With left and JDU backing, Cong stands tall in Parliament

The managers of the Congress have been successful in their strategy of uniting the Opposition to stand with the party in Parliament. The party’s Parliamentary strategy was basically similar to its strategy in the States. Sources say that party leaders followed the politics of Bihar and West Bengal in Parliament, and the Congress got real strength from JDU and left.

CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has been following the line of the Congress from the very first day of the Monsoon Session. It is being said that Prakash Karat and many of his close aides in the party want that CPM should not be adamant on the demand of ministers and Chief Ministers. But Yechury is worried for West Bengal where he is seeing the possibility of going with the Congress. He is well aware that CPM alone can’t fight with Mamata Banerjee. The Congress has understood his compulsions and that is why Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury gave the indication for an alliance. 

In Bihar, the Congress has already gone into an alliance with JDU. In fact, it was the pressure of the Congress which compelled lalu Prasad Yadav to agree to the leadership of Nitish Kumar. Nitish needs the Congress for the polarisation of minority votes and that is why he is wholeheartedly supporting the Congress. With JDU backing it, AAP is also supporting the Congress. 

lAND BIll FATE uncertain

The scenario on the land Bill has changed completely. The ruling alliance and Opposition have almost agreed to get it passed. The Central Government has withdrawn most of the amendments to the Bill, prepared by previous UPA Government. So, there is finally consensus on the Bill. Earlier, the Congress wanted to embarrass the Government by having a point-wise discussion on every amendment and voting at the Parliamentary Committee, but now the party has changed its strategy. Now the Government is ready to go with the Bill prepared by the Congress, so there will be no difficulty in gaining general consensus. But it will be interesting to see what TMC does. 

Now the question is what will happen to the BillIJ If Parliament doesn’t run smoothly, how will the Bill be passedIJ The Congress has decided not to allow the smooth functioning in Parliament on issues like suspension of MPs and demand of resignations in lalitgate and Vyapam scam. The Congress can’t go soft only for the land Bill. And that is the reason why there is a big question mark over the future of the Bill. If the Bill is not passed in this Session, then the Government has to promulgate the Ordinance for the fourth time. So, what will be the strategy of the CongressIJ After all, it is the Congress which is not allowing the Bill to get passed in this Session.

BJP GOES SOFT ON MAMATA

The BJP has gone soft on Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. The Centre’s mood has seemingly changed soon after the Budget Session of Parliament. Before the Session, the Government was continuously targeting her party. But soon it understood that without taking some of the Opposition parties on board it was not possible to work smoothly in Parliament, especially in Rajya Sabha. Hence, it went soft on Didi. 

last month, BJP President Amit Shah was in Kolkata, and it was being said that he would attack Mamata, but he didn’t. Now, next week Shah has to go to Bengal again. Before Shah’s visit, party leaders are keeping mum. Siddhartha Nath Singh, who used to be in-charge of West Bengal BJP and was vociferous against Mamata, has been shifted to Andhra Pradesh. He is now co-in charge of West Bengal. Kailash Vijayvargiya has been made in-charge of West Bengal. But he has not given any such statement which indicates the strategy of the party. On the other hand, Mamata has started helping the Central Government in Parliamentary politics. 

Now all eyes are on Shah’s visit to Bengal. If he continues with his old approach, then the party will also go in the attacking mode. leaders of the State BJP say only when the party attacks Mamata will there be full enthusiasm in the workers, and the infighting would stop. Presently, the leaders are fighting with each other in place of fighting against Mamata and the left. 

GROUND POlITICS OF SP

The Samajwadi Party (SP) is finally ready to leave the throne of power. After three years, Mulayam and Akhilesh Yadav have apparently told their partymen that time has come to prepare for elections, which are only a year and a half away. Sources say all big leaders will soon hit the road. Many leaders were reminded about the fact that for the 2012 elections, Akhilesh cycled around the entire State. He held cycle rallies in almost all nooks and corners of Uttar Pradesh, and connected with the youths and middle class. This time, SP doesn’t have that advantage. Akhilesh is now the Chief Minister, so the party is thinking of some other way to woo voters. 

Other leaders of the party will soon start cycle rallies and Akhilesh will do the same but at the right time. Apart from this, the Akhilesh Government has also decided to honour all those who have spent their life in Samajwadi politics. Recently, the Government made amendments in the pension and emoluments of those who had been jailed during the JP movement. Now, the UP Government will honour around 2,000 Samajwadi leaders from all over India. 

selection of TEAM RAHUl 

Though Rahul Gandhi might not become President of the Congress immediately, his team is being created. People close to him say he might take charge of the party soon after the Monsoon Session, so the process of team-building has started. Rahul has conducted many experiments in the organisation, and this time he is doing a new one. He has decided to seek names from the States to be included in the central team. Five names will be considered from each State, and then Rahul’s core team members will be selected. In each State, two persons have been authorised to send the five names. Apart from the State president, one senior leader has been given this responsibility.

In fact, Rahul wants to change the notion that to run the organisation in the Congress, people from top are imposed. That is the reason why he has detached himself from the process. The central leadership will not suggest any name. The names recommended by State leadership will be included in the national team. The Congress leaders are of the view that this will increase co-ordination between the States and the core national team. 

CONG FOllOWS BJP AGENDA 

The Congress seems to be a changed party now. Its leaders are doing politics on BJP’s agenda. The issues that had been raised by the BJP are now being taken up by the Congress. The party has started raising Hindu issues to get rid of its pro-Muslim image. It is said that all these changes have started after AK Antony’s report. 

Shehzad Poonawalla, who is a Congress supporter and is said to be close to the Gandhi family, has started an organisation name Samvaad, which is leading a campaign to stop cow killing. Before this, the Congress didn’t indulge in such works. Similarly, when Pakistani scientist AQ Khan made derogatory remarks against former President APJ Abdul Kalam, workers of the Youth Congress — under the leadership of their president Raja Amrinder Singh Brar — held a fierce agitation outside the Pakistan embassy.

Even Rahul has changed his tactics. After a recent visit to Kedarnath, this month he is expected to go on a padyatra from Varanasi after having darshan of Baba Vishwanath. On one hand, the BJP dug out his old remark of Hindu terror, on the other, Rahul recently interrupted one of his party leaders in Central Hall and said there is no religion of terrorism. 

I-DAY PREPARATIONS 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is gearing up to make the celebrations of Independence Day bigger and better. People say that the moment Modi delivered his first speech from Red Fort, he decided that the celebrations of Independence should be done on a larger scale. Generally, there is no formal function after hoisting the National Flag at Red Fort, while many functions are organised on Republic Day: Parade at Rajpath, Indian forces exhibit their might, international guests are invited and tableaux depict the cultural heritage of our country. There is live telecast of the functions, which are held for two hours. Culmination of these functions is the Beating Retreat. 

For Independence Day, the Prime Minister wants participation of more and more people. He wants this day to not just be celebrated as merely a holiday, but be considered as the biggest festival of the country. Modi has an expertise of changing every occasion into a big event. People are saying that if it is not possible this year, it will certainly be ensured the next year.