The country, society, environment, games, and films — everything seems to be under the purview of the courts; as if more laws are being made in courts than in Parliament. The BCCI case is the most recent example. The Supreme Court has directed implementation of suggestions — how the cricket body should work, how it should elect its officials, and how voting should be conducted. It’s another thing that there is no urgency in the BCCI to improve things.
The BCCI is the most powerful and richest board in the world. Its team is also one of the best in the world. Team India has been in the top three positions for several years. Apart from this, the BCCI has made cricket a pan-India phenomenon. All this has seemingly been possible due to politicians part of the sports management. The day the SC gave its verdict on sports, the NGT also gave its decision on environment. NGT said that diesel vehicles older than 10 years should be removed from roads. If this decision is enforced, most of the commercial vehicles will be off roads and thousands of people will be affected. The NGT has not given much thought to the decision’s effect on the investment scenario either.
Not long ago, a case related to a renowned film producer was also in the court. The court had set aside the order of the Censor Board and ordered release of the film without any cuts. The case pertaining to triple talaq is also in court. The court recently reinstated two State Governments with a different kind of judgement. So, it seems that the court has become supreme and can overlook the order of both the President and Governor.
POlITICS OVER RS MEMBERSHIP
This is probably the first time that there’s so much controversy over the nominated members of the Rajya Sabha. This year, seven persons were nominated to the House, and Navjot Singh Sidhu is the second one to resign. Earlier, Dr Pranav Pandya, head of All World Gayatri Pariwar, had resigned. After much persuasion, he had accepted the seat but tendered his resignation two days later. In his place, Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
Sidhu was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, but he resigned three months later. This time, at least three people with big political ambitions were nominated to the House — Sidhu wants to become the Punjab Chief Minister, with an aim to wipe out the Badal family. Subramanian Swamy and Suresh Gopi want to become ministers at the Centre. That is why there are so many controversies over nominated MPs. However, lobbying has started again to fill the seat vacated by Sidhu. Those who missed the last time have become active again.
CONG’S PUNJAB CANDIDATE
The Congress is under pressure over the Punjab Assembly Elections scheduled for 2017. Many leaders of the party are amazed that though the command has been given to Capt Amarinder Singh, he has not been made the CM candidate. This becomes all the more surprising because the Congress has announced its CM candidate for UP, where the party stands nowhere in the direct fight. Party leaders find it confusing that the CM candidate has been announced for the State where there is no chance of winning, but not where there is a direct fight.
A Congress veteran once active on the Punjab issue, said that delaying the announcement will be suicidal for the party. It has to unite the Jat Sikh votes on the name of Amarinder, but before that if AAP does the same thing riding on Sidhu’s name, it could cause a lot of trouble for the Congress. Sidhu is also a Jat Sikh and is popular among all sections of society: Sikhs, youths, women, elderly, all like him.
If the Congress had announced Amarinder’s name earlier, it would’ve got a strong base among Jat Sikhs and farmers by now. It should announce its candidate soon to join the battle against Parkash Singh Badal and Sidhu.
NEW STRATEGY FOR UP
The Congress has done something unconventional in UP. It has declared its CM candidate first and will now try for an alliance. Sheila Dikshit is the party’s face in UP, and now it is being said that leaders will have talks for alliance with the SP, BSP, INlD, JDU and some others.
It is said that Congress leaders are inclined towards the BSP. The reason is simple: Once Mayawati comes along, it will be easier to bring back Dalit votes all, especially in UP, Uttarakhand and Punjab. Sources say that if the BSP agrees for an alliance, then the Congress will be ready to fight on even less than 100 seats. If this alliance doesn’t materialise, the party will approach the RlD. But the RlD wants to go either with the BJP or SP. So, the Congress might extend its hand to either the JDU or other smaller parties.
WOMEN POWER IN UP
If the Congress and BSP don’t go together in UP, then seemingly the main fight will be among women. Besides Sheila Dikshit being the Congress CM candidate, Priyanka Gandhi is expected to play a crucial role in the election campaign. And we all know that Mayawati is the BSP’s permanent CM candidate.
Now, all eyes are on the BJP. Can Smriti Irani be BJP’s CM candidateIJ Around half a dozen leaders, both male and female, are in the race for the chair, but speculations are that the party might field a woman candidate to avoid caste politics as well as to counter Dikshit and Mayawati.
From the ruling Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav will be in command. Veteran leaders of the SP have taken a backseat; even Mulayam Singh Yadav and his old team will merely be observers. Akhilesh’s wife Dimple will also actively participate in campaigning. Mulayam’s other daughter-in-law, Aparna, is the party’s candidate from lucknow.
KAlIKHO PUl DISCONCERTED
Why did former CM of Arunachal Pradesh Kalikho Pul surrender power so easily and return to the CongressIJ Reliable sources say that he was not comfortable with the BJP. People are speculating that he was threatened that if he did not merge his party with the BJP then he could not run the Government.
According to the order of the Governor, the Nabam Tuki Government had to seek confidence vote on Saturday and a day before, on Friday, Kalikho Pul stayed at a Guwahati hotel along with rebel MlAs of the Congress. BJP leaders were in contact with him and he was assured that BJP’s 11 MlAs were with him only. However, the Congress contacted him in that very hotel. It is being said that he wanted to contact the Congress himself as he was worried about his membership and didn’t want to merge his party into the BJP. So, Congress high command devised a formula for him and assured his ‘ghar wapsi’.
BJP ADMIST INFIGHTING
BJP’s national president Amit Shah is camping in UP and is in regular contact with party leaders in the State. Despite that, infighting in the party continues. Many senior leaders are said to be unhappy after the reshuffle in the Modi cabinet. It is also being said that the leaders instrumental in getting OBC votes are also not happy.
With the support of Central leadership, State president KP Maurya has formed his team of office bearers but he is not able to constitute the State executive of the party. Meeting of State executives was supposed to be held on July 16 and 17 but it has been postponed. Party leaders are saying that the meeting has been postponed due to the PM’s rally. But, sources say that it has been postponed as some of the leaders are unhappy and it can’t be held until the disgruntled leaders are pacified.
Apparently, many old veterans of the party also do not support the new UP president. Probably, State executives will be constituted after Amit Shah finalises his team. Some leaders from UP are supposed to be included in Shah’s team. PM Narendra Modi has included three new faces from UP in his council of ministers and now there are total of 16 Central ministers from UP. There are already several leaders in Shah’s team from UP but probably two and three more names are expected to be further included.
After the announcement of the Central team, the BJP may announce the heavyweight teams for the elections. Possibly, it will announce its CM candidate, election campaign committee, coordination committee and selection committee. Many leaders of the party can be adjusted in these committees which will be especially constituted for the Assembly Elections.