Talks are going on with the NCP, TMC, YSR Congress and Tamil Maanila Congress of GK Vasan. These four parties have come into existence in the last one and a half decade. That means the Congress has broken up four times during Sonia Gandhi’s regime
Are the parties which had once broken away from the Congress planning to reunite like the five parties of the Janata ParivarIJ These days, many leaders of the Congress are busy in this mission. It is being said that the leaders who have no mass base and do politics sitting in Delhi are worried about their future. They can’t join any other party, so they have floated an idea to strengthen the party so that all those leaders who have left the party must come on a single platform.
Talks are going on with the NCP, TMC, YSR Congress and Tamil Maanila Congress of GK Vasan. These four parties have come into existence in the last one and a half decade. That means the Congress has broken up four times during Sonia Gandhi’s regime. Despite this fact, experts feel that only the Janata Parivar is prone to split.
However, if the NCP, TMC, YSR Congress and Tamil Maanila Congress merge with the Congress, there is no doubt that a strong party will be formed, and the Congress will get an opportunity to stand firmly in States where it is facing crisis. But the leaders who have broken away from the Congress have more ego than the leaders of the Janata Parivar and are not worried about their future. On the other hand, it is also being said that any one of these four parties has put forward a demand to choose a non-Gandhi family member as party president. And this is the reason why leaders who had taken the initiative are taking a step back.
AGENDA OF REFORMS
The Central Government has to implement the agenda of reforms at any cost. So, this is decided that the Government will get the Insurance Bill passed at any cost in this session. One of the managers of the Government disclosed that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has been given the responsibility to put the reforms on right track before the Budget. His last Budget didn’t bring much cheer and at that time he had said that everything could not be accommodated in the Budget. So, he has to manage decisions on economic reforms out of the Budget.
Under this commitment, he has made consensus on GST. Finance ministers of States were not happy with its provisions. But to reach an agreement, Jaitley sacrificed a big interest of the Centre. He is ready to put the duty on petroleum products out of GST. It means this duty will be charged by State Governments only. likewise, the Finance Minister is ready for an arrangement of 3+2 model of compensation for States. It is said that a deadline had been set before him. At any cost he had to get consensus on GST and put the Bill in the current session. What UPA could not do in years, Jaitley did in only six months.
RAHUl TO DECIDE ON BENGAl
It is Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi who has to take a decision on West Bengal. On Monday, he talked to State leaders. Before this, he has changed the party president of two Eastern States, Orissa and Assam. In WB, the Congress will fight under the leadership of present party president Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, but he is not in favour of an alliance with Mamata Banerjee’s TMC. In place of TMC, he will prefer the left. But a large group of Congress leaders wants to go with Mamata in the next Assembly Elections. Many sitting MlAs of the Congress want to join the Mamata Government again after an alliance.
But Sonia and Rahul have asked them to wait for some time. It is said that Rahul wants his party to fight the local elections scheduled for next April. Elections of Kolkata Municipal Corporation is also included in that. This election will be very important for Mamata as the BJP will also try its best to win. That is why sources say that Rahul is waiting to see Didi’s performance. If Mamata wins the local election, the Congress will immediately talk to her and join her Government. In this case, both parties will fight the next election according to 2012 formula.
ElECTION SYMBOl OF JANATA FAMIlY
Though the five parties of the Janata Parivar are ready to merge, they are worried about their election symbol. In the last one and a half decade, all these parties have put their election symbol in the minds of their supporters. Now, they feel that after they get united, their election symbol will be lost. They think their supporters may get confused.
Bihar leaders are worried the most. Nitish Kumar’s symbol is an arrow, while lalu Prasad Yadav’s party sign is lantern. lalu had to face a lot of criticism due to his election symbol, but like lalu his election symbol is a hit in the State. If all these parties merge, they have to adopt some other symbol because it will be deadly to continue either a lantern or arrow. Supporters of lalu and Nitish have been opposed to each other and this fact might be damaging for them in the elections.
likewise, cycle symbol of SP, spectacles of INlD and lady carrying grains on her head as symbol of JDS are very popular in their respective States. To make them popular, leaders of the parties did a lot of work. In this scenario, if the election symbol is changed, a lot of hard work and time will be needed to make the new symbol popular. In other States, they will get some time, but in Bihar the parties have to face election soon after the merger.
RAHUl TO CHANGE STATE lEADERS
In the last week of December, the Congress may change many of its party presidents. Rahul is meeting party leaders and discussing names of probable leaders. It is expected that after December 20, there may be changes in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Speculations are rife about other States after changes in Assam.
Reliable sources in the party say in Maharashtra, Manikrao Thakre will be removed from the post. Ashok Chavan and Narayan Rane are lobbying for his post, but since Maratha leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has been made leader of ClP, an OBC leader may be given the command.
In Karnataka, State president G Parameshwara may be given a ministerial berth after the Assembly Elections. He wants to become the Deputy CM in the Siddaramaiah Government, but this might not be possible. He might get some important ministry. Any leader from the Vokkaliga community may be made president of Karnataka Congress since Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara represent Dalits and backwards.
Nirmal Khatri will be changed in UP. After the lok Sabha Election, there is speculation that he would be removed and a Brahmin leader will be given the post. If a Brahmin is made the president of UP Congress, no Brahmin name will be discussed for Bihar. But it has been decided that a Brahmin will be made State president in either of the States.
AMIT SHAH TEAM MAY BE CHANGED
Amit Shah had formed his team recently but there will possibly be big changes in it at the end of this month. It is said that there will be one more change in the Narendra Modi Government. Close sources in the BJP say that one of the ministers of Modi Government, Raosaheb Dadarao Danve, may be sent to Maharashtra as party president.
He is a Maratha and has a good hold over the State organisation. Since a Brahmin leader from Vidarbha has been made the CM, it is expected that a Maratha leader will be made State president.
In place of Danve, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, who is the VP of BJP in Amit Shah team, may be made a minister in Modi Government. Though it is also true that it will be difficult to find a Rajya Sabha seat for him. Next year, elections will be held for four seats of Jammu and Kashmir. There is speculation that Najma Heptulla might be sent to Srinagar as Governor. So after her resignation, one seat from MP will be vacated but Shahnawaz Hussain is eyeing that seat.
However, two VPs of Team Shah, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Bandaru Dattatreya, have become ministers in Modi Government, and Kiran Maheshwari has become a minister in Rajasthan. Three general secretaries, JP Nadda, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Ram Shankar Katheria, have also become Central ministers.