The two alliance partners of the BJP in Bihar are worried. After the lok Sabha Elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had good co-ordination with Ram Vilas Paswan’s lok Janshakti Party and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya lok Samata Party. But recently many incidents happened that made leaders of both parties worried. That is why they have opposed the demand of law to stop religious conversions. Both parties think if they concentrate more on the agenda of Hindutva, it will be harmful for them.
But their bigger concern is the number of seats. Paswan and Kushwaha want to know whether they are in the BJP’s Mission 185 or not. They want to know whether this is BJP’s target or NDA’s. These days, leaders of Bihar BJP are hobnobbing with those of the RJD and JDU, and promising them tickets to intensify infighting. This has also made both the alliance partners of the BJP worried. If the BJP is promising tickets now, there will be more difficulty at the time of ticket distribution.
POlITICS AHEAD OF DElHI POllS
In his rally at Ramlila Maidan, PM Narendra Modi had declared that the BJP’s fight is directly with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This has made leaders of AAP very happy. They have started saying that it is Arvind Kejriwal vs Modi in Delhi. Many leaders think that in place of making it a direct fight between AAP and BJP, a triangular fight between AAP, BJP and Congress would have been better. These leaders feel that vote banks of the Congress and AAP are the same, and in this scenario, to have a direct fight can harm the BJP and might go in AAP’s favour.
What the BJP is talking about is actually being done by the Congress. The Congress wants a triangular fight. One of the senior leaders of the party said two Independent candidates — Shoaib Iqbal and Rambir Shaukeen — had won in the last elections and both have joined the Congress. It is a fact that Iqbal was supporting AAP, while Shaukeen was a BJP supporter. But they have joined the Congress; what does this meanIJ AAP and BJP want to turn the fight into a direct confrontation, but the Congress wants to turn that into a triangular fight. Many Congress leaders think it was a mistake to ignore AAP in the last elections and the same mistake is being committed this time as well.
NO END TO MAMATA’S WOES
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is facing trouble from all sides. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has given rise to speculation after saying that the time has come for Mamata to go back to the cage. This shows that either investigative agencies or Swamy himself has got documents which can be problematic for her. In the Saradha scam, Mamata’s close aide Mukul Roy is already in the dock. Apart from this legal problem, there are some political troubles also. In fact, some leaders are trying to break her party. It is being said that KD Singh, the former JMM leader who had joined the TMC, along with some other leaders are carrying out a sabotage plan against Mamata. It is also being said that Singh and his close associates want to do this to please the BJP.
If Singh’s plan succeeds, it will be a big jolt for Mamata. Next year, elections are scheduled in West Bengal and before that many TMC leaders may change their stance. Sources say leaders like Shishir and Suvendu Adhikari, Subrata Mukharjee, Dinesh Trivedi and Saugata Roy might ditch Didi.
PROBABlE CHANGES IN CONGRESS
Seemingly there is a lull in the Congress after the lok Sabha Elections, but in reality there is a lot of hustle and bustle inside the party. Preparations are being made for various changes. After the lok Sabha polls, Antony Committee was formed to analyse the causes of defeat. Though its report wasn’t placed before the CWC, Congress President Sonia Gandhi had seen it and started working on its recommendations.
She also prepared a blueprint for the revival of the party. This has been sent to all State presidents. But this is the first time when the Congress high command has sought the opinion of State presidents on the agenda and structure of the party. They have been asked to prepare a special plan to strengthen the party in their respective States. This means the Congress is ready to work on different plans for different States.
The blueprint prepared by Sonia lays special focus on changing the agenda of the party. It is said that the emphasis is on thinking beyond the campaign against communalism and garibi hatao. There are two different aspects to this; it has been advised to add more and more youths and suggestions have been sought to strengthen the front organisations of the party, like the Youth Congress and NSUI.
WIll RAHUl lEAD BIG CAMPAIGNIJ
The Congress is all set to hand over the command of party to Rahul Gandhi. Though Congress leaders are not disclosing this, sources say there is consensus to hand over the reins of the party to him. A meeting of CWC was held on January 13 but no announcement was made. It is expected to be made in the February-March party meet, and his name will be formally endorsed in July-August. After the command is handed over to Rahul, the party will gear up for a big campaign. Sources in the Congress say Rahul might start his campaign from Uttar Pradesh. He will try to revive the organisation and party in the State.
Rahul will hold a padyatra in UP and start a campaign to strengthen the party outside Amethi and Rai Bareilly. New State president will be appointed and some youth leaders will be given important posts to rejuvenate the party cadre. Not only in UP, Rahul will extensively tour other States also. The Congress is gearing up to launch Rahul in a big way. He will have many tours in States where elections are scheduled in the next two years. For alliance matters, only Rahul will talk to the party’s partners.
CAPTAIN’S CAMPAIGN in Punjab
Deputy leader of the Congress in the lok Sabha and former CM of Punjab Capt Amarinder Singh has started a political campaign in the State. last Sunday, he called leaders of his party for lunch and made a plan for a big rally on January 22. His arch rival and State Congress president Pratap Singh Bajwa didn’t attend the meeting. Bajwa had announced a big rally soon after BJP President Amit Shah planned a rally against drug menace in the State. But Captain Amarinder kept away from the rally.
It is said that Captain Singh started his campaign with the consent of Sonia Gandhi. last Friday, he met Sonia and Rahul in Delhi. He is said to have demanded the removal of Bajwa. He also presented the blueprint of 2017 Assembly Elections before them. Captain Singh told them that it was necessary to start the campaign and own the anti-drug movement.
He told his leaders that the BJP would win the race and there would not be permission for any rally. He briefed them that he would start the campaign from his constituency Amritsar. He emphasised it was Rahul who first raised his voice against drug menace. It is being speculated that in the next few days, Bajwa may be relieved from his post. Captain Singh might not get the post and a new president would be chosen.