BJP
Tweaking 75 year's age retirement !
When
the BJP leadership decided to retire all its senior leaders above the
age of 75 years and not give any executive post either in the party
or the government, it was hailed as a new milestone in politics.
Prime Minister Modi and new BJP leadership doggedly implemented this
policy under which many senior leaders like L K Advani, Murli Manohar
Joshi and others were the first ones to bear the brunt. A couple of
seniors were made members of the “Margdarshak Mandal” as members.
A couple of Chief Ministers including B S Yediyurappa, Anandiben
Patel were also shown the door. Senior leaders reconciled to the New
BJP and opted to become Governors etc. A couple of such leaders chose
to desert the BJP like Nand Kumar Sai in Chhattisgarh for greener
pastures. The party has signaled to many of the sitting Lok Sabha Mps
like Gen. V K Singh, Radha Mohan Singh, Rama Devi and others that
they may not be given tickets in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
But the leadership ran for cover once it realized that the party won't be even able to put up a fight without the help of its tall Lingayat leader Yediyurappa. It tweaked its policy to placate him by inducting Yediyurappa in the all-powerful Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee. As if this was not enough, he was virtually made incharge of the campaign committee. While his one son is already a member of the Lok Sabha, his other son was given the Assembly ticket. Yediyurappa also ensured that the majority of his supporters get the Assembly tickets as well and swallow the burial of its retirement policy. A defeat of BJP in Karnataka may open Pandora's box in other states where Assembly polls are due in November-December 2023. The Exit-polls have largely sent the BJP packing in Karnataka.
Is Prashant Kishore advising Sachin Pilot?
Prashant Kishore who played a key role in ensuring the victory of many of his clients including PM Modi in 2014 and several regional parties, may have been busy with his 'Jan Suraaj Yatra' in Bihar to test his own political career. But his poll company, I-pack, has got a new client in Sachin Pilot. As the grapevine has it, I-pack teams are undertaking extensive surveys to gauge the mood of the people in Rajasthan. These surveys are being done as part of designing a strategy for Sachin Pilot for the Rajasthan Assembly polls later this year. This survey has nothing to do with the Congress and evolving a winning strategy for Sachin Pilot. The former PCC chief and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot is desperate to find his feet after his failed coup attempt in 2020 against Ashok Gehlot. The party high command has promised to protect the interests of the young Gujjar leader. But given the prevailing political situation, the high command may find it difficult to remove Gehlot. Therefore, Pilot wants to chart out his own course and wants a winning strategy. If sources close to Pilot are any indication, he wants to replicate in Rajasthan what the Janata Dal (S) has been doing in Karnataka i.e. no government can be formed without its support. In a house of 200 seats, Pilot is aiming to get 30-odd seats for his political party which he wants to float. A final decision will be taken
Emergence of India's New crime Capital
Gone are the days when Mumbai used to be Mafia Dons' Capital of the country. The commercial Capital saw the eclipse of Dawood Ibrahim, Chhotta Rajan and many others who ruled the city while the Police and politicians looked the other way. For some time, NOIDA and other parts of NCR areas became the hub of Mafia Dons. With the advent of Mayawati as Chief Minister in 2007, their reign ended. Briefly, Haryana's Gurugram and nearby areas also saw the emergence of massive extortion and gang wars too. But to the astonishment of people, Delhi has emerged as the new hub of criminal gangs who operate freely. Another shocking aspect is that these gangs are operating from inside the Central Tihar jail right under the nose of the Delhi Police and its masters with complete impunity. The recent murder of a gangster in Tihar jail in the presence of dozens of Policemen and jail administration exposed those governing the Capital's law & order. It also emerged that Delhi Police's Anti-gangster Cell remained inactive for reasons best known to it. These rival gangs were used by powers that be to settle their own scores. The way conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar extorted Rs 200 crores from a leading businessman's family and distributed Rs 50 crores to jail staff and Police and lived a lavish life, has put the Capital to shame. No property can be sold or bought in several areas of Delhi including Najafgarh, Bawana, Narela and parts of South Delhi.
Social Media War
For the first time in many years, the Congress was able to give back to the BJP in social media warfare in the Karnataka Assembly polls. Normally, the BJP's social media cell headed by Amit Malviya is miles ahead of the Congress on social media. The BJP cell used to set the agenda and the Congress was always on the defensive. With the advent of the Modi era in 2014, the digital space has mostly been dominated by the BJP. But it met its match for the first time in Karnataka as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge picked up a team for social media composed of Gaurav Ballabh and Supriya Shrinate while other heavyweights were kept at arms length.
