Fly on the Wall
No Mega Probe Agency
If reports emanating from the Prime Minister's Office are any indication, a move to create a new post of Chief Investigating officer (CIO) to head a new oversight probe body has been put on the back burner. The new oversight body was to be created to oversee the investigation part of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the CBI. The stated objective to create this mega probe agency was to bring better coordination among them for all kinds of economic offenses. The current body- Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) – is considered a toothless wing under the Finance Ministry. It was felt that the new oversight body will replace the CEIB and will be given statutory powers. The government felt that there is a lot of overlap in the areas of investigation of the ED, CBI and other agencies and a CIO would bring better synergy among them. This will be on the lines of the post of the Chief of Defence Staff and the National Security Adviser.
It has been speculated that the post of the Chief Investigation Officer (CIO) in this new oversight body will go to Sanjay Mishra who was Director of the ED, had changed the face of this probe agency during his five years stint. Mishra's work at the ED was so outstanding that the current dispensation gave him one extension after the other even after his two years fixed tenure. The government even requested his continuance due to the ongoing review of the Financial Action Task Force, a global money laundering body in the Supreme Court. But the Supreme Court kept prodding the government to relieve Mishra as he had been given several extensions and finally he was relieved of the post. It was in this background that the government planned to create the new oversight body and anoint Mishra as CIO. But the PMO is reported to have dragged its feet considering that it may have some adverse effect in an election year and create an avoidable controversy. The idea has been put on the back burner but not buried.
BJP's
mounting problems
The BJP high command may have fallen back upon regional satraps in the key states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls by fielding Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh respectively. But it held back the name of Vasundhara Raje Scindia in Rajasthan for some strange reasons. The BJP high command had already told her that she will not be the face of the party for the post of Chief Minister. It is yet not clear whether she will be given a ticket or not. But some of her key supporters have already been denied the ticket in the first list. Even the Prime Minister while addressing a rally in a poll bound state had declared that the BJP's “Kamal” will be the face of the party and not anybody. Surprisingly, the PM refrained from prodding the crowd that they should have faith in him. On earlier occasions, the PM had been asking the crowds to vote for Modi and have faith in him. But during the current campaign, he is asking the people to vote for “Kamal Ka Phool”. It may be a tactical shift in his approach and shifting focus from an individual to the party.
There is considerable speculation in the BJP whether Vasundhara will accept this humiliation and take it lying down. She has not uttered a word in public and even her family members including four time Lok Sabha MP Dushyant Singh was heard saying, “We are all here because of her and justice must be done.” But one of her tweets indicated that the last word of her possible action has not been written. She wrote on “X”, “Just a day before yesterday I was on a tour of Barmer-Jaisalmer and even today the people of Malani and the public representatives have shown the same kind of affection, respect and hospitality towards me" with pictures of herself surrounded by crowds, hours after appearing to have been snubbed on Modi's stage at a rally in Jodhpur. Though she was given a place on the stage with the PM but did not address the meeting and did not exchange a word throughout. However, she has not given up and is traveling across the state and seeking blessings of prominent Hindu religious leaders. Will she give up? No one is sure.
BJP's unending LoP search
The
BJP seems to be in serious trouble in Karnataka as well and facing
its Waterloo even in defeat. After losing Assembly polls it has not
been able to pick up its leader in the State Assembly even after six
months. While the names of the former CM, Basavaraj Bommai, and those
of R Ashoka and Basanagouda Patil Yatnal are doing the rounds for the
post, the party has been struggling with infighting. Former Chief
Minister B S Yediyurrapa is insisting that his son be nominated as
the Leader of Opposition to retain the party's Lingayat base. But the
high command is not yielding.
