Backfire danger
Chief Minister Harish Rawat who is known for his political sophistry to turn the tables on his detractors is in danger of being paid back in his own coin. For instance, his trick to take the sting out of the sting liquor video by insisting on the master CD being presented to them might backfire, as the BJP might demand the master CD of the video of the Gairsain special Assembly proceeding that ended abruptly amidst pandemonium. Notably, the whole of the proceedings was video-graphed by the government officials at the instance of the Chief Minister who seemed to have anticipated the uproarious sequence of events in the House much before things unfolded on the ground. BJP might demand the original CD , alleging that the video might have been doctored to reflect them in poor light. If so, it would amount to nailing the ruling party in its own game. Similarly, his cabinet colleagues might be inspired to take the CM’s silence on any matter as sign of his mute approval in the same way as the CM is supposed to have taken DoPT’s protracted silence over the extension of the State’s chief secretary Rakesh Sharma as the Central agency’s silent consent for the State government’s decision.
Bahuguna and the blush
Former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna who is also a sitting MlA has triggered uneasy waves during the just-concluded special Assembly session at Gairsain. He was instrumental in the building of the House there during his tenure. On entering, he took a seat in the first row opposite the Speaker’s chair. Seeing him approaching, Chief Minister Harish Rawat came near his chair and welcomed him. Other MlAs followed suit to ensure that the former CM did not feel slighted in any way. Flanked by his close confidantes, he left the House after around quarter of an hour. Bahuguna returned but he did not sit on the seat he had earlier occupied. He instead approached the last seat of the row and asked the MlA who was occupying it to vacate it for him. However, the MlA who was found making things comfortable for the ex-CM by adjusting the seat he had earlier sat was left embarrassed as Bahuguna did not sit there and selected another one. This fuelled spicy gossip among those sitting in the gallery aside from the media persons and the officers. Amused, they were found grinning while the wretched MlA blushed in his roots.
Discriminatory welcome
The much-hyped special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly at Gairsain that was convened especially to fulfil the State Government’s pledges to the statehood activists turned out to be a celebration of hierarchical stature. MlAs were seen welcoming the swarming guests strictly according to their deserts. While those who command power were welcomed by the MlAs themselves with cream-hued shawls and red-hued caps the subordinates of the public representatives extended the welcome to those who enjoy lesser stature (read power). The hierarchical distinction was discernible in the welcome of the bureaucrats and the mediapersons too. Seemingly overwhelmed with warmth of welcome, a highly placed Babu said things would have been more gratifying for them if they could have been greeted with party tickets for the upcoming Assembly election. The MlA blushed in apparent embarrassment.