Nadda to fill 2 vacancies in Parliamentary Board

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

special report

Nadda to fill 2 vacancies in Parliamentary Board

RACE begins between Nirmala & Irani 

Piyush Goyal, Pradhan, Javadekar in the reckoning too

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Jan. 22

With Jagat Prakash Nadda taking over as the President of the BJP, intense speculation has begun for two coveted posts in the party's Parliamentary Board.

All eyes are set on two women leaders – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Women & Child Development Minister Smriti Irani – as to who will make the cut in the powerful decision making body of the party. Two vacancies have been caused due to the untimely demise of Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj last year. Currently, the board has eight members as Amit Shah did not fill these two vacancies when he headed the party. However, B L Santosh was inducted into the board as general secretary incharge of the organisation in place of Ram Lal last year. There are  eight members in the board as of now and these vacancies are be filled shortly. It is expected that one vacancy caused by the demise of Sushma Swaraj will be filled by a woman leader.

Smriti Irani is claiming her right to be member of the Parliamentary Board as she trounced stalwart like Rahul Gandhi in Amethi and has been a star campaigner of the party. But she has been surrounded with controversies as well. The supporters of Nirmala Sitharaman say her performance as BJP leader had been outstanding and got one promotion after the other due to her performance and integrity. There is also speculation that Vijaya Rahatkar, president Mahila Morcha who is member of the Central Election Committee be brought to the board and a new woman member be sent to the CEC.

There are many in the queue for the seat that fell vacant due to the death of Arun Jaitley. Among them, the names of Railways & Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Petroleum & Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, I&B and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar are being mentioned. Another suggestion is that some one from the North East or West Bengal be inducted in the board.

J P Nadda will take a call on filling these vacancies once the process of organisational polls is completed within the next 15 days and parliament's Budget session recess in February.

Ends 

Sushma shocks BJP, Not to contest Lok Sabha polls

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Sushma shocks BJP, Not to contest Lok Sabha polls

Health reasons cited, no one convinced

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov 20

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj dropped a political bomb when she declared that she won't contest the next Lok Sabha elections. The sudden announcement on the while interacting with reporters in Indore where she had gone for campaigning, shocked political circles across all hues.

Sushma Swaraj cited health reasons for not contesting the next Lok Sabha polls. The 66-year-old Sushma Swaraj, who underwent a kidney transplant in 2016, said she had conveyed her decision to the party. “Candidates are decided by the party. But I have made up my mind that I won't be contesting in the next elections.This is in keeping with my health,” she added.

Sushma Swaraj's announcement made the party leadership speechless as it came at a time when the BJP is engaged in bitter battle with Congress in Madhya Pradesh which goes to polls on November 28.

Once touted as a prime ministerial candidate in the BJP, Sushma Swaraj had to settle for the External Affairs Minister's post when Modi came to power. But she was relegated in the background as her services were not utilized for political affairs. Rather, an impressions was created that the PMO is running her ministry. Secondly, a couple of new women leaders like Textiles Minister Smriti Irani and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are used more often for political work. Yet she made

Yet she did did at 66 what veterans shudder to even think to hang boots of electoral politics.

The tweetrati were out immediately after the announcement saying 66 years is “Too Young to Retire”.  Her husband who is a former Mizoram Governor and senior counsel of Supreme Court Swaraj Kaushal came up with a fitting and amusing response to her decision, saying “there came a time when even Milkha Singh stopped running.”

While some questioned whether Swaraj’s decision reflected “her dissatisfaction” with the Modi government, others speculated if this meant her political career was over.

Some even said, “Doesn’t Mean Her Political Career is Over”. Obviously, she has only announced that she will not be contesting the Lok Sabha polls after remaining Lok Sabha MP for four terms. It is felt that she may come to the Rajya Sabha later and continue her parliamentary career.

She served as Union Cabinet Minister for Information and Broadcasting with additional charge of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Health Minister in Atal Behari Vajpayee's second government. She became External Affairs Minister in the Modi government in May 2014.

ends

Fly on the wall : Even Padma Awards linked with Aadhaar

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Even Padma Awards linked with Aadhaar

Prime Minister Modi's liking for Aadhaar is setting a new milestone with the each passing day. The Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha who headed the Padma awards committee directed that all nominations for 2018 must be linked to Aadhaar. It has been decided that all nominations /recommendations for Padma Awards should be sent online only on the Padma portal designed specially by Ministry of Home Affairs. Anybody contemplating to recommend a person's name for these awards, must have Aadhaar card and the person who recommends first obtain an OTP number and feeds the OTP in the system and then alone he or she can make a recommendation. Cabinet Ministers, Governors and those holding key political posts have been signaled they shouldn't make recommendations in a routine manner. The Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories have been told to route recommendations through state governments. This was a signal to Pudducherry Governor Kiran Bedi that the mandate is for an elected government.

How Rudy was shown the door

“Fly” learnt an interesting tail how Skill Development Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy's resignation went through the motions days before the major Cabinet rejig on September 3. Rudy was traveling when summoned by Shah on September 1. It is no secret that Shah calls the shot these days and scond in command; be it party or the government. Shah was sitting with General Secretary Ram Lal when Rudy was called inside the room. Without mincing words, Shah told Rudy, “The PM wants your resignation.” Rudy knew it was coming. Yet he developed the courage to ask, “When do I resign, Sir?” Shah shot back without blinking, “Right now.” Rudy's next raised eyebrows, “Shall I give it to you sir or to the PM?” Now Rudy got another shocker: No, you give it to Ram Lalji.” Rudy recovered and asked politely, “Shall I write the resignation here sir ?” Shah said, “No, you write in the ante room. Ram Lalji will collect.” Rudy handed over the letter to Ram Lal who emerged after a long time.

Nirmala at Number 26 in pecking order !

Nirmala Sitharaman may have jolted the nation all when PM Modi promoted her as Defence Minister. She became a key member of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) too in her capacity as Defence Minister. But if one examines the official website of the government listing names and portfolios of Council of Ministers, Nirmala Sitharaman's name figures at number 26. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is the only Cabinet Minister who figures below her at number 27. All Cabinet Ministers including Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Maneka Gandhi are ranked upward in the serial. Efforts to elicit response didn't succeed. But sources in the BJP said that its the seniority in the party that matters most and now what you are in the government. She is the youngest member to join the BJP. Then why Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi listed below her ? The Fly didn't get a response. Some consolation !

Ex-CBI Director counting his days

Two former CBI directors – Ranjit Sinha and A P Singh – are facing tough times. While Sinha's case is being monitored by the Supreme Court directly after M L Sharma headed SIT submitted its report. But A P Singh seem to be counting his days as Enforcement Directorate (ED) has gathered enough evidence to book him in the money laundering case. His alleged accomplice meat exporter Moin Qureshi is in the ED custody and payment of Rs 1.75 crores to Qureshi to help a Bengaluru-based person in a CBI case, has sealed the fate. The BBM messages on mobile phones exchanged between Qureshi and Singh and other evidence have exposed the scam. The days seem to be numbered and it may happen sooner than expected. Singh was made to quit prematurely by the government from the UPSC and now his arrest is matter of days.

The turn of the nephews now

In a country of dynasties, the unmarried leaders can claim to be free from any such pressure. But not any more. It now transpires that BSP supremo Mayawati may launch her nephew Aakash shortly in politics. Since her brother Anand is involved in some cases with ED and IT and is a low profile person, Mayawati wants her legacy to be transferred to Aakash who has completed management studies from London. Similarly, Navin Patnaik may promote Arun Patnaik, son of his elder brother Prem Patnaik. Navin Patnaik sounded his sister Geeta Mehta. But she opted out and returned to the USA. Navin is now old and even sick as well. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is already replying heavily on her nephew Abhishek Banerjee who is a Lok Sabha MP.

All eyes on Gujrat’s three RS seats

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Special report

All eyes on Gujrat’s three RS seats

Anandiben Patel Vice President contender ?

  

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, March 31

  

The Capital is agog with intense speculation that BJP president Amit Shah and Anandiben Patel, former Gujrat Chief Minister may quit as MLA after the Presidential polls due to be held in July this year.

Since MLAs in states along with MPs constitute electorate college for the Presidential polls, both have chosen to stay put. But the moment presidential poll is over, they will quit. Interestingly, both will have their own reasons to quit their respective seats in the Gujrat Assembly.

Highly placed sources close to the BJP president say that Amit Shah will prefer to come to the Rajya Sabha in August when biennial polls for three RS seats will be held in Gujrat. BJP’s Smriti Irani, Union Textiles Minister, and Dilipbhai Pandya ill be completing their six year terms as MPs from Gujrat. Ahmad Patel of the Congress will also complete his term in the Rajya Sabha. Given the composition of the State Assembly, the BJP will be able to retain its two seats while the Congress will get one seat easily.

While Amit Shah coming to the Rajya Sabha is considered a foregone conclusion, it’s the second seat that has led to intense political speculation within the party. While a section of the BJP says that Anandiben Patel may be brought in Rajya Sabha for the second seat and get a Cabinet berth and Smriti Irani may move to UP to occupy the seat to be vacated by Manohar Parrikar who is now Chief Minister Goa. Parrikar is Rajya Sabha MP from UP at present.

But what has caused enormous interest in political circles is the talk that Anandiben Patel may even be brought in as Vice President of India. The BJP and NDA have a clear majority to get its own candidate elected as Vice President. Though various names are being mentioned for the post including that of M Venkiah Naidu, Minister for Urban Development, Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gahlot, P Sadasivam, former Chief Justice of India and Governor of Kerala and others. But Anandben Patel’s claim to the post is stronger compared to others, these sources say.

She was removed as Chief Minister and has been cooling her heels quietly for long. She herself is a Patidar and was considered to PM Modi who anointed her as his successor in Gujrat. Since Gujrat Assembly polls will be round the corner, her elevation will help the BJP during the elections as well.

PMO plays tough, another min gets jolt

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Exclusive Report

A Cabinet minister is normally entitled to appoint 15 officers including PS, OSD and those on other ranks. Since Chaudhary Birender Singh holds the charge of three more departments, he can appoint a personal staff of 28 persons.

 Birender Singh loses two OSDs

￭ New transfer policy for private secretaries too

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov 22: 

The Prime Minister's Office continues to play tough when it comes to hiring the private secretaries (PS) or Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) or personal staff of the ministers in the government. Even after 18 months into the office, the ministers in the NDA government are still struggling to find personal staff "acceptable" to the PMO. 

The latest shocker came to Union rural development minister Chaudhary Birender Singh who was told by the PMO that the appointments of two OSDs cannot be approved. Incidentally, one of the two OSDs was functioning in with the minister for the past 10 months. His file was sent for approval to the PMO immediately after being appointed 10 months ago. But the PMO rejected it now. Since he is a retired IRS officer, he was drawing his pension and doesn't suffer financially. But the other OSD is an advocate and politically close to the minister.

A Cabinet minister is normally entitled to appoint 15 officers including PS, OSD and those on other ranks. Since Chaudhary Birender Singh holds the charge of three more departments, he can appoint a personal staff of 28 persons. Birender Singh was reportedly upset with the decision and reported to have taken up the issue with the PMO as well. But to no avail. It may be mentioned that even Union home minister Rajnath Singh, HRD minister Smriti Irani, minority affairs minister Najma Heptualla, consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan and a couple of others were not allowed to retain the officers of their choice. Rajnath Singh's officer was repatriated prematurely while Smriti Irani's OSD was given marching orders after he worked for 10 months.

A highly placed source in the PMO explained that the appointment of private persons in the ministerial staff is closely scrutinized at various levels in the revenue, home, IB, RAW & other departments. The ministers may appoint some of their favourites in their personal staff. But certain persons are not found fit after the inquiry and proposals are rejected. 

The PMO had conveyed to the ministers last year that no sanction will be granted to the person for appointment if he had worked during the UPA regime or for that matter in the United Front governments. Earlier, even lower rank staff members were not allowed to join. But this rule was relaxed.

Even on Friday last (November 20), the Department of Personnel under the PMO issued fresh guidelines with regard to Rotational Transfer Policy (RTP) for private secretaries belonging to the Central Secretariat Services. The PMO wants that duration of PS' working in various ministries and departments be for a fixed tenure and they must be rotated. The continuance of an officer for a longer duration in the same ministry and the same department is not considered appropriate by the present dispensation. All departments have been directed to submit details by the end of this month about such private secretaries working with them. 

 

The silence of Modi

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

The Lalit Modi fiasco has in the last few weeks brought into question some notions about NDA government that were taken as given. First, its executives, be at the Centre or the outposts, are persons of integrity unlike what could be said about their UPA predecessors. Second, BJP, the core party of the NDA, has come out of its misplaced mould and has put an impressive array of women leaders in important positions; in other words, women of integrity and quality have come forward to neutralise its long-derided gender skew. Sadly, all these presumptions about the ‘Modi sarkar’ have been turned on its  head by an avalanche of revelations about all Modi’s men, or women, rather.