Fly On the Wall | A battle royal between two Chankyas

Fly On the Wall
by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

A battle royal between two Chankyas

If all goes as per plans, the country may soon be on the cusp of a battle royal between BJP's Chankya Amit Shah and Opposition’s poll strategist Prashant Kishore, “PK”. Both were key strategists for Narendra Modi’s Prime Ministerial campaign in 2014 and fell out later. The Congress is on the verge of picking PK as its key poll strategist until the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. A decision is likely anytime next week. PK will not charge any fee for his services as he will be formally joining the Congress. He has told the three Gandhis that if inducted, he will oversee the party's poll strategies in all the elections leading up to 2024. He said the situation can be retrieved in Punjab and Uttarakhand is winnable if the right kind of strategy is adopted. But he would like to make a big beginning with Gujarat and Karnataka where Assembly polls will be held in November 2022. The BJP and Congress are in direct contest in these states. The BJP can be defeated in its home turf in Gujarat after 27 years of being in power. Before inducting PK, Sonia Gandhi wants the stamp of approval of all CWC members. The party men are happy that finally Rahul Gandhi is listening to somebody and may act on his advice.

Why PK fell out with Shah

Though 'PK' was part of Modi’s core team in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Modi was so impressed by PK’s skills that he was allotted a place on the top floor of the CM's residence itself. PK had also given Modi a blueprint to overhaul the bureaucracy on the US pattern where thousands of officers come and go with the new Presidents. When Modi asked PK what role he would like to play, the latter wanted to be named as BJP's Poll Strategist. If there could be a general secretary (organization), why not general secretary (poll strategy)? Modi was willing to consider but Amit Shah nixed it soon after taking over as BJP Chief. Modi dithered and PK moved out. Amit Shah and PK were face to face for the first time in Bihar and Delhi Assembly polls in 2015 and BJP was decisively defeated. But PK didn't get the desired credit. The victories in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh were discounted as BJP was a junior partner in these states. PK also tasted failure in 2017 in UP. His golden moment came seven years later when he trounced Amit Shah in West Bengal in 2021 in a big way. It was a huge setback for Shah and a beaming PK claimed “he is BJP’s overrated Poll Manager.”

Disquiet in RSS

There is disquiet in the RSS these days. A top RSS leader put it very aptly: “Aajkal prasannta ka vatavaran nahin Hai.” (Nowadays, the atmosphere is not pleasant). He did not elaborate but the disconnect between the BJP and the RSS is clearly visible. The RSS was not happy with the way the government handled CAA and three Farm Acts and the talks should have been held. The recent Cabinet reshuffle widened the gulf as wings of Nitin Gadkari were further clipped when the MSME ministry was taken away.

As if this was not enough, most of the recommendations of the RSS for new inductions were ignored. The RSS Chief, Mohan Bhagwat’s statement that the government and Society, both, have to understand and learn lessons from the Covid pandemic, was seen as an oblique criticism of the government.

But the Pegasus telephone tapping scandal that rocked governments world over, created a major disconnect. It has surfaced now that telephone numbers of many RSS functionaries including a senior one were under watch. It is learnt that a top-most officer of the Modi dispensation visited Chitrakoot where Pratinidhi Sabha was being held in the second week of July. The meet was significant as it came much before the Pegasus snooping scandal officially surfaced on July 18. He had a long chat with RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat. What transpired between them is not known. But many say that the tweet of Subramanian Swamy on July 18 morning that tapping the phones of PM Modi’s cabinet ministers, RSS leaders and others will be disclosed soon. Obviously, this person was sent to Chitrakoot on a fire-fighting mission as the government knew beforehand that such a scandal may surface. An insider said, “the gulf has widened since then.”

PM outlines 5-fold plan to fight Covid surge

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  Central Teams for Maharashtra, Punjab & Chhattisgarh
• PM extremely concerned about Maharashtra
• Penal action against defaulters, tough steps

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

New Delhi, April 4

The PM today suggested a 5-fold strategy to contain the alarming rise in Covid cases in the country.

Two presentations were made before the Prime Minister on Covid and Vaccination at the high-level meeting as India jumped to number one slot in the world in Coronavirus cases witnessing a severe second wave. The PM advocated a five-fold strategy of Testing, Tracing, Treatment, Covid-appropriate behaviour (CPB) and Vaccination. The PM was particularly upset as 10 states contributed to more than 91% of cases and deaths due to COVID. Maharashtra contributed 57% of total cases and 47% deaths in the country in the last 14 days and Punjab and Chhattisgarh witnessed high numbers of cases. The Central teams will be sent to these three states.

The PM summoned the meeting immediately after Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba held discussions yesterday with the Chief Secretaries of the states.The PM’s meeting was attended by Principal Secretary P K Mishra, various secretaries to departments, NITI Aayog members and others.

The Cabinet Secretary briefed the Prime Minister about the outcome of his meeting with the Chief Secretaries of the states yesterday.

Short of lockdowns, the Centre wants states to impose penalties on defaulters in a big way in public places, restricting travel through public transport, setting up containment zones and restricting movements in markets, fair, melas, social and religious congregations that could become super spreader events. The Centre is upset that states are not vaccinating enough as total vaccination crossed 7.60 crores in 78 days averaging 9.80 lakhs vaccines a day. The PM highlighted the need to ensure effective implementation of containment measures, besides the involvement of community volunteers in active case search and management of containment zones. A special campaign for Covid appropriate behaviour with emphasis on 100% mask usage, personal hygiene and sanitation at public places /workplaces and health facilities will be organised from 6th April to 14 April 2021.

Fly On The Wall | Pawar’s huge huge dilemma

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Pawar’s huge huge dilemma

Sharad Pawar is facing a huge dilemma in his political career for sometime now. Though he is virtually running the Maharashtra government with a remote-control button, he remains a dissatisfied person. He is desperate to play a major role in the national political scene. This will be possible only when Congress is agreeable to his being leading the Opposition pack or the other like-minded Opposition parties (minus the Congress) accept him as the Leader. In addition, Pawar also wants his political legacy to be transferred to his daughter Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule in Maharashtra. This may, however, bring him in conflict with his nephew Ajit Pawar who has been working on the ground in the state for decades. The NCP cadre in Maharashtra sees Ajit Pawar as the natural choice in the state while Supriya Sule may play a role at the national level. Secondly, Sonia Gandhi is not in a mood of quitting the post despite a considerably weakened Congress & the UPA. Rahul Gandhi is not in a mood to step aside either. Will he achieve these objectives if he joins hands with BJP ? No one is sure.

Bengal is BJP’s Turning point!

West Bengal election results on May 2 will be a turning point for the BJP in more ways than one. A BJP win will not only open the flood gates for the party's pan-India reach but consolidate Modi-Shah grip on the entire political spectrum in the years to come. It is not that the Assembly polls in Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry are not important in BJP’s scheme of things. But BJP’s full focus is on snatching West Bengal from the TMC while retaining Assam and playing a second fiddle to NR Congress in Puducherry. In Kerala, the BJP’s priority is to defeat the Congress and won’t mind CPM retaining its bastion. The BJP has opened its gates for the Congressmen in Kerala in a big way. Knowledgeable sources in the corridors of power here say a tacit understanding may have taken place with the Left. The Left lent a helping hand to BJP in West Bengal in lieu of it. The latest slogan in West Bengal left is, “Aage Ram, Pore Baam (Ram first, Left later).” It means to dislodge Mamata first and let the BJP win this time around. The BJP had played a similar game in Punjab in 2017 when it ensured Capt Amrinder Singh’s win to defeat the AAP. Therefore, it is all the more baffling as to why Rahul Gandhi fell into the trap of the Left parties in West Bengal and had spurned Mamata’s offer for a tie-up.

Mamata on a weak wicket

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee may be a born fighter but many battles in the past. But in the 2021 polls, she entered the battleground on a weak wicket. There are many factors including 10-years’ of anti-incumbency, desertions by many powerful leaders her ship, Abhishek Banerjee factor (the rise of Mamata’s nephew in the party) and success of BJP in polarizing the state voters by consolidating the Hindus on the one hand. Whether the Muslim voters have been divided or not will be known on May 2. But one should not forget the Owaisi factor that cost the RJD-Congress dearly in Bihar. Last but not the least, the PM’s visit to the historic temple of the Mathuas in Bangladesh has given BJP a big edge. Mathuas play a decisive role over 40-45 seats. And one should not forget the role played by the central agencies like the CBI, ED, NIA, NCB in every election. Is the tide turning? Wait until May 2.

BJP aims big after Bengal

A BJP win in West Bengal may give the party a clear majority in the Rajya Sabha by 2022 thereby giving PM Modi an opportunity to implement his ambitious “One Nation One Poll” plans. The BJP has 95 MPs in Rajya Sabha and a workable majority in the House of 245. Many regional parties like the BJD, YSR Congress, TDP and DMK have virtually no role to play in the given situation. The Assembly polls in 5 states are equally important for the entire Opposition and the Congress in particular. A TMC win may lead to the emergence of the United Front against the BJP. The role of the Congress Party will depend on its performance in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry. It is precisely because of this very reason that many prominent leaders like Nitish Kumar, Sharad Pawar and others are patiently waiting in the wings.

Fly on the Wall - How Modi ticked off his Cabinet Minister

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

How Modi ticked off his Cabinet Minister

Harsimrat Kaur Badal who quit as Cabinet Minister for Food Processing in protest against 3-farm-related bills, had a taste of Prime Minister Modi’s style of functioning. She tried hard to persuade Modi to defer them and failed. When she sought an appointment, she was politely told by the PM’s aide to contact the Home Minister or party president J P Nadda. Amit Shah was convalescing after returning from the AIIMS and not available. Left with no option, she knocked at the doors of Nadda. She told Nadda that if these bills were passed, she would be left no option but to quit the government and maybe even the NDA. She wanted the bills to be sent to “Select Committee of Parliament” as a last ditch effort. An ever smiling Nadda had a tough task in hand as Akalis are BJP’s oldest ally for five decades. What transpired between Nadda and the government is not known. But Harsimrat Kaur was told that if she tendered her resignation from the Cabinet, it will be accepted without delay. When the bills were finally passed in the LS on Friday last, she sought an urgent appointment again as she wanted to tender her resignation. The PM was sitting inside his Parliament House chambers and she walked up to the room. She told the PM’s aide that it's urgent for her to meet the PM. But the worst was in store for her as the PM refused to meet his own Cabinet Minister when she went to his office as he was extremely busy. A frustrated Harsimrat Kaur handed over her resignation letter in a sealed cover to a junior aide in Modi’s office. Rest is history. Modi accepted it without blinking. 

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BJP looks for life without Akalis?

Many in the BJP are upbeat who say it is time the party should dump the Akalis and reinvent itself in the key Northern state. It dumped Chautalas in Haryana and emerged victorious. The Akalis have lost miserably, barely winning merely 17 Assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. S S Dhindsa and several senior leaders have quit the “Parkash-Sukhbir-Harsimrat private limited company”. But some in BJP have cautioned not to risk the border state in over enthusiasm and go-slow. The BJP suffered huge setbacks in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and yet to gain ground in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu etc. It is thriving on defections in Manipur, Goa, Madhya Pradesh etc. Even in Bihar, it is playing second fiddle to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Therefore, efforts must be made to consolidate alliances not break them. However, there are no takers of this contrarian view in the BJP.

Race for new TRAI Chairman

All eyes are set on the next chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) as R S Sharma demits office on September 30. The TRAI plays a crucial role in making and breaking the fortunes of telecom companies. During Sharma’s 5-year tumultuous tenure, the “Punjabi lobby” lost a lot of its clout and the “Mumbai lobby” emerged Number One. The new chairman will decide on spectrum pricing, entry of 5G players, predatory price and many more. Of the 88 applicants, the selection committee headed by Cabinet Secretary is reported to have short-listed Rita A Taeotia’s name for the post. If appointed, she will be the first woman to become TRAI chief. Teotia is a tough bureaucrat and a former Commerce Secretary belonging to the Gujrat cadre of the IAS.

CBI groping in the Dark 

For six years, the CBI has been going after the “FAM” (Gandhi Family) and “AP” (Ahmad Patel) in the AgustaWestland helicopter Rs 3727 crores deal. It was alleged that AP got 3 million euros while FAM got 15 million. The deal was clinched during the UPA regime for the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters. When the charges of bribery surfaced, Dr Manmohan Singh canceled it and a CBI inquiry was ordered. The country was rocked over the scandal and hogged headlines. The CBI filed two chargesheets against former Indian Air Force Chief and other officials, middlemen including middlemen Christian Michel James, Rajiv Saxena and others. But lately, there is a silence of the grave and as no politician was found to be involved in the second supplementary chargesheet. The CBI continues to be groping in the dark. The BJP says “wait for the third chargesheet!”.

When Modi debunked “Gau Mutra” theory to fight Corona, Tells Mps to follow PMO

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

When Modi debunked “Gau Mutra” theory to fight Corona, Tells Mps to follow PMO

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually debunked the the theory propounded by some Swamis and Saffron bakhts that Gau Mutra can cure the coronavirus. While giving a pep talk to the BJP parliamentarians, he told them to strictly refrain from tweeting whatever comes their way on the pandemic. He was angry that many Mps had been tweeting on how to fight the global disease and giving their own recipe (read Gau Mutra here) to cure it. He advised them they must follow the tweets decimated by the Union Health Ministry in this regard and by social media handle of the PMO. The PM was peeved that many people are propounding their own recipe and MPs are blindly recommending them. The PM had earlier directed the Aayush Ministry to withdraw from its website various recommendations to fight Corona Virus. The PM did so when it was brought to his notice that the Aayush has recommended some "desi" formula to fight the Virus and the Union Health Ministry strongly objected to it. Interestingly, the PM did not include the Aayush minister Sripad Naik in the Group of Ministers on Corona Virus. In order to apprise the MPs of the magnitude of the Coronavirus and how the India government and various agencies are fighting its spread, the PM specially organised a presentation by the Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan for them. Dr Harsh Vardhan who is a renowned doctor himself made a 30-minute long presentation with slides and figures to say that Covid-19 is being fought on a war footing basis. He said that India is fully geared up to fight the menace but its spread must be contained and states have taken steps in this regard. The PM was extremely upset that the Mps themselves are not aware of the impending crisis developing around the world and taking the challenge in their stride. Instead, they should move in smaller groups, while spreading awareness about the disease. He said, “the period until April 15 is very crucial and they should refrain from organising any mass movement until then.”

Centre contemplating stringent steps to fight Corona

The government will start taking stringent measures if the Corona Virus outbreak deteriorates moving up to Stage-3 i.e. social transmission. PM Modi, who reviewed the situation with a select group of ministers observed that next two weeks were very crucial and no let up can be allowed.  Accordingly, the Group of Ministers on Corona has drawn up a contingency plan which includes partial lock-down to full lock down as being practiced in various countries. The PM unfolded steps at his address to the Nation after holding video conference with the Chief Ministers on Thursday. 

While the central government staff has already been ordered to work at 50% of the capacity, the commissions, institutions, boards and other bodies may be asked to resort to 2-3 days a week to begin in the first phase. The Indian Institute of Media Communication (IIMC) under the I&B ministry has already been told to work for two days a week only. The objective of the this exercise is bring down the number of people using buses, metro and other public transport. What has caused more worry to the government is the non-cooperative attitude of the people in fighting the menace from spreading. The Minister for Civil Aviation and Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri is understood to have told the Group of Ministers on Corona that currently about two lakh people are traveling in airlines on a daily basis and the number is coming down daily. The people are unwilling to undergo Covid-19 tests, avoid being quarantined and dodge the system. He explained that as many as 45 lakh people are traveling in the metros compared to 65 lakhs last week on a daily basis in Delhi. The number of travelers in buses is 40 lakhs. “How do we check such a large population for Corona? We want to contain its spread to reaching social transmission levels and devising strategies,” he is reported to have said. The 6-member GoM on Corona Virus is headed by Union health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and meets twice a day. It then briefs the PMO after obtaining the reports from across the country and states and keeping the lock-down plan ready if the situation so desires. The Prime Minister is personally monitoring the situation on an hourly basis and reported to have set up a monitoring unit on Corona in his office itself. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended that an immediate lock down be imposed , at least in the metros.

The untold story of Scindia Coup

The BJP leadership took more than six months to decide about the entry of senior Congress leader Jyotiradtiya Scindia into the fold. It is too well known that the state leaders of Madhya Pradesh BJP were opposed to his entry citing his arrogance and not much. His fate was sealed particularly after his defeat from Guna in May 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Scindia, an astute politician realised that if he had to win back Guna next time, he has to be in the BJP. Thus he started cultivating his old time friend and ex-banker. While Scindia worked in Morgan Stanley, Syed Jafar Islam worked in Deutsche Bank. The latter had also quit the banking and started working for the BJP while Scindia joined the Congress. But both were friends. But almost 18 years later, Jafar Islam became the first point of contact with the BJP and Scindia won’t trust anybody for his scheme.

This is how Jafar Islam emerged as the key link for bringing in Scindia. It was Jafar who first broached the subject with the then BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard. But Amit Shah was cool though both friends remained in constant touch meeting over food at various hotels in Lutyens’ Delhi. Later, a media house baron also joined the efforts and things started taking shape. Amit Shah being an astute politician wanted that Scindia should bring his MLAson board and make them quit so that BJP gets a state government dislodging  Kamal Nath. The talks were continuing until it seems PM Modi gave the go-ahead to the plan. It on the Holi day on March 10 when the BJP decided to clinch the deal and Jafar Islam was told to bring Scindia to Gujrat Bhawan. Scindia left his Delhi home in Anand Lok in the morning and drove straight towards Gujrat Bhawan. Amit Shah left his house at 6 Krishna Menon Marg and reached there. Both sat down for a while to discuss the nitty gritting and then Scindia sat in Amit Shah’s car and both drove towards PM’s residence an hour later. Though Scindia  was to go to Gwalior to mark his late father’s 75th birth anniversary. But he opted for 7 Lok Kalyan Margh where the road for his Kalyan began in the BJP. It was a win-win for all. Zafar Islam accompanied Shah and both of them were dropped back at Gujarat Bhawan. Congress leaders assert it came as no surprise to them as they knew all along what’s cooking.

How Hooda pipped Congress & BJP too

It was an astute Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Haryana who not only pipped the BJP but also his own party leaders in ensuring the unanimous election of his son Deepender Singh Hooda for the Rajya Sabha seat. The veteran Congress leader knew that Selja, president of the Haryana Congress is a front runner for the Rajya Sabha seat as she was a sitting RS MP. Considering her closeness to Sonia Gandhi, she was obviously confident that she will get the ticket. Randeep Singh Surjewala was also in the reckoning if situation so permitted. Until then, Deepender Singh Hooda was nowhere in the reckoning. But Hooda told Selja in private conversations that she herself will have to ensure the support of at least 14 Congress MLAs as his own 17 MLAs will fully back her. Selja clearly told him that she cannot manage such a situation as it would need humongous task including finances if the BJP also fields an extra candidate. Once she was out of the race, though reluctantly, there was hardly anyone in the reckoning as Selja was disinclined to support Surjewala for obvious reasons. Once Selja expressed her inability, the Congress high command (read Rahul Gandhi) which was opposed to Hooda left with no choice but to succumb. The party was already in disray in Madhya Pradesh where government was tattering. Thus, the high command cleared the name of Deepender Singh Hooda on March 12 night- just 12 hours before thee nominations were to close. For the BJP, it was different challenge as four Independents supporting the Khattar government sang a different tune. They said they support the government but vote for Deepender Singh Hooda in Rajya Sabha. Thus, Hooda pipped both- the Congress and the BJP.  

BJP on poaching mission in 3 states

Of the 17 states where biennial polls are being held for 56 seats, the BJP, is on the prowl in three states to win three extra seats. Though the BJP was to win 14 seats only and this would have taken its strength in the Rajya Sabha to 84 i.e. one extra seats only. But it resorted to a sudden massive poaching game to snatch at least three extra seats from the Congress. Not only in Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh, it also fielded an extra candidate in Rajasthan too. It was only hoping to get an extra seat in Madhya Pradesh due to the defection of 22 Congress MLAs who quit the party and camping at Bengaluru. But now its eyeing an extra seat in Gujrat and Rajasthan too. In Rajasthan, the BJP was expected to get only one seat out of three. But now its eyeing two seats hoping to deprive the Congress its second seat.

Insiders say that the situation is quite favourable to BJP in Gujrat as five Congress MLAs quit in a sudden move and their resignations have been accepted by the Speaker swiftly. But in Rajasthan, it is an Herculean task where BJP has deputed several senior leaders to spring a surprise. The Congress leadership is putting up a united picture in Rajasthan compared to Madhya Pradesh. But Rajasthan is worrying after the virtual fall of the MP. Interestingly, the BJP refrained from fielding an extra candidate in Maharashtra and Haryana and even in Bihar. Sources say in Maharashtra, the BJP went by the book and fielded only three candidates which it will win. It refrained for indulging in poaching game there as it knew that they will have to deal with the past-master Sharad Pawar and create more complications for the party. Secondly, the BJP leadership did not want to rub the Uddhav Thackeray government on the wrong side. Similarly, In Bihar where its in power but did not try to break the RJD to win an extra seat. In Madhya Pradesh. the BJP hopes to win an extra seat. But in rest of the states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Odisha and Chhattisgarh,  where BJP looked the other way due to lack of numbers. In  Himachal Pradesh and Manipur, its candidates will win without any difficulty.

Modi purges his own PMO, a first in decades

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

A Lokmat Exclusive report 

Modi purges his own PMO, a first in decades 

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, March 3 

More than 100 personnel including 4th class employees have been transferred out of the Prime Minister's Office as part of a new policy being implemented by the Prime Minister himself.

For the first time in several decades, PM Modi decided to shift personnel working in the PMO for a long time. In fact, PM Modi discovered that there are peons, clerks and junior officers who have been working in South Block for more than 30 years and in the same wing.

In a calibrated move, he decided to send these oldies or what is termed as "veterans" to their parent departments and infuse new new blood in South Block, housing the PMO. It may be mentioned that the PMO doesn't have a cadre of officers and staff of its own and personnel are drawn from other ministries & departments on deputation basis. As part of this new policy,  Modi decided that everyone from top to bottom will go out of the PMO irrespective of the designation once his deputation period ends. P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the PM, is reported to have crafted this new policy on the directions of the PM and now being implemented.

The Prime Minister's concept is that no officer should be in one place for more than seven years - five years in first tranche extendable by another two years. In a rare cases, the officer can be given another three years but not at the same place. The officers should not be transferred out of Delhi if he has seriously sick parents/wife or children are due for board examinations or any other compelling reason. Otherwise, there is no relaxation. All such cases are personally brought to the notice of the PM, sources say.

Insiders say that this is Modi's style of bureaucratic cleansing which he began after coming to power in 2014. He began cleansing the ministerial staff first and now he has implemented the same policy from top to bottom in his PMO too.

In fact, the PM has directed various ministries & departments under him to implement the same policy in letter & spirit. The Department of Personnel under his command & control has issued such guidelines from time to time.

ends 

PM revives talks to induct Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

special report

PM revives talks to induct Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker 

YSR Congress in reckoning as BJD declines

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Feb 24

Intense discussions are being held at the level of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the election of the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Its now almost ten months when the 17th Lok Sabha came into being in May last year. But the House has been without a Deputy Speaker as PM Modi was unable to find a comfortable political entity whom the post could be entrusted.

If sources are to be believed, the PM has held informal discussions with some of the parties including YSR Congress chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy in this regard. Though no concrete offer was made to the party, but Reddy has come close to the Centre after BJP's ties with N Chandrababu Naidu took a nosedive before the Lok Sabha polls. YSR Congress is more than willing to do business with the BJP and Modi. It has 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha.

The talks through an intermediary were also held with the Telangna Rashtriya Samiti which is in power in the state and not a BJP ally and maintaining distance with the Congress.

In the 16th Lok Sabha, the PM gave the go-ahead to M Thambidurai of the AIADMK to be the Deputy Speaker. The AIADMK was not an ally of the BJP then but not part of the Congress-led UPA either. But the party was routed during the LS polls and AIADMK is not in the contention either.

Modi also toyed with the idea of offering the post to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) which is neither part of the NDA or the UPA. In fact, the BJP leader and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had made some friendly overtures towards the PM after Modi came back with a thumping majority again. The name of 6 term member of the Lok Sabha Bhatrohari Mahtab of the BJD also did the round for the post of the Deputy Speaker. However, Patnaik refused to take the bait and reported to have declined the offer.

With Shiv Sena walked out of the alliance and Akalis having nobody worth a salt for the post, Modi has been scouting for new parties in the South to strengthen the BJP's political base. However, the BJD has conveyed to the PM that it will continue to support the government on crucial bills but won't take the Deputy Speaker's post. It may now go to YSR Congress or TRS, these sources say.

Kejriwal summons National Council meet tomorrow

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Kejriwal summons National Council meet tomorrow

Nursing Big ambitions, But cautious to step out again

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Feb 15

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold National Council meeting tomorrow after the swearing-in-ceremony at the Ramlila Grounds to discuss Aam Aadmi Party's expansion plans outside the national Capital.

The Council meeting involving state and district level coordinators will deliberate on expanding AAP's national footprint.

The AAP leadership feels that the Congress is collapsing faster than expected and its voters and cadres are disillusioned. Therefore, its time to seize the opportunity and woo them.

The AAP has considerable presence in Punjab, Maharashtra and couple of other states. But even this base has dwindled during the past couple of years. Kejriwal is also pursuing soft Hindutva and seek votes in the name of governance & development. But lack of unity among the anti-BJP regional parties is boon for PM Modi & BJP.

These regional satraps are unwilling to join hands with the Congress for one reason or the other and the Congress is unwilling to accept the leadership of any of the regional leaders. There was a time when Congress was talking to Nitish Kumar to join hands to fight the BJP. But somehow the plans fell through.

It is in this context that Arvind Kejriwal sees an opportunity to emerge as an acceptable face who is non-controversial, non-corrupt and did not attack Modi or Rahul Gandhi personally. The CBI had even raided his office. But could not make out a case.

Therefore, an astute politician that Kejriwal is, he wants to gauge the mood of national council members tomorrow before taking the next step.

The first focus of the AAP will be Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections due in 2022 which is ruled by the BJP for the past 15 years and Punjab Assembly polls to be held the same year.

Kejriwal is of the considered view that his party is not prepared to play any significant role in Bihar polls due in August 2020 and West Bengal, Assam, Kerala & Tamil Nadu in 2021. However, it may try its hands in Puducherry where Kiran Bedi is Lt. Governor who faced a humiliating defeat at the hands of Kejriwal in 2015 polls.

Ends

special report Govt. buys peace with Seers in Ayodhya

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

special report

Govt. buys peace with Seers in Ayodhya 

Nritya Gopal Das, Champat Rai to be inducted in Ram Temple Trust

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Feb 10

The Modi government has decided to buy peace with the Seers in Ayodhya who are seething with anger for being dropped of the newly created Ram Temple Trust (Ram Janmabhoomi Teerath Sthan). These seers were kept out of the 15-member Temple Trust when it was announced last week by the government.

The seers who had been fighting for the construction of the Ram Temple since 1949 are bitter that the government had ignored them after the victory in the Supreme Court.

It now transpires that Nritya Gopal Das, the man behind the Ram Janmabhoomi movement for the past 50 years, is set to be inducted into the newly created government Ram Temple.

If sources in the Union Home Ministry are to be believed, Nritya Gopal Das will be co-opted by the existing nine trustees when they meet on February 19 in Delhi. The Trust has two vacancies which can be filled by the 9-member trust by co-opting other two members.

One of the reasons for not appointing him directly by the government as a trustee was because of criminal case pending in the CBI court. The BJP leadership had dispatched a senior leader and Ayodhya MLA to explain to the Seer that the trustees would co-opt him as a trustee. The government is also toying with the idea of giving him the task of making him the chairman of the Trust or a Board to be created. But no final decision has been taken.

The proposal is that the Trust will create another Ram Temple Construction Board and the task of constructing the temple may be given to Board to be headed by Nritya Gopal Das.

Nritya Gopal Das is already the chairman of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas which is tasked by the RSS and VHP to construct the Temple. The 60% work for the construction has already been undertaken and now the process will begin in April.

Another name being mentioned for induction into the trust is of Champat Rai, vice president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad who is the moving spirit behind bringing the Seers and RSS-VHP together that created the ferver in the country.

A senior minister in the Narendra Modi government spoke to Nritya Gopal Das last week and assured that he along with VHP leader will be inducted into the trust.

The formal announcement will be made when the first meeting of the trust takes place on February 19. The 15-member trust includes senior lawyer K Parasaran, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati from Prayagraj, Jagadguru Madvacharya Swami Prasannateerth from Pejawar, Yugpurush Parmanand Maharaj, Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra from Ayodhya royal family, Kameshwar Chaupal from Patna etc.

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Govt. buys peace with Seers in Ayodhya

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

special report

Govt. buys peace with Seers in Ayodhya 

Nritya Gopal Das, Champat Rai to be inducted in Ram Temple Trust

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Feb 10

The Modi government has decided to buy peace with the Seers in Ayodhya who are seething with anger for being dropped of the newly created Ram Temple Trust (Ram Janmabhoomi Teerath Sthan). These seers were kept out of the 15-member Temple Trust when it was announced last week by the government.

The seers who had been fighting for the construction of the Ram Temple since 1949 are bitter that the government had ignored them after the victory in the Supreme Court.

It now transpires that Nritya Gopal Das, the man behind the Ram Janmabhoomi movement for the past 50 years, is set to be inducted into the newly created government Ram Temple.

If sources in the Union Home Ministry are to be believed, Nritya Gopal Das will be co-opted by the existing nine trustees when they meet on February 19 in Delhi. The Trust has two vacancies which can be filled by the 9-member trust by co-opting other two members.

One of the reasons for not appointing him directly by the government as a trustee was because of criminal case pending in the CBI court. The BJP leadership had dispatched a senior leader and Ayodhya MLA to explain to the Seer that the trustees would co-opt him as a trustee. The government is also toying with the idea of giving him the task of making him the chairman of the Trust or a Board to be created. But no final decision has been taken.

The proposal is that the Trust will create another Ram Temple Construction Board and the task of constructing the temple may be given to Board to be headed by Nritya Gopal Das.

Nritya Gopal Das is already the chairman of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas which is tasked by the RSS and VHP to construct the Temple. The 60% work for the construction has already been undertaken and now the process will begin in April.

Another name being mentioned for induction into the trust is of Champat Rai, vice president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad who is the moving spirit behind bringing the Seers and RSS-VHP together that created the ferver in the country.

A senior minister in the Narendra Modi government spoke to Nritya Gopal Das last week and assured that he along with VHP leader will be inducted into the trust.

The formal announcement will be made when the first meeting of the trust takes place on February 19. The 15-member trust includes senior lawyer K Parasaran, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati from Prayagraj, Jagadguru Madvacharya Swami Prasannateerth from Pejawar, Yugpurush Parmanand Maharaj, Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra from Ayodhya royal family, Kameshwar Chaupal from Patna etc.

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PM Clears action against Nepal, China

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

PM Clears action against Nepal, China

Budget hits two neioghbours hard

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Feb 2

Prime Minister Modi has sent clear signals to two neighbouring countries clearly in the Budget 2020-21 presented by Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday last – Nepal and China- that it can’t be business as usual.

If the financial assistance to Nepal has been cut as much as by one third during 2020-21 Budget, import duty on cheap finished goods from China has been raised hugely.  

It seems his honeymoon with China is also over and except for sweet talking, Modi has decided to take full advantage of the out-break of deadly Coronavirus as the world is suspending businesses. The slapping of huge customs duty on 300 plus items may help the Indian domestic industry. But China will suffer the most as imports will be hit. In the process, the government hopes to mop up import duty during the 2020-21 as much as Rs 1.38 lakh crores. It seems Modi has joined hands with US President Donald Trump in curtailing growth of Chinese economy and take advantage of Coronavirus when the world is shunning the Chinese dragon.

No doubt, raising Customs Duty is aimed at helping MSMEs in the country as dumping from China has been hurting them. This will boost domestic industry, local employment and eventually impact GDP. But it’s a big move on the part of government sitgnaling the end of financial honeymoon.

If Nepal decided to join hands with China in a big way, India has cut financial assistance to Nepal during 2020-21 as much as 33%. Nepal saw a cut of Rs four billion from the Rs 12 billion that it received in the previous fiscal year from India. Nepal had received around INR 7.63 billion in fiscal year 2018-19. However, the assistance was raised to as much as Rs 12 billion during 2019-20 as PM Modi wanted very close relationship with Nepal. But during 2020-21, Nepal saw a biggest cut in the allocation though it will still be a recipient of the third largest Indian assistance i.e. Rs 8 billion.

Prime Minister Modi has also told the Finance Ministry to review Rules of Origin requirements, particularly for certain sensitive items, to “ensure that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are aligned to the conscious direction of “Make in India or Assemble in India.

Imports under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are on the rise. Undue claims of FTA benefits have posed threat to the domestic industry. Such imports require stringent checks.

After CAA, battle begins on NPR now

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

After CAA, battle begins on NPR now

Maharashtra keeping fingers crossed   

States can delay NPR, not defy

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Jan. 16

A fresh row has emerged between the Centre and a few states on implementing National Population Register (NPR) exercise to begin on April 1 this year. Though the Centre is working hard to calm down protests on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by not notifying rules, some states have toughened their stance against the NPR now.

While West Bengal and Kerala have officially written to the Centre to put the NPR on hold, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Pudduchery & Ladakh (UT s) have not notified dates for conducting it NPR in their respective territories.

Three states — Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan — devised a new strategy by asking the Central government if the NPR data could be shared with them. These states said this would to help in ‘identifying genuine beneficiaries’ for their welfare schemes. Since the Centre has not responded positively, they are sitting pretty as well. Punjab said it would take a call only after the state Assembly deliberates on it. The NPR exercise has already been initiated in Odisha with the state government clearing all the parameters laid down in the NPR act.

The Centre is not in a hurry to press the states as they had already notified NPR implementation last July. These have developed cold feet due to one reason or the other. It would be interesting to mention that the NDA government revived the NPR in 2015 after the UPA stopped it midway in 2010 due to the launching of Aadhaar. The NDA created an electronic data base of 119 crores people in 2015-16 listing usual residents who provided Aadhaar, Voter ID card, ration cards and other details if they possessed the same. There may be some controversy whether providing details is mandatory or not. But the NPR manual of 2020-21 clearly says that this exercise is mandatory and time bound and those willfully defying could be prosecuted.

However, in this case, the state governments have developed cold feet which can lead to the delay.

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20-Ministers to travel across J&K

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

20-Ministers to travel across J&K   

PM Modi's Massive Public Out-reach program rolled out

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Jan. 15

The Modi Establishment has now decided to launch a massive political offensive in Jammu & Kashmir almost six months after abrogating Article 370.

If plans being given final shape, a battery of Union Ministers will be deputed to travel across the Union Territory to interact with the people.

The massive public outreach exercise will involve ministers in the second line of command in the government and propagate the welfare policies and programs implemented by the Centre.

In fact, the exercise is aimed at prodding the people to participate in the public programs and involve them in these activities. This will be first time that a battery of central ministers will undertake low-key but effective educative programs. “This is a major PR exercise finalised by the Prime Minister,” said a minister who didn't want to be quoted.

The state government has already been told about the impending visit of the ministers and security forces alerted to take appropriate action to make the programs successful. The week-long exercise will involve the visit of Minister of State for Home G Krishan Reddy, Smriti Irani, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Anurag Thakur Jitendra Singh and Piyush Goyal and several others.

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Amit Shah burning midnight oil Confrontation between Centre-states building on CAA

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Amit Shah burning midnight oil

Confrontation between Centre-states building on CAA

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Jan. 4

Worried over continued protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in parts of the country, the BJP leadership is working on multiple fronts to isolate these protesters.

If the party leadership has decided to launch a countrywide blitz to derail these protests, the Modi government has launched a diplomatic offensive globally to counter the propaganda in this regard.

What has worried the government more is that protesters have changed their strategy and going the way shown by protesters in Assam. These protesters are now completely peaceful, siting on dharna, offering flowers to the policement surrounding them. The protesters from the minority community are even carrying National Flag in their hands and chanting Jana Gana Mana. Barring the initial week of violent protests, the protests in Delhi and elsewhere are peaceful. Nearly eleven states ruled by the non-NDA parties are witnessing massive protests and even states of North East are part of it.

Though BJP chief Amit Shah has been making strong statements in support of the CAA, the ministry of Home Affairs has not issued rules pertaining to the amended act. Perhaps, the government is waiting for the supreme court to open after the winter break and make some initial obervations when the hearing begins.

The Ministry doesn't want to precipitate the issue and busy finding a solution to the tricky situation arising in Assam where the BJP has promised to protect the Assamese culture and identity.

The BJP leadership's brainstorming two days ago was part of this exercise. It discussed the consequences of the resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly against the implementation of the CAA. Though the Home Ministry termed it unconstitutional and beyond the powers of the state, the trend is worrying. Pressure is mounting on the Assam government to pass such a resolution and tell the Centre that CAA in its present form can't be accepted.

Meanwhile, the MHA has told the states informally that if they do not implement CAA and NPR beginning April, the officers may be liable to be prosecuted. If the state gpovernments don't cooperate, it will tantamount to breakdown of the constitutional machinery and may lead to dismissal of the government itself. The MHA has also made it clear that states have no role in it and they need not be consulted either.

The states of Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Maharashtra have declared that they would not implement CAA.

Ends