjhauta Express blasts are taking a U-turn one by one, and this has led to weakening of the case against the accused of so-called Hindu terror.
On the other hand, the BJP is saying that all this is a part of the judicial process. Its leaders say the judiciary had sent DG Vanzara to jail and the same judiciary has given him bail and granted him permission to return to Gujarat. They argue that as far as the U-turn of witnesses is concerned, NIA is investigating the case, which was set up by the UPA. Sharad Kumar is the NIA Director-General; he was appointed by the Congress, which is now demanding he be sacked.
Next year, many Assembly Elections are scheduled and many issues related to Hinduism are being highlighted. This has made the Congress nervous since it thinks the BJP is benefiting from all this.
HOODA’S MOUNTING WOES
Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra and Bhupinder Singh Hooda are sailing in the same boat. Justice SN Dhingra Commission’s investigations into the land deals may prove problematic for both, but it seems that the Congress is trying to corner the former CM of Haryana. The Hooda family was already worried about the Surjewala family’s growing proximity to Rahul Gandhi, and now the merger of Kuldeep Bishnoi’s HJC with the Congress is bound to increase Hooda’s problems.
If sources are to be believed, Hooda was not kept in the loop before the merger. When he got to know of this development, he tried to contact Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka, but none of them paid any attention to him. A close associate of Hooda then called up Kanishka Singh to confirm the news, but he too didn’t respond.
That is why there are speculations that like all old kshatrapas of the Congress, Hooda may also form a new party. A Haryana Congress leader says if Hooda forms a new party, it will not harm the Congress. He says that Hooda will damage Om Prakash Chautala’s prospects, and the Congress will manage Jat votes with the help of Bishnoi, and Dalit votes with the help of Ashok Tanwar and Selja Kumari. Randeep Surjewala and Kiran Chaudhary will be presented as Jat faces.
NO CONSENSUS IN NCP
All is not well in Sharad Pawar’s party, NCP, as there is no consensus on the new leadership. It is being said that Pawar wants to resign from the post of the party’s National President. Sources close to Pawar say he has started his positioning so that a consensus can be reached on his name either for the President or Vice-President of the country. And for this, he wants to separate himself from the routine work of the party.
In a sense, he wants to leave active politics so that there won’t be any problem in reaching consensus among the parties. But before that, he has to sort out the leadership problem within his own party, which seems to be a tall order.
It is said that he wants to give his throne to daughter Supriya Sule and had sought advice from party leaders. But most of them advised him not to do so. leaders close to Pawar feel that if Supriya is given the command, there may be a revolt in the party. Most of the leaders don’t want the reins to go to Ajit Pawar either as his working style is different.
Chhagan Bhujbal, senior leader of NCP, is in jail, while senior leader RR Patil is no more, and this has created a vacuum of senior leaders in the party.
leaders are also not in favour of Maratha-only politics as it may harm the prospects of the party. So, there is need to push forward Dalit and backward leadership. Obviously, there are many views within the party and that is the reason why Pawar has deferred the decision on change of leadership. Pawar will continue to be the President of the party.
Party leaders are hopeful that Pawar will get the top constitutional post. They feel he shares a good rapport with Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Arun Jaitley, and hence consensus for the Vice-President’s post will be easy. But this will be possible only when Pawar leaves the hand of the Congress, which doesn’t seem like a possibility in the present scenario.
ADVICE FOR SONIA, RAHUl
Sonia and Rahul have made personal attacks on Mamata Banerjee during the recent West Bengal election campaign, and this has made some Congress leaders uncomfortable. They recently sent a letter to them and their word of advice for the mother-son duo was: Desist from attacking leaders who have formed their own parties after leaving the Congress. The reason is that they might either return to the party fold or form an alliance with the Congress. So, Sonia and Rahul have been advised to spare leaders like Mamata, YS Jaganmohan Reddy, Sharad Pawar, and GK Vasan.
It must be noted that Mamata has always shown sympathy towards the Gandhi family. When summons were issued against Sonia in the National Herald case, Mamata was the only leader who went to meet her and extended her support. Even Sonia and Rahul did not make personal attacks on Mamata in the past. But after two phases of polling, they have launched a tirade against her, including levelling corruption charges.
ClAMOUR FOR RS SEATS
The Congress easily handled the first phase of biennial elections of Rajya Sabha scheduled for this year. In the first phase, elections were held in Punjab, Assam and Kerala where the party didn’t face much problem because it was to get the same number of seats as it was to lose. But in June-July, elections will be held for approximately 60 seats.
That is why the Congress is facing problems in selection of candidates. Also, almost all veterans of the party had lost the lok Sabha Elections and are now staking their claim for Rajya Sabha seats from some or the other State. There are almost half a dozen leaders whose re-election seems impossible.
Amid this hustle and bustle, a new candidate puts forward his claim almost daily. Name of two former Governors and two former Central Ministers, Shivraj Patil and Sushilkumar Shinde, have suddenly come to the fore. Both are said to be lobbying with the Congress high command.
In the same manner, former CM of Chhattisgarh, Ajit Jogi, has also started staking his claim for a Rajya Sabha seat from the State. Mohsina Kidwai is going to retire from this seat, but Shobha Oza has also put forward her claim.
Among the veterans, Kapil Sibal, Jairam Ramesh, P Chidambaram and Mani Shankar Aiyar are also hopeful of making it to the Rajya Sabha.