Anita Katyal | Chhat Early, So Whose Vote Will Shrink? Adhir Up for Bigger Role?

Anxiety is building up in both the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition’s Mahagathbandhan in poll-bound Bihar over the long gap between the completion of Chhat Puja celebrations on October 28 and the first phase of polling on November 6. Since Chhat is a major Hindu festival in Bihar, the state’s unemployed who have left to seek work outside come back home in droves to participate in the rituals and usually stay on to cast their vote. Since Diwali and Chhat have come early this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal are nervous that migrant workers may not delay their departure by 10 days once the rituals are over for fear of losing work and wages. The Railways have offered special concessional fare to those who stay to vote but political parties are not sure if this will be sufficient incentive for them. Internal assessments are underway to assess which party will suffer maximum damage if the migrant workers leave. It is assumed that the poor and marginalised who leave Bihar are RJD supporters but chief minister Nitish Kumar also enjoys the support of economically backward classes who count among the migrant workers

After the Bharatiya Janata Party picked Jagdish Vishwakarma as the president of its Gujarat unit, all eyes are now on the choice of its party chief in Uttar Pradesh. With the BJP leadership opting for an OBC face in Gujarat, the Uttar Pradesh unit is convinced that a similar choice will be made in their state as it is evident that the party wants to solidify its base among the backward classes. While Vishwakarma is only the second OBC to be elevated to this post in Gujarat, the party’s outreach to the backward classes in Uttar Pradesh has been an ongoing project. But there has been an unusual delay in the appointment of a new party chief in Uttar Pradesh even though organisational elections in the state have been completed. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s preference for the Thakur community to which he belongs is being cited by BJP insiders as the chief reason for this long wait. His deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who belongs to the backward classes, is being patronised by the BJP top leaders but it is also known that he has strained relations with Yogi Adityanath.

There is endless lobbying for big bungalows by ministers and MPs when official accommodation for newly-elected lawmakers is being decided. But Congress Lok Sabha MP Tariq Anwar is proving to be an exception to this rule. He has been allotted the bungalow which was earlier occupied by the late Samajwadi Party leader Mulayum Singh Yadav but Mr Anwar maintains that it is far too big for him and his wife. He does not require such a large house, he says. In fact, he even got in touch with the late SP leader’s son, Akhilesh Yadav, currently a Lok Sabha member, and wondered if he may like to move to this bungalow for sentimental reasons. But Akhilesh rejected the offer, saying the place would serve as a constant reminder of his father and that he would perpetually be looking over his shoulder and imagine that “Babuji is emerging from one room or the other”.

Known as the lord of Murshidabad, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was the Congress leadership’s favourite which even named him party leader in the 17th Lok Sabha. However, his continuing tirade against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was a constant source of tension as the Congress wanted to build bridges with Ms Banerjee’s Trinamul Congress and support it in its fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party. Mr Chowdhury was eventually sidelined as he proved to be a roadblock in its efforts to forge Opposition unity. This led to rumblings in the West Bengal unit of the Congress which was upset over the treatment meted out to Mr Chowdhury. In an effort to placate his supporters, the Congress recently named the West Bengal leader as one of the observers for the Bihar Assembly polls. It’s a small step but it has not gone unnoticed, leading to speculation that Mr Chowdhury could be given a bigger role in the party.

Close to 94 years, distinguished historian Romila Thapar has not allowed age to slow her down. She remains a frequent contributor to academic journals and participates regularly in seminars and discussions. The renowned academic has now penned her autobiography titled Just Being: A Memoir in which she reflects on her life journey against the backdrop of political and social changes. It is scheduled for release next year. Needless to say, her large fan following is eagerly awaiting to get a copy. Ms Thapar’s popularity on the lecture circuit has not diminished as crowds throng the venue whenever she is scheduled to speak. This is despite the campaign mounted against her by the right-wing ecosystem, making her a frequent target of trolls with the government often joining in to discredit her because of its ideological differences with her.