The BJP leadership is clearly in a fix. It just does not know how to solve a problem like Varun Gandhi. The party MP from Sultanpur created a buzz at the BJP’s national executive meeting in Allahabad when his posters and hoardings were plastered all over the city virtually declaring him a contender for the UP CM’s post. This was obviously not well received by UP leaders, especially Allahabad Lok Sabha MP Shyama Charan Gupta, who lodged a strong protest with BJP president Amit Shah.
Mr Gandhi was conspicuous by his absence at this meeting. Local leaders complained to Mr Shah about how they were pelted with rotten eggs and vegetables by Mr Gandhi’s supporters when they objected to the MP’s posters. But worse was in store for them as Mr Shah merely heard them out in silence. Although furious with Mr Gandhi, the BJP leadership has chosen to play down the drama enacted by him as it cannot afford to upbraid Mr Gandhi for fear that he might create trouble in next year’s UP polls. As it is, a restless Mr Gandhi keeps sending out feelers that he has an open offer from the Congress. At the same time, it will be difficult for the BJP to project him as the party’s CM candidate given the fact that he does not attack the Gandhis.
The knives are out in the Congress against the party’s communications department chief Randeep Singh Surjewala after the recent fiasco in the Haryana RS elections. Mr Surjewala was among the 14 party legislators whose votes were declared invalid in the June 11 election which eventually led to the defeat of R.K. Anand whose candidature was supported by the Congress. While former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda is in the firing line for engineering the drama, Mr Surjewala is being especially targeted by his detractors because of his proximity to Rahul Gandhi. It is a known fact in Congress circles that Mr Surjewala is positioning himself as Mr Gandhi’s future political secretary. But the party’s communications chief appears to have blotted his copybook following his questionable role in the RS polls. Nobody is willing to believe this was a genuine mistake because Mr Surjewala is supposed to be well-versed with rules since he was a parliamentary affairs minister in the Hooda government.
President Mukherjee is all set to travel to the Kedarnath shrine, which was heavily damaged during the 2013 floods. He was actually slated to visit the shrine last year but he deferred his plans after Rahul Gandhi decided to trek to Kedarnath. Now that the temple has been restored, the President will get an opportunity to take a closer look at the shrine. More importantly, Mr Mukherjee will perform a special puja at the temple.
Apparently, the President had recently remarked that he will pray at the Kedarnath shrine if his wish is fulfilled. His decision has obviously got everybody guessing about the President’s wish for which he is offering prayers at Kedarnath. Of course, the overwhelming view is that perhaps Mr Mukherjee has been assured a second term by the Modi government. But that appears to be unlikely as the BJP would like to install somebody from the RSS ranks as the next President now that the party has the numbers to get its candidate elected.
Home ministry official B.K. Prasad was handpicked by home minister Rajnath Singh to conduct an inquiry into the missing files in the Ishrat Jahan case. The Modi government had raked up this matter in the Budget Session with the express purpose of putting the Congress, especially former home minister P. Chidambaram, on the defensive. A dutiful Mr Prasad delivered on what was expected of him and submitted a report which met with the government’s expectations.
Unfortunately, Mr Prasad found himself in the eye of a storm the day after he submitted his report when media reports revealed how he had tutored a witness during the enquiry. The controversy could not have surfaced at a worse time for Mr Prasad since he was being considered for a post-retirement position in the NDMA. But a question mark has now arisen over his reward posting. It appears Mr Prasad may have to wait longer.
