Anita Katyal | Rijiju Likely New Arunachal CM… What’s the Name of Rajasthan’s PM?

Now that a set of key Assembly polls are over, both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are focussing on organisational changes before they plunge into another round of electioneering. The two parties have started with the appointment of new state party presidents, which is expected to conclude with an organisational reshuffle and, in the case of the BJP, the process will also be tied to a much-anticipated Cabinet reshuffle.

Besides other key appointments, the BJP has to decide if it is advisable to continue with Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu after the Supreme Court directed that the CBI should probe allegations of financial irregularities against him. The BJP is not known to give in to such pressure, but party insiders said the RSS and the Ramakrishna Mission, which hold considerable influence in Arunachal Pradesh, are keen that parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju replace Mr Khandu.

Meanwhile, the Congress has just concluded the tough task of picking a new chief minister in Kerala and going in for a leadership change in Karnataka. The party has now turned its attention to the states. It is speculated that Sachin Pilot could return to Rajasthan as the president of the party’s state unit. Similarly, the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit is hoping the Congress leadership will take heed of its longstanding complaints and replace current state president Tariq Hamid Karra as they believe he has proved to be an ineffective leader. Those pressing for a change have even given a “Dilli Chalo” call to register their grievance with the Congress bosses.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the Bharatiya Janata Party’s undisputed leader, Union home minister Amit Shah is not far behind given the immense influence he wields in government and organisational affairs. For most Central and state leaders, Mr Shah is the go-to person for both policy matters as well as party-related issues. At least, the desert state of Rajasthan has informally named Mr Shah as its Prime Minister since chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has not got a grip on the administration or the party’s state unit. The bureaucracy and party leaders openly maintain that the state is being virtually managed by Shah. Rajasthan’s BJP leaders point out that every time Mr Shah travels to Rajasthan, his visit is invariably followed by the announcement of policy decisions. It is for this reason that they refer to Mr Shah as the PM of Rajasthan.

Last week, the Congress sent a letter to its Haryana unit instructing state leaders that they refrain from organising political programmes like a yatra, dharna or any form of protest in their individual capacity. It also said that leaders will first have to share details of their proposed programme with the Haryana Congress and can only proceed after it has been approved by the state unit; otherwise, it will not be considered a party event and could attract disciplinary action.

It is a no-brainer that this advisory was issued, apparently at former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s behest, after former Hisar MP Brijendra Singh undertook a successful six-month Sadbhav Yatra through the state, ostensibly to focus on national issues but essentially aimed at raising his political profile. Predictably, this did not go down well with Mr Hooda, whose rivalry with Brijendra Singh’s father Birendra Singh is well known.

It is ironic that this latest missive was issued to Haryana Congress after Rahul Gandhi attended Brijendra Singh’s concluding rally at Gurgaon, where he urged party workers across states to emulate the Haryana leader and launch similar programmes. It is obvious that Mr Hooda’s clout in the party remains undiminished even after he led the Congress to defeat in the last Assembly election.

There appears to be no end to discussions and debates over the Modi government’s decision to take over the 113-year-old Delhi Gymkhana Club even two weeks after the notice was issued. The matter is now in court, but there are a number of stories doing the rounds regarding the Centre’s move asking the club to vacate the premises.

The official reason given is that the 27-acre land parcel, currently occupied by the club, is needed for defence infrastructure and “vital public security purposes”. But there are few takers for this ambiguous explanation. There is a growing section in Delhi which is convinced that the Gymkhana takeover is only a cover and that the Indira Gandhi Memorial, located across the road from the club on Safdarjung Road, is the real target.

This is where Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984, after which the premises were converted into a memorial. The place has drawn huge crowds over the years and continues to be a popular halt for tourists. It is being speculated that the Modi government will take over the memorial or maybe even raze it on the plea that the stretch of land is required in the national interest.

As long as there is a lack of clarity about the government’s real intentions, the future of the Delhi Gymkhana Club will remain a subject of animated conversation in the Capital.