Veteran leaders of the Congress are seeing a ray of hope. Sonia Gandhi led the agitation when 25 MPs were suspended from lok Sabha, giving hope to the senior leaders. They think Sonia will continue to lead the party. Rahul was leading the protest against the Modi Government inside Parliament and his team was demanding the resignation of BJP leaders, but Sonia led the agitation against the Government outside Parliament.
Congress leaders sat on a dharna on Parliament premises from Monday to Friday, and Sonia was personally looking into it. She was seen raising slogans against the Government along with her party leaders and those from the Opposition.
A senior Congress leader said that even in the last session, the Opposition had marched up to the President House over the land Bill under Sonia’s leadership, and the result was evident in the session — the Government was forced to give in to the wishes of the Congress.
Seeing the energy and action of Sonia in the last session and even in this session, many leaders are saying that the party needs her to lead. Many of them are afraid that if Rahul takes command of the party, they would become redundant, and that is why they are manipulating the debate that if Rahul takes over, the Opposition would not be united as many leaders don’t feel comfortable having a dialogue with him. But leaders close to Rahul say that when the Congress will be powerful, regional leaders will automatically come to it.
KSHATRAPAS’ DUAl POlITICS
Regionalkshatrapas of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and even Maharashtra are playing dual politics. They have kept their options open for Delhi politics. They sit on a dharna with the Congress against the Government and at the same time give indications to keep distance from the party. A senior Congress leader says the party is well aware of this strategy. In fact, it was the Congress that devised this formula.
During the previous UPA regime, the Congress had kept all regional stalwarts in the loop. There was an understanding among Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati, Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalithaa that they would oppose the Government, and when needed, they would support it on one or the other pretext.
During the UPA regime, the Opposition kshatrapas never created a situation to trap the Government. The same politics is being played right now. With due permission from the Government, almost all regional veterans are participating in the Congress agitation. They will never oppose the Government beyond a limit, and will support it on every important issue. In fact, the parties which are running the Government in the States desperately need the help of the Centre, so they are compelled to support the Government. At the same time, they sit in the Opposition, so it is necessary for them to support the Congress.
BJP’S STRATEGY IN DElHI
No election is going to be held in Delhi in the near future. MCD elections are scheduled for 2017, and Assembly Elections will be held in 2020. But the BJP and AAP are fighting in a manner as if elections are going to be held soon. leaders of AAP are happy with this strategy of the BJP. AAP is sending a message to people that the Central Government is not allowing them to work. CM Arvind Kejriwal has put up several hoardings that say his Government wants to work for Delhi but due to the corrupt they are not able to do so. Now the question is why is the BJP positioning itself against AAP and projecting Kejriwal as the biggest face against Narendra ModiIJ
The BJP’s real agenda is to weaken the Congress. And that is the reason why it is trying to strengthen AAP. leaders of the Congress are worried with this strategy. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) leaders say the BJP is working on this agenda so that the Congress can’t regain the ground it lost in Delhi.
Congress leaders say that the BJP is working under a big strategy and attacking AAP. The BJP wants to project AAP as the main opposition in place of the Congress, and this is why it is trying to make AAP stronger against the Congress. The logic being that the Congress will get tough competition from a party that has an almost same ideology. Both parties have more or less same type of vote bank, so the votes will be divided. The BJP is putting the spotlight on Kejriwal so that Rahul’s leadership doesn’t gain prominence. It is said that Ajay Maken of the Congress is busy devising a counter-strategy.
WHAT’S WORRYING CONGIJ
The Congress is very aggressive in Delhi and has pushed the Government on the back foot. But in the States, the regional veterans of the Congress are gearing up for another mission. It is being said that four kshatrapas are gearing up for separate politics. The party is worried about Capt Amarinder Singh, BS Hooda, Harish Rawat and Virbhadra Singh.
Recently, the lok Sabha Speaker expelled 25 Congress MPs from the House and after that the party staged a dharna on Parliament premises under the leadership of Sonia. But the Deputy leader in lok Sabha, Capt Amarinder Singh, was not present in the agitation. He was instead busy preparing for the second phase of rallies in Punjab. In fact, he is concentrating on the Assembly Elections, which will be held in 2017.
leaders close to Capt Singh say if the Congress doesn’t decide to go into elections under him, then he might form a new party and can even go with the BJP. It is said that he is not happy with Rahul’s preferential treatment towards Ravneet Singh Bittu.
Capt Amarinder is afraid that Bittu might be promoted to the post of President of Punjab Congress. That is why he is maintaining pressure on the Congress high command.
STATE GOVT VS GOVERNOR
Tussle between Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav and Governor Ram Naik will not end easily. Sources in the Samajwadi Party say the Governor is working on the BJP agenda and causing trouble for the State Government. So, the State Government and SP have also started retaliating. Now, it is almost certain that tension between the two sides will continue till the 2017 elections.
SP leaders are so fed up with the Governor that they have put a proposal before the BJP: If Ram Naik is removed, the party would support the Central Government. Though it is also true that the SP is extending support to the Central Government on one or the other issue, the reason behind it is different. Yadav Singh’s case is a touchy subject for the Akhilesh Government, and the CBI investigation is on. So, supporting the Central Government is a compulsion for SP. That is the reason why the BJP has not paid heed to the demand of SP to remove the Governor.
On the other hand, every day the Governor is nagging the State Government on one issue or another. He has opposed the appointment of Justice Ravindra Singh as lokayukta. He sent the file back to the Government, claiming that due process wasn’t followed. Now, it is possible that the Government will form a new panel and take the advice of Chief Justice of the High Court.
The Governor has also not cleared five names sent for nomination for the legislative Council. The Government sent the names the second time, but the Governor hasn’t cleared them. Thirdly, the Governor sought to know why students from a particular caste are getting priority in Government jobs.
SUSHMA TO ADDRESS UN
Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will address the General Assembly of UN on October 1. Though the Prime Minister is going to the US to participate in the 70th anniversary of UN, he will probably not address the General Assembly, and has given the responsibility to Sushma.
When the PM reaches the US on September 25, he will participate in a meeting of 150 nations to discuss poverty alleviation. After that, he will fly to San Francisco where he will address a gathering of NRIs.
During his last visit to the US, Modi had created a lot of hype after he addressed the Indian community at Madison Square Garden. The same hype is being created for his San Francisco visit. The PM will return to New York on September 28, and could meet US President Barack Obama. Both countries are busy finalising the agenda of bilateral talks between Obama and Modi. On September 28, Obama is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly.
Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to deliver his address on September 30, and on that day Modi may meet him. After that the PM will return to India.