Rahul Mantra: Win More Contest Less

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Bullet points

Rahul Mantra: Win More Contest Less

Congress to contest 396 LS seats

Alliances clinched across India

Sacrificing seats to defeat Modi

Brings More aggression and Prompt reaction

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, April 6

The congress had contested 464 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and secured 44, its lowest tally ever.

It had no ally in the entire country except Maharashtra, Bihar, Kerala and adjustments in Jharkhand.

However, this time, the party will be contesting around 396 seats and has alliances in most of the states which matter for the party. If it is able to stitch alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi and neighbouring state of Haryana, the tally may come down but winnaibility of seats will be enhanced to some extent. and has strong allies in some of the states including. Interestingly, it may not have a direct alliance in Andhra Pradesh and contesting all the 25 seats. But it will help CM N Chandrababu Naidu in cutting into anti-TDP votes. In fact, TDP may gain as anti-TDP votes will be divided among the Congress, YSR Congress and the BJP. Another consolation point for the Congress is that TRS did not enter into any alliance with the BJP leaving options open for it in a post-poll scenario.

The Congress has strong allies in Maharashtra and left 23 seats for NCP and Swabhiman Pakshe and BAV. Similarly, it is positioning itself to focus on more on Karnataka and Kerala to enhance its seat and vote where. In Both these states the Congress had secured 9 and 8 Lok Sabha seats respectively. Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a decision to enter into an alliance with Janata Dal (S) and sacrificed the post of the Chief Minister to ensure that BJP's tally is brought down from 18 seats. The Congress-JD (S) together are targeting to take the tally to at least 16-18 seats. Similarly, Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from Wayanad is aimed at enhancing Congress tally and relatively be free for campaigning across the country and spend too much time in Amethi. In Bihar, the Congress contested 12 seats in 2014 and secured 2. But it came down to contesting 9 in 2019 so that it could get 4-5 seats and contain BJP-JD (U)-LJP juggernaut to win 32 seats again. In Tamil Nadu, the Congress contested all the 39 seats on its own in 2014 and drew a blank. Now it hopes to reap the harvest in alliance with the DMK by contesting only 8 seats. In UP, the Congress may not be in alliance with SP-BSP and got only two seats. But it is contesting only 51 seats and pitted candidates on some seats who will indirectly help the SP candidates. The Congress hopes to gain in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Uttrakhand, Jammu & Kashmir and North East including Assam.

Rahul Gandhi has brought new blood and aggression in the party and faces like K.C. Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Dipak Babaria, Shaktisinh Gohil, Avinash 

Pandey, Jitendra Singh, Rajeev Satav, Sushmita Dev, R.P.N. Singh, Gaurav Gogoi etc to name a few.

"Unlike Soniaji, he is hands-on “CP” a term used for Congress president. Under Rahul's leadership, the party is very prompt in rebutting BJP charges, setting the agenda and use of social media.

Ends 

PMO Missive to Minister: Clear all projects by March 8

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

A Lokmat Exclusive report

PMO Missive to Minister: Clear all projects by March 8

EC may issue Poll notification on Saturday ?

New Delhi, March 4

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has directed all the ministries and departments to complete launching of all pending project by March 8.

Since the Election Commission of India is likely to issue notification for the General Elections on March 9, the PMO has said that all work to inaugurate projects be completed by March 8. With the Model Code of Conduct coming into force, the foundation stone for any project cannot be laid and no project be inaugurated or new scheme launched. Therefore, the PMO has asked the ministries to launch all projects as announced. In fact, the Prime Minister himself has a tight schedule until March 8 traveling across the country launching numerous projects. Interestingly, the PM is launching a a series of projects wherever he is going these days.For example, he launched 18 projects at Amethi yesterday at one function.

The emphasis is particularly on the infrastructure ministries like Road Transport, Railways, Coal, Power, Communication & IT, Petroleum, Science & Technology, Steel, Mines, Textiles, Food processing, Health and Defence. The ministries under Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, R K Singh (Power) are in particular focus. It is largely because of this very reason that all the ministers are concerned are traveling state after state launching projects. In fact, the PM has also said that the minister concerned need not be present for the inauguration of a project with him and devote time to launch projects in other states. For example, Piyush Goyal is launching another project in Tamil Nadu today while the PM is launching a project in Gujrat relating to his ministry.

The PM's Project Monitoring Group (PMG) which monitors all pending infrastructure projects has resolved 3100 projects involving investment of Rs 10.76 lakh crores. The PMG was set up in September 2015.

The ministries have also been directed to ensure that all the promises laid down in the BJP's 2014 Lok Sabha poll manifesto are implemented. These ministries have been told to send a point-wise performance report as listed in the manifesto. The non-infrastructure ministries such as HRD, Commerce, Social Justice & Empowerment, Women & Child Development, Environment and others have been told to send the completion report of aims and objects by March 8.

For example, the HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has completed the process of appointments of all the chancellors and vice chancellors of universities and cleared his desk. Even the New Education Policy as promised in the party manifesto is ready for release. But it is being vetted again and may be deferred until the next Lok Sabha poll process is complete.

Modi is launching perhaps the last scheme of his government - Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana (PM-SYM) on his two-day visit to Gujarat giving minimum wages to workers.

Ends 

No cake-walk for Priyanka, Scindia in UP

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

News analysis

No cake-walk for Priyanka, Scindia in UP

Congress to focus on 25 Lok Sabha seats

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Jan. 24

Stiff challenge awaits Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in UP East when she returns from the USA in the first week of February to take charge of her first formal political assignment. She along with her family members, has gone there for a medical check up of a family member three weeks ago, sources say. Her entry in UP East is not a cake-walk but like a greenhorn in the Lion's den. She has been given the charge of those 33 Lok Sabha seats where the Congress had drawn a big Zero in 2014 parliamentary polls. If anyone thought that Priyanka Gandhi has been rewarded by her brother Rahul or it is a bed of roses for her or a big favour, he is sadly mistaken. Its a deft, crafty political move where the Gandhi scion knew he will have to fight it all alone now. After all, party stalwarts Ghulam Nabi Azad included, failed during the past three decades to revive the Congress in UP. Left high and dry by the SP-BSP with only two seats (Amethi & Rae Bareli), Rahul could find only her sister for UP East and and trusted colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia for UP West. The UP West includes regions like Bundelkhand, Ruhelkhand and western part accounting for 30 odd-Lok Sabha seats. It must be borne in mind that when the Congress won 21 Lok Sabha seats in UP in 2009, 15 came from Eastern part while six from other regions. The Congress had a vote share of 10% in UP East compared to 4.90% in UP West. It may also be worthwhile to mention that it contested 67 seats out of 80 in 2014.

But surely, 2019 is not 2009 and Priyanka and Scindia would have to fight for every vote in their respective battle ground. Congress insiders say that the Congress would not contest all the 80 seats as was declared by Ghulam Nabi Azad. In fact, one of the reasons for him being shifted to the small state of Haryana was his suo-moto declaration of taking on SP-BSP too. Rahul Gandhi has made it clear that seats and candidates be selected with the objective to defeat the BJP and improve party's own tally. It is also clearly emerging that the Congress will focus on 25 Lok Sabha seats where it will put up strong candidates.

It had a formidable presence in nine Lok Sabha constituencies and strong in another five besides winning two seats in 2014. Therefore, it had a reasonable case of getting 10 Lok Sabha in the bargain with the SP-BSP. Since it couldn't happen, it will now focus on

Barabanki (2nd), Kushinagar (2nd), Mirzapur (3rd), Pratapgarh (3rd) and Varanasi (3rd). Of course, in Varanasi, there is already a talk of putting up a joint Opposition candidate in Shatrughan Sinha. Similarly, the Congress was second in Saharanpur, Ghaziabad (Raj Babbar contested), Lucknow (Rita Bahuguna Joshi joined BJP after being defeated), Kanpur (Sriprakash Jaiswal) and Kheri constituencies. It was pushed to third position in Rampur, Unnao, Farrukhabad (Salman Khurshid). With the young Rahul team taking over UP, the Congress workers will surely be enthused and galvanized. But it is certainly not a red carpet that awaits Priyanka and Scindia. Its a long, hard battle ground.

ends 

Rahul calls urgent meeting on UP

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Rahul calls urgent meeting on UP 

Congress may Contest 20-22 LS seats

Mayawati says “Left two seats so that BJP doesn't tie-down Rahul to Amethi”

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Jan 12

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has called an urgent meeting to take a stock of the political situation in UP where the party has been left with with only two seats by the SP-BSP leaders.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and incharge of UP affairs and Raj Babbar, president UP unit have been will brief Rahul Gandhi after taking stock of the situation in Lucknow  tomorrow. 

Rahul Gandhi will be returning from Dubai where he had gone to address a massive meeting of the NRIs which is considered his best ever show on foreign soil. Before going to Dubai, Rahul Gandhi had told Gulf News that his party can do “very interesting things” in UP and had asserted that it would be a “mistake to “underestimate” his party, the SP-BSP just did the same today.

But the SP and BSP had done exactly that and declared that only two seats -Amethi and Rae Bareli – will be left for the Congress. The Congress leadership had signals to the SP-BSP leaders that it would be happy to be contented with even 8 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats. It had come second in second in five Lok Sabha seats in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and had strong presence in another 9 seats. The Congress was keen that some of its senior and your leaders who had done better in 2014 be accommodated in the alliance. However, the SP-BSP leaders stood their ground.

But Mayawati's one comment today at the press conference in Lucknow may still be music to the ears of Rahul Gandhi when she said, “We have left these two seats for Congress so that the BJP doesn't tie-down Rahul Gandhi to Amethi.”

Obviously, Mayawati has kept the doors open for the largest party of the Opposition for any post-poll understanding or even future adjustment of seats during the coming months in UP and elsewhere.

However, insiders in the Congress say that the party will field its candidates in 20 Lok Sabha seats where it has sizable presence of votes. Though UP Congress leaders want that the party should contest all 80 seats. However, Rahul Gandhi's objective in 2019 Lok Sabha polls was articulated by him in the Gulf News interview which was first in recent months where he said, “Our first aim is to defeat Mr Narendra Modi. And so there are states where we are very strong and we are the primary party in the state and in those states we are contesting the BJP directly. There are states where there are possible alliances — Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Bihar — where we are working out an alliance formula. We are an ideological party. We fight based on ideology. There are very interesting things that the Congress party can do in Uttar Pradesh that we are working on.”

He had said the Congress idea is very powerful for Uttar Pradesh. “So, we are very confident of our ability in Uttar Pradesh and I think we will surprise people.”

However, his statement did not reach the SP-BSP leadership leaving him with a choice to contest 20-22 odd seats.

Ends

Fly on the Wall : Babri case may not be fast tracked, CJI blinks

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Babri case may not be fast tracked, CJI blinks

It is now clearly emerging that the Ayodhya case hearing in the Supreme Court is unlikely to be fast-tracked. Contrary to popular perception that the Chief Justice of India Dipak Mishra will constitute the bench and commence hearing of the highly emotive dispute and settle the case before he retires on October 2. It was expected by the ruling BJP leadership that the SC will constitute the bench and commence hearing within the week of its opening. But now it is emerging that the CJI Justice Dipak Mishra will not play ball and the case will be taken up in due course. In the run-up to the 2019, all eyes are on the Supreme Court that it will commence hearing the contentious Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute. Before the vacation, when the Ram Bhakts pressed for a day-to-day hearing, Muslim litigants in the case had expressed strong reservations against it. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal had pleaded that the appeals should be deferred until the next Lok Sabha elections. Government lawyers have been nudging the court to decide the issue at the earliest. Without giving a clue of his thinking, CJI Mishra adjourned the case to be taken up after the long summer vacation. Now two weeks have gone by and the date and the bench is nowhere in sight. Highly placed sources say that unless something dramatic happens, the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri land dispute case is headed to the south.

Govt. disappointed with Justice A K Sikri

There was a time when ruling BJP leaders were throwing hints that the sitting Supreme Court judge, Ranjan Gogoi may be superseded after CJI Dipak Mishra retires in October. It was also whispered that Justice A K Sikri who is fourth in the line of succession will be the new Chief Justice of India instead. The government was peeved with Ranjan Gogoi as he had addressed a joint press conference with three other brother judges and questioned the functioning of the SC under the leadership of CJI. Indirectly, the judges had taken a dig at the working of the Modi dispensation in influencing the judiciary. But things didn't work the way the government may have thought. When the Karnataka Governor's decision to allow 15 days time to the BS Yedurappa to prove his majority on the floor of the state assembly was challenged, the matter was listed before the bench of Justice A K Sikri. PM Modi made a personal phone call to former AG Mukul Rohtagi to appear for the BJP and seek relief. Sensing that the BJP is losing the game, Rohtagi pleaded with the bench to give time until Monday. But Justice Sikri's bench was unmoved and no relief was granted. The BJP lost its face and credibility. As if this was not enough, Justice Sikri did not give favourable verdict in favour of the Centre in the bitter battle with AAP's Delhi government. These two set backs changed the thinking of the government and it is felt that super-session is not a good idea particularly in an election year. Secondly, the BJP will lose its main plank against the Congress if does the same what late Indira Gandhi did when Justice A N Ray superseded three senior judges and all quit in protest.

Will Sonia pave way for Priyanka from Rae Bareli?

The Capital is agog with speculation that Sonia Gandhi may bid adieu to the electoral politics and may not contest from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat. Instead, she may pave for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Sonia Gandhi is withdrawing from the day-today political activities and passed on the baton to Rahul Gandhi in December last year when he took over as Congress president. There has been clamour for a long time in the Congress that Priyanka Gandhi may be brought to the fore and it will boost the prospects of the party in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It will electrify the workers in UP and elsewhere. In any case, priyanka Gandhi has been working a backroom boy for Rahul Gandhi for a long time and managing affairs from behind the curtains. Sonia Gandhi, it may said contested from the Amethi constituency in 1999 and shifted to Rae Bareli in 2004 which she continues to represent till date. However, she has not been keeping a good health and unable to campaign intensively which she used to do earlier. Sonia Gandhi wants that the family bastion Rae Bareli seat be retained in the family and Priyanka Gandhi may be brought to the fore. The assessment is Priyanka's induction will improve the bargaining chip of the Congress in the Hindi heartland.

When Modi tried to charm Kharge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is mending fences with the Opposition leaders lately. On Tuesday after the all-party meeting ended, Modi saw senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge walking slowly. Modi asked him to come along as he was to drive home after the meeting and Kharge was also leaving. However, Kharge recited a small poem in Hindi to the surprise of Modi. He said, “Jab Raja Hilta Hai to Mulk Hilta hai, Jab Kazi Hilta Hai to Dadhi Hilti Hai, Aur Jab Aapki Gadi Hilegi to Hum Bhi Hilenge”. (When the King moves, the country moves, when the judge of the Sharia court moves, his beard moves, and when your cavalcade moves out only then I can leave). Kharge was telling him that due to the security, the PM has to leave first and only then others can leave. This caused a huge laughter in the entire corridor and Modi enjoyed the dig.