by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Thaawar Chand, Piyush Goyal, Javadekar in Race for Leader Rajya Sabha,
YSR Congress may be dark horse for Deputy Speaker, LS
Modi Nod awaited for two crucial posts
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, June 10
Prime Minister Modi has to take a couple of crucial political decisions very soon including the choice of the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Leader of the BJP Parliamentary group in Rajya Sabha.
While the Shiv Sena has already expressed its desire to be the rightful claimant for the post of the Deputy Speaker which usually goes to the Opposition party, not to an ally. But these conventions have not been followed in the past and the Sena is not insisting for it. The second best choice doing the rounds is that of Brahtohari Mehtab of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). It is argued that Modi may like to bring Naveen Patnaik of Odisha closer to the BJP. Patnaik is scheduled to meet Modi today and this issue may crop up. But there are many in the BJP high command who say that Modi may like to rope in YSR Congress of Andhra Pradesh instead as Jaganmohan Reddy has slapped a humiliating defeat to Congress and Chandrababu Naidu in the state. Modi may also like to oblige YSR Congress rather than the BJD.
Another important political decision that PM Modi has to take as Leader of the BJP in Rajya Sabha after his most trusted and highly qualified person Arun Jaitley opted out due to ill health.
Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Social Justice Minister, is the senior most BJP leader in Rajya Sabha and a Dalit from Madhya Pradesh. Modi has also kept him in a couple of crucial parliamentary committees too and he is a member of the BJP's Parliamentary Board. But then there is a rising star Piyush Goyal in Railway & Commerce Minister whom the party is grooming. Another Minister in the reckoning is Prakash Javadekar who has been hand-picked for the coveted ministries of Environment & Forest and I&B. He has been brought back in I&B after several failed experiments in the first term. But by virtue of her position as Finance Minister and being a woman too, Nirmala Sitharaman is also a front runner for the top post. The way she defended the government and blasted Rahul Gandhi on Rafale in the Lok Sabha in Winter session stole the thunder.
Ends
