The problems of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal have grown manifold. He tried with all his might to push ex-CM Sheila Dikshit into controversies. As soon as the Congress started discussions for her appointment as in-charge General Secretary of Punjab, Kejriwal took out the file of the alleged Rs400-crore water tanker scam and wrote a letter to the Central Government. He also wrote to Delhi l-G Najeeb Jung and demanded action. After that the police hurriedly registered an FIR. But interestingly Kejriwal’s name was also in that FIR! Though Dikshit has been made an accused in the case, Kejriwal is facing charges for allegedly trying to save her.
Now it looks like it was Dikshit who had laid the plot to entrap Kejriwal. When the Delhi Government wrote a letter against her, she raised the question that if there was indeed a scam, why did the Kejriwal Government let it continue for the past one and a half yearIJ
The same question was raised on social media too, with many saying that Kejriwal had often raised the tanker scam during his election campaign but when he formed the Government, he did nothing to put an end to it. Now, ACB chief Mukesh Meena wants to interrogate both Dikshit and Kejriwal.
Two more corruption cases have become a headache for Kejriwal — the controversy over app-based premium bus service and contract for all investigations to a special forensic lab. Gopal Rai has been removed from the transport ministry in the first case. But the Kejriwal Government should gear up to face the heat in the coming days.
CONG stalls DECISION ON UP
The Congress is not going to take any big decision on Uttar Pradesh yet. Though there is a lot of speculation over the name of CM candidate, the newly appointed in-charge General Secretary of the State, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and the party’s election strategist, Prashant Kishor, are of the view that no big decision should be taken right now.
Reliable sources in the Congress say the party will wait for the BJP’s move; whether BJP puts forward any candidate or not, and if it does, who will be the candidate. Only after that will the Congress decide. It is also being said that leaders of the Congress are in touch with the SP and BSP for alliance. Apart from this, the possibility of a third front is also being looked into.
The reason for not taking a decision at the moment is obvious — the Congress is seriously thinking about projecting a member of the Gandhi family. If the Congress, after the BJP’s decision, decides to project Priyanka Gandhi, then there will be no alliance with anyone and the party will have to go alone. Ground preparations have started for this. More than three teams have been roped in to find answers to this question: What is the probability to win under Priyanka’s commandIJ
PROBlEMS OF SP MlAS
In UP, the sword of Damocles is hanging over the heads of SP MlAs. Some days ago, the party had announced the names of 146 candidates for the upcoming Assembly Elections. After that, 10 more candidates have been finalised. But there is no word on the remaining 229 sitting MlAs. Candidates for only those seats are being announced where the SP had lost in the last elections. The party has a different strategy for the winning seats and it is not disclosing it.
On the contrary, the BSP has given an indication to its MlAs that they will be made candidates. This means that tickets of 79 MlAs are reserved. Similarly, 41 MlAs of the BJP and 29 MlAs of the Congress have been assured that they will fight again. Now, MlAs of the BSP, Congress and BJP have started working in their constituencies. But MlAs of the SP are worried.
Sources in the party say that almost 100 MlAs can be denied tickets. CM Akhilesh Yadav is ready to refuse tickets to almost half of his MlAs to nullify the effects of anti-incumbency. This has led to a lot of anxiety among the MlAs, who have now started reaching out to other parties. Most of them are said to be in touch with the BJP and are hopeful of getting tickets from the party.
This time, the BSP has also kept aside its traditional policy and is ready to give tickets to all those who come from the SP. So, many MlAs of the SP are also in contact with the BSP. leaders of the SP are of the view that firstly there will be a stampede-like situation in the party and then a negative impression will be created. But the problem is that the party can’t announce it will cut tickets of its MlAs immediately. Now, almost all Opposition parties are waiting for the SP’s next move.
BJP’S VOTE SHARE IN UP
In UP, the BJP had got 42 per cent votes in the last lok Sabha Elections. Now, the election strategists of the party are calculating how much votes would decrease in the Assembly Elections on the basis of the past lS polls data. In each State, the BJP has lost at least 10 per cent votes in comparison to what it had got in the lok Sabha Elections. Will the BJP become the number one party if it loses 10 per cent votes in UP tooIJ
Sources in the BJP say that Dalit votes are quite important for the party. last time the party had got Dalit votes, especially in western UP; Jat and Jatavs had also come together due to polarisation. But probably this would not happen in the Assembly Elections. There are almost 8 per cent Dalit votes in the State.
The BJP had got Yadav votes in the lS Elections, but it might not happen this time. So, the party is eying 12 per cent non-Yadav, OBC votes — lodh, Kurmis and Kushwaha. Apart from this, Brahmins, Vaishyas, Tyagis and Bhumihars make around 14 per cent votes. Jat votes are 6-8 per cent and Thakurs are 4 per cent. The BJP’s equation is based on these 45 per cent votes.
In comparison to the last Assembly polls, the SP and BSP had lost 6 per cent votes in the last lS polls, but other parties were the greatest losers, with 10 per cent of their votes being transferred to the BJP.
NITISH’S MISSION 2019
Though Nitish Kumar has time and again said that he doesn’t wish to become the PM, in reality he has already started his campaign for Mission 2019. He is eyeing UP and Jharkhand from where he can increase the number of his MPs. last month, first in Varanasi and later in Patna, he said he was not a fool and didn’t daydream to become the PM on the basis of his limited MPs. This was an indication that he would try to increase the number of MPs. But this is also clear that it will not be possible on the basis of just Bihar.
That is why Nitish has accelerated his politics in UP and Jharkhand. In Jharkhand, he has partners such as former CM Babulal Marandi. In the past two months, Nitish has addressed three rallies in Jharkhand. He has attended public gatherings in Dhanbad, Palamu and Ranchi. Nitish has also announced he will launch a liquor prohibition programme in the State. With all this, he is clearly laying the groundwork to fight elections along with the Congress, JVM and RJD.
Nitish has also addressed three rallies in UP in the past two months and said he will be taking an extensive tour of the State soon. He hasn’t been able to find any partner in UP, but despite that he has held rallies in Varanasi, lucknow and Mirzapur. Along with the liquor ban issue, he is also cautiously playing the caste card and is trying to establish himself among non-Yadav voters.
NOT A NIFTY DECISIONIJ
There has been a lot of debate and discussion over former cricketer Chetan Chauhan’s appointment as the chairman of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). Attacking the Government on this issue, the Opposition parties have doled out several suggestions as well. But as soon as the controversy over Chauhan started, the issue of Raghuram Rajan’s resignation crept in. After that, the so-called warriors of social media started debating Rajan’s case, ostensibly forgetting the controversy over Chauhan. So, for now, this row has died down.
But when the debate on Chauhan was taking place, social media warriors of the BJP gave some interesting arguments. A lot of things were written to support Chauhan’s appointment. One supporter of the Government raised the issue of the Congress’s Ram Niwas Mirdha, who was appointed as the chairman of lalit Kala Akademi in the 70s. later, he was appointed as chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi also. The appointment of UR Ananthamurthy as chairman of FTII was also raised. If this debate had continued, some other controversies related to some other commissions or institutes would have also come out in the open.