Fly on the wall
BJP's brush with its women leaders
Bollywood actress cum first term Lok Sabha MP Kangna Ranaut is not the first woman leader who has embarrassed the party. She has done it on several occasions in the past as she is brutally frank and known for speaking her mind. She recently claimed that the farmers' protests in 2020 were a build up to a “Bangladesh-like situation” in India and several killings and rapes were reported from the protest sites. There was a huge outcry in Haryana BJP which is already on the back foot and distanced itself from Ranaut’s remarks. As if this was not enough, she was also directed to retract her statement.
Even before she joined the BJP, she made headlines for making nasty remarks against the Opposition leaders and parties. It was due to these qualities that the BJP leadership rewarded her with a Lok Sabha ticket and she won. But the BJP is now finding it extremely embarrassing as she keeps speaking her "mind" on one issue or the other. But this is the first time she has been forced to retract her remarks. However, Kangna is not the first BJP woman leader who has embarrassed the BJP. The party has a long list of such women leaders barring late Sushma Swaraj. The fire-brand Hindu icon Pragya Thakur was brought to the Lok Sabha from Madhya Pradesh with much fan-fare and throughout her five year tenure, she ran into one controversy or the other. The BJP also had its ups and down with Uma Bharati and to some extent with Smriti Irani as well. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasudhara Raje Scindia's brush with the party high command is continuing even now. The BJP had also been uncomfortable with Maharashtra's Pankja Munde though all is well now.
Manoj Sinha, BJP's new star on horizon
With the almost violence free conduct of polls in Jammu & kashmir, the Modi dispensation is extremely happy with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. He has been at the helm of affairs after the utter failure of his predecessors; be it Satya Pal Malik or G C Murmu who ran into one controversy or the other. Earlier, the Modi dispensation retained N N Vohra from 2014 to August 2018 as Governor, an appointee of PM Manmohan Singh. Vohra served the state for more than 10 years. But it was Manoj Sinha who delivered what Modi desired. Malik fell out with Modi after he was shifted to Goa and later to Meghalaya while G C Murmu had to be brought to Delhi as CAG.
Manoj Sinha had missed the bus for the CM's post in 2017 and had lost Lok Sabha polls too in 2019. He was picked up by Modi as LG J&K where he proved his mettle as an able administrator and astute politician. If the BJP is able to form a government with the help of individual groups and Independents in the Valley, Sinha's graph will shoot up further. There are reports that he will be adequately rewarded after the new government stabilizes in the state. Sinha has strong roots in the RSS and is extremely close to Modi and Amit Shah. There are many who say he may be the dark horse for the post of the BJP president though it will be a long shot.
No playing to the tunes of agencies
It seems the Congress has decided to toe the line of other INDIA block Chief Ministers who refused to resign merely on the ground of a case of corruption being registered by the agencies or even on court orders. Though Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had resigned after the ED took his custody. But Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stood his ground and stayed put for nearly six months while in jail. With the various high courts and even SC coming down heavily on the agencies for rushing to arresting people and keeping them in jail without even filing a chargesheet or accelerating trial, the Congress has decided to follow the same path. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has not filed an appeal against the HC order and nor quit in the MUDA scam. The Congress appears to have taken a cue from the BJP even after Siddaramaiah's petition was dismissed by the Kartataka high court challenging the Governor’s sanction for investigating the “illegal” allotment of land to his wife. Though the Opposition is pressing for his resignation, the Congress seems to have stood by Siddharamiah until a chargesheet is filed.
A Third Intellectual Forum Emerges
After the tremendous success of Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) and India Foundation, a third such organization is making waves in the Lutyens' Delhi. The VIF was founded by Ajit Doval who rose to become the National Security Adviser. All those connected to the VIF made a huge contribution to the cause for which it was created in 2009 and many of its leading lights are playing a key role in the Modi dispensation. Then came the Ram Madhav-led India Foundation which is working in many areas relating to security and international affairs. Ram Madhav was once close to Modi and later sent back to the RSS and now back in action in J&K as Modi's point's man.
Come 2024 and a new Foundation emerged under the nomenclature of World Intellectual Forum (WIF). Its key man is veteran RSS leader Ram Lal who was BJP's general secretary (Organisation) for many years. He was replaced by B L Santoh. Ram Lal is the key person behind the WIF. Thinkers, intellectuals and activists from across the globe descended in Delhi to attend its major meeting here quietly. Ram Lal is highly respected in the RSS and the BJP and popular with the cadre.
